We are all familiar with the Story, but I always like to be reminded (by the way, please note the actual source of the Story for it is a good read):

An old man was picking up objects off the beach and tossing them out into the sea. A young man approached him and saw that the objects were starfish. "Why in the world are you throwing starfish into the water?" "If the starfish are still on the beach when the tide goes out and the sun rises high in the sky, they will die," replied the old man. "That is ridiculous. There are thousands of miles of beach and millions of starfish. You can't really believe that what you're doing could possibly make a difference!" The wise old man picked up another starfish, paused thoughtfully, and remarked as he tossed it out into the waves, "I made a difference to that one." I left and went home, deep in thought of what the man had said. I returned to the beach and spent the rest of the day helping the man throw starfish in to the sea. From “The Star Thrower” (1979) by Loren Eiseley.

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