"This I believe"

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=12092885

Tim Stark

Stress Yields a Sweeter Life

–His belief is that in a world of stress and chaos it brings out his best qualities.

–One example is he had heat rugs on the seeds of his tomato plants and he was in New York and he wasn't sure if he put the thermometer in the rug to make sure it didn't set on fire. So he flew all the way back to check on his plants.Another example is every morning he had to wake up at 4 a.m to check on his tomatoes to make sure they weren't infected or smashed.

"These days, at the peak of summer, I get four hours of sleep where once I got two. I believe in managed stress. It sweetens the tomatoes. I like to think it sweetens me, too."