How to Be Happy

"Laughter is the best medicine." 

"A smile is the same in every language."

"Dance like no one's watching."

There are two kinds of happiness. Short term and long term. 
Short term is the immediate sensation. Long term is inner peace. Both are equally important and must be used to build upon one another.

How do I become Happy now?
This is short term happiness. It's rolling with the punches when the unexpected happens. Don't dwell on the sorrows of life. Look at yourself and say "I'm wonderful," because you really are. Laugh easily and smile often. We can't always escape the realities of a harsh world, but the world becomes a better place when we choose to be happy, even in the middle of our trials. So make up a silly song, watch something that makes you laugh, or do something uniquely different like going on an adventure or a vacation. Count your blessings and recall just how important each of those blessings are to you.

What do I do to stop crying?
Focus on your emotions to bring yourself into a balance of calm, like you would when meditating. The tears will begin to cease almost immediately. Force yourself to consciously breathe deep. Repeat to yourself, "You're okay, you're okay." This is part of going beyond yourself. Treat your crying body as if you are comforting another person, a person you care about. You will reach an equilibrium of happy to sad. Then, think of something funny to help replace the unhappy thoughts. This will tip the equilibrium onto the side of happy. Now, you will have the opportunity to think a little more clearly about your troubles. Think of the movie Inside-Out. The purpose of crying is to help you "slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems." Finally, get a glass of cold water to drink. This will help refresh your body and mind into a greater state of clarity so you can either accept or overcome whatever made you cry.

How do I become Happy long term?
Long term Happiness is something you choose to have. Look at the bigger picture. You exist and that makes you important. For this, compare the world to a hive of honey-bees. In a honey-bee's entire life-time, it will only collect about 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey. But while small, it is through the dedicated work of every bee that a hive can get filled with up to 60 pounds of honey. Most of us are small so that we don't end up with big heads. Being small encourages us to work together to provide the maximum amount of work we can to society so that everyone, including ourselves, can be happy.  Eat healthy to rejuvenate your body. Think positively to make the nows more beautiful. Exercise regularly so you can learn to love the release of endorphins. Learn to appreciate all of your trials because they have molded you into the person you are today.

What if I have depression?
If you find yourself suddenly dropping, where you turn from a normal, everyday disposition to sudden bouts of extreme sadness and apathy, you may have depression. Depression is very common so feel free to talk to your doctor about receiving the help that's right for you. If you are in a position where you cannot get to a doctor's office, search your area for free counselling services. Depression is a long-term sadness. It's where you both don't care anymore and care too much at the same time. It may occur right after you have a baby, following the death of a loved one, or it may be purely chemical. In the sense of the chemical, you really will need medicine to help, so please talk to your doctor.

Happiness is both something that can be unexpected and chosen. When put together, it helps to encourage a happy life. We won't be happy all the time because it just isn't in our human nature. But the more you choose to be happy, the more you will see it change your life for the better. You are important; remember the bigger picture. 

The Millennial Generation and Surviving Today

It’s not the end of the world. We know that. Day to day life can become monotonous. We live that. We live in a generation of simultaneous progress and decline. We understand that.

To sum up this generation, this is what we have seen.

- The 90’s era ended in about 2004, where we said goodbye to scrunchies and sugar packed                   junk food.

- The next few years saw the decline of eating disorders seen in the general public.

-We also saw a more plain/simple fashion emerge that hadn't really been seen since the                       60’s.

-As new bestselling books took flight, Turning those books into movies did too.

-And it must be noted that most visual effects in today’s films are terrible and completely unbelievable. (Compare affects from 2014 movies to those from a few decades past like the original “Jurassic Park” or even “The Wizard of Oz” and you’ll understand, with one debatable movie being “Inception”.

-The media view of women’s body image has changed from wafer-like for the 90's to a body that is ultra-healthy and toned. With the media occasionally interjecting with the image of big boobs and butts.

-The job market is really tough for the young and inexperienced, typically promising middle               wage but with the “expenses needed to work” using up almost all of the paycheck.

-If you want to make good money, you have to have talent, luck, AND connections to do anything attention-seeking, ex. actor/actress, YouTuber, dancer, singer, musician. Otherwise, you have to choose a college degree that will actually make you money in order to survive. And even that doesn't promise you a job.

-It is because of these pressing new requirements that our country (who really has always been lazy) no longer feels the desire to work because they don’t see any quick/easy/profitable results. So, now we have Presidents promising free health care and other things that are supposed to come from taxes that hardly anyone is really paying.

