最近，我和妻子一起看了一部出色的電影《依然相信》，這部電影改編自音樂家兼詞曲家傑里米．坎普(Jeremy Camp)的故事，包含深刻形塑他生命的悲劇。其中一幕是坎普的準女友抬頭看著博物館裡對宇宙的描述，說：「我只是浩瀚銀河中的一顆星。」

這種卑微的觀察給我留下了深刻的印象，而坎普卻回答說：「但是有些星星比其他星星更亮。」你是否曾在無雲的夜晚仰望天空，對星星感到讚嘆？憑著肉眼，我們只能看見天文學家所說，宇宙中數十億顆星星中的寥寥幾顆。那麼，區區一顆星星能有多少影響力呢？其實有很多 ㄟ。

如果我們把視野拉回來，觀察太陽這顆恆星，就會知道如果沒有它，地球上的生命不可能存在。它在我們看來像一個巨大的火球，但在無數星系中的恆星中，它是最小的。然而，我們和地球上的所有生命都仰仗它的溫暖、照明和其他許多光的特性，例如光合作用。

因此，「浩瀚銀河中的一顆星」並不代表我們不重要。我很喜歡一則故事：一個男人在沙灘上奔跑，一次撿起一樣東西，然後扔回大海。當路過的人問他在做什麼時，那個人回答說：「把海星扔進海裡，這樣它們就不會死。」路人說：「沙灘上有數百隻海星，你沒有辦法全部都救。你這樣做能改變甚麼？」這個男人沒有抬頭，撿起另一隻海星，朝著海跑過去然後把它丟進去。他說：「我改變了那一隻海星的未來。」

讓我們聚焦，把範圍縮小到我們所工作的商場上。有些人渴望能成為下一個國際知名的行業領袖，而另一些人則夢想成為改變遊戲規則的發明家、創新者或有遠見的人。就算要到將來才能到達這樣的地位，我們仍然可以成為不一樣的那顆星。

執行長和主管可以當潛力十足的員工的老師、培訓者、鼓勵者甚至是朋友。他們能成為導師，分享自己的經驗和智慧，幫助員工做出重要的人生和職業決策。我們所有的人都可以通過各種方式對同事產生積極影響：「鐵磨鐵，磨出刃來，朋友相感也是如此。」（箴言27章17節）

我要感謝那些對我的生命產生深遠影響的人：一位小學老師，他告訴我的父母我是上大學的人才；那位鼓勵我繼續寫作的大學英語教師；任職地方報紙的執行編輯，他提供了實用的專業技巧，大大幫助了我的整個記者職業生涯；以及我在CBMC的第一個上司，他願意與我合作，認為我是「未經琢磨的鑽石」，使我能夠擴大作為雜誌編輯和作家的境界。

熟悉聖經的人都知道使徒保羅，他寫了許多新約聖經的章節。但很少人熟悉他勇敢的導師巴拿巴。摩西帶領以色列人離開埃及，但最後是他所提攜的後進約書亞帶領他們進入應許之地。先知以利亞訓練他的繼任者以利沙成為神更大奇蹟的器皿。如果你認為自己只是「浩瀚銀河中的一顆星」，請想一想你能帶領誰，讓他比其他人更耀眼。

© 2020. Robert J. Tamasy 是企業巔峰: 給今日職場從箴言而來永恆的智慧 一書的作者。也與導師之心的作者David A. Stoddard 合著Tufting Legacies。編輯多本著作包括Mike Landry. Bob的書: 透過苦 難成長。Mike Landry. Bob的網站為www.bobtamasy-readywriterink.com

備註：如果你手上有聖經，想要閱讀更多聖經所提出的原則，請參下面的經文：

反省與問題討論

1. 當你凝視夜空，看到數百甚至數千顆星星時，會想到什麼？
2. 當看到電影中的台詞「我只是浩瀚銀河中的一顆星」，你個人的感受是什麼？這聽起來是好事嗎？請解釋你的答案。
3. 誰在你的職業生涯、個人或靈性上有深遠的影響？是什麼樣的影響？如果你的職涯和生活中沒有他們會如何呢？
4. 第你能想起任何一位在你影響範圍內，可以在身邊幫助他，甚至讓他成為比其他人更耀眼的人嗎？

