While walking along a beach, an elderly gentleman saw someone in the distance
leaning down, picking something up and throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, picking
up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.
He came closer still and called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that
you are doing?”
The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the
ocean.”
The old man smiled, and said, “I must ask, then, why are you throwing
starfish into the ocean?”
To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If
I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
Upon hearing this, the elderly observer commented, “But, young man, do you
not realise that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all
along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
The young man listened politely. Then he bent down, picked up another
starfish, threw it into the back into the ocean past the breaking waves and
said, “It made a difference for that one.”
0 Comments
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will. ~ Mahatma Gandhi
Our ability to adapt is amazing. Our ability to change isn't quite as spectacular. -Lisa Lutz |
AuthorDebbie McJimsey is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist located in Roseville, California Archives
October 2013
Categories |