Finding Joy In Tough Times

(Health.com) -- These days it can feel like the age of anxiety is winning over the pursuit of happiness. An uncertain economy and the swine flu are just the tip of our worry iceberg.

In fact, scientists say women are wired to worry -- at least more so than men. In a recent Health magazine poll, 54 percent of women said they worry more than their spouse, with only 12 percent claiming their partner worries more than they do. That's thanks, in part, to the hormonal roller-coaster women ride month to month and through the years.

"The highs and lows can make women prone to feeling everything from anxious to depressed," says Jerilyn Ross, a licensed independent clinical social worker, president and CEO of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America, and author of One Less Thing to Worry About.

And while men tend to be linear problem solvers, "Women are more in touch with their emotions, and worry is an emotion," points out Dr. Judith Orloff, a psychiatrist and author of Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life. Still, experts say that with some practice we all can learn to be a little less worried and a whole lot happier.

Here's your recipe for a more joyful life. Read on and say, "So long, dark side."

1. Find your joy

One of the keys to finding happiness in tough times is "simply being aware of what is happening right now, without wishing it were different," says James Baraz, a meditation instructor and founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Woodacre, California. That may require a little less multi�tasking and worrying and more stopping to smell the roses, says Lori Hilt, an anxiety specialist at the University of Wisconsin.

"When we get caught up in cycles of brooding and worrying, our minds are stuck in the past or the future," she says. "Get out of the cycle by focusing on the present, noticing the cool breeze on your skin, the taste and texture of a bite of food."

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"When I'm blue, I'll mix up a fruity drink, insert one of those festive straws -- umbrella open, of course -- and pretend I'm at a party. It's impossible not to feel happy when your drink has a pretty paper umbrella! -- Diana Estill, 55, Murphy, Texas

2. Lighten up

Looking for joy means looking for reasons to smile. Happily, just the act of smiling makes you happy! Even a forced grin tells your brain, "My mouth muscles are moving up, so I must be happy," and leads to a release of happiness-inducing endorphins, psychologist Sybil Keane says.

"Because of the threat of layoffs, my job is stressful. I cope -- people think I'm nuts -- by watching those funny cat videos on YouTube. It's a nightly ritual that always cheers me up!"-- Termeh Mazhari, 25, Great Neck, New York

3. Get moving

Physical activity is a power�ful ally to greater well-being and joy. "Exercise, yoga, or any kind of regular movement helps get you out of your head," Baraz says. "In addition to being a healthy activity, it triggers endorphins that have a profound effect on lifting your spirits. It makes you come alive."

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"I row myself into a better mood. Being out on the water, I forget about all the day-to-day things that cause worry and focus more on what I can do every day that will make a difference." -- Linda Jackson, 51, San Francisco, California

4. Look for a joy buddy

It's harder to be happy when you're isolated. That's why Baraz suggests that you find a partner in your pursuit of happiness, what he calls a "joy buddy." Having someone rooting for your well-being and reminding you to look for the good in your life is a very effective way to stay on track, he says. That buddy can be a friend you trade positive text messages with every day or a joy group you meet with once a month.

Surrounding yourself with other happy people can hike your odds of being upbeat by 9 percent, studies show. But steer clear of complainers: Downer friends bring you, well, down, says change expert Ariane de Bonvoisin, author of The First 30 Days: Your Guide to Making Any Change Easier, and founder of First30Days.com.

"Heading to the park with my dog, Scoobie, is my favorite cure, no matter what's weighing on me. It's impossible to worry when I'm surrounded by dogs running and tumbling over one another -- there's something about the innocent joy of their play that relaxes me." -- Carol Huang, 43, New York City

5. Practice being happy

Most people discover that happiness isn't related to objects or experiences, though those things can give us fleeting pleasure, says Baraz, whose book Awakening Joy will be out in January. "Studies show that happiness comes with certain states of mind and heart, such as generosity, kindness, or gratitude," he says. Getting there may take practice, but the more you consciously focus on the feeling of joy -- whether it comes from giving a compliment or laughing out loud with your kids --the more deeply that feeling will register and the happier you'll be.

"Digging in the soil makes me happy. It helps me feel as if I have control over something. And the pride I feel when I look at my garden makes me feel successful. The connection with nature brings me into the now." -- Angie Mattson, 36, Charlotte, North Carolina

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6. Do a song or dance (really)

If an apple a day keeps the doc away, Baraz would say a song does, too. He believes that singing is one of the surest roads to finding joy.

