I think I came across this story of the starfish in a book once and I tracked it down again online recently to pass it forward to you. Here it is – enjoy!

As the old man walked down a Spanish beach at dawn, he saw ahead of him what he thought to be a dancer. The young man was running across the sand, rhythmically bending down to pick up a stranded starfish and throw it far into the sea.

The old man gazed in wonder as the young soul again and again threw the small starfish from the sand into the water. The old man approached him and asked why he spent so much energy doing what seemed a waste of time. The young man explained that the stranded starfish would die if left until the morning sun. “But there are thousands of miles of beach, and miles and miles of starfish. How can your effort make any difference?” The young man looked down at the small starfish in his hand, and as he threw it to safety in the sea, said, “It makes a difference to this one!”

Source: http://www.noogenesis.com/pineapple/starfish.html

In the Spring, geese head North for the Summer, or South in the Fall, they can be seen flying in a “V” shaped formation in the sky. There’s a good reason why they fly in this V-shape. Biological studies tell us that as each bird flaps its wings, it creates an uplift for the bird immediately following.

Just from observing the flight of geese, here are some good teamwork-related morals and life lessons that can be gleaned:

Bird Behaviour & Moral #1
By flying in “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.
Related Moral: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Bird Behaviour & Moral #2
Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front.
Related Moral: Sometimes, if we will stay in formation with those who are heading in the same direction as we are, it can make the journey easier.

Bird Behaviour & Moral #3
When the lead goose gets tired, he rotates back in the wing and another goose flies lead.
Related Moral: When you work in a team, you can take turns doing hard jobs, so teamwork can help alleviate the stress on you and help you reach your destination faster whilst retaining more of your energy.

Bird Behaviour & Moral #4
The geese at the back of the formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Related Moral: If we’re behind someone else, what we say or honk can make a difference to the whole team spirit, so it’s worth giving encouraging honks every now and then to optimize your team’s chance of success.

References: http://www.noogenesis.com/pineapple/geese.html

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

Once he could no longer fit even one other golf ball into the jar, he asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of small pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand fit within the gaps between the small pebbles. He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.”

The golf balls are the important things – God, family, children, health, friends, and Favorite passions; Things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else – the small stuff.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So…

* Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
* Spend time with your family
* Make time for date nights with your partner
* Play With your children.
* Look after your health
* Make time for the things you are passionate about
* There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal unit.
* Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter.
Set your priorities.
The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

“I’m glad you asked,” The professor smiled. “It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

When things in your life seems almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of coffee.

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Note: This is not my original story – I think I got it in a forward via email – so if you are the original creator of it, I hope you don’t me sharing it. I really enjoyed it and wanted to pass the joy forward