The elusivity of happiness

The inspiration for this post comes from an interview done by Gretchen Rubin with Deborah Norville for her Happiness Project:
http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2008/12/happiness-int-1.html

The interview itself was interesting, but what actually stirred me up enough to write was a comment from a poster that happiness tips from a person that has always been happy are not so useful.

As someone who has had a lifelong struggle chasing the elusiveness of happiness (to paraphrase Mrs. Norville's quote, which I love), I definitely have something to add from the other side.
Mr. Pavlina urges us to use 'fear as the carrot, not the stick'.

I read some posts today on Obama and racism and sexism, and when these issues will cease to matter when evaluating candidates. My personal hot topic is depression - it sounds scary and is scary, and has so many stigmas attached. I come from the Indian-American community, where this word is not even mentioned in any kind of discussion. I have yet to discuss depression and my own personal struggles in the past with anyone outside my closest friends, husband, parents, and sister. I think I'm ready for this to change.

What works for me is a combination of extra protein in my diet, regular exercise (which I'm generally bad at maintaining), regular chiropractic treatments, and at least 8 hours of sleep at night. If you have tips for what works for you, please post them!

TTFN,
Amy