Making a Difference
I spent the past weekend at the beach in Florida. Every morning I woke up early, around 6 am, got my cup of coffee and walked the beach. Early morning beach walks always feel mystical and spiritual to me. I tend to get my best ideas and inspirations on these walks and I often feel like it's a time of communion with my guides and spiritual teachers.
Every morning as I walked along the shore, there were lines of conch shells washed up on the beach. I couldn't take twenty steps without encountering another grouping of washed up shells. This is a beach I'm incredibly familiar with, one I've walked hundreds of times. I'd never seen conchs washed up like this. The critters were still in the shells, very much alive, so each time I came upon one I picked it up and walked it back out into the ocean, putting it gently down on the ocean floor. I chuckled to myself thinking, this is like that story of the boy throwing back washed up sand dollars and telling the passer-by who claims he can't possibly make a difference, "I made a difference to that one." But then I paused. Am I making a positive difference? Am I doing the right thing? I don't know anything about conch shells. Maybe they come on shore to lay eggs. Or for some other purpose. I began to worry that I was disturbing the natural order of things. I wasn't asking for guidance per se, but I then heard my guides chime in and gently said, "No, they aren't meant to be on land". Okay, that made me feel better so I went on my way, continuing to put the washed up critters back into the water. Then I began to worry again. What if they are intended to die at this time? Perhaps they're washed up because it's their time. Maybe it's a 'thinning of the herd' kind of thing and I'm disturbing that. As these thoughts came through my mind, again my guides chimed in. "Then you wouldn't be here". They sent me the clear knowing that everything is in Divine order. If these shells were intended to die, a person who is inclined to save them would not have crossed their path at that particular time. Feeling grateful for the guidance, I continued on my walk, now happily putting the shells back in the water.
For three days this was my morning routine. I thought I was going to the beach for an early morning walk, but it turns out I couldn't walk more than a few paces without encountering a washed up conch shell that I would then walk back into the water (I felt bad throwing them, imagining the centrifugal force to be disorienting or harmful to them!). So I wasn't so much 'walking' as I was on a conch shell rescue mission. Oh well, so be it. As I was doing this I really wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I was thinking about other things. Observing the beauty of the sunrise. Listening to the sound of the waves. Looking for dolphins. Getting lost in thought. When I came across a conch, I put him back in the water, and went on with things. Occasionally I would feel a sense of gratitude coming from the shell when I placed it down on the ocean floor. At some point my guides chimed in again. This time, I knew the message wasn't just for me. It pertained to all of us. In essence, their message was this:
As you go through your day, this won't even register; you won't recall this in your day's events, or consider it to be of any significance. But it's making a difference. You're saving lives. No life is less significant than any other. All life is a part of the same Source and deserves to be honored. When you assess your life, you overlook the things you consider to be 'insignificant', and instead measure your contribution to the world by things you feel are making a 'big' impact.
On my last day at the beach, I was doing my usual walking/conch shell rescue. I was finishing my walk and picking up my last few shells. A beautiful osprey started to circle above the water looking for fish. I have a deep reverence for hawks so I stopped and watched him soar, dive, and take flight again. After a few moments he flew off and I resumed my walk. As I started walking I looked down and a hawk feather was washing in on the waves and rested on my foot. I consider feathers to be a tremendous gift. Never had I been gifted a hawk feather! As I reached down to pick it up, I heard, "Thank You".
It was crystal clear to me. How we beat ourselves up for not doing more. For not making a bigger difference or a bigger contribution to the betterment of the world. We don't see how the "small things" that we do are actually making huge differences. Sometimes the smallest things we do have a bigger impact than we imagine. A simple kindness to any expression of life, makes all the difference in the world. We can honor God/Source by honoring all forms that God/Source takes. When we help ANY life to thrive, we are making a positive difference in the world.
When it comes to making a difference, you're already doing it. You probably just don't know it! No action or kindness, no matter how 'small' is insignificant. In fact, let's eradicate that word 'small'. Every positive, kind, loving thing we do has ripple effects that go far beyond what we can see.
So keep doing what you're doing. Don't doubt that you are making a difference. You are. Every kindness you offer--to anybody, or anything--is making this world a better place. Thank you for doing it.
In Love,
~Heather
www.heatherwallace.net
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