-Thus, the new generation who plans and are determined to succeed, have had to come to grips with the overwhelming amount of past debt they will eventually have to deal with.

-The current generations have also seen an more recent intelligence divide between average/normal people on one side and complete morons on the other. (Google "Faith in humanity restored/Faith in humanity lost" if you are not aware of this problem)

-Some things haven’t changed and there are still hot disputes over certain topics. (Gay marriage, abortion, racism, sexism, war, poverty)

-Cancer is still being fought daily as Scientists still have not found a cure, but have discovered faster, more efficient ways of identifying cancer sooner.

-The internet is now an extension of everyday life, with social interactions, information sharing, business operations, and it’s very own type of online etiquette.

-Finally, The Baby Boomer Generation is closing, Generation X is getting old, Generation Y is currently in power but appear a bit lost and confused, and the Millennials are still trying to figure how they are going to develop their new found power of their new world. Meanwhile, the generations quickly following the Millennials (who don’t seem to have a name yet) are keeping a close eye the Millennials to make sure things go in the right direction.

      So how do we survive this new, unknown environment? Well, first it looks like goofing off time is for early high school. By senior year of high school, everyone is either applying for grants and scholarships or they are being really dutiful to their college-funding parents. We try not to get loans at all costs because they are incredibly hard to pay back. The college we choose to go to is usually the one which best suites our needs in price and location. We go through college at a pace that our funding and stress levels allow (2-5yrs). We then plan for the horribly stressful but also increasingly important need to attend graduate school. All the while, we scour the map for places we want to visit and look up job openings.

      We can no longer get by simply by the work of our brow so everything is planned out before we have to make any important decisions. We use the help of the internet to fund our research. We learn to take advantage of free stuff like online music, free samples at stores, and (at least as a college student) the availability of free toilet paper. 

      We also have to understand the new-found importance of building a respectable online profile that we would be okay with future employers viewing. 

      With less in-person social interactions and higher stress levels, occurrences of Depression have also skyrocket. We deal with this by maximizing what little interactions we have and using free counseling services provided by schools. Some also seek more diligently to find humorous and uplifting, if not at least inspiring, entertainment to keep their spirits up and forget the troubles of the world for a time.

      Surviving now is founded on becoming faster, more efficient, less stressed, more positive in the face of adversity, prepared for change, and protective of ourselves by setting up measures to defend our delicate mental states. Ect. Ect. Ect.

      Plainly put, the way to survive now, for the Millennials, is by having to really pay attention to the details, both internally and externally. If we don’t, we will find ourselves in trouble sooner or later.

     

      Finally, there is at least one thing we all share or hope to share. A little bit of hope. A little bit of peace. A little bit of comfort. Because remember:

      You are already beautiful/handsome, so just remember to take care of yourself. Life is tough for everyone, but one day maybe you or I or someone can make it easier. We have it in our grasp to make a world we only dream about! Now! Today! We all have that power. We just have to work together. Remember the past, survive the present, prepare for the future. Because, well, why not make life worth living?

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(And if anyone has anything they would like to add, feel free to leave a comment.)

A Change in Pace: Part 1 How to be Healthy

So I just renamed my blog from "the mad hatter's daughter" to "Healthy, Happy, Beautiful."
I'm taking a change in pace so that I can help everyone be, well... healthy, happy, and beautiful.


How to be Healthy:
First, answer these questions. Are you 18 years or older? Does your BMI (Body Mass Index) fall in a healthy range for your age and body type? Are you unhappy with your weight or trying to maintain it? What do you eat on a typical, daily basis? How MUCH do you eat on a typical, daily basis? How often and how hard do you exercise? And finally, are you friends with your body?

Now, I'm not here to tell you about the health risks of being under or over weight. Just let it be known that there are many. I just hope you can take all that you already know, and finally gain the determination to do something about it. So pull out the measuring tape and get ready to set some long-term goals. But first, the facts.

If you are under 18 years old, then you should not be on any kind of diet unless specifically directed by your doctor.

If your BMI is good, then hey good for you! If not, well then keep reading. If you have a low BMI, this is not healthier than having a normal BMI. So please talk to your doctor.

