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.

From 2006 through 2014, as she wrote The Happiness Project and Happier at Home, Gretchen chronicled her thoughts, observations, and discoveries on The Happiness Project Blog.