We live in a world that pretty much is focused entirely on “self”. What I want, when I want, how I want, and why I want seem to be the principles that a lot of people live by. And yet, these life principles do not work, nor do they result in true peace, joy, or happiness.
As long as I can remember, I’ve tried to teach people as much as I can that the majority of problems in our world today are caused by selfishness, and that if we would simply put others first and be kind to all whom we come in contact with we can change the world.
However, the more I try to get people to realize this simple fact, the more they stare at me blindly like; “Do you actually think that’s going to change anything?”
Yes, I do. And I know for a fact that it does change things. Now, we might not be able to change the entire world at once, but we can make a huge difference in the lives of those whom we come in contact with. Who in turn can make a change in the lives of others, etc.,
The story is told about a huge storm that had swept the coast line one evening. Hundreds of starfish had been swept up onto the beach by the violent waves. They were everywhere.
The morning after the storm, a man was walking down the beach and off in the distance he saw a young boy who was picking up starfish one at a time and tossing them back into the ocean.
The man came up to the boy and said, “What are you doing?”
The boy replied, “I am saving these starfish. If they get stuck on the beach when the sun gets out, they’ll all dry up and die.”
The man looked up and down the beach and said, “There must be hundreds of them. What you’re doing isn’t going to make any difference!”
The young boy looked at the starfish in his hand, tossed it back out into the ocean and replied, “It made a difference to that one!”
Like that boy, we can make a difference to “that one” who we come in contact with.
Recently, I went out to eat for dinner at a restaurant in Alpharetta. I always carry several copies of my life story “One Week to Live” with me in pocket size format and hand them out to people, and as the waitress came to my table she smiled and said, “Hello, my name is…” I replied, “My name is Joshua.”, and I handed her one of my brochures. She took my order and went off to the kitchen.
A few moments later, I noticed her standing off in the corner reading my story. She stood there and read the entire thing.
When she finished, she returned to my table with tears running down her face and said, “Thank you so much Joshua! I’ve been having some problems with my life lately, and reading your story really made my day!”
It was such a joy and privilege to “make a difference to that one!”
What are you doing to make a difference?
Every time we come in contact with another human being – we have an opportunity to make a difference in their lives!