Information Related to "Making a Difference, One Step at a Time"
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Making a Difference, One Step at a Time By Fred Crow When your task appears too big, consider the story of the young man on the beach.
here was a writer who needed to clear his mind. He had run into a brick wall. His work was at a standstill. He had writer's block. He moved into a friend's house down on a beach to get away from distractions, but still nothing was forthcoming. With his mind a blank, he got up from the desk to get some coffee and looked out a window. He spied a fellow doing a very odd dance down the beach. He watched for a bit, but the dance didn't change. The fellow would bend over, stand up, do some gyrations toward the surf and stop, walk back and start again by bending over. Intrigued, the writer walked outside. The fellow continued his actions seemingly unaware that he was being observed. Fascinated by what might be a logical reason for the odd dance, the writer began walking down the beach. As he got closer, he began to realize that the fellow was picking something up and throwing it into the surf. He stopped near the young man and observed him bend over, pick up a stranded sea star, make a few odd steps toward the surf and fling the creature into the ocean. The writer finally asked the young man, "What are you doing?" "Saving sea stars." was the young man's reply, as he threw another into the water. Looking around, the writer realized that hundreds and thousands of sea stars were high and dry and dying on the beach. The sand was littered with sea stars. He stated what might have seemed obvious to most, "Doing what you're doing won't make any difference." Bending over, picking up another stranded animal and flinging it into the surf, he said, "It made a difference for that one." The writer was struck by the powerful truth of that simple statement. A single act can make a difference. Because the fellow couldn't save all the sea stars didn't mean he couldn't save some. The writer then bent over, picked up a sea star, and threw it into the surf. Forgetting his own problems, he spent the rest of the day with the young man "making a difference" one sea star at a time. That evening the writer's mind was clear and ready to return to work. When we face a task that appears overwhelming, we may pull back from attempting to climb that particular mountain. Whether it's artistic, social, environmental, financial or personal, when we face a problem we may feel powerless to make a difference if it appears too big. It is then we need to realize that taking small steps--doing small, even seemingly insignificant deeds--can add up. Taking small steps can make the difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. Doing what we can with what we have can make a difference if we continue on continuing on. Step by step. Insignificant. Seemingly without a difference. Years ago an engineer hung a 50-pound weight from a rope. Next to it he hung a 5-ounce bottle cork. The cork was attached to a machine that would swing the cork into the 50-pound weight in a small arc. Whap! Nothing happened. Whap! Nothing happened. The cork just bounced off the dead weight with no effect. The next day the cork was still bashing into the weight without visible consequence. The following day a vibration was noted in the heavy weight.
When a task appears too large, too overwhelming, too powerful--just start. Pick a point and begin. Just like the young man saving sea stars, just like the cork, your effort will make a difference. Copyright 2001 by United Church of God, an International Association All rights reserved. |
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