The Starfish Thrower fable:
Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used
to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach
before he began his work.
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”
“I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, “I made a difference to that one!”
One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.
As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.
He came closer still and called out “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young man paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”
“I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?” asked the somewhat startled wise man.
To this, the young man replied, “The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in, they’ll die.”
Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, “But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can’t possibly make a difference!”
At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, “I made a difference to that one!”
This fable made me realise how everything
we do, small or little, always affect directly or indirectly someone around us.
We don’t have to try to change the world to bring something of significance to
it; we just need to do what we can every time we can…
My 40 piece of advice series is about the
advices I heard/read about, the one that were personally given to me, and the
one I made up from the lessons I learned thru my experiences. I wanted to share
them with you all because I believe they are great day to day guidance and can
make a difference. I’m sharing 40 advices however I know there are hundreds
more out there that are better, please share with us the best piece of advice
you ever were given…
1- Live with the 3 E’s:
Energy
Enthusiasm and
Empathy
Energy
Enthusiasm and
Empathy
2- Don’t compare yourself with others. For
always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
3- Remember that you don’t always have
control over what happens, but you do have control over what you do with the
experience
4- No matter how good or bad the situation
is, trust that it will change...
5- No matter how you feel, get up, get
dressed and be there.
6- Give yourself purpose and direction...
When you wake up each morning, say the following: Today my goal is _______________
When you wake up each morning, say the following: Today my goal is _______________
7- Don’t waste your precious time gossiping
or regretting the past or in negative thoughts or in worrying about things
beyond your control.
8- What other people think of you is of no
concern to you; depending on how the wind blow "they" will find
negativity in your positive.
9- Every night before going to bed, say the
following:
I give thanks for__________________
Today I succeeded in_________________
Don't let the day end without remembering and appreciating...
I give thanks for__________________
Today I succeeded in_________________
Don't let the day end without remembering and appreciating...
10- You don’t have to win every argument.
Just accept that you are not in agreement and that you can agree to disagree
11- Realize that life is a school and that
you are here to learn. Problems are life lessons from which you learn and grow
from.
12- Look at the sky at least once a day,
appreciate the world you were given, realize your blessings and be thankful.
13- Eliminate disorder in your life. Let
new energy flow into and through it.
14- Envy is a waste of time. Clear your
mind of greed and selfish ways and you will realize that you already have
everything you will ever need.
15- Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes
at the end of every day.
Lock yourself in if necessary and put your day, your actions in retrospect... Not only you will learn about yourself but also, moving forward in tomorrow will become clearer...
Lock yourself in if necessary and put your day, your actions in retrospect... Not only you will learn about yourself but also, moving forward in tomorrow will become clearer...
16- Make peace with your past so you don’t
ruin your present. Good or bad, accept and learn from yesterday's actions so
tomorrow's decisions are new and wiser...
17- Only YOU are in charge of your own
happiness...
18- Celebrate what you are and what you
have now. Someone somewhere else is fighting just to be...
19- Listen to advice from those who can
possible be affected by your decisions but don’t let it be the final say…You
need to be present in shaping your actions and choices as the first person you
will have to answer to is yourself.
20- Dream more while you are awake! There
is no better motivation than being fully aware and able to visualize your inner
aspiration...
21- Don't let anyone determine what your
capabilities are and set expectations for you. Your outcome or actions don't
have to be inclusive and limited to the norm. Look beyond the realm of what is
and discover your own possibilities while we all marvel at your audacity!
22- Life is too short to be wasted by
hating someone. Remember you will most likely be more affected by the negative
feeling you hold than the person whom it is directed to...
23- Smile and laugh more.
Just that simple...it can't be that serious that misery would be the better option!
Just that simple...it can't be that serious that misery would be the better option!
24- Don’t miss any opportunity to hug
somebody you appreciate and to everyone that you love, make sure you express it
to them!
25- Don’t ever compromise your character
for everyday of your life you’ll have to live with yourself and stare at your
soul…
26- Remember that not one of us are without
sin and we all answer to one maker
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down
Put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down
Put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around
27- Observe the world; read more books than
what you read last year and LISTEN to music... Never stop seeking for answers,
never stop educating yourself.
The mind is truly a terrible thing to waste...
The mind is truly a terrible thing to waste...
28- Manage your career; don't let anyone
take charge of your work path. Loyalty is a doubled edged sword...
29- Pride...
Have plenty so self-worth exude out of you...
Don't let it take over so your ego becomes bigger than you...
Don't lose it as nothing is more damaging than lack of self-love...
Learn to manage your Pride.
Have plenty so self-worth exude out of you...
Don't let it take over so your ego becomes bigger than you...
Don't lose it as nothing is more damaging than lack of self-love...
Learn to manage your Pride.
30- Life is too ironic to fully understand.
It takes sadness to know what happiness is, noise to appreciate silence, and
absence to value presence...
Go through life focusing on appreciating every moment (good or bad) and not focusing on understanding it.
Go through life focusing on appreciating every moment (good or bad) and not focusing on understanding it.
31- Don’t fear failure so much that you
refuse to try new things. The saddest summary of a life will always start with
"I could have, might have, and should have"...
32- Choices are yours to make…be
responsible for the consequences…
33- No one dies wishing they could work 1
more day… be wise and learn to favour the right priorities in your life
34- Time is probably one of the most
precious commodities we have on this earth. We can use all our time to make
money - or we can forgo on some things and invest our time in raising up
well-adjusted and LOVED individuals. Investing time in our family is by far the
much more valuable and wise investment. Remember the importance of setting priorities
for yourself...
35- So long as you believe you can, you
will.
If you think you can't, you won't!
If you think you can't, you won't!
36- Misunderstandings always occur, and if
you care enough, if you want to fix it and if it matters that much, then
explain yourself, explain your take to the other person(s), because
misunderstandings are simply generated from complete different perceptions on
one given situation.
37- Think big. Dream big. Success is not
about the value of your assets or your income; it's about unleashing your full
potential to achieve your dreams. Take advantage of your youth and explore
everything you possibly can until you find out who you are and what you want.
But most remember, there is no substitute for hard work.
38- Tomorrow
is a blank page, just waiting to be filled with your dreams… All you have to do
is be yourself and live the story of your own unique life. Be proud. Be
confident. And most of all be happy.
39- “Just
when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it
became a butterfly”. Don’t ever sell yourself short, so much more of
you to uncover than you can imagine…
40- I
think I’ve finally come to the point in my life where I’m happy with myself and
know that I don’t have to change or be a certain way for people to like me
anymore. I’m just fine and if someone doesn’t think I am, then...
“The true secret
of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly
indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set
people right.”
~Hannah Whitall Smith
~Hannah Whitall Smith
RosieSandz
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