Throw back that starfish

A FEW news stories have caught my attention lately and not in a good way. I have been feeling somewhat overwhelmed by many of the challenges facing us. I struggle watching news items that contain starving children. I am freaking out about global warming and feel overwhelmed by the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

My coping mechanism is generally to ignore these stories as I feel completely helpless to change anything. I wonder what could I do to make a change.

There have been times when I try hard to consider some solutions to the problems we face, but I quickly realise it is all too complicated and re-bury my head back in the sand. Ah, there is merit to the adage "ignorance is bliss".

Then my hubby comes to the rescue again and reminds me of the old starfish story.

While walking along a beach, a man saw a young boy picking up starfish one by one and tossing each one gently back into the water.

He called out: "Good morning. May I ask what you are doing?" The young boy replied: "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

The old man smiled and said: "I must ask, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" The young man replied: "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the man said: "But, young man, do you not realise there are miles of beach and there are starfish along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference."

The young man then bent down, picked up another starfish, threw it back into the ocean and said: "It made a difference for that one."

This story reminds me that we all have the opportunity to help create positive change. We might not be able to change the entire world, but at least we can change a small part of it.

Whanganui is full of ordinary people who appear to be doing exactly that.

I have seen friends protest against matters that they are passionate about, we have "pay it forward" opportunities, and the Koha Shed is one fantastic initiative that has helped so many people in need.

I think that rather than tackle big problems with big solutions, we should start somewhere smaller, in our own backyard, one small step at a time. So I am inspired to think small because it is often the smallest things that we do that can lead to the biggest change.

All we can do is throw back that one starfish - and to that one starfish, it can make a world of difference.

A registered psychologist with a masters in applied psychology, Wanganui mother-of-two Kristen Hamling is studying for a PhD in positive psychology at Auckland University of Technology.