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In the calm after an awful storm, an old man took a walk on the beach. As he walked, he came upon a starfish that had washed up onto the shore – then another, and another, and then dozens, and then hundreds more. The storm had ravaged the coast and swept them all onto dry land.

After walking past countless starfish, the old man found a young girl picking up the sea creatures one by one and throwing them back into the ocean.

He laughed to himself. “What are you doing?” he asked her, “There are thousands of starfish on this beach. You couldn’t possibly save enough of them to make a difference.”

The young girl paused for a moment, eyeing the starfish in her hands, before tossing it back into the sea. “I made a difference for that one!”

This story reminds us that our influence extends beyond the festivities. We pass by people every day who we have the ability to impact. No matter the time, place, or context, we have tremendous value to add to others.

Excerpt from the writings of American Educator Loren Eisely