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Once upon a time…
Tony moved out of the city into a new neighbourhood. A huge drawcard for the move was a beautiful park with a lake, lots of birds and pretty bridges. He decided he would jog around the lake each morning and make that a part of his new health regime. After a month or so, Tony noticed that, every Sunday morning he would see the same elderly woman positioned at the water’s edge with a small metal cage sitting beside her.
This past Sunday, Tony’s curiosity piqued, so he stopped jogging and walked over to enquire. As he came closer, he realised that the metal cage was, in fact, a small trap. There were three turtles, unharmed, slowly walking around the base of the trap. She had a fourth turtle in her lap that she was carefully scrubbing with a sponge brush.
“Hello,” Tony said. “I see you here every Sunday morning. If you don’t mind my nosiness, I’d love to know what you are doing with those turtles?”
The elderly woman smiled. “I’m cleaning off their shells,” she replied. “Anything on a turtle’s shell, like algae or scum, reduces the turtle’s ability to absorb heat and impedes their ability to swim. It can also corrode and weaken the shell over time.”
“Wow! That’s really nice of you!” Tony exclaimed.
She went on: “I spend a couple of hours each Sunday morning, relaxing by this lake and helping these little guys out. It’s my own little way of making a difference.”
“Don’t most freshwater turtles live their whole lives with algae and scum hanging from their shells?” Tony questioned.
“Yep, sadly, they do,” she replied.
Tony scratched his head, his corporate mind kicking in “Well then, don’t you think your time could be better spent? I mean, I think your efforts are great and all, but there are freshwater turtles living in lakes all around the world, and 99% of those turtles don’t have a kind lady like you clean off their shells. So, no offence… but how exactly are your localised efforts here truly making a difference?”
The old woman laughed out loud. She then looked down at the turtle in her lap, scrubbed off the last piece of algae from its shell, and said, “Honey, if this little guy could talk, he’d tell you I just made all the difference in the world.”
Everything counts. Everything matters.
You don’t need to give up everything in order to do good in the world. You can do good from where you are, with what you have. It begins with a decision and a defined purpose.
When you have discovered your own significance, your life will begin to move towards making a difference. Never underestimate the valuable and important difference you make in every life you touch. The impact you make today has a powerful rippling effect on every tomorrow. One person at a time, one day at a time, and one project at a time, you can make a difference that will leave a lasting impact on the world. Believe that what you do matters, because it does.
“…if anything matters then everything matters. Because you are important, everything you do is important. Every time you forgive, the universe changes; every time you reach out and touch a heart or a life, the world changes; with every kindness and service, seen or unseen, my purposes are accomplished and nothing will be the same again.”
― Wm. Paul Young
In the infinity of Life where I am, all is perfect, whole and complete. Change is the natural law of my life. I welcome change. I choose to change my thinking. I choose to change the words I use. I move from the old to the new with ease and with joy. My unique creative talents and abilities flow through me and are expressed in deeply satisfying ways. The more love I use and give, the more I have to give. The supply is endless. Everywhere I go I touch people’s lives for the better. I know that I make a difference. I am deeply fulfilled by all that I do. My work is a joy and a pleasure. All is well in my world.
One human can change the course of human history – all it takes is the right idea, at the right time, in the right place. And the right place is where you stand at present, the right time is right this very moment and the right idea is the one that defines your existence the best.”
― Abhijit Naskar
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