Find Significance

After the excellent feedback we received on our client surveys (Thank-you!) I thought it appropriate to republish my article that first appeared in our newsletter in 2015. We are so thankful to play such a significant role in the business lives of our owners, HR and payroll contacts within each Company we partner with.  This is dedicated to you. 

Off in the distance, the old man noticed a  young woman approaching.  As the woman walked, she paused every so often and as she grew closer, the man could see that she was occasionally bending down to pick up an object and throw it into the sea.  The woman came closer still and the man called out, “Good morning!  May I ask what it is that you are doing?”

She paused, looked up, and replied “Throwing starfish into the ocean. The tide has washed them up onto the beach and they can’t return to the sea by themselves,” the young woman replied. “When the sun gets high, they will die, unless I throw them back into the water.”

The old man replied, “But there must be tens of thousands of starfish on this beach. I’m afraid you won’t really be able to make much of a difference.”

The woman bent down, picked up yet another starfish and threw it as far as he could into the ocean. Then she turned, smiled and said, “It made a difference to that one!”

It is sometimes important to remember that making a difference, or being significant, whether in someone’s life or at your place of work, is far more important than trying to find the secret to success. In the case of the starfish, the old man was looking at the big picture and seeing an overwhelming task, while the young woman was only concentrating in being significant to each starfish, one at a time.  

There are a million and one ways that people can measure success. Those that chase it often find that the closer they get, the more it eludes. However, being significant in someones life is timeless and will be remembered long after you are gone. It is rare that when someone is being eulogized do they list the successes of the person. They talk about their contributions to society, the differences they made in the community, in their significant others and in their significance to others.

So how do you live a life of significance? Firstly, realize that life won’t last forever. As soon as you start thinking about the end of your life, you’ll begin to live differently in the present.  Secondly, realize that nobody is perfect, strive for a life of integrity and live with a life of character and morality.  Finally, focus on people. Find that person that needs you today, whether it be your children, your spouse or a colleague. Being significant could be as simple as sitting with them, looking them in the eye and saying “So how are you honestly doing today?”.Then do it again tomorrow and just like that young boy on the beach, you’ll be practicing significance on a daily basis.

At APlus we strive every day to make that difference in the lives of our work family and our clients and fortunately for us we do get to ask those questions every day. Fortunately, just like the survey recently completed, It’s the answers you give us that help make sure we’ll remain significant in your lives for many years to come.