The Star essays

The Star essays In Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, light is used symbolically through the example of Estella. Miss Havisham brings Estella up in the darkness, consequently sheltering her from the true meaning of life. By Miss Havisham's orders, the house in which Estella lives is lit only by artificial light. Estella constantly lives a false life by never knowing the true significance of her words and actions. Her confinement to the darkness affects Pip, the one person who truly loves her. Estella represents his unreachable star, a light in the darkness that he faithfully reaches for. The sun, earth's star, is our source of life. In this way, Estella acts as Pip's continual source of inspiration. He strives to become a gentleman for her, so he can spend the rest of his life by her side. Pip's life was unfulfilled until "her light came along the dark passage like a star." This light, in the darkness of her surroundings, will light the way for Pip and always guide him back to Estella. The light that Estella represents is significant to this remarkable work, Great ...

4 Steps to Boost Your Workplace Productivity

4 Steps to Boost Your Workplace Productivity Whether you’ve fallen out of love with your job or are so overwhelmed you’ve been falling behind, it’s never too late to pick up the pace and catch up. Check out these tips from Gerald Buck over at Careerealism! Take a BreakIt may seem counterintuitive, but leaving your desk and walking around the block, getting a drink, or stretching your legs in the hallway for five minutes can get your  blood and oxygen flowing and restore your energy levels. Come back to your desk ready to dive in and take care of business!Outline Your PrioritiesFirst thing in the morning, or even before you go home at the end of the day, make a list of the most important to-dos in the order you need to tackle them. Make sure you include a small task to get the ball rolling, and put the biggest item early on so the day doesn’t get away from you. You can update and rearrange as you go, but having a list to follow helps you stay focused and accountable.  Consider the Long TermIf your workplace doesn’t have an annual goal-setting process in place already, take the initiative to identify two big things you want to accomplish over the course of the next year. Post them somewhere you’ll see every day- on your monitor or inside your top desk drawer- and work towards them every day. Taking the long view helps to liberate you from the feeling of being trapped in the stress of day-to-day tasks. Don’t forget to mention these goals  in your next performance review!  Get to Work EarlyLeaving your  home half an hour earlier can make a huge difference in your  day when you’re  really struggling to stay motivated- you can usually either finish a small task or get a good start on a bigger one before the office fills up with chatter and distractions. Having that boost of early morning momentum can positively affect your  whole day. Plus, you can leave right on time without feeling like you didn’t give that day your best work!Donâ €™t try to implement these all at once- take it one day at a time, or even one hour at a time if you need to, and see if your shifting attitude increases your  productivity and happiness.