Learning Challenge: Happiness Jar Part 2

Last week, for my Learning By H.E.A.R.T. post, I set up a Happiness Jar with the intention of adding to it every day, then seeing what positive memories I'd written down at the end of a week. And let me say: I loved this exercise so much! Not only did it help me to remember each day's happy occurrences, it also helped me to live in the moment more, assessing whether I was enjoying something and reminding me to bask in the happy and not to look ahead so constantly. Some of the components of my jar at the end of the week include:

• A hotel keycard from a band trip. We stayed in the Texas hotel for two nights and had a lot of fun- instead of four to a room it was two to a room, and I and Kaleigh got ready for the band banquet together, then crashed Rose and Meagan's room to curl our hair and watch cooking shows featuring Guy Fieri. It was so fun!
• A ticket stub from a movie (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again)- any time I go to the movies, I keep the ticket stub. It's a reminder of A. what I liked about the movie/the fun experience of watching it, and B. the people I went to see it with (Kaitlyn, Cole, and Liz), and the fun conversations we had about it on the way to Target for a grocery run.
• Some fortunes from the Happy Garden Takeout fortune cookies I and Meagan ordered on Monday. We ate Chinese food and watched new episodes of Grey's Anatomy and Manifest while working on homework for the week. Happy Garden Chinese is literally the BEST their rice tops every other rice on the planet thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
• ^^A piece of paper with a note about the above activity, and how the rain started falling- I opened the sliding glass door so we could hear the sound of the rainfall, and it was beautiful.
• A note about a game my marching band section played- kind of like charades combined with Simon Says. Rose drew a card which said "touch one of the smartest people in the room" and she came over to tap me. I was so flattered and it was definitely a moment for the jar.
• I made it to mass across town and reconnected with a family friend, who is expecting a second grandchild here in a few months!
• My cousin had her baby and he's precious!
• In Accapella rehearsal, we learned a song (Hostage, by Sia), and did a memory rep of us just goofily dancing along and it was such a joyous, fun time. I ran in from a pep gig and set my mellophone in the back, and David asked if I'd brought my significant other to rehearsal while gesturing towards it. I totally cracked up. 
• Saturday morning I drove to a State High School marching competition in OKC and got to package grapes for concessions for a while with a few of the high schoolers. It was cool to converse with the youngins (though it did make me feel old haha), and I had so much fun getting to listen to some of the bands warm up. It's been 3 years since I've attended a HS marching comp and I really missed it. Lots of nostalgia for the fun times I had in a marching uniform withOUt the block O, though I love college marching to pieces as well.
• Wednesday, I made it to a game night with some older mello players, and it was fun to hang and catch up with the people I hadn't seen in a fair while.
• Friday, I and Liz caught the Union showing of Ant-Man and the Wasp, and though it was my third time seeing it, I had just as much fun as I did the first time. Liz was new to the movie, and there's something happy about laughing your heads off together in the good seats of the balcony part of Meacham.
• I got to spend some quality time with Kaitlyn, Liz, and Cole- we got dinner together after rehearsal and it was just really nice to talk for a while- it served as a reminder to be a go-getter about conversations with everyone, even people you see all the time.
• The service meeting was super fun, there was a goofy crocs presentation, and afterwards we got to go to the Blue Room in the Mont for cheese fries (I had to leave early but it was nevertheless a good fifteen minutes).
• After that, I studied with Meagan in the Clubhouse, and Meagan and the free hot chocolate milk in there will never not make me happy.
• I cleaned my room and got my laundry done and finally framed the Pride of OK print and I'm feeling that happy sort of accomplished/together!
• I talked with every member of my family on the phone this week and am so happy to see them this Christmas!

There's so much more, I just couldn't write everything down- this exercise is a great way to stay grateful and aware of the positives in life when it's far too easy to let the negatives get you down.

Image Info: My Happiness Jar.
Source: Personal Image, taken Oct. 14, 2018.