The Burden You Carry
What's your burden?
He couldn't get them out of his mind. He saw the first one at an aquarium and countless more at the beach by his family's summer cottage. He spent all year learning about them and enthusiastically shared facts with his parents and close friends. He watched and waited anxiously for the school year to end. Summer was coming, and he anticipated the many hours he would have at the beach with his favorite piece of creation, starfish.
School finally ended, and the trip began. As his family traveled the two-hour drive to their favorite summer getaway, the boy dreamt of how many starfish he would see this year. The family arrived at their cottage after dark, and the anticipation would have to wait a bit longer. He barely slept a wink that night. The morning sun rose gently through the crisp air and over the eastern horizon behind their beachside cottage. Breakfast could wait. He had the perfect opportunity to get out early and let the hunt begin. It was his duty to inspect the coastline.
The tide was right, and the time was now. With his parents' blessing, the boy ran the short sandy road to the base of the dunes he knew so well. His feet sank deep into the perfectly smooth mounds of sand as he ran relentlessly to the top. At the crest of the dunes, he witnessed something he had never seen before. The coastline was covered, and he could barely see the sand below. Starfish, thousands scattered along the shore, as if someone had placed them there for the boy to discover. A smile ear to ear fell upon his face. Suddenly, his stomach did a summersault within. His smile faded in an instant. He realized as amazing as this sight was, these starfish needed to be in the water. The rising sun would dry them out, and these beautiful creatures he dearly loved would wither and die.
"Sad, isn't it?" He heard from just to the left of him. An older gentleman was standing there looking at the same spectacle. "If only we had a tractor or shovels, anything to help us collect these poor guys and get them back to their home in the ocean. It’s sad, so sad, that there is nothing we can do with such a big task in front of us. How could we possibly make a difference? I guess this is just how things are supposed to be."
The boy silently stared at the coastline in frustration, "We must do something!" he thought. "But maybe this man is right. What could I do? What could anyone do with a job this big? It is too big for me..." A deep sadness came over the boy. He had waited all year for this morning, and the shock of what he saw put him at a standstill. Could this be how things were meant to happen?
There was a stir within. Something came over the boy, something he couldn't quite explain–a rush of adrenaline, a sense of obligation, a burden too heavy to be ignored. Though he had no tractor or shovel, he used what he had. He ran as fast as his little legs could take him. He picked up one starfish at a time and began to toss them into the ocean. He was filled with a fervor that could not be explained. He threw and threw one beautiful starfish after another. The job seemed impossible, but he knew he had to do something.
The hopeless man shook his head and left. He went to tell his neighbor about the crazy boy on the shore trying to make something possible out of the impossible. They both walked back to see if the boy had given up yet. To their surprise, two more people were helping with the rescue mission. The boy's action started something that couldn't be expected.
Before long, the news traveled through town, and more people showed up. His parents were there shortly after, followed by the family friends they had made in the small beach town. A spark had started a fire, and carloads of people from bordering towns soon came to the rescue. Surprisingly, even the older man and his neighbor joined in. The shore was finally empty of all the starfish. A miracle happened that day.
The boy fell to his knees and wept. His simple decision to start something with what little he had led to saving all the creatures he loved so much. As impossible as the task had seemed, he knew something had to be done. The burden was, in fact, too big for him, but not for the many he inspired with his one brave action.
What’s Your Burden?
It’s incredible what one brave action can do. The boy in this story had a deep burden to help the starfish in need. I wager that you have a deep burden within. Your burden may not be for stranded starfish, but there’s something you care deeply about that makes you say, "We must do something!" What stirs you at the core and motivates you to want to do something that will ensure lasting change in the world?
What’s your burden?
Acknowledge what has come to your mind right now. I encourage you to slow down for a moment. Think about this burden. Write it down. Say it out loud.
You have two options of how to respond to this burden you feel:
1) "It’s sad, so sad, that there is nothing we can do with such a big task in front of us. How could we possibly make a difference? I guess this is just how things are supposed to be."
2) "We must do something!"
Do these responses sound familiar? These are the exact responses from the characters in our story. Each person had a different perspective on the situation. The older man most likely lived a life where he saw little to no reason to attempt change. To him, the world is a dark and unforgiving place. There is too much need, and any effort to make a change will most likely lead to disappointment.
I can relate to this man's response. Why try to make a difference in a hopeless situation? Nothing in this world ever seems to change. What business do I have in attempting to make a difference? The task is too big, the risks too high, and the outcome too uncertain. Why trade being comfortable for the slight possibility of change?
Because CHANGE IS POSSIBLE.
Change happens when we decide to do something. We must be brave and move forward when everyone else stays behind. The boy in our story knew this truth. Though the task seemed almost impossible, he knew something had to be done. He heard the doubt, and he felt the fear, but still, he acted. Something had to be done! The way this boy acted inspires me. His one act of courage sparked a fire within the people who saw him. He started a movement by taking a step forward.
In our world, there is a spirit of complacency that surrounds us. We trudge through life without joy and do work without meaning or purpose. We have given up on our hopes and dreams for a life that satisfies our comfortable patterns. Instead of taking a risk to chase after a dream that could change the world around us, we stay still and accept that things are just supposed to be "this way."
I have a deep burden within me to help people understand their unique purpose for life and work. I want to help people know and believe they have been created to accomplish unique and amazing things. I am deeply moved when I see people who feel "stuck" in life and have no idea what their purpose for living is. There is a fire that lights inside of me and a voice that yells, "I must do something!"
You have a burden deep within you that can't be ignored. You may have pushed it down or ignored it, but it's there. What grabs hold of your heart and mind? What do you recognize needs to change in our world?
What’s your burden?
You have been created to make change in this world. You have unique gifts, talents, experiences, and perspectives that will help many people and change this world. You have not been created to coast through life and merely "survive." You have been created to thrive. Your life and your work are meant to be filled with PURPOSE.
Are you ready to acknowledge your burden and take a brave step toward doing something about it? Are you ready to make a change in this world that other people need to experience? Are you ready to inspire others with your brave action?
I'll ask one last time:
What’s your burden?
Take one brave step towards making change and prepare to be amazed at what your action will do. It starts with you. It starts with your unique purpose.
The BEST is yet to come!
-Joe
P.S. If you need help to figure out what your burden is and what you were created to do with your life and work, I am here to help. I have a step-by-step plan to help people discover and fulfill their unique purpose for life and work. My burden is to help you. Please reach out to me or visit this link to learn more. Don't wait any longer to act. Now is the time to take a brave step toward fulfilling your unique purpose.
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