How to Matter (You Already Do)

by Robin Cangie

When I was 11, my teacher showed me an adaptation of Loren Eiseley’s famous essay The Star Thrower. “I thought you would like this,” she said, pulling me aside before recess. I never forgot the story, nor that my teacher had thought to share it with me. I still think of it when I begin to feel that the world is too big, and that I am too small to make a difference.

The story goes like this (full adaptation here): A wise man was walking along the beach and saw a young man throwing small objects into the ocean. He approached the young man and asked him what he was doing. The young man replied,

"Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one.”

We live in a time of great uncertainty, and this has always been the case. The Great Recession may have thrown this fact into starker relief than usual, but we humans have never had as much control over our own destinies as we like to believe.

It doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference. It means, in fact, that you must. Whatever action you can take – whether it’s volunteering time, donating money, or even something as simple as taking your lunch to work in a reusable bag, it will matter, even if it doesn’t seem like enough.

The truth is, it will never be enough. There will always be more work to do, so if that’s the only thing holding you back, let it go right now. Recognize that you matter, that what you do matters, and act. In a world where our largest institutions have continually shown themselves unable or unwilling to do the same, individuals acting boldly might just be the best chance we have.