"It's hard to stay in a funk if you're singing regularly," he says, and research bears him out: University of Manchester researchers discovered that an organ in the inner ear (that responds to singing sounds) is connected to a part of the brain that registers pleasure. So singing, alone in the car or in a crowd at church (and even if you're very, very bad at it), makes you happier. If singing isn't your thing, Baraz says, paint, dance, or write.

"When I was in the minuses in my bank account, I was beside myself with worry. So in the middle of changing my clothes, I would dance, nude. The movement helped move the worry right out of me, and the nude part worked symbolically for setting me free." -- Elisabeth Manning, 39, Marin County, California

7. Be very still

Regularly taking a little quiet time -- meditating or perhaps sipping a warm cup of tea -- helps you appreciate the moment and your life, Baraz says. "Being still reminds you that life isn't about racing as fast as you can to get to the end of your to-do list."

"Whenever I start turning over all of my worries in my head -- bills, car, kid, marriage, everything -- I wash dishes. I may not be able to control how much my mortgage payment is, but I can wash the dishes. Once I focus on the present, everything else seems to just fall away." -- Jen Matlack, 39, Bethel, Connecticut

Don't let $$ worries steal your joy

Worrying about money sure can drain the joy out of life. But instead of just lamenting, do something about it, says financial expert Jean Chatzky, author of The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times, who blogs at JeanChatzky.com. "The people who assert control over finances are significantly happier than the ones who don't," she says.

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For instance, worrying about the stock market, something you can't control, is useless, she says. Instead, go to the retirement calculator at ChooseToSave.org and crunch your numbers. "Then say, 'All right, what if I saved this much more? What if I work a little longer?'" she says. If you can't figure out what to do, hire a certified financial advisor, Chatzky advises. "Just have them do an annual assessment, as you would a checkup with your doctor."

Kimberly Holland contributed to this report.

'Medicinal ice cream' to help fight cancer

Here's a sweet treat for you on Friday. We already know ice cream tastes good but it but now it will be good for you. Researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand are working to create a "medical dessert" which has shown encouraging signs in combating the side-effects of chemotherapy in cancer sufferers. The ice cream, called ReCharge, is using active ingredients from dairy products to relieve diarrhoea, anaemia and lack of appetite in people undergoing chemotherapy.

Read the full story here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/6457341/Medicinal-ice-cream-to-help-fight-cancer.html

Black Cowboys Teach Inner City Kids Horsemanship, History

Kids from rough areas in New York City have found a home away from home on a 25-acre ranch in Queens, CNN reported Tuesday.

Since 1994, the Federation of Black Cowboys have been teaching inner city kids horsemanship and history to keep them away from gangs and drugs.



CNN reports that thousands of kids have been introduced to the stables since 1998, and a small number return for longer mentorships. Members of the federation, who go by nicknames like "Ma" and "Little Red", work first and foremost to make their aspiring junior wranglers feel safe. They also teach kids about "the forgotten black West" and the role that black cowboys had in shaping America's history.

But the cowboys need some help, CNN reported. The nonprofit survives on donations, and with few current contributors, the stables are falling into disrepair and the federation's museum is presently a dilapidated trailer containing a hodgepodge of memorabilia and artifacts.

Story from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/03/black-cowboys-teach-inner_n_344607.html

Man With Lymphoma Determined to See America - By Horse & Buggy

From the Spokesman-Review:
PRIEST RIVER, Idaho – There is a man passing through the Inland Northwest right now who can tell you for a fact you are moving too fast.

He’s traveled 7,000 miles in a covered wagon with a team of horses during the past three years, relying on the kindnesses of strangers and a few friends to keep him going.

His speed: 3 mph.

He and his animals have endured torturous heat and biting cold and were nearly knocked to pieces in Nebraska by a commercial truck carrying a steel tower.

Lee Crafton keeps going, he said, because the journey has become his life. He will tell you he’s on his way to Alaska by way of Seattle and San Francisco, but there’s no real destination.

“I’m just going across America to visit with people,” he said Wednesday after spending the night in a vacant lot along U.S. Highway 2 in Priest River.

