Today, I’d like to share a story with you that I recently heard. There was a big storm over the ocean and its waves had left many starfish stuck on the beach. A man walking along the beach noticed a woman picking up starfish and throwing them back into the water. As he approached her he asked what she was doing. She replied, “Its low tide and as the sun rises, unless I throw them back into the water, all of these starfish will die.” The man looked down the miles of beach at all of the starfish and incredulously remarked, “There must be tens of thousands though! How could you possibly hope to make a difference?” The young woman knelt down and picked up another starfish and threw it in the ocean. She smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one.”

We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give

Winston Churchill

In the pressure of a fast-paced society, we can easily become overwhelmed with work, our personal lives, and the world in general. Sometimes this reaches a breaking point where all you want to do is curl up in bed and ignore everything. When this happens its often because we’ve become paralyzed in thinking that what we do won’t matter, that it won’t make a difference. It’s in these moments we should take a step back to see we’re not alone and that those around us are all facing their own struggles. As someone who has been sick and in pain for much of the last two years, it would have been easy for me to drop into a hole of self-pity asking “why me?!” However, living in the heart of Chicago, I’ve been fortunate to always have some perspective just by taking a step outside my apartment.

Throughout my neighborhood, the Loop, are homeless people fighting to stay warm, protect themselves, and find their next meal. Each week I give out two or three $10 Mcdonalds gift cards to homeless men and women I pass. Some are out there missing limbs and others are caring for numerous children. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to know some of these incredible people and their stories. Just talking with them is an incredible feeling as often times they are ignored by hundreds every day. In doing this I feel overwhelming respect for what they have been through, the courage they’ve had in these troubling times and allows me to truly see how blessed I am for everything in my life.

When you’re having a tough day/week/month, take a step back and look at what others are facing. Not to compare who has it worse, but to bring compassion and love to others. It’s been shown that compassion for others and charitable giving not only has profound effects on one’s mental and emotional health but also on one’s physiological state as well. There is only an upside to giving and in doing so you see that whatever struggles you may be facing, you’re not alone.

You may be thinking this isn’t really solving much when there are hundreds of thousands of homeless people and it’s only a couple of gift cards a week. However, going back to the story of the starfish, just know any little thing you for another will make a difference. For me, connecting with these people and guaranteeing that they know where their next meal will come from is how I feel I make the biggest impact.

Another way I practice this is just picking up trash as I pass it on the sidewalk and place it in the nearest bin. Obviously that doesn’t solve the problem of littering or pollution but you can find ways like that to help change your community. You can practice making a difference by holding the door for others, organizing beach cleanups, doing the dishes for your roommates without them asking (and without expecting praise after you’ve done it), or by just complimenting a friend, family member, coworker or even a random stranger! If you have a different strategy to help others go for it! Finding ways no matter how small to better yourself, your family or your community will always make an impact. The key is to just keep moving forward, even if it feels like you’re not and know that no matter what you do, you’re making a difference.

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