Saturday, August 7, 2010
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
On a hot summer day, a girl and her father were walking along the beach. They noticed a figure in the distance. As they got closer, they realized that the figure was that of a boy picking something up and gently throwing it up into the ocean. Approaching the boy, they asked: “What are you doing?” He replied “Throwing the starfish into the ocean. Soon, the sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.” “Son,” the man said. “Don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t possibly make a difference!” After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish and throws it into the sea. Then, smiling at the man, he said: “It makes a difference to that one.”
This short story challenges me every day. It makes me consider that every little thing that I do not only touches mine but also other people’s lives and may make a big difference. In some circumstances, instead of asking myself “What if I fail? What if it would have a bad effect? What if others may not like what I do? What if I am wrong?”, I should always put into consideration this optimistic idea: “I know that what I’m thinking right now is the right thing, and that it would do well unto others and also for myself, and that everyone would be contented with the outcome.”
Making a big difference can start from simple things. A simple greeting every day from you can already touch someone else’s life. Listening to other people’s perspectives and giving sound advices could be of great help to them. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of being compassionate: all of which have the potential to turn a life around. That’s why right now, in everything that I do, I would just put in mind, to act as if what I do makes a difference…it definitely does!
Anna Marie Mamba (YMA 4 – Generation 3)
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