He and his team should reach Mead on Friday afternoon. He plans to continue moving west from Spokane on U.S. Highway 2, crossing the Cascades at Stevens Pass.

“I’m not here to raise money,” he said. “I’m not here to raise your social consciousness.”

The journey began in 2006 when Crafton left a life of horse logging and ranching near Flathead Lake, Mont., with almost nothing to show for 27 years of work, he said.

He had been diagnosed with lymphoma, but didn’t want to endure conventional medical treatment. He wanted to see America. He says he’s feeling fine.



He hitched his Suffolk Punch draft horses to a homemade wagon on tire wheels and set out for the East Coast. His initial goal was to visit a childhood sweetheart in New England.

Along the way, he’s gained friends, a lot of publicity and a steady stream of donations to keep going. He moves with an innate trust. “The bottom line is this is a trip of faith,” he said.

The horses – Max, Tom, Fey and Baby – come from a breed known for its willingness to work. They are “incredibly quiet and mellow,” he said. The horses are not shod, but instead wear a type of horse boot.

Crafton averages 100 miles a week.

The horses have been spooked twice: once when encountering a buffalo statue in New York and another time by a dinosaur sculpture in Montana.

His covered wagon is equipped with a battery for power.

He sleeps in a loft and has a woodstove for heat. His dog, Katie, keeps him company. He stays in touch by cell phone, a laptop computer and a Web site.

Crafton, 48, prefers to be known as Lee the Horselogger as the sign on his rear wagon shows. He can be found online at www.leehorse logger.com.

Living life at a horse’s pace has its own satisfaction, Crafton said.

“In this age of communication, we do not know how to communicate, and that’s what this trip is about …  This country is huge, and we move way too fast,” he said.

“You have no idea what you are missing.”

Floating Doctors - Crew Brings Healing While Keeping it Green

(CNN) -- The dream started inside a gray canvas backpack.

When American medical student Benjamin LaBrot traveled to Tanzania in 2005, he hauled antiseptics, insulin syringes, VapoRub, gauze, ibuprofen and other supplies in his pack. At a Masai village, he treated wounds, parasitic infections, sores and other ailments until his once-bulging backpack was depleted.

"When your backpack is empty and there are still people that have to be helped, it's extremely disappointing," he said, recalling a line of nearly 60 villagers left waiting around him.

LaBrot vowed to return someday.

Four years after running out of medication and feeling powerless, the 33-year-old doctor departs this week for a yearlong medical mission. Although he won't be going to Africa, he'll once again lug his trusty backpack. And this time, he'll take along 20,000 pounds of medical supplies.

LaBrot, head of a nonprofit group called the Floating Doctors, will be at helm of a 76-foot sailboat that will carry supplies and 15 crew members to 15 countries in Latin America and the Pacific islands.

The Floating Doctors' mission is to provide medical relief in developing countries in an environmentally friendly platform. It will not rely on airplanes, shipping supplies or ground transportation.

Gesturing to the towering white boat, LaBrot said, "This vessel serves as the housing for our crew, the storing of our medical equipment and supplies, the transport for our crew and our supplies, the base for our laboratory and equipment."

LaBrot envisions a lean, green, self-sufficient machine maneuvering through waterways in Haiti, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. The boat, the Southern Wind, will also visit the Pacific islands: the Tuamotu Archipelago, Tonga, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Melanesia, which the organization contacted in advance of the trip.


The Southern Wind can travel 250 miles a day and requires little fuel, depending on wind conditions.

"Delivering health care from a green platform is our way of demonstrating that it's not really a question of more resources but a question of utilizing the resources we have as efficiently as possible to try and improve the delivery of health care," LaBrot said.

LaBrot, soft-spoken with unkempt sandy hair, seems unfazed by the enormous project. Friends and family say he has mulled over the idea for years as he recruited medical school classmates, friends and his younger sister to join the Floating Doctors.

Long before he graduated from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2006, he developed an interest in medical missions. As a boy, he watched as his father, Dr. George LaBrot, an internist in Santa Monica, California, departed for medical trips to Madagascar, Sierra Leone, Cambodia and India.

His father fully supports his son's vision.

"All of these projects that are successful are overly idealistic," the elder LaBrot said. "The number one defense mechanism of highly successful people is cognitive dissonance. They just refuse to believe it won't work."

