The Power of One
You would have probably heard of the story of the elderly man strolling down the beach at low tide and coming across a little boy tossing stranded starfish back into the sea one after another. Pointing to the string of starfish stranded along the seemingly never-ending shoreline, the old man asks, “What difference is it going to make?” Looking at the fragile starfish resting on his small palm, the boy replies, “Well sir, it will make a difference to this one.”
Suppose the starfish is:
a neighbour retrenched and now saddled with debts or
an ex-prisoner struggling to find a job or
an abandoned baby in need of a foster home, etc.,
What will your response be? I have my own problems to worry about… I am already donating to charity… I will help when I am better off… I can’t possibly help everyone… Let the government take care…
All of us may have our own set of problems; and there are days when we may need some extra cash, but help does not always entail digging deep into our pockets, it can come in the form of concern, support and, of course, love.
Never underestimate the Power of One. You may think your action alone will not make a world of difference… but the truth is, it could mean the world to the person you have helped.
