One Can Make A Difference

There was a writer who used to go to the seaside to his writing. He had a habit of walking along the beach before he began his work. One day, along the shore, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. Intrigued, he began to walk faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and he was not dancing. Instead he was picking up something and very gently throwing it into the sea.

He asked the young man what he was doing, and the latter replied that he was throwing starfish into the sea. When asked why he was doing that, he replied that the tide was going out and if he did not throw them out in the seas, they would die.

The writer said, “Young man, don’t you realise that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish along it. You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely then he bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it into the sea, and said, “It made a difference for that one.”

We are all gifted with the ability to make a difference. Once we become aware of that gift, we can gain the power to shape the future through the strength of our vision.

Extracted from 'Self Empowerment' by Bridget Menezes (Malaysian author)