You may have heard this one, but I find that it doesn’t hurt to be reminded of it every once in a while. First let me tell you the story, and then we can talk about it.
Once upon a time, there was an old man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach every morning before he began his work. Early one morning, he was walking along the shore after a big storm had passed and found the vast beach littered with starfish as far as the eye could see, stretching in both directions.
Off in the distance, the old man noticed a small boy approaching. As the boy walked, he paused every so often and as he grew closer, the man could see that he was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea. The boy came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?”
The young boy paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the youth replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”
The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”
The boy bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then he turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”
adapted from The Star Thrower, by Loren Eiseley (1907 – 1977)
We all have the opportunity to help create positive change, but if you’re like me, you sometimes find yourself thinking, “I’m already really busy, and how much of a difference can I really make?” I think this is especially true when we’re talking about addressing massive social problems like tackling world hunger or finding a cure for cancer, but it pops up all of the time in our everyday lives, as well. So when I catch myself thinking that way, it helps to remember this story. You might not be able to change the entire world, but at least you can change a small part of it, for someone.
They say that one of the most common reasons we procrastinate is because we see the challenge before us as overwhelming, and that a good way to counter that is to break the big challenge down into smaller pieces and then take those one at a time–like one starfish at a time. And to that one starfish, it can make a world of difference.
“A single, ordinary person still can make a difference – and single, ordinary people are doing precisely that every day.”
— Chris Bohjalian, Vermont-based author and speaker
Related Post:
“Changing Course: How America Got Lost, and How We Can Find Our Way Back Together“
EventsForChange 
June 5th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Huge sigh. This means so much to me. There are so many things to do! If I break it down to the work projects, then the industry issues, then the ills of the US and world .. I am overwhelmed. I will paste a photo of a starfish on my wall .. or maybe a tatoo on the palm of my hand (ok.. that sounds painful .. so the photo will do) and look at it always and remember. Thank you, Peter, for this perfect story.
June 6th, 2011 at 12:17 am
My pleasure, Joan! This is a nice simple example of the power of a good story, too. Maybe a temporary tattoo?
November 24th, 2011 at 2:15 pm
[…] that helping one individual at a time is important. She did this through a refreshing deliver of The Starfish Story. […]
February 16th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Very nice story, and nice pic of the star-fish too, wich I have borrowed, since I was wondering if I was a star-fish in a past life. Thankyou for the nice story as well.
March 26th, 2012 at 6:24 pm
In the state of New York, it is actually illegal to return starfish to the water, according to state Environmental Law. Star fish are considered predators to shellfish such as scallops, so the law is meant to preserve shellfish. So the next time you throw starfish back into the water in New York, beware. You could get a ticket..
July 8th, 2012 at 1:59 pm
The aftermath of natural calamities signifies the life we experience on Earth. Little things that we say or do — for those affected, who couldn’t … almost couldn’t and wouldn’t put back there lives on …. makes the difference!
July 14th, 2013 at 5:04 pm
[…] The Starfish Story: one step towards changing the world (eventsforchange.wordpress.com) […]
October 18th, 2013 at 9:04 am
[…] the “Starfish story” … we know we have done something […]
October 26th, 2013 at 2:37 am
[…] I’m realizing that I tend to be an all or nothing kind of girl. I want to save the world, but if that’s not possible then why even try? It’s silly really, how I’ve been duped. Even if only to one starfish, I can make a difference. […]
October 29th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
[…] and went on my way. It wasn’t exactly generous of me (though I hope he enjoyed it) and was classically helpful/unhelpful: a good meal for a night for one homeless person, isn’t resolving the problem of people going […]
November 6th, 2013 at 12:15 pm
[…] My costume was received well enough. Nobody beat me up or threw me overboard. Mostly, it has just been the Captain who I’ve seen launch his butts into the sea while the others keep the butt and squish out the cherry. I remember the first time I saw the Norwegian Captain, Sture, do it. I wondered how/if I would confront him. I simply can’t imagine loving the sea and throwing toxic crap in to her intentionally. Clearly, throwing butts away to the sea or ground must not be done consciously. I suppose there are worse things we put into the sea. Baby steps. Or maybe none at all. Am I attempting to change that which is unchangeable? Perhaps my vision of a healthy planet is not the one meant to occur? Or maybe my vision is not even healthy? Maybe there is a larger picture that I do not perceive. What damage do a few butts really do? For now, I will continue to consider the starfish story, and I will keep plugging away at what I feel to be true, despite the fear I hold of being rejected or ignored for my actions. I am reminded of the starfish story. […]
November 26th, 2013 at 3:16 pm
I was sent to you by a friend because she see’s I’m on a mission to make a difference in our world. I see waste, greed, and awful vacant homes everywhere and yet there are homeless in the USA and abroad. I’m sick of it and aim to make a difference.
I’m a house rehabber and a skilled tradesman. I’ve been fixing up homes for decades one at a time. Now older, with the internet, I believe I can raise money by teaching my craft and donating money to those hoping for a “helping hand up, and not a hand out”.
Your article and comments here have just made my vision most realistic and a worthy endeavor – Thank you.
March 12th, 2014 at 1:29 am
I have ever heard about the Star fish and the boy over and over again, and every time I see any social problem in my country home, I remind myself of this story…….gives me courage to lend a hand where people find it unnecessary because they find it a waste of time since the problem appear to be huge for them to make a different. With my ability, skills and energy, I will always make a different ……… even if it means throwing only one vulnerable star fish back into the sea…..thanks everyone
March 12th, 2014 at 9:51 am
[…] This event reminds me of the starfish story: Read Here […]
April 5th, 2014 at 12:59 am
[…] Originally Posted by BettyfromToronto Hubby & I did this in November and Sharky is right. CHS did everything. We did go out a few days ahead of time to meet the dogs. 1. Saying hello at CHS 2. Waiting outside Cozumel airport for flight 3. Saying goodbye at Toronto airport That is a noble thing to do, no matter where the animal came from or is going. I'm sure the dogs who were placed were thankful! Reminds me of this story… […]
April 20th, 2014 at 8:50 am
[…] then referenced the story about the starfish on the beach which is a very apt analogy for when so many of us feel we can only make a difference in our own […]
April 28th, 2014 at 5:08 am
[…] like the boy in the Starfish Story she won’t do the easy thing: give up. For that, I am inspired. And grateful. When I read […]
May 6th, 2014 at 9:49 am
[…] like the story of the little boy with the starfish, each life was beginning to be important and worth rescuing to me. Verses […]
May 21st, 2014 at 11:33 am
[…] what we might think of as a small thing may be hugely important to someone else. Like the starfish story. (Or the fuller Wikipedia entry with the origins and context.) So, if at times you wonder […]
August 3rd, 2014 at 1:36 pm
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