The Starfish and the Widows Mite
Ross Sivertsen, MMgt, MSc, MBA
I Help Business Scale, Recover Time, and Remove Barriers Limiting Growth
Most of you who know me, know that i'm not prone to quoting religious dogmatic stories in my posts; Today I feel the need to make a couple of comments about helping others.
I love the story of the starfish; where an adult finds a small girl throwing starfish, one at a time, back in to the ocean from a beach filled with starfish washed ashore after a storm. When the adult asks how can she possibly expect to make a difference saving them when the beach is literally littered with thousands of starfish; she picks up one starfish turns to the adult asking the question, throws it back to the ocean and remarks "It made a difference to that one."
Too often we are overwhelmed by the need in the world that we become paralyzed from doing anything because we simply don't think we can make an impact. The fact folks is that you can... and you do it by one small gesture at a time. By helping, volunteering, and donating; every single bit makes a difference especially to the small NPOs in your community...
But there's another part to the story; when it comes to donating funds to a cause... and that's the story of the widows mite... In the Christian Bible the book of Mark Chapter 12 v41-44 (paraphrased); Christ talks to his disciples at the temple treasury; when noticing that a widow makes her donation is that of only a penny, while the rich make significantly larger donations.
He tells the disciples that the widow has contributed more to the cause because her penny donated is everything she has and doing so out love, than the rich who donate more, but less in percentage of the widow, and donate for recognition.
The point of this allegory is it does not matter how much you contribute; simply that you do contribute. if not in money then with time. The poor widow donated a penny, but that penny was all she had to give.
So please... I encourage, get involved, make a stand, throw a starfish back in to the ocean... just one. It will make a difference.
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi
"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."- Theodore Roosevelt
#Starfish
Residential Property Manager at Sinatra & Company Real Estate
7 年In the Hebrew faith we call this a "Mitzvah," Thank you for the great read!
Credit Supervisor
8 年I enjoyed your story and agree with the point you are making. We tried to help the "starfish" when we did the school supply drive in August at work. It was in hopes that everyone there would give their own "mite". I wish to add that the Widow's Mite is also an example of faith, the faith that our needs will be met and it is not always met by the "almighty" dollar but by time given or a gesture. Sometimes it is as simple as what Donkey states in the movie Shrek, "I need a hug."
Love the starfish story! My elementary school principal used to tell it at every assembly we had growing up! Thanks for the share!