Once upon a time there was a wise man that used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work. One day he was walking along the shore. As he looked down the beach, he saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought that someone would dance on the beach. So he began to walk faster to catch up. As he got closer, he saw that it was a young man and the young man wasn't dancing, but instead he was reaching down to the shore, picking up something and very gently throwing it into the ocean. As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?" The young man paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean.""I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?""The sun is up and the tide is going out, and if I don't throw them in they'll die." "But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!" The young man listened politely, then he bent down, picked another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves and said, "It made a difference for that one." There is in each and every one of us. We have all been gifted with the ability to make a difference. And if we can know that gift, we will gain through the strength of our visions the power to shape the future. We must each find our starfish. And if we throw our starfish wisely and well, the world will be better. Near the end of the passage, "something very special" refers to    _    .
the gifts from friends the strength of making decision our own starfish the ability of shaping one's own future