Mindset story: Making a difference even if others don't see the meaning

Every Sunday morning a jogger went for a run around the park near his home. Each time the jogger ran by the lake in the park he saw the same elderly woman sitting at the water’s edge with a small metal cage beside her doing something, but he never got close enough to see what. Finally one Sunday the curiosity got the best of the jogger, so he stopped jogging and walked over to the elderly woman. As he got closer, he realized that the metal cage was, in fact, a small trap. There were three turtles, unharmed, slowly walking around the base of the trap. She had a fourth turtle in her lap that she was carefully scrubbing with a brush. “Hello,” said the jogger. “I see you here every Sunday morning. If you don’t mind my nosiness, I’d love to know what you’re doing with these turtles.” The elderly women looked up at the young man and said, “I’m making a difference for these turtles that were abandoned in this lake.”

The jogger looked shooked at the elderly woman, “How are you making a difference? I don’t understand.” The elderly woman smiled back and said “I’m cleaning off their shells,. Anything on a turtle’s shell, like algae or scum, reduces the turtle’s ability to absorb heat and impedes its ability to swim. It can also corrode and weaken the shell over time and so they lose their protection.” “Wow! That’s really nice of you!” said the jogger and sat down next to her. The elderly lady then explained to the jogger: “I spend a couple of hours each Sunday morning, relaxing by this lake and helping these little guys out. It’s my own strange way of making a difference and meditation. By helping them I am helping myself as I find peace and meaning in my work.”

“But don’t most freshwater turtles live their whole lives with algae and scum hanging from their shells?” asked the jogger. “Yep, sadly, they do,” the elderly lady replied. The jogger was confused “Well then, don’t you think your time could be better spent? I mean, I think your efforts are kind and all, but there are fresh water turtles living in lakes all around the world. And 99% of these turtles don’t have kind people like you to help them clean off their shells. So, no offense… but how exactly are your efforts here truly making a difference?” The woman giggled. She then looked down at the turtle in her lap, scrubbed off the last piece of algae from its shell, and said, “Sweetie, if this little guy could talk, he’d tell you I just made all the difference in the world for him. Can anyone say the same about you?”