You should be following the ChooseMyPlate proportions. Half of your (small) plate should be colorful fruits and vegetables. Make at least half of your grains Whole Grain (not multigrain which isn't the same thing). Try more lean meats and lentils to get that protein. Try gradually lowering the percentage of your milk until you reach either 1% or fat-free. Switching to a lower percent too soon will make it taste watery and unpleasant. Also, I've personally found that fat-free milk stays fresh longer. Children should be drinking whole milk.

You should try to get in moderate exercise 20-30 minutes a day if you are trying to maintain your weight, and up to 5 hours a week if you are trying to lose weight. The good news is: you can do it in allotments of 10mins and get the activity you need through simple, fun, and rewarding activities.
-- Try briskly walking to school/work/the store
-- Join a fitness activity: dance class/zumba club/gym membership/swim team
-- Do gardening (yes, those weeds you've been meaning to pull will count as exercise)
-- Do some deep cleaning to music (Spotify offers thousands of songs for free)
-- Ride your bike to that new place that opened up: library/park/gym/store/mountain trail

And if you feel too lazy to leave the house try these:
-  -- Do toe-ups, squats, or lightly jogging in place while reading (just don't do this at bedtime because it can mess up your sleeping schedule)
-  -- Exercising first thing in the morning is a rumored to help boost your metabolism
-  -- Try taking the stairs 2 at a time, up AND down.
-  -- Stand more, sit less
-  -- Do a couple jumping jacks whenever you have a few seconds (buffering video/website, commercial, waiting for the shower to heat up, waiting for your food to finish, and whatever else you can think of)
-  --Drop the sugar, raise the healthy. Stop all consumption of Soda and sugary drinks; drink more water and milk. Forget the low carb diet; cut out the sugar! Consume less Sodium; Stuff yourself with Fruits and Vegetables which are sodium free and healthy!
-  -- Finally, portion control. I love portion control! If I haven't exercised in a week and I want something unhealthy - say some cake- then I have no shame in eating a nice piece because I've been eating small all week. However, most people hate portion control because they don't feel satisfied. Now this is my question. When was the last time you heard your stomach ACTUALLY growl? You will never feel satisfied if you cannot feel natural hunger. This is because overeating tends to override the body's normal eating hormones. Once you get back to the basics, your body will tell you when and when not to eat. You may be surprised at how little you really need to eat everyday. Don't eat if you aren't hungry; drink some water and go exercise. Exercise also helps to reduce your appetite.

Avoiding dieting. All the weight you lose with diets is likely to be gained right back once you go off the diet, and you're likely to weigh more than you did before the diet. Plus, diets don't last forever. There's a reason the word "die" is in diet.
So the best thing to do is set some realistic goals. Are you going to fit that supermodel swimsuit by next week? Probably not. Losing too much weight, too soon, is actually dangerous. But working to lose about 5 pounds a week is pretty healthy.  But remember, you want to lose fat, not weight! So, forget the scale for awhile. Stop asking everyone one how you look. Just remember, this is your goal to become healthy and the results take time.

My last question for you was this, "Are you friends with your body?" A positive attitude can go a long way. Think to yourself words of encouragement. YOU CAN DO THIS! :) One mom of four recently wrote,
"Well, I have focused negatively on my body for a long time. I have felt like I am in a constant battle with it. Me verses my body. The other day I started thinking of my body being my friend. A friend who is weak and needs some help. I am spending time with my body by exercising, rather than exercising as a way of retaliating against it. I have made my body into my own imaginary friend, and it has helped me work out more often, longer and harder. It's a weird concept, but it's helping me."

Character Parallels for Alice in Wonderland (The movie)

The thing about some great movies is that they have depth to them. However, many people who go to the movie theaters don't bother to look deep into the movie itself and end up becoming thoroughly confused. For example.

I have heard multiple times in regards to the movie Alice in Wonderland: "That Mad Hatter loved Alice! EWW! That is sick and wrong 'cause he's so much older than her!"

STOP STOP STOP!!!!!

I can't stand this any longer. For backstory, Lewis Carroll's original stories of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass were packed full of character parallels toward the government of his day. The movie isn't quite as deep but it follows the same method. So perhaps this may help.

The Mad Hatter (Tarrant Hightopp)=Charles Kingsleigh
Charles Kingsleigh, Alice's Father, was depicted as mad at first but was ultimately successful because of his madness, as such was the same for The Hatter. The Mad Hatter shows signs of fondness in Alice's dream because that was how she viewed her father. At the end of her adventure, The Hatter asks Alice to stay with him saying if she leaves, she will forget him. This is because while the other characters in wonderland double with real life, Alice's Father is dead so she wouldn't get to see the Hatter on the other side. But Alice promises that she could never forget him, just as she will never forget her father.