傳道書4章9-12節
4:9 兩個人總比一個人好，因為二人勞碌同得美好的果效。
4:10 若是跌倒，這人可以扶起他的同伴；若是孤身跌倒，沒有別人扶起他來，這人就有禍了。
4:11 再者，二人同睡就都暖和，一人獨睡怎能暖和呢？
4:12 有人攻勝孤身一人，若有二人便能敵擋他；三股合成的繩子不容易折斷。
但以理書12章3節
12:3 智慧人必發光如同天上的光；那使多人歸義的，必發光如星，直到永永遠遠。
以賽亞書43章4節
43:4  因我看你為寶為尊；又因我愛你，所以我使人代替你，使列邦人替換你的生命。
腓立比書2章15節
2:15 使你們無可指摘，誠實無偽，在這彎曲悖謬的世代作　神無瑕疵的兒女。你們顯在這世代中，好像明光照耀，
提摩太後書2章2節
2:2你在許多見證人面前聽見我所教訓的，也要交託那忠心能教導別人的人。

JUST ONE STAR IN AN INFINITE GALAXY

By Robert J. Tamasy

Recently my wife and I watched an excellent film, “I Still Believe,” based on the story of musician and songwriter Jeremy Camp and tragedy that dramatically shapes his life. At one point, Camp’s soon-to-be girlfriend looks up at a museum depiction of the universe and says, “I’m just one star in an infinite galaxy.”

That humble observation impressed me, especially when Camp replied, “But some stars shine brighter than others.” Do you ever look up in the sky on a cloudless night and marvel at the stars? With the naked eye, we see only a tiny fraction of the billions of stars astronomers tell us inhabit the universe. So what difference can one star possibly make? Quite a lot, actually.

If we come back much closer to home and consider the star we call the sun, we know that without it, life on earth would be impossible. To us it seems like a huge ball of fire, yet compared to many stars in myriad galaxies, it is among the smallest. Nevertheless, we and all of life on our planet depend on it for warmth, illumination, and many light-inducing properties such as photosynthesis.

So, being “just one star in an infinite galaxy” does not mean we are unimportant. I love the story of a man running across the beach, picking up objects one at a time, and then throwing them back into the ocean. When a passer-by asked what he was doing, the man replied, “Throwing starfish into the sea so they don’t die.” The passer-by responded, but there are hundreds of starfish out here on the beach. You can’t save them all. What difference can you make?” Without looking up, the man picked up another starfish, ran toward the water and threw it in. “I made a difference for that one,” he announced.

Let’s sharpen the focus even more, narrowing it down to what we do in the marketplace. Some aspire to become the next internationally known industry leader, while others dream about being a game-changing inventor, innovator or visionary. Even if we will attain such status, we can still succeed in becoming that single star that becomes a difference-maker.

Executives and supervisors can serve as teachers, trainers, encouragers or even friends for up-and-coming employees showing promise. They can become mentors, sharing experience and wisdom to help them make key life and career decisions. We can all positively influence coworkers and peers in many ways: “As iron sharpens iron, so one many sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).

I owe much to people who had a strong impact in my life: An elementary school teacher who told my parents that I was “college material.” The college English instructor who encouraged me to pursue writing. The managing editor of a suburban newspaper who offered practical professional tips that served me well throughout my career as a journalist. My first boss at CBMC, who was willing to work with me, a “diamond in the rough,” so I could expand my horizons as a magazine editor and book author.

People familiar with the Bible know about the apostle Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament; not nearly as many are familiar with Barnabas, his courageous mentor. Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, but it was his protégé, Joshua, who led them into the Promised Land. The prophet Elijah trained his successor, Elisha, to be God’s instrument in even greater miracles. If you perceive yourself as “just one star in an infinite galaxy,” consider who can you help to shine brighter than others.

© 2020. Robert J. Tamasy has written numerous books, including Marketplace Ambassadors: CBMC’s Continuing Legacy of Evangelism and Discipleship; Business at Its Best: Timeless Wisdom from Proverbs for Today’s Workplace; Tufting Legacies;The Heart of Mentoring, coauthored with David A. Stoddard; and has edited other books. Bob’s biweekly blog is: www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.

Reflection/Discussion Questions

1. When you gaze into the night sky, seeing hundreds, even thousands of stars, what thoughts come to your mind? 
2. How do you relate personally to the comment from the movie, “I am just one star in an infinite galaxy”? Does that seem like a good thing, or not? Explain your answer. 
3. Who has had a profound impact in your life – professionally, personally, or spiritually? What difference did they make for you? That is, what do you think your would life and career be like, if they had not been a part of it?
4. Who do you know – who is in your sphere of influence – that you might come alongside to assist, perhaps to become one of those people who shine brighter than others?

NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about principles it presents, consider the following passages:  Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; Daniel 12:3; Isaiah 43:4; Philippians 2:15; 2Timothy 2:2

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