10 Little Things That Make Me Happier And Healthier

1. I decide to be happy. Although I can be miserable and complain about every ache and pain that I have, or worry about the chronic illnesses I have, I decide to be happy. I smile a lot and laugh.
2. Drinking water as my main beverage keeps me hydrated.
3. Stay busy. I am not able to work outside of my home, but I maintain 3 blogs and stay active on social networks because I enjoy it.
4. Eat at least one healthy meal a day. Most of the time I try for a healthy breakfast.
5. Enjoy a hobby. I love to read, stay involved with current events and play word games.
6. Move around. I don’t like the word “exercise” because it sounds like work to me! I walk the extra steps around my house to get from one place to the other. I stretch. I dance. I park far from the store and walk.
7. Act silly. (That’s easy for me.) I do things that strike my fancy and end up laughing at myself. It keeps my spirits up.
8. If I can’t eat fruit or vegetables, I drink juices made from them. I find juices that don’t have added sugar or preservatives.
9. I sleep when I feel tired. Since I have a lot of health problems, if my body tells me I need a nap, I take it.
10. Volunteer work helps me to put my life in perspective and feel good about myself.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms and Tropicana Trop50 blogging program to be eligible to win 6 free Juicy Rewards points and a $30 gift card. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Wilma Mankiller, the first female chief of the Cherokee Nation in modern times, died April 7th, 2010 of Pancreatic Cancer. Mankiller had chronic illnesses including Mysthenia Gravis, Lymphoma, Breast Cancer and a Kidney transplant. She was only 64 when she died.

Although she had many difficulties with her health, as chief from 1985 to 1995, Mankiller she focused on health care, housing and other social and family issues within the Cherokee Tribe and she helped membership triple.

She was known as someone who not only cared, but who did something about her concerns. Her role as an advocate and leader began when she joined a 19 month long occupation of Alcatraz Island which demonstrated the US government’s recognition of tribal sovereignty.

After a car accident in 1979, which almost killed her and required 17 surgeries, Mankiller, still decided to campaign for chief and won in 1985. Through her health struggles, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1988 and continued to work for the Cherokee and Native American people.