Blessings Jar.

During 2016, my therapist suggested using a "blessings jar."

She gave me a cute, small glass jar & suggested I put slips of paper in it every so-often listing my various blessings in life.

Although it was, & still is, difficult to sustain the regular habit, it is a beautiful & worthwhile one to pursue indeed. It cultivates a grateful heart in the practice of identifying & expressing gratitude for even the small things in life, &, in that process, it creates an incredible coping tool. Anytime depression hits or the mind is unable to recall feeling joyful or even alright, the slips of paper can be read aloud to remind the soul of all the beautiful things that make life worth it despite all of its pain.

A year & a half later, I created my very own blessings jar, crafting it with playful colours, positive stickers, & beautiful decorations.

Inside, artificial flowers sit in a small bed of real bark & fake moss.🌾

I was able to gather nearly all of these items from around the house, successfully scavenging by digging through old craft supplies & tucked-away storage boxes. The flowers were on clearance for only $1. (Ballin' on a budget!)

I am rarely interested in hands-on crafts, honestly, so this activity was also a nice change of pace overall, a beautiful challenge for the creative aspects of my personality who have been subdued by severe depression & dissociation. This craft was an extremely needed & well-deserved break from countless hours of hard work researching & writing over these past few weeks.

Bambi, the most playful "little" (child alter) in my system, is about five or six years-old. In this video below, she admires her handiwork after completing our blessings jar project before dumping in the coloured slips filled with writings of blessings & gratitude. 💠🦋💠

I highly recommend giving this practice a try!

Check out my video below for suggested instructions, & feel free to share this idea with your friends & family!

You can click the "Contact" link on my blog page to send me a direct, private email & tell me about how your blessings jar craft project is going! I'd LOVE to see photographs of your completed jars! :D I am deeply proud of each & every beautiful soul who dares to actively & intentionally strive to cultivate a heart of gratitude.

All my love,

-Kristin Windsor