Experience Joy Here, Now

I wrote this poem, The Birds Calling, as a reminder to be present now and enjoy each moment of your day.

Stress, whether physical, mental or emotional, is associated with an incredible range of health issues, such as weight gain, hormonal imbalances, fatigue, insomnia and digestive issues. However, often, when people work to resolve these issues, they focus on changes that can compound the stress in their lives.

We already live incredibly busy, fast-paced lives, and adding additional stresses is unlikely to be the answer to good health. That is why I advocate for making small incremental changes you enjoy and can sustain rather than turning your whole life upside down to attain a specific goal within a predetermined timeframe. Healing occurs in its own time.

With these thoughts in mind, I wrote this poem, which I hope is a reminder to be present now and enjoy each moment of your day.

The Birds Calling

by Tansy Boggon

Today, the sun is shining.
Today, the birds sang in the trees as I made my way to work.

Yet I did not pay them attention.

My headphones were snug in my ears.
My mind was running through the day ahead.

As I made my way to work, I ran through my priorities.
I considered how to respond should the same encounter as yesterday happen today.
I wanted to be prepared for what the day may throw at me.

My entire attention was on my work ahead.
I hardly remember the walk through the park.
I never noticed the birds singing. I never felt the sun on my skin.

My mind was focused on preparing for the future.
On doing well at my job so that someday I wouldn’t have to work so hard.

I tell myself that my obsession with work will end.
That this obsession is a necessity.
That I can achieve a future where my work and worries won’t dominate my every thought.

I tell myself that all this hard work will be worth it; it will all be for something.
That one day in the future, I will reach a place where I can enjoy the birds singing in the trees and the sun shining on my skin.

A joy I missed this very morning.
A joy I missed because my mind was focused on the future.

A joy I can experience here and now.