Prairie Grlz : A Jar Full of Happiness

Prairie Eydie's FREE Happiness Jar is filling up!

Enjoy the little things, for one day you will look back and realize they were the big things.

Robert Brault

You will LOVE Alma! A great female protagonist.

I have joined the "Happiness Jar Project." I read about it on Elizabeth Gilbert's Facebook page. (Please don't hold the lengthy, self-indulgent Eat, Pray, Love against Elizabeth. She never meant for that book to be a road map for women who were sick of their lives. Elizabeth has recently published this amazing book called The Signature of All Things which will soon be a Masterpiece Theater series. I suggest all you creative souls "friend" her on Facebook. She is an advocate for getting creative work done! Her new book, Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, will be out September 22. I will be buying it in hard cover.)

Elizabeth Gilbert and her happiness jar. Drat. Now I wish I had a bigger jar!

Who can't use some extra happiness? Here is what you do to create your own Jar O' Happiness:

STEP 1: Find a big jar. The very day I decided to start the "Happiness Jar Project" I saw a large Mason jar on my friend's table. I asked him if I could have it and he said "Yes"! (Sounds like Grace people. You may want to revisit my archived blog: Prairie Grlz Find Grace At Culver's. 8-20-2013.) I brought the jar home and placed it on my kitchen counter.

A Happiness Jar from Pinterest. You can tell this person started the project on January 1st. I feel my stomach knotting up just thinking about printing that label on my uncooperative printer. PLUS, look how all the strips of paper are exactly the same size. Not going to happen.

Now all you perfectionists out there could go all "Pinterest" on me - etching the word happiness on an apothecary jar or scrounging through thrift shops for just the right shabby chic jar. I would recommend using what is around and just get started. I have seen people dream of "being creative," only to do nothing because everything has to be perfect before they can start a project. These are the same people who have to start their "Happiness Jar" on New Year's Day. Pst. You can start your project whenever you want.

STEP 2: Stack a good-sized pile of scratch paper or place a wee notebook next to your happiness jar. I use scraps of paper left over from collaging and other art projects. Again, I advise against going "Pinterest." Making your own paper studded with flower seeds so you can plant your happy memories later on is going WAY too far.

STEP 3: Every day write down one thing that made you happy and put the slip in the jar. You could also add a ticket stub, a note from a friend, or a drawing your 1st grader did. What should you do if you miss a day? Nothing. I am pretty sure I missed the entire month of March, due to it being March in Wisconsin.

STEP 4: Figure out when you want to read your happiness slips. You could read them exactly one year after starting the project. Or you could do what I do, dip your hand into the jar when you're having a bad day and need some happiness. Some days I have needed to pull out a whole handful of happiness. My happiness jar has never disappointed me.