Inspiration

When I first began to think about who I want to be and what I want to do with my life, I came across this “poem.” There are many versions of it available on the web and most attribute the source to Loren Eisley’s story “The Star Thrower”

My favorite version is this one:

The Starfish
There was an old writer that used to go to the beach in the mornings and walk, sometimes for hours, in search of inspiration for his writing.  On one such occasion he was taking his walk and as he looked down the beach he saw a human figure moving like a dancer.

The old man smiled to himself at the vision of someone dancing with the sunrise and continued on his way, curiosity having got the better of him. As he came closer he saw that it was a young man and he was not dancing at all.  He was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.

As the old man got closer he called out, “Good morning! What are you doing?”

The young man paused, looked up and replied, “Throwing starfish into the ocean.”

“I can see that, but WHY?”

“The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them in they’ll die.”

The boy stated this so matter-of-factly that the old man was taken aback at first, wondering if there was some logic he was missing.  He said quietly, “young man, don’t you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and thousands of starfish all along it? You can’t possibly make a difference!”

The young man listened politely then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves.  He turned to the old man with a smile and said,

“it made a difference for that one.”

My hope is that the postings and musings I place on this site can make a difference for you.
Namaste

Where To Find Me

I have a blog over at Starfish Warriors where I chatter about health, food and fitness. Mostly from a Paleo or Primal perspective, but I am a former Flexitarian ~ you’ll find the occasional Vegan or Vegetarian blurb, recipe, or other. Come on over.

I also guest blog periodically in the community where I get my morning dose of positivity Morning Coach. If you come visit, be sure to stick around and read what my fellow writers are posting.

Driftseed is the name I choose when I first joined the online community, years ago. I wanted something that did not include my actual name because that was what you did “back then.” You created this pseudo you. A mask of sorts. (And, it can be dangerous to have your real name out “there,” the infamous THEY said … ).

What is a drift seed? A Driftseed is a seed from various plants that drift along in the currents and find land far from home, take root, and produce plants that then drop new driftseeds.

These days, when everyone’s ‘brand’ is their name or some derivation of their name, people ask why I don’t change “Driftseed” to something recognizable as “me.” But really, to me, that ID is as much me as my name is. It is no longer that mask. It is my intention. To share ideas that take root while spreading.