Paula and Sammy

 Paula slumped on the couch, her eyes fixated on the pile of work cluttering her desk. Emails, reports, and bills, an endless to-do list that seemed to stretch for miles. She sighed, wishing the world would slow down just a little. Then she turned to Sammy, her ever-enthusiastic cockatoo, perched near the window.

“Hey, Sammy,” Paula said, her voice laced with reluctance. “What should we do today? It’s too much work, I might go crazy.”

Sammy tilted his head and fluffed his feathers before hopping over to her. He opened his beak, squawking in his own way. “Come on, Paula! Get to it!”


Paula laughed, a little surprised. Sammy often chirped out his favorite phrases, but today his words felt oddly… timely. She glanced at her desk, then back at him. Maybe tomorrow, she thought. But Sammy, always the optimist, was having none of it.

“Stop! Stop!” Sammy squawked louder, flapping his wings. “Bad! Bad! Work is good!”

Paula grinned. “You’re really pushing it today, huh?”

Sammy strutted closer, peering up at her with his bright eyes. “Start small! One thing, Paula. One thing! Focus! Focus!”


Paula sighed again, her hand resting on Sammy’s smooth feathers. He was right, of course. She’d heard that advice a thousand times. In fact she thought him to be affirmatory, but it always felt easier said than done.

“But what if it’s just too much? What if I don’t even know where to start?” she muttered, sinking further into the couch.

Sammy puffed up, puffing his chest out with authority. “Start! Now! Today! No wait!”

Paula blinked. Was her little bird actually motivating her?


“I’ll just do one email,” Paula said, more to herself than to Sammy, but he wasn’t letting her off that easy. Sammy perched on her shoulder and nudged her ear with his beak, as though urging her on.

“Do one! Feel good! More after!” Sammy chirped, his voice soft yet insistent.

As the words began to flow, Paula felt a little weight lift off her shoulders. Sammy, ever the motivator, whistled softly, a little cheer in his voice.

“See? Good job, Paula!” he squawked. “One done, now two!”


With Sammy’s unwavering support, Paula didn’t stop. She worked steadily through her tasks, each small victory building momentum. Every now and then, Sammy would nudge her to remind her of her progress—his gentle, encouraging words pushing her forward.

“Keep going! You’re doing great! No turning back now!” he chirped with enthusiasm.

By the time the evening came, the once-overwhelming pile of work had been reduced to a manageable few tasks. Paula looked around, surprised by how much she had accomplished. Sammy perched proudly on her shoulder, his feathers ruffled with satisfaction.


“See?” Sammy said, his tone light and triumphant. “No fail. Just action.”

Paula smiled and petted him gently. “Thanks, Sammy. You really helped me today.”

Sammy let out a happy chirp, puffing out his chest. “I knew you could do it, Paula. You just had to start.”

And for the first time in a long while, Paula realized that the difference between procrastination and progress wasn’t just about taking action—it was about having someone, or something, to believe in you when you couldn’t believe in yourself. And Sammy, her ever-persistent, wise cockatoo, was that someone.


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