A Poem: 60 seconds

What happened in the past 60 seconds?

179 cars were produced

2 people died from traffic accidents

1 person was wounded by gun violence

28,500 trees were cut down.

5 books were published

250 babies were born, with 113 of them born into poverty.

107 human lives were lost

116 people got married — how many divorced?

The earth traveled 1,800 km around the sun

4 earthquakes (magnitude 2) slightly tickled the world somewhere

A hummingbird flapped its wings 4,000 times

Human beings consumed 5.2 million kg, wasted 2.5 million kg of food, and generated 2,500 tons of garbage.

UPS delivered 11,319 packages

McDonald’s sold 4,500 burgers

Coca-Cola sold 1 million bottles of soda

You breathed 12-20 times

Your heart has beaten 60–100 times

Your blood circulated 3 times through your vascular system

You blinked 15–20 times, with around 48 thoughts and ideas, most of which were subconscious.

You could have read 130–140 words of something, but I bet you have probably checked your cellphone 4 or 5 times instead.

What can be done in the next 60 seconds?

We could tell a loved one how we appreciate them with a text message, a phone call, or an email. All good.

We could write a thank-you note to someone who has helped us

We could jot down 3 things on today’s to-do list

We could draft a short journal or scribble down a line of a poem that’s flashing by

We could pay someone a compliment – a nod, a smile, a thank-you to the receptionist or the security guard

We could revisit our goals for the year – soon will be time for next year’s New Year Resolution…

We could do 10 jumping jacks or walk 100 steps

We could take 10-12 deep breaths to clear our mind

We could answer 5 emails, starting from the top of the inbox

We could delete 5 junk mail, or even better, ignore them

We could toss dirty laundry in the washing machine, realizing we do have a sofa.

We could drink water or eat a fruit

We could read at least one page of a book

We could make our bed

We could water a plant 

We could smile, if to nobody, to ourselves in the mirror

We could open the window and let in some fresh air

We could stand up and stretch our bodies

We could enjoy the sunshine if there is sun, or the rain if there is rain.

We could listen to a song but not finish it

We could close our eyes and do nothing – just savor the moment.