The Starfish Thrower

One morning, an elderly gentleman was walking along the beach when he noticed a young boy picking something off the shore and throwing it into the sea.?

As he got closer, the man realised that the boy was rescuing the starfish stranded in the sand by picking one starfish at a time and throwing it back into the sea.

Curious about what the boy was trying to do, the man walked up to him and asked him what he was doing.

“These starfish will die if they are still on the shore when the sun rises,” he replied.

Puzzled, the old man said, “But that is pointless! There are countless miles of beach and thousands of starfish. It doesn’t matter how many you return to the water. You can’t make a difference.”

Unaffected by the comment, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and tossed it into the sea.

“It matters to this one,” he said.

This short story is an adaptation of a 16-page essay by Loren Eiseley (American anthropologist, educator and philosopher) published in 1969. It has since then been adapted and retold several times. It resonated with me because it drives home the point that each action matters.

We usually measure impact in terms of numbers and volumes. Sometimes, this mode of measuring impact may make us wonder whether we are making a difference. Sometimes, this thought may even hold us back from taking action because our contribution may not seem significant enough.

I think when we operate from a place of believing that every action counts, we feel more driven to follow our inspiration and take the next best step.?

At times following our inspiration may feel overwhelming, and we may feel like talking ourselves out of it, thinking, “Will it make a difference?”. Those are the times when we can remind ourselves of this story.

As a coach, this story inspires me to bring my best to each coaching conversation, strengthening my belief that each conversation makes a difference.

I would love to hear your reflections. What helps you follow your inspiration, one step at a time?