I can tell I’ve been working on the Happiness Project for a while now, because I have a resolution or a commandment that covers just about every situation.
This morning, for example, I finally followed my commandment, “Do what ought to be done.” In this case, that meant going to the eye doctor.
I started having trouble with my right eye while I was in India. We got back on October 16—yes, that was forty-four days ago. Did the problem go away? No. Did I call the doctor? No.
I kept trying to convince myself that my eye was getting better. Still sore, still bloodshot, still light sensitive…I had a hard time making the case that I was seeing some improvement, but still I delayed. I’m not sure why. I wasn’t scared to go to the eye doctor.
Yesterday I managed to get a grip on myself. I just picked up the phone to do what ought to be done. What result?
I called my eye doctor’s office yesterday afternoon at 4:00.
The secretary was able to squeeze me in this morning at 9:00.
I showed up at 8:55 a.m, to an office six blocks from my apartment.
Turns out I’m having an allergic reaction (not an infection) and, on a scale from 1-4, my right eye is 4+++ and my left eye is 4+. Apparently my eyes aren’t getting better on their own–but the doctor predicts almost immediate improvement once I start using the drops.
I paid my co-pay, got my prescription for eye drops, and was out the door at 9:16.
Now, was that so hard? Why did I suffer for six weeks rather than spend twenty minutes taking care of the problem? Do what ought to be done.
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I got some excellent podcasting advice from Tony D. Clark, who, I quickly discovered, has gone FAR BEYOND anything I can contemplate doing myself. But although I was cowed by his podcast expertise, I was charmed by the rest of his site, Success From the Nest, which is about the challenges and fun of being a work-at-home parent. Lots of good stuff there.
Plus his site pointed me to a truly happiness-making video from YouTube, of a baby laughing in a high chair. You MUST go see this (probably everyone else in cyberspace has known about this forever, but I just saw it now). Check it out on the Escape Adulthood blog, which is also a wonderful new resource I just found, via Success From the Nest.
