  Spiritual
This week: Jessica's Happiness Box Project! Edited by: THANKFUL SONALI Library Class!  
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| When Jessica told me about her Happiness Box Project, I asked her if she'd be willing to share her experiences with the WDC community. She agreed at once, and this newsletter is the result! |
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Dear Reader,
I give below an interview with Grateful Jess  about her Happiness Box Project. The answers are all in her own words.
Thank you, Jessica, for sharing this with us! 
1. What is the Happiness Box Project?
The Happiness Box Project is a daily exercise where one takes notes or photos (or a combination of both) of the things that made the person happy or grateful. After one writes or photographs, the person can place their gratitude in the box and when the person opens the box in the New Year, it’s a chance to count your blessings from the previous year. Often, I think we fail to count our blessings and reflect on the past year. While not everything goes according to plan, there are still blessings and lessons that one can take into the New Year.
2. How did the idea come about?
Those of you who have been a member of Writing.com for a while might remember my trauma and depression stories. Before I was working full-time, I only worked ten hours per week at the library and needed something to fill the void from changing my mind about moving to Detroit, finding full-time work in Philadelphia (near where I live currently), and something to relieve the anger I felt. I used to scrapbook all the time in grade school but trailed off in college, and I wanted to get back into it. I decided to join Pinterest in July 2014 to pique some ideas for scrapbooks.
I remember finding a positivity board, then stumbled upon the idea of a happiness jar. I wasn’t far along in my process of healing and disregarded it until September 2015 when I logged back on and saw ideas pop up in my newsfeed. I thought it would be an excellent exercise for 2016 and thought it would help with healing.
I had a jar that belonged to Nan. It was one of her water jars, and before she died, she said I could use it as a bank. I never did and thought the jar would be fitting for the project since Nan brought me a lot of happiness. A few days before New Year’s Day 2016, I went to the craft store and bought embellishments for the jar. I will admit that I did start putting slips in before 1 January 2016 because my Catholic/Atheist family finally started to accept my reversion to Islam and that was monumental over the Christmas holiday, but I really should have waited until 1 January 2016. The jar was too small and I ended up filling the jar to max capacity in March 2016. I ended up keeping notes and mementos from travels I took in 2016, the excitement of passing a significant test I had to take for Canadian immigration (after my visit to Toronto, Toronto felt like home and I wanted to live there), and other events in 2016 in a drawer. I included these mementos when I opened the jar on 1 January 2017.
The jar was too small for me and I felt disappointed that I had to keep the rest of the year in a drawer. After I opened the jar, I took notice of the enormous gift box sitting by a drawer. I thought that big box that once held a jacket would hold a whole year’s worth of slips. I took photos that I clipped out of travel magazines—one of a mosque in Morocco, the Canadian logo with a maple leaf underneath, then various pictures I took with friends; basically, images that made me happy.
I will admit that I did go a bit overboard with Happiness Box 2017. Between the excitement of being invited to apply for residency in Canada and working overtime to make my dream happen. Then the disappointment of being refused after the full-time job didn’t write the letter, which taught me a significant lesson: there was still something to be grateful for; life is not always full of rainbows, being thankful during hard times creates resilience to bounce back from that hard times. I even added a note about when my one Muslim friend wishing me a happy Muslim women’s day, travel and life in between, I ended up filling the box and box top.
Although, I wasn’t successful in moving to Canada right now and although I am dealing with some health issues, the slips and photos remind me that I still have blessings in my life. Last year after I opened the jar, I thought people would think I am basing my happiness on other people. However, I am now seeing that we as human beings need a village of other people involved in our lives. Humans are social creatures and they do need others to survive. My friends and family have been great during this (although there is friction at times, that is also life) and I am genuinely thankful for my village of people. This year I am spending more time with the people in my village.
It was exciting opening the box on 1 January 2018 and counting my blessings. I’m currently scrapbooking the contents and I decided to reuse the box for this year’s project. It’ll be a smaller project; I am just sticking to notes and photos. While the relics added a nice touch, I can’t scrapbook those and it took up a lot of space. It was overwhelming when I opened the box on New Year’s Day, and it took about three hours to absorb everything. I want to keep it simple; I love writing and photographing anyway. I look forward to opening this year’s box on 1 January 2019 and I want to continue this project for many years to come.
3. For how long have you been maintaining a Happiness Box?
I started the jar in 2016, but have been maintaining the Happiness Box since 2017.
