The Inspiring Legend Of The Boy And The Starfish

There are many studies in which he has tried to establish what is the common trait of the great men and women who have inspired humanity. Everything seems to indicate that the  most decisive virtue is perseverance. Many of the great accomplishments are an inspiring lesson in toughness and fighting adversity.

Perseverance is a complex virtue, almost a gift. When it is authentic, it nurtures tenacity and will in the face of difficulties and obstacles. In order to maintain that iron will in the face of adversity, it is necessary to know what you want, where you want to go and why. This is usually the result of a process of reflection and character building.

Those who think that great feats take shape from the beginning are wrong. Generally, everything starts with a small seed that is watered, spreads and reaches a point where it takes its own path of growth. Precisely the legend of the boy and the starfish explains, in a simple way, what all this is about.

An inspiring and realistic legend

Once upon a time there was a man who lived near the beach. Every day he woke up and the first thing he did was take a walk in the sand. One ordinary day he was very surprised by what he found on his morning getaway. There were hundreds of starfish strewn all over the coast. It was very strange. Perhaps bad weather or the November winds were responsible for this phenomenon.

The man regretted the situation. He knew that starfish couldn’t live for more than five minutes out of water. All those creatures would die in no time, if they weren’t already dead when he passed her. How sad! He thought. However, no inspiring ideas came to his mind.

Moving a little further, he saw a boy running back and forth in the sand. He looked agitated and sweaty. “What are you doing?” Asked the man. ” I am returning the stars to the sea, ” replied the boy, who already looked tired.

The man thought for a moment. What the boy was doing seemed absurd to him. He couldn’t resist the urge to speak his mind. “ What you do is useless. I have walked a long way and there are thousands of stars. It doesn’t make sense what you do, ”he said. The boy, who was holding a starfish, replied: “ Ah! Wow, it does make sense for this one! “

Small actions, great feats

The inspiring legend of the boy and the starfish shows us the value of small actions. Sometimes we fail to see the value of modest acts. This happens because we are not orienting our behavior towards values, but towards results. It is as if we see the world in terms of quantity and size, but not of meaning and essence.

Every great feat begins with small acts, just as rare is the path that begins with long strides. In fact, the beginnings are usually hard and expensive and in a way that who does not learn to give meaning to a flower, it will hardly be possible to find meaning in nature.

Likewise, whoever overlooks the value of a small sacrifice is hardly going to build a sense of effort. Character is usually strengthened from small restrictions, from discreet disciplines. The first great obstacle to big dreams are the small skepticisms of those around you. Giving meaning to small is an inspiring way to live.

Perseverance is, above all, a descendant of values. It takes great conviction to resist the difficulties and stumbles that are always present when you set a worthy goal. The worst thing is that many times we allow ourselves to be invaded by a totalitarian thought. It is the one that tells you that if there is not “everything”, then there is “nothing”. In turn, this mindset is a poison for motivation.

If you link your big dreams and aspirations to human values, it will be much easier for you to find the strength you need to move forward. Instead, if you focus only on immediate results, frustration is likely to cast a shadow over you. The great cathedrals are built stone by stone. The inspiring legend of the boy and the starfish tells us that small does make sense and the truth is that it is worth learning to see it that way.