The Door Mouse (Mally) / The White Rabbit (Nivins McTwisp)= Helen Kingsleigh
Helen is very much about propriety, like the White Rabbit, as seen in the beginning of the film when she is complaining about being late for the party and how Alice is "not properly dressed." Meanwhile, it is clear that Mrs. Kingsleigh really doesn't want to force Alice into anything, but cannot do anything about the situation, much like how the door mouse may be brave but is still too small to do much help.
Meanwhile for costumes, Helen is dressed in white, like the fur of the White Rabbit and the door mouse. Looking at her facial features, she fits the depiction for someone who is mousy: colorless, meek, timid, quiet. The door mouse in Alice's dream is more brave than Helen no doubt because that is how Alice wished her mother would be, small but brave.


TweedleDee and TweedleDum= Fiona and Faith Chataway
This one goes without saying. Especially at the end when Alice says "you two remind me of some funny boys I met in a dream."


The Cheshire Cat (Chessur)= Lord Ascot
One line of the Cheshire cat is most prominent in this parallel. "I never get involved in politics." This is because, neither does Lord Ascot. The Hatter gets mad at Ches because he didn't help out in the war. Likewise, Charles Kingsleigh thought Lord Ascot was a fool for not joining his "mad-venuture" and likewise would be disappointed at the fact that Lord Ascot was not controlling Lady Ascot in order to protect the wishes of Alice.
For Costume: It is fitting that Lord Ascot is the only one who has a thick mustache, while the animation department did the most to accent the soft fur of the Cheshire Cat. Also, Lord Ascot is the one who is Smiling most out of everyone at the party and trying to stay cherry despite the circumstances just like the Cat.


The Red Queen (Erasabeth of Crims) = Lady Ascot
Lady Ascot, like the Red Queen, wants to control everything and isn't as verbally proper as she should be. In many ways this gives her a metaphorical "big head", as is parallel to the Red Queen's physical big head. Her big quote is "the gardeners have planted white roses when i specifically asked for red," followed by Alice's famous quote "you could always paint the roses red." Meanwhile, The controlling-ness of Lady Ascot is similar to The Red Queen in a way that she really doesn't need a husband in order to rule. Finally, Lady Ascot doesn't not like rabbits and would set the dogs on them, much like how The Red Queen enslaves the White Rabbit (also a parallel to her relationship to Helen Kingsleigh) and likes to set out the Bandersnatch, the Jub Jub bird, and the Jabberwock (which she mistakenly calls a jabberwocky). Both Lady Ascot and The Red Queen do not hide their rudeness from everyone else thereby gaining but a few, fake friends while most do not like her at all.


The White Queen (Mirwona) = Margret Kingsleigh
While never truly happy, these two pretend that life is perfect. This is the reason why Ann Hathaway played the White Queen in such a cheesy way. She didn't act like that because she's a poor actress (believe me, she's excellent). It was the more obvious way of depicting the inner actions of Alice's sister Margret. Likewise, it is the White Queen and Margret Kingsleigh who tell Alice that she will eventually have to make a big descion.


The Knave of Hearts (Stayne) = Lowell
Just like the Knave of Hearts, Lowell is going behind the back of the only person who loves him. Lowell is found kissing a girl in the bushes where Alice catches them. Lowell tries to intimidate Alice by saying she would ruin her sister's marriage if she told anyone even though it is clearly his fault for sneaking around. This is exactly like the Knave who tries to seduce Alice but then blames everything on her when the Red Queen finds out.
As for costumes: The Knave is dressed in black with a black cape and a usually black eye-patch that changes colors depending on who he's with. This goes as an parallel to the stereotypical "bad guy". Lowell changes how he acts when he's not around Margret and his secret side is shown as evil.


The March Hare (Thackery Earwicket) = Aunt Imogene
I'm still not sure why they included her besides that fact that they just wanted another obvious parallel, but the delusional Aunt Imogene matches the truly crazy March Hare.
As for costumes: Aunt Imogene's hair is not well kept and hangs around her face like big March Hare ears.