Recently, in April 2018, I started building a social media community dedicated to the Happiness Box Project. Since I shared the project to death on my personal Instagram, Twitter, and blog, the Project gained a lot of attention on all social media platforms. Many said I was inspirational and building off of those comments; I decided to create an Instagram and blog to inspire the public. I’m thinking of creating a Twitter, but I want to keep it simple for now.
4. How have you been spreading the positive vibes?
Since creating The Happiness Box Project Instagram, I decided to put personal photos of what makes me happy. The reason behind it? I wanted to show people how I fill my box and the things that not only make me happy but also what I am grateful for. While I still do post pictures of Happiness Box 2018 and scrapbook pages of Happiness Box 2017, people are responding to the personal photos as well. I think that is why my project has been a hit with people.
Lately, I’ve been working on the Happiness Box Project initiative. I’m going beyond the box and spreading happiness by being kind to everyone I meet. I believe kindness begets kindness and if we show each other peace, they will pass it on to others. With all the vitriol and hatred of social media it seems like society has forgotten how to be kind to others. I’m trying to break that cycle and want to light a dark world.
On Monday, I decided to boost morale at my full-time job since everyone's mood has been crummy for the past year. I decided that I would create the "Happiness Box Project Initiative" and write notes of gratitude and encouragement. I included some treats with the notes. They were well received and even my manager was pleasantly surprised. I’m thinking about doing this at my part-time library job. Although we do not need morale boost at the library, I appreciate my library co-workers and consider them family. I would like to spread cheer to them as well.
5. Who would benefit from a happiness box, and how?
I think the Happiness Box Project could be beneficial for anyone. However, there is one caveat. Depending on how you feel and if you recently underwent a significant trauma, I wouldn’t suggest writing every day. I would recommend taking your time and working up to everyday moments. I had a friend on Facebook that attempted a happiness project. Her life partner died suddenly last August, then her dad died a month later, she was having a hard time coping. I remember on 1 January; she posted that she started a project. People commented that she was doing the right thing and were encouraging her to write about a happy moment each day. I was getting ready to open Happiness Box 2017 and commented, “this is great! Maybe you can create something you can open next year.” I jumped the gun; I decided to read other comments and she replied that she was still struggling and she didn’t think she could do it daily. One woman responded that she should take her time because her healing time is personal. I agreed because it took me two years to even get to a point where I could write about happiness or gratitude every day.
Everyone has personal stories and I believe people should count their blessings, but the way in which they do so is unique to their style. I am hoping that the Happiness Box Project will inspire kindness and look outward, but also look inward and do what is appropriate for their wellbeing. The project should be fun, not rigid, and should be able to inspire growth. However, people should go at their own pace.
I wrote about my experiences last year. If you would care to read it, please check out "Invalid Item"
That's it for now, readers! Thank you again, Jessica, much appreciated!
 .
PS - Oops! Noticed after I got the newsletter in the mail that I've made a typo in the title.
I've corrected it now, but the subject line in your inbox will carry the mistake.
Which word have I mis-spelt? Answer in the comment box below! |
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Thank you for the responses to "Personal Space V/s. Community Concern"
These are very personal and meaningful, and I am grateful to those who shared them.
Kimbug 
I have a friend who's on a path to total destruction, but, she doesn't seem to realize it. She has shut out friends and family members who genuinely love her and surrounded herself with people who'll go along with her. It's heartbreaking to watch it play out. I've let her know that I'm here if she ever needs me. I also tend to be private, however, I am happy when people show concern. It lets me know someone cares. We have to be able to let people in sometimes; we all need each other to survive. Great newsletter.
dogpack saving 4premium 
This is close to home for me in a sense because I had no idea how life was for my nephew. We would talk by phone and he seemed ok. Not being able to drive I wasn't able to visit at will, so saw him occasionally. sixteen years old and he felt betrayed by his friends, and had other issues. Apparently no one saw his death coming. He found his fathers shot gun and decided to use it down on the beach.
The internet is a double edged sward: part beneficial and part destructive. Humans should be interacting with each other in person more like in days past.
Quick-Quill 
We wonder after the fact what we could have done? Were there clues we missed? I think the person feels alone in the process. They will naturally reach out for help, but not in an overt way. They don't want the "What?! you want to kill yourself?! call 911!!!" What they want is you to NOT react as you are trying to hold it together, and just listen. Be there and tell them to call the help crisis number. Some feel those non personal people don't understand their situation. They do, but you as their friend will have to guide them, fearful as it may be, sit with them while they call the crisis line. Hold their hand. Most of the time it's reassurance. Sometimes there is nothing you could have done to save them but pray. |
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Spiritual: May 23, 2018 Issue [#8911]
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