Ergonomic Tools Assessing Musculoskeletal Injury Health And Social Care Essay

Musculoskeletal hurt ( MSI ) as define by Part 4, subdivision 4.46 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation of as an hurt or upset of the musculuss, sinews, ligaments, articulations, nervousnesss, blood vass or related soft tissue including a strain, sprain and redness, that may be caused or aggravated by work. Musculoskeletal hurt ( MSI ) has become, a common type of hurt in the workplace ensuing in lost in productiveness in many industries. There are a figure of ergonomic tools available for measuring the hazard of musculoskeletal hurt. Of these tools, I have decided to concentrate and discourse three ( 3 ) , they are: – Rapid full organic structure appraisal ( REBA ) was developed by Sue Hignett and Lynn McAtamney as a postural analysis system sensitive to musculoskeletal hazards in a assortment of undertakings. It divides the organic structure into sections to be coded separately with mention to motion planes. It provides a marking system for musculus activity caused by inactive, rapid changing, dynamic or unstable positions. REBA plants by detecting places of single organic structure sections. The more divergences from the impersonal position, the higher the mark of each organic structure portion. There are two ( 2 ) groups that are combined, group A includes bole, cervix and legs and group B upper and lower weaponries and legs. The 144 position combinations are transformed to a general postural mark. Additionally, burden handed, matching with the local handled and physical activity are observed and scored. These tonss are entire up to hold one mark for each observation and so compared to tabular arraies saying hazard on five degrees ( negligible – really high ) and actions needed ( none – necessary now ) . Quick Exposure Check ( QEC ) is scored by delegating values to a figure of ‘Observer ‘ and ‘Worker ‘ factors. For each of four organic structure parts ( back, shoulder, carpus and cervix ) , several braces of variables are fed into a search tabular array to bring forth a series of sub-scores that are so totaled to bring forth a mark for that organic structure portion. You can measure both manual handling and non-manual handling undertakings which do non affect back motion. QEC follows five ( 5 ) stairss: Measure 1 – Self Training – first clip users must read the User Guide to understand the nomenclature and assessment classs that are used in the check-list. Measure 2 – Perceiver ‘s Assessment Check-list – the individual detecting a peculiar undertaking uses the perceiver ‘s assessment check-list to carry on a hazard appraisal. One complete work rhythm is observed before doing an appraisal. If a undertaking can non easy be broken down into undertakings, the ‘worst ‘ event within that occupation when a peