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Essay on leadership lessons
Essay on leadership lessons
Essay on leadership lessons
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The starfish story has been retold time and time again, but its moral is always clear: you shouldn’t hesitate to help, even in the face of great adversity. The story tells of the difference one girl inspired simply by taking action while others doubted her. The starfish story reminds readers of the importance of seemingly insignificant actions, for they can have profound consequences. The parable has multiple layers to it-the importance of trying in the face of adversity, doing the right thing when others doubt you, and the power of community. All these layers intertwine to create a powerful message with wide-ranging applications. The starfish story can be translated almost word for word as a metaphor for the importance of helping others. …show more content…
The parable of the starfish has been reflected in real life with Razor’s for Rockey. The teachers who shaved their heads didn’t cure cancer, and the donation is a drop in a bucket compared to what someone like Bill Gates could have given. Yet, it was still given. Meanwhile, the students of Westfield were reminded of the importance of helping a member of their own community. That is the essence of the parable-one person’s desire to help, in this case a Westfield teacher, can inspire a huge outpouring of support. It’s easy to think “I can’t make a difference, the problem is too great.” It’s to become overwhelmed and procrastinate. However, the most important part is just taking that first small …show more content…
While it is easy to doze off during a lecture, or ignore a warning, humans are enthralled by stories. The story of the starfish is not only interesting and inspirational, it’s message is incredibly effective. There is always more you can do to help, and the advice applies to a wide variety of situations. From volunteering your time, donating money, or even just being supportive of someone going through a hard time, people have the power to make a difference. The “starfish” might not thank you, they might not even know that it was you who helped, but you still made a positive impact on the world. While appreciation and the feeling of creating a huge change are wonderful, it is your first small step that matters the
Help and devotion are shown in many different varieties throughout communities. These good acts are documented often in literature. Such is the topic in Ben Mikaelsen’s novel Touching Spirit Bear. People step out of their lives to help others become a better individual. Edwin and Garvey take on the challenge of making Cole Mathews a better person. In Ben Mikaelsen’s Touching Spirit Bear, the help of others enables an individual to transform as illustrated through characterization, epiphanies, and symbols, which shows others that even at peoples worst times, help is all they need.
The paper will focus on the story that was later adapted into the film Antwone Fisher. Finding Fish depicts the life story of Antwone Fisher, a man who rose above his painful past to beat the odds. The purpose of this paper is to apply the strengths perspective and systems perspective to Finding Fish. Another outcome will be to identify and apply biopsychosocial, sociocultural, and social change theories to the situations in the book Finding Fish.
“The sea's only gifts are harsh blows, and occasionally the chance to feel strong. Now I don't know much about the sea, but I do know that that's the way it is here. And I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind deaf stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.” – Christopher McCandless, Into the Wild
“Making a Difference” by June Callwood is an expository essay created to inspire the reader to make a change in the world around them, and to stand up for what they believe in. By just doing simple, positive things, people can make a huge impact on their lives and the lives of people around them. June Callwood, author of “Making a Difference”, changes the way many people see the world by describing scientific research and telling the stories of people who performed small, random acts of kindness that made a huge difference in people’s attitudes and the community around them.
“All of the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me.” Walt Disney. The books A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park, a fictional book, and Iqbal a fictional book, share the same theory. A Long Walk to Water is a book about the true story of Salva; a little boy that gets separated from his family because of the war in South Sudan and later becomes the leader of a group called the Lost Boys of South Sudan. This novel also includes a fictional story of Nya, a little girl that can’t go to school, because she has to walk to the water well twice a day, taking up most of the day. Salva helps Nya get a water well in her village years later by using his organization, Water for South Sudan. Iqbal is the true story of Iqbal Masih, a little boy that became a child slave, but was able to set himself and his friends free from slavery. This book is told in the point of view of Fatima a fictional little girl that was one of the children who was enslaved in the same factory as Iqbal. In each book, the characters grow stronger because of a cultural conflict. Cultural conflicts can force people to become stronger.
Moran, Daniel. “Critical Essay on ‘A Perfect Day for Bananafish.’” Short Stories for Students. Ed. David A. Galens. Vol. 17. Detroit: Gale, 2003. Literature Resource Center. Web. 21 Jan. 2014.
