How to completely transform your relationships?

After reading this post, you’ll learn:

• What is the gratitude jar.

• Why you should know about it.

• How you can use it to improve your relationships.

We buzz through days, months & years on autopilot. Wake up. Breakfast. Work. TV. Dinner. Repeat. In this constant busyness, we're never in the moment. The next meeting, promotion and house is always on our mind.

Slowly, we take our near & dear ones for granted. Their care, too.

• The delicious breakfast mom cooked.

• The groceries your better half picked up.

• The help with a tough project from your colleague.

Imagine a world where you hit pause and savour the small but beautiful life moments. Enter the gratitude jar. A simple, but powerful tool to transform your relationships and well - being.

The gratitude jar is a container where you drop written notes. These notes are reminders of what you're thankful for. These notes can be written:

• To yourself.

• To your parents.

• To your better half.

The key is consistency. Every time someone does something you're thankful for, stop. Write a note in your own words. Drop it into the gratitude jar.

The amazing benefits of gratitude.

1. More happiness.

   According to a University of Berkeley study, people who practiced gratitude show increased activity in a part of the brain associated with positive emotions.

2. Better relationships.

   According to a University of Sussex study, expressing gratitude to others strengthens your bond with them.

3. Greater resilience.

   A mega - review of ~ 70 studies with 26,000 people showed that gratitude is linked to lower depression levels. Tip = focus on a simple, specific thing you’re grateful for. e.g: “I'm grateful for this delicious cup of coffee that's giving me a nice energy boost this morning“.

With such amazing benefits from such a simple practice, there's no reason to not do this.

Ok. How to get started?

You need:

• A thankful heart :)

• A jar / box.

• Paper.

• A pen.

Don't overthink the type / brand of anything. The idea is to get started today. You'll not believe. Our gratitude jar contained organic hummus in it's previous life 🤣 

And the paper? I use the back - side of paper receipts. I know! I'm all about the earth & recycling.

How we do this.

Through the week, me & Ze missus keep dropping notes into our jar. Every Friday night, we read the notes together. Every note brings joy, laughter & silliness 😉 

How you can start, today.

• If you live with your parents, start this practice. Most of the time we take their love for granted. This is a nice way to show them how much you love them.

• If you live with your better half, start this practice together. I'll bet this will bring you closer.

• If you have young kids, encourage them to practice this. Good habits introduced at a young age stick.

I hope this simple idea helps make your relationships more beautiful . If you found this helpful, share with someone who will benefit.

Further reading:

• The joy of a gratitude jar and how to make it today.

P.S: I love to hear from you. Did you like this edition?