The Turtle and the Shell

I came across this article which resonated with me and made me think.
 
All the Difference in the World
 
“Every Sunday morning, I take a light jog around a park near my home.  There’s a lake located in one corner of the park. 
 
Each time I jog by this lake, I see the same elderly woman sitting at the water’s edge with a small metal cage sitting beside her.
 
This past Sunday my curiosity got the best of me, so I stopped jogging and walked over to her.  As I got closer, I realized 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 spongy brush.
 
“Hello,” I said.  “I see you here every Sunday morning.  If you don’t mind my nosiness, I’d love to know what you’re doing with these turtles.”
 
She 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 its ability to swim.  It can also corrode and weaken the shell over time.”
 
“Wow!  That’s really nice of you!” I 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 strange way of making a difference.”
 
“But don’t most freshwater turtles live their whole lives with algae and scum hanging from their shells?” I asked.
 
“Yep, sadly, they do,” she replied.
 
I scratched my head.  “Well then, don’t you think your time could be better spent?  I mean, I think your efforts are kind and all, but there are freshwater turtles living in lakes all around the world.  And 99% of these turtles don’t have kind people like you to help them clean off their shells. 
 
So, no offense… but how exactly are your localized efforts here truly making a difference?”
 
The woman giggled aloud.  She then looked down at the turtle in her lap, scrubbed off the last piece of algae from its shell, and said, “Sweetie, if this little guy could talk, he’d tell you I just made all the difference in the world.”
 
The moral:  You can change the world – maybe not all at once, but one person, one animal, and one good deed at a time.  Wake up every morning and pretend like what you do makes a difference.  It does.”
 
It does make a difference
 
This is a good reminder that we can make a difference on act at a time. If we have this attitude, we will impact lives in a unique and beautiful way. If we think about the worldwide problems, we can be overcome with the immensity of it and we can give up before we start.
 
But if we have an attitude that even impacting one person will have a real and lasting impact then we will seek out these opportunities and we will make a difference. Then if hundreds and thousands of other people have the same attitude, we really will start to change the world.  
 
Money and relationships may not be enough
 
You may have all the money you need, live in a beautiful house, drive the best car, have wonderful holidays and great relationships but you may still feel that something is missing. That something could be doing something for someone to help them in some way as a gift from you.
 
When you do this there is a deep feeling of satisfaction and fulfilment which could be the very thing that you are missing in your life.
 
I often wonder if these blogs are impacting anyone who reads them, and I have considered whether I should continue to write them. Today’s article reminds me that even if only one person out of the 2,400 people I send these out to is helped then it is worth it.
 
Thoughts for the week.

1. Try taking on this challenge this week.
2. Look around your world and see if there is anything you can do to make a difference to someone or something in some way.
3. It doesn’t need to be much just an act which makes a difference – a gift from you.
4. When you have completed this, check how this makes you feel.
5. Remember your feelings have a direct impact on your energy levels and your performance. 

 
Well that’s it for this week have a wonderful weekend and keep Believing.
 
Warm regards

John

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