Even though we believe there are so many happy things around us, these things are heartbreaking. The poems “Tips from My Father” by Carol Ann Davis, “Not Waving but Drowning” by Stevie Smith, and “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop convey the sorrow of growing up, of sorrowful pretending, and even of life itself. The poem “Tips from My Father” depicts an episode of the life of a father and his son. The pain from the childhood, the betraying of a lover, countless secrets are settling during the period of life, which can absolutely not be shared and understood by others.
The human mind, only able to withstand so much pressure before losing control, is like a volcano. The harsh truths that accumulate throughout the course of one’s life can lead to devastation, the eruption of the mind’s volcano. American twentieth century author, J.D. Salinger, illustrates the devastating consequences caused by a buildup of emotions and a lack of communication in his short story, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish.” Salinger “has become, in biographer Ian Hamilton's phrase, ‘famous for not wanting to be famous’ ” (Stevick). In this short story, Salinger details the interactions of the main character, Seymour Glass, with Sybil Carpenter, a young girl. Through these interactions, Salinger provides the reader with a glimpse into Seymour’s unstable, troubled mind. Seymour’s demise shows the importance of true communication and the expression of such emotions. By releasing societal pressures and not allowing oneself to be plagued by materialistic ideals, one can truly achieve a stable state of mind. Through the use of symbolism, foreshadowing, and motif, J.D. Salinger's short story, “A Perfect Day for Bananafish,” communicates the theme that effective communication is often a monumental struggle.
Having looked at Pfister’s work, I have learned a lot as a writer. He has taught me that character choice is important to the overall message. Pfister has taught me that my choice in words needs to be precise in order to capture the perfect image and illustration for my audience. He gives a great example of selfishness by using a beautiful, yet exceptional blue fish, unlike any other fish in the sea. Rainbow Fish goes from being self-centered to becoming selfless. A valuable lesson is taught by the author for the sole purpose of educating our youth and making them understanding that egocentric behavior can lead to a lost in friendships and acquaintances. The moral of The Rainbow Fish has encouraged me to have purpose and meaning behind my writing.
A poem without any complications can force an author to say more with much less. Although that may sound quite cliché, it rings true when one examines “The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop. Elizabeth’s Bishop’s poem is on an exceedingly straightforward topic about the act of catching a fish. However, her ability to utilize thematic elements such as figurative language, imagery and tone allows for “The Fish” to be about something greater. These three elements weave themselves together to create a work of art that goes beyond its simple subject.
"The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop is saturated with vivid imagery and abundant description, which help the reader visualize the action. Bishop's use of imagery, narration, and tone allow the reader to visualize the fish and create a bond with him, a bond in which the reader has a great deal of admiration for the fish's plight. The mental pictures created are, in fact, so brilliant that the reader believes incident actually happened to a real person, thus building respect from the reader to the fish.
In the story “God is Not a Fish Inspector” the author explores the similarities and differences between an individual’s perception of themselves and perception others have about them. Throughout the course of the story the main idea suggested about how people perceive and are perceived by others is that a person’s opinion of themselves is molded by what they want to be, rather than the reality they inhabit. Likewise, a person’s perception of others is molded by what they want or know those people to be despite what they actually are.
When we sacrifice our time to help someone in need, whether it is a great or small need, we become a part of their life and can help alleviate heavy burdens. We feel good for looking outside ourselves and contributin...
Volunteering enables an individual to make a positive impact on his or her community, while empowering the individual to better his or her life. This summer, I had the opportunity to volunteer at many diverse locations. From the hospital to the local library, I truly value my experience and treasure everything it has thought me. Volunteering lets us experience and learn things that we otherwise would not have learned; volunteering opens doors for us that we may not have been able to open before. Volunteering provides us with guidance and tolerance which we may use in the future to aid us in our decisions. At first glance, volunteering may seem to only benefit those who are helped, but on a deeper level, one can realize that volunteering benefits the volunteer as much as, if not more than, those who are helped. Not only does volunteering make a difference in one’s community, but it also helps the volunteer become a smarter, happier, friendlier and more caring individual.
“Small acts when multiplied by millions can transform the world” (Common Dreams). This quote by Howard Zinn can be interpreted by implying that as long as everyone tries within their reach to help every situation that they can, then the world shall be a better place. This means that small measures may not seem to be making a huge difference but when those actions are multiplied by or totaled to the actions being performed by all; then a huge and significant impac...