It’s easy to get caught up in all the negative things happening around us. It’s easy to feel depressed and overwhelmed about the state of the world.
“I can’t possibly make a difference when the world’s problems seem so big… problems far too big for any single person to solve“, you might be thinking.
But you CAN!
I believe that we all have the power within us to make a difference in the lives of others.
I hope the following story will inspire you to do something for someone else:
One day, a man was walking along the beach and he noticed a boy hurriedly picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean. He approached the boy and asked him why he spent so much energy doing what seemed to be a waste of time.
The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”
The man replied, “But there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference!”
After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf.
Then, smiling at the man, he said, “Well, I made a difference to THAT ONE”, and continued with his work.
There are several different versions of the story but it was originally written by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977), an American anthropologist, poet, humanist and thinker.
The message of the story really resonates with me.
As a counsellor, I help people work through many difficult issues;
- mother grieving the loss of her child
- teenager struggling with loneliness and self-esteem
- young woman experiencing bouts of depression and anxiety
- husband whose wife has left him
- single mother struggling with health crisis
- executive lacking the confidence to lead others effectively
- middle-aged woman facing redundancy
- retiree adjusting to a major life change
- young man in prison after killing another during a drunken fight
- successful professional struggling with drug addiction
I help them learn new skills, grow and become more self-reliant – one person at a time.
I know I can't change the entire world, but I can change a small part of it.
So, the next time YOU get chance to make a small difference, just do it.
Be a Starfish Thrower in your own unique way – and inspire others to do the same!
Eila Mikkonen
Counsellor, Coach & Mental Fitness Facilitator