The Seahorse and Her Own Way

Every morning, a school of brightly colored fish fought the strong current toward the coral garden to find food. A little seahorse wanted to go too, but her tiny fins were no match for the powerful current.

Every day, the little seahorse arrived at the coral garden last, exhausted every time. The other fish told her she just wasn't fast enough. She began to feel discouraged, believing she simply wasn't as capable as anyone else.

An old sea turtle noticed the seahorse's discouragement and swam over. "A seahorse wasn't made to outswim a current," she said. "But your curled tail can grip seagrass and pull you along, blade by blade. Try finding your own way."

The little seahorse tried curling her tail around one blade of seagrass at a time, steadily pulling herself forward. Though slower than the other fish, she no longer felt exhausted at all, and she moved ahead with growing confidence.

The little seahorse arrived at the coral garden feeling fresh and full of energy, while the other fish arrived worn out from fighting the current. She smiled with pride, understanding at last that you don't have to do things the same way as everyone else to reach your goal.