Gretchen Rubin wrote in The Happiness Project about the year she spent “test-driving the wisdom of the ages, the current scientific studies, and the lessons from popular culture about how to be happy.” The Puppiness Project is my attempt to learn the same from Honey, my Golden Retriever.
Whether it’s chasing a food toy around the floor or hoovering up some salmon jerky during K9 nose work, Honey is never indifferent about food.
Every morsel is worth Honey giving her full attention. Every crumb is as good as every steak. And little can distract her from enjoying a thick, meaty bone.
Honey knows how to eat with gusto!
I tried to learn from Honey to Do One Thing at a Time. And I’ve made some progress. I don’t turn on the radio automatically every time I walk into a room. I will read without having something else going on. I’ve stopped working on the computer while talking on the phone.
But eating, and only eating, remains hard. So I’ve looked back to my teacher.
Honey doesn’t grab a bite and walk out the door with it. She doesn’t eat yogurt while working at her desk. When watching TV, those dogs on the screen have her rapt attention. Honey knows that you can’t really enjoy your food if you’re doing something else at the same time.
So I’m going to revisit Doing One Thing at a Time where food is concerned and try to eat with the same gusto Honey does. And not just Christmas cookies!
I don’t remember the last time I ate a meal without watching television or reading a book at the same time. Huh.