Living: the ultimate team sport

Do Little, Rather than Nothing

Posted on April 4, 2022 Updated on April 1, 2022

I’ve written about this topic before: Positive community activism; Spineless inaction: the bystander effect; Your positive imprint on mankind.

And I’m writing about it again, but I’m going to let Dr. Bernie S. Siegel be my mouthpiece on this one because he addresses the importance of making a difference in the lives of others in this excerpt from: 365 Prescriptions for the Soul. Here’s the selection verbatim:

SAND DOLLARS

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do little; do what you can. -Sydney Smith

Perhaps you have heard the story about the boy on the beach throwing washed-up sand dollars back into the water.  A man walks by and asks, “Why are you doing that?  There are thousands of them washed up.  You can’t make a difference.”

The boy picks one up and throws it back into the ocean, “I did for that one.”

Remember, by changing one life you change the world.  Every action has its effects.  So make a difference and help someone get back into the ocean of life.  You need not risk your life carrying them through the surf, but find out what they need to get back into the swim.  Then help them do it.