There will be no floating for him, though.

"I really do get seasick," he said.

The father plans to volunteer -- on land -- when he flies to Belize to meet up with the Floating Doctors.

"They really are my heroes," the elder LaBrot said of his children. "Because they know what's important at a rather young age."

The Southern Wind's first stop is Cap-Haïtien, the second largest city in Haiti, where the crew plans to connect with Dr. Ted Kaplan, a pediatrician from Orlando, Florida.

Kaplan formed a network of clinics and health organizations in Haiti. The partnership with Cap-Haïtien Health Network and the Floating Doctors was a natural fit, because Kaplan was trying to find a sailboat to transport supplies, he said.

Shipping in Haiti is expensive and often unreliable. Transporting supplies is challenging, because the road conditions are "completely horrendous," Kaplan said. "Many of the roads got to the point of bare rocks. It's quicker to get around the country by boat, especially with towns around the coast. They're hard to reach by car."

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with 80 percent of the population living under the poverty line.

Kaplan said many have diarrheal diseases, malaria, malnutrition and minor illnesses that become serious because of the lack of treatment. The Floating Doctors will help distribute millions of chewable tablets used to deworm children when they arrive in mid-November, he said.

The Southern Wind leaves November 1 from St. Augustine, Florida.

Earlier in the summer, the crew loaded thousands of pounds of anti-diarrheal drugs, antifungal medications and vitamins, which will go to needy patients. Many of the supplies were donated by Direct Relief International, an organization that provides medical aid.

Since April, a volunteer crew of mostly 20-somethings has repaired the aging sailboat. The Floating Doctors bought a recreational boat from a Florida couple and transformed it to a working medical vehicle.

Drenched in sweat and sunburned orange, the crew worked power saws and sanders during a simmering, humid day. They came from all walks of life -- the Army, college, nursing school or emergency medical technician training -- and ended up in Florida wearing flip-flops.

"We're about to sail around the world and do something incredible," said Jon Resnick, a 24-year-old crew member, who took a year off from nursing school. "This is something people don't even dream about doing. And even when they do dream it, don't have it in them to go ahead and do it."

LaBrot's younger sister, Sky LaBrot, 27, initially thought her older brother was "insane" when he started the Floating Doctors, she said. To give sisterly support, she quit a glitzy Hollywood job managing beverages for bars and restaurants, and joined the crew as the director of operations.

Her father used to tell her, "To be truly happy is to live a life of service."

"I used to roll my eyes until now," she said.

She no longer has time to blow dry her hair or wear makeup as she did in her L.A. days, because she has fiberglass to lay and an entire boat that needs to be fixed. Now tied to a bigger mission, she said: "I've never been happier."

Nicholas Wansten, a hulking former Army cavalry scout, jumped at the chance to join the Floating Doctors. He has EMT training and someday hopes to be a pediatrician.

"Most of us are 23 or 24, right around that age," said the boyish 27-year-old. "But we're young; we're able to work hard and make this happen. It's going to reshape the rest of all of our lives."

Not all of them have medical training, so crew members will participate only to the limits of their training, Benjamin LaBrot said.

At departure, LaBrot will be the only floating doctor, but plans have been made to connect with a dozen physicians throughout the trip, he said.

When asked why the Floating Doctors decided to travel to foreign countries rather than the Mississippi Delta or other areas where Americans need medical attention, LaBrot said the urgency is much greater in places where "people die from diarrhea."

"Suffering is universal, and healing and medicine should also be universal," he said.

Black Cowboys Bring Hope & History to NYC Youth

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Boney D and Rabbit come from rough parts of Brooklyn, places that could be unfavorably compared to the Wild West.

You wouldn't expect that they'd escape their environments at a rugged 25-acre ranch in nearby Queens, riding horses and hanging out with cowboys.

"I've seen a guy get shot dead, point [blank] range, right in front of me -- dropped him, boom," D'vonte "Boney D" Jemmott, 15, said of the neighborhood where he grew up. "I've seen dudes get beat up, chased home, all sorts of things. I've seen all sorts of different drugs being ran around.

"If I wasn't down here," he said, "I'd probably be involved with things like that -- robbing people, probably hurting people -- because I've seen a lot of that stuff done around my way."

