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The Jar of Happy Things

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Four years ago, I hit an all time low. I remember the exact day the downfall started. My bad day turned into a bad week, which snowballed into a bad couple of months that didn’t let up any time soon.

 

Due to a tragic series of events, that year turned into the worst year of my life.

 

Depressing, I know.

 

Every day I sat there thinking, “When is something good going to happen? When are things going to get better?” Until one day when it finally hit me: maybe good things were still happening around me, and I just stopped noticing them. Swallowing your pride and admitting you might be wrong is not an easy thing to do. But, I did it anyway. I decided that I would try to find one good thing that happened every single day. I would write it down on a sticky note with the date on it, fold it up, and place it in a jar that sat on my dresser.

 

As the days passed, I began to notice more and more good around me. Suddenly, my jar was filling up. I could see it happening right in front of my eyes. It was this physical representation of happiness that I saw every day, a tangible reminder that good things are still possible, that began my road to recovery (if that's even a thing). I decided to name the jar my “jar of happy things.” I desperately needed some happiness in my life, and this was where I would keep track of it all.

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Fast forward five years and I still partake in this ritual. The jar sits on my dresser. Something good happens, I write it on a sticky note with the date, fold it up, and toss it in. At the end of the year I open them all up, read them, put them in an envelope with that years date on the outside, and start the new year off with a fresh jar. Even though I am in a much better place mentally and emotionally, I still keep track of important memories.

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Getting to where I am today wasn't easy. In fact, it was really really hard. But, through all of the ups and downs, I grew immensely - as a friend, a sister, a daughter, a partner, and a person. Click on the jar above to learn more about my journey.

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