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"Make a Positive Difference" - Shana Marie Farrell

By Jennifer Chambers posted 06-25-2018 11:36

  

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Make a Positive Difference

One day a man was walking along the beach, when he noticed a boy hurriedly picking up and gently throwing things into the ocean.

Approaching the boy, he asked, “Young man, what are you doing?”

The boy replied, “Throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

The man laughed to himself and said, “Don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish? You can’t make any difference!”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference to that one.”

-Story by Loren Eiseley

Do something to make a difference in someone's life.  Sometimes we think we are too insignificant to make a difference.  This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Dalai Lama said, “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito”.  It doesn't have to be something huge and time-consuming.  It can be eye contact, a smile, a compliment, or a handwritten note.  These little things make people feel like they matter.  You can change a small part of someone’s world.  Most times, we just need to care and be there, when it matters most.

Be positive; it creates a ripple effect in the world.  Believe it or not, your positive attitude can change others around you.  Sometimes in big ways, that you might never fully realize.  Drew Dudley, speaker for Ted Talk’s, Everyday Leadership, refers to small random acts of kindness as “lollipop moments”.  Hear Drew share his humorous example of the ripple effect is this short video.  https://youtu.be/JRunpYSYLC0

Big problem?  Think small.  Martin Luther King Jr. said, “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way”.  Maybe we think certain problems in the world are too overwhelming, like tackling world hunger.  In this case, break this down into a smaller pieces, so we can easily get involved to make a difference.  Make a donation to a world hunger organization, donate food or volunteer to serve meals at a local homeless shelter.  These small actions are helping to tackle world hunger.  Plus we receive the added bonus of knowing we’re contributing to something good in the world.  We rise by lifting others.  Positive service with good intentions will return positive karma in your own life. 

What are you passionate about?  What small things can you start doing to make a difference in someone’s life today?

ShanaFarrellsm.jpgShana Farrell has been with Fox Valley Technical College, Wisconsin for more than 21 years in numerous leadership positions including Business and Industry Services, Printing Services, Distance Learning, Adjunct Instructor for FVTC and Silver Lake College, and is currently a Project Manager within the Center for Instructional Excellence.  For many years, Shana was actively involved as an IPMA member in her role as Manager of Printing Services; FVTC continues its membership today.  Her professional experience includes management development, training coordination, marketing, advertising, fundraising, event coordination and sales. Shana holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Professional Communication from Alverno College, Milwaukee and a Master of Science Degree in Management and Organizational Behavior from Silver Lake College, Manitowoc.  Shana has extensive leadership experience as a graduate of Leadership Fox Cities, the Wisconsin Technical College System Leadership Development Institute (WLDI) and FVTC’s LEAD Academy.  She has been a Junior Achievement volunteer and is currently a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Outagamie County helping children who are abused or neglected.  Shana’s newest role is as a Life Coach facilitator trained through the Life Design Center at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
For more inspirational writings of Shana please CLICK HERE to go to her website "Life Matters".




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