It’s been a hot minute since I’ve talked about the Grateful Jar Project, so for those new here, here’s the backstory.
Back in 2015, I began a daily gratitude practice: each day, I would write down one thing I was grateful for, fold it up, and tuck it into my Grateful Jar. On Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year, I’d open the jar and marinate in a full year’s worth of gratitude.
Returning to Gratitude
2022 and 2023 were some of the most challenging years of my life—a true dark night of the soul. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder: did the struggle feel heavier because I had let my daily gratitude practice lapse?
By July 2023, I white-knuckled my way back into the ritual, like a waterlogged woman pulling herself into a life raft in stormy seas. 🌊 This time, I knew that the practice was not optional—it was medicine, anchor, and lifeline all in one.
Those years were also when I received the “download” to get-ready-to-be-ready (for what, I still had no idea) and released nearly everything I owned. At the very, very, VERY end of this epic purge, the Grateful Jar was rehomed—but the practice, thankfully, lived on.
The Power of Daily Gratitude
Today, I know more than ever how potent the daily practice of putting pen to paper can be. Writing out what I am grateful for every day:
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Shifts my mindset
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Anchors me in hope
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Keeps my heart soft and strong
Though I no longer have the original Grateful Jar, the practice continues. These days, it takes the form of a Grateful Journal, far lighter and more practical for backpack-toting nomads and busy university students.
As much as the practice has shifted in form, its essence remains the same.
From Practice to Memoir
Fun fact: the first year of this ritual evolved into an intimate, Amazon best-selling memoir, The Grateful Jar Project. Writing it allowed me to explore gratitude, self-reflection, and resilience in a deeper, more personal way.
Even a small daily act of noticing and writing down what you are grateful for can shift your mindset, soften your heart, and anchor you in hope—just as it has for me over the years.
If you’d like to read more about how this practice deeply impacted my life, check out this page for a more intimate glimse into my journey with the Grateful Jar Project.
Thumpity thump thump…
Thumpity thump thump…
Beats my grateful, grateful heart.
Krystin
✨💜💙💚💛🧡❤️✨