Make a difference – One starfish at a time

A string of fierce storms had bettered the little coastal town in PortBay.  After days housebound, at last the weather had settled and Cliff, an elderly resident, could once again enjoy his stroll along the beach. Cliff was wandering along the beach taking in the fresh air, when he spotted a young bloke near the water’s edge busily tossing something into the water.  As he approached Cliff saw that the beach was absolutely packed with starfish.  There were thousands stranded on the beach after the outgoing tide.  Cliff saw that the young man was busily picking up starfish and then tossing them back into the ocean.

Amused, Cliff approached the young man and said: “you’re wasting your time. There are thousands of starfish stranded along this beach. You can’t possibly save them all.”

The young man picked up another starfish and tossed it safely back into the waves. He smiled and replied: “it made a big difference to that one.”

This exchange shows that even when faced with a massive problem that seems insurmountable, making a small positive impact still matters. The young man’s actions demonstrate that while he can’t save every starfish. His efforts are meaningful for each individual starfish he helps. It’s a reminder that, like the starfish, we don’t need to solve every big issue at once. Making a difference, even in small ways, counts.

The learning insight:

Just like Cliff on the beach, we often think some problems are too big for us to solve. When we face a tough situation at work, or with our studies, it can feel impossible to resolve.

It’s normal to feel overwhelmed by big challenges in our jobs, whether it’s sorting out a workplace issue, making customers happy, or handling new technology. These problems can seem so huge that we might feel stuck and think our small efforts won’t matter. There’s two ways we can look at the situation when we’re faced with life’s obstacles:

• The paralysed mindset: this way of thinking waits for the perfect, huge solution before acting. Consequently, the problem is often not rectified and remains unsolved and even ignored.
• The impact mindset: This way of thinking knows big change comes from lots of small actions. They focus on what they can do right now to help. (One thing at a time).

Don’t let the magnitude of a problem stop you from making a meaningful impact where you can. Change the world one starfish at a time.