Jemmott's mother has been taking him to Cedar Lane Stables since he was a toddler. The Federation of Black Cowboys, founded in 1994, has called Cedar Lane home since 1998.

A white post-and-rail fence separates the property and its three dozen horses from the 18-wheelers, dump trucks and commuter traffic at the intersection of Linden Boulevard and Conduit Avenue.

A red, wooden sign at the stable's entrance advertises "reins & things" at Debbie's Western Boutique. Mallards and chubby white geese populate a murky creek on the north side of the property, and a wide wooden bridge takes you to the riding ring and stables, many of which have been converted from metal shipping containers.

"[The kids] love it, Texas in Queens. This is like an oasis in the middle of the city," said cowgirl Heather Bradley, whom the children call "Ma."

Paris "Rabbit" Parrish, 20, has ridden with the black cowboys since he was 8 years old. He remembers when he and his mother were driving on Linden Boulevard and first saw Jessie Lee "Captain" Wise, one of the federation's 11 founders, riding his horse.

"I was like, 'Mama, mama, look, it's a cowboy!' And I've always wanted to be a cowboy. I watched Westerns. So we pull over, and we talked to him, and he told me to come on down to the stable," Parrish said as he rode a thick black mare, Beauty, across the backside of the property. "Ever since I was at the stable, it's been like I was at home, paradise."



Like Jemmott, Parrish said his neighborhood is rife with gangs and narcotics -- he's witnessed drug transactions in front of the school near his house -- and he's confident he wouldn't be entering college soon without the guidance of the local cowpokes.

"I think I'd be probably in jail or with a gang somewhere because it was hard for me to stay out of trouble," he said.

Keeping youngsters away from gangs, guns and drugs is a top federation priority, said President Stencil "Doctor D" Stokes, a foreboding man who can crack a bullwhip with such prowess, it sounds like a shot from a small-caliber pistol.

Stokes would never use the whip on anyone, he assured, but it helps get the kids' attention.

"They see the Bloods. They see the Crips. All they see is violence," the school bus driver said, bullwhip in hand and Stetson tilted back. "They can come here at night without worrying about getting shot."

Though the federation has mentored a child who went on to become a veterinarian and another who is a New York mounted police officer, Stokes said he doesn't have unrealistic expectations of the children, because the primary goal is to keep them safe.

"Everybody cannot be an A student. We understand that, but if you're a C student, be a damned good C student," he said.

Education is a staple at the stables, according to Warren "Black Red" Small, who said that taking care of a horse is a lot like taking care of yourself.

Youngsters aren't allowed to ride until they first learn how to groom the animals, clean their hooves, saddle and bridle them and, yes, muck their stalls.

A retired peace officer for the state court system, Small said the federation also teaches children about "the forgotten black West" because it's important that kids know the role African-Americans played in taming the Wild West.

Buckaroos such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy too often dominate popular cowboy lore, Stokes added, explaining, "I'm not a racist man, but they wasn't the first."

The federation teaches youngsters about Bill Pickett, who invented steer wrestling, and the pugnacious "Stagecoach" Mary Fields, whose nickname was derived from her reliability in delivering mail across an ornery Montana frontier.

The stories help kids ascertain their own identities, Small said.

"History, for all people, is a necessary part of their evolution and their growing process," he said.

Also necessary, said the group's first female inductee, Kesha "Babygirl" Morse, is "working with kids to find a balance for them between the macho man stuff and being a gentleman."

Thousands of kids have come through the stables via various school programs and community functions since 1998, Small said. About 25 to 30 of those, such as Jemmott and Parrish, have moseyed back for mentoring.

Like any nonprofit, the federation survives off donations. Major corporations have donated to the cause, and co-founder Jessie Lee Wise has tapped his own excavating business to help with upkeep and construction at the stables.

But times are hard, said Eric "Little Red" Jackson, and the cowboys could sorely use a sponsor to continue their work. Several stables are in disrepair, and the federation's future museum is presently a dilapidated trailer containing photos, animal hides and a hodgepodge of memorabilia and artifacts.

Jemmott said he knows plenty of kids his age who also could use some work, peers wrapped up in drugs and violence who "have nothing going for them now."

"I'm glad I didn't get involved in any of that activity," he said. "Couple more years, if they're not incarcerated, they're going to be in the dirt. I want to prosper in life. I just don't want to be a statistic or a product of my environment."

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