Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.

A steady life needs three things running at once: work that asks something of you, someone or something you care for, and a reason to look forward. Lose any one of them and the other two start to feel thin. Most flat stretches are not a mystery. They are usually one of the three gone quietly missing.

Check which one is empty for you now rather than treating the whole of your life as the problem. If it is hope, make a small plan and put a date on it. If it is love, reach for one person this week.