How to Be Happy -- The Final Episode

Well, here it is… the final installment in my tips on how to be happy. I really hope everyone who has read them is at least a little bit happier. I have to say, I have enjoyed writing them. I feel like I might be making the world a tiny bit better -- I suppose I’ve always been an idealist. Here they are, the final tasty bites. Enjoy.

• Eat yogurt. It’s crazy, I know. But really, studies have been done (see http://health.yahoo.net/experts/dayinhealth/are-probiotics-new-prozac) that have proven that those who take some sort of pro-biotics daily are just happier.

• There are lots of things that you could try to ease stress and make you happier. I haven’t tried all of them and I have only listed a handful here, but I will try to post a link for each one. That way if you’re interested, you can check them out. Then let me know what you think!
Self hypnosis (http://www.mindtools.com/stress/RelaxationTechniques/SelfHypnosis.htm)
Deep breathing and guided imagery (http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/deep-breathing-guided-imagery-0622124)
Emotional Freedom Technique (http://eft.mercola.com/)
Essential oils and aromatherapy (http://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/natural-health-tips/essential-oils-aromatherapy-guide)

• There are a few things that you should NOT do to make yourself happier. Do not self-medicate with things like alcohol, illegal drugs, out-of-control shopping, or overly risky behavior. Moderation, moderation.

• Finally, just laugh. Find the humor in the things around you and just laugh. Dr. Seuss said, “From there to here, and here to there, funny things are everywhere.”

That’s it. Enjoy your life. You are meant to be here – the world needs you. Again, it was Dr. Seuss who said, “Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

Athena

The newest member of the zoo is a cute little kitten that we named Athena. It's a big name for such a little cat, but it fits her because Athena was the Goddess of War.
My mom, God love her, likes to sugar-coat. When she asked us to take this sweet little kitten that had wandered up to their barn, we asked her if she was friendly.
"Oh, yes. She comes right up and brushes up against me and talks all the time. She's so sweet," she said.
This was great! We already had two cats: Rocket and Abbie. Rocket is very playful -- overly playful. My son used to have scratch marks all over his hands from the cat attacking him. The cat is not scared of anything, and he sits lovingly on our laps. But I always feel like I need to warn people who want to pet him, "He bites." And if it is a neighbor kid who is getting especially affectionate, I sometimes add, "He'll rip off your arm and use it as a toothpick, so be careful." That usually gives them a suitable amount of caution. Abbie, the other cat, is not really even our pet. We call her "The Ghost Cat." We only see her when she wants to eat. Even then, if she sees one of us, she jets out of there like someone just lit her tail on fire. Anyway, we were looking forward to a sweet, friendly cat that didn't make us feel like we were taking our lives into our hands every time we touched her.
Athena is a beautiful cat. When we first saw her, we were so excited. She was cowering in the corner of her cage that my parents had transported her in. We knew she was a little scared from the trip to our house, so we just figured her eagerly-awaited friendliness would become apparent. She growled at us, but we knew this was normal behavior for a stressed cat. We just opened the door to allow her come out whenever she was ready -- which we were certain would be soon, of course, because she was so friendly!
Well, she got out of her cage and found her food bowl. But she was still growling. My mom said, "Oh, isn't that cute. She's talking."
"Mom, she's growling," I said.
"Oh, I don't think that's growling. She makes this cute little noise all the time. I think she's just talking."
I love my mom. She has such an optimistic point of view.
Athena has lived with us for a month now. She is still "talking." Matter of fact, she pretty much "talks" all the time. She mixes it in with a purr now and then, but she even growls while she's eating (it sounds like a low, guttural "Nom, nom, nom, nom.") She is friendly, though, while she growls. And she's friendly while she terrorizes our other cats. And she's friendly while she marks her territory on our clean clothes and on my husband's computer bag. Yes, she's friendly.
But darn it, she's a cute cat. And she is getting better. Matter of fact, she was just sitting on my lap. You know, maybe she really is talking. :)