There was a huge storm that caused tremendous waves to throw thousands and thousands of starfish onto the beach. Jim ran to the beach and started throwing starfish back into the water.
George watched him for awhile and then came up to him and said, "What are you doing?"
Jim replied, "I'm throwing these starfish back into the water, otherwise they will die."
George then said, "Why are you wasting your time? You can't possibly save them all! You could do this all day and not make a difference."
Jim calmly picked up another starfish, threw it into the ocean and said, "I made a difference for that one."
I love this story for two reasons. One, because it demonstrates that you truly can make a difference in the world by helping one person at a time. But also, because it applies to losing weight/getting in shape.
So many times we get overwhelmed by the huge amount of weight you have to get rid of or by the fact that walking up stairs feels like a marathon. So many people see that journey and give up without taking a single step.
"What's the use? I'll never get there, so why start?"
The people that are successful know that everything matters. Every single healthy thing that you do is a part of getting you to your goal.
That 5 minute walk around the block matters!
Drinking a glass of water instead of a Coke matters!
Eating the first vegetable you've had in 10 years matters!
You know why? Because one day soon that 5 minute walk becomes 10, then 30, then 45 minutes.
On down the road, you've kicked the soft drink habit.
That single vegetable leads to you totally revamping how you eat.
So don't discount anything that you do. Keep at it! Make one healthy choice, make that a habit, and then keep pushing to the next level.
You're worth saving, don't give up on yourself.
PS-We all have people in our lives that need to hear this message. Please do me a favor and share this with them. And if they need help, someone to answer a few questions, or just someone willing to list then I am at their service.
