A Principle of Happiness

Dear Self,

Today I would like to express something that has been of  great concern to me lately.  Life seems to hit harder these days, yes?  You go to bed with a sick, sinking feeling in your stomach.  Your temper flares up over minor setbacks. You awake with a great feeling of emptiness.  Occasionally, even, you sit for hours without the ability to move or do what you need to.  Meanwhile, time slips quickly past, which only adds to your frustrations.

I've noticed these tendencies for a while.  I think I have come up with a solution.  I call it "Eating: A Principle of Happiness."

It's a very simple concept.  Eating makes people happy.  And by people, I mean you.  When you eat, you have the energy to face life and research and relationships.  When you eat, you can concentrate on your work and do it rather than listing away hours sitting in front of your computer berating yourself for not being able to work.  When you eat, exercising actually sounds fun and then you get to run away other stresses in your life.  When you eat, you can handle confrontation and criticism with a measure of humility rather than just getting defensive.  Essentially, when you eat, everything goes better.

How you forget to eat is really beyond me.  But next time, you're struggling along in life, I want you to stop and consider this hymn:

"When upon life’s billows you are tempest tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost.

Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?"

As the song suggest, Count your blessings.  Counting your meals of the day is also a good thing.  In your case, we'll say they mean the same thing.  (I.e. Blessings = Happiness and Eating = Happiness ergo Blessings = Eating)

Think about this recent conversation with a friend:
Friend: Did you eat today?
You: Yes of course.  Remember, we had lunch together.
Friend: People usually eat three times a day.
You: I did!  <thinking back> Oops. I guess I forgot to eat breakfast.
Friend: And dinner?
You: Oops, well, so make it 1.5 meals.
Friend: 1.5/3?  That's 50%.  If this were a test, you would FAIL.

In case you missed the point, Not Eating = Failure.  Failure = Bad and Bad = Unhappy.  Thus, Not Eating = Unhappy.

I realize that you are doing your best.  Don't start comparing yourself and making yourself feel worse because most people seem perfect in this area in their lives - that is, they remember to eat 3 meals a day.

But I think you can do a little better.  It might help to ask, "'Ere you left your house this morning, did you think to eat?"

Love,
Me