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Welcome back to the Growing Tree of Life, our weekly exploration of personal growth and well-being.
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Issue Number: #078 Date: 23 July 2024 Reading Time: 3 minutes
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How To Make a Difference
A few days ago, I was scrolling through the comments on a YouTube video when I came across a story that really stuck with me.
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It was about a young guy out for a morning stroll along a sea wall. He noticed an elderly gentleman down on the beach. Every few steps he picks up a starfish that was left behind as the tide went out and tosses it back into the sea.
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Curious, the young man watched him for about half an hour. Finally, he called out, "Hey old timer, there are so many starfish. You can't possibly make a difference!"
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The elderly man paused, looked at a starfish in his hand, and said, "It makes a difference for this one." Then he calmly tossed it into the sea.
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This story hit me. We're often caught up in thinking that we need to do something huge to make a difference. But this old man’s simple action showed that even the smallest efforts count.
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Helping just one starfish mattered to that starfish.
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It made me rethink how I look at making a difference.
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Many of us feel overwhelmed by the world's problems and think our small actions won’t matter. But we forget that change doesn't always have to be grand. It often starts with a small step, a little action that helps one person, or in this case, one starfish, at a time.
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The mindset of the elderly man is something we can all learn from.
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He didn’t look at the beach full of starfish and get discouraged. He simply focused on what he could do in that moment. Instead of thinking about the thousands he couldn’t save, he concentrated on the one he could. This is a powerful way of thinking. It reminds us that our efforts, no matter how small, do make a difference.
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We live in a world where we're constantly told to think big, to aim for grand achievements.
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While it’s good to have big dreams, it’s equally important to remember that small actions are valuable too. Helping a neighbour, being kind to a stranger, volunteering some time - all these little acts add up.
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Today's Tip:
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Don't let the enormity of the world's problems discourage you. Focus on what you can do, no matter how small it seems.
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A small act of kindness can make a world of difference to someone. Your time and efforts are valuable, even if they only impact one person or one situation.
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If we all try to be like the elderly man on the beach—making small differences that add up over time—we may not change the world overnight, but we can make it a better place one small step at a time.
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Thank you for reading, and see you next Tuesday.
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Lubo
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