The Jabberwock= The Proposal (and Hamish)
Alice has been dreaming about Wonderland since she was very little. This is because she always knew that one day she would have to face the Proposal seeing as Lord Ascot said his wife had been planning this engagement for nearly 18 years. When Alice was little, the dream was more colorful and light-hearted because she did not have to face anything at that age but when she is older, wonderland becomes dangerous because the Proposal is in the process. Hamish is not handsome and Alice does not want to marry him but she feels trapped and obligated because of priorities. All of Alice's friends wish that they could fight the Jabberwock for her but because this is her fight, they cannot. Just like they can't say yes or no for her at the proposal. Eventually Alice has to face her fears, fight the Jabberwock and say no to the Proposal.
(P.S. Through the Looking Glass describes the "Jabberwock with eyes of flame". The beast is mistakenly called the Jabberwocky in the film, which is actually the name of the poem that talks about the Jabberwock. You can find the whole thing on Wikipedia.)


The Blue Caterpillar (Absoluem) / Bayard= Alice
Finally, these two represent the final inner processes of Alice. The blue caterpillar prompts Alice to come to terms with who she is, what she stands for, and what she's going to do. Bayard is part of her conscious that tells her the problems if she "diverge(s) from the path" where Alice finally determines that she "make(s) the path". The path is the one where she marries Hamish and ends up living like her sister. If Alice leaves the path she might never marry and end up poor and starving. But Alice cannot let this deter her since she knows that she cannot fight her heart.



Wow, that was long. But ya, the Movie in Alice in Wonderland is really deep so that the story makes more sense. Wonderland really was a dream but an extremely significant one, which is why she always had the same nightmare that was always filled with some many choices.

P.S. Alice in Wonderland isn't the only movie to do this. The movie The Host, goes deep with the meaning of love: familial, physical/lustful, and mental/emotional.

Pirates of the Caribbean Medley

So after watching this awesome video directed by Devin Graham, aka Devinsupertramp, I got to daydreaming in my theatre class. Half listening, I wrote this. (when it starts rhyming, it is supposed to be singing to the mermaid music in the video.

Rise and fall
The ship drawing closer
My legs are braced
My muscles tense
I squint into the looming fog
Soon enveloping ship and crew
My ragged dress billow in the breeze
My bare feet hold fast to the wet rocks beneath me
Too close now they are sailing
I cup my hands and start to sing
True beauty is entrancing
but it's warning that it brings
they understand not my language
But I have done my job
Scared of Mermaids, they turn 'round
Grown men begin to sob
Terrified are they of me.
But in truth I sing to save
Come not near here bonny sailors
or else you'll meet your grave

I just love this stuff. Anyway, here's the actual video in case poetry really isn't your thing. Plus, this is awesome. I'm listening to it until I hate it. :P

I've had a breakthrough!

I've had a breakthrough! I now believe that writing poems is my way of releasing stress. Hopefully this is true and I will have a key to a happier life. Here's my poem. It's not my best work but it made me feel better.

As I sit, most thoughtfully

breathing slowly, deliberately.

For once the sadness had taken hold

To bear me down with endless woe

I did escape its evil clasp

but now I see it coming back.

And so my mind wanders to happy thoughts

instead of the tears my body has fought

Of golden plains, and waterfalls

the depths of seas, and bouncy-balls

children laughing and running around

hide and seek without a frown

eating popcorn, baking brownies

movie watching and climbing trees

making forts out of blankets

playing ball with brand-new mitts

finding a double yoke in your eggs

teaching the dog how to beg

long days of perfect weather

on the streets, barefoot, and together

swimming in a bright blue pool

riding scooters that are so cool

going camping or to grandma's house

going to Disneyland to see Mickey Mouse

Just letting go of adult care

being that child with messy hair

laughing, running, jumping, hopping,

skipping, skating, joking, talking

now I'm sitting, writing, reading

yet all this time I should be sleeping

And so I smile, the evil gone

and may this day be ever long.

Healthy Pie? Yes Please!

It okay to have a special treat once in a while, but this is one that draws attention. Ever heard of graham-cracker pie crust? Look at the ingredients. Graham cracker, butter, brown sugar. That isn't healthy and certainly shouldn't be eaten every day unless you are underweight.

For those wanting a healthier sweet treat, try this.

2-3 graham crackers
1 container of yogurt. (preferably cheesecake or pie flavored but any kind works!)

Break the crackers up into small, bite-sized pieces and place at the bottom of a cereal bowl. Pour yogurt on top! Eat, and enjoy!

The yogurt is healthy, the graham crackers aren't that unhealthy (especially when sticking to the serving size of 2 whole crackers), and put together, it satisfies those sugar cravings without using up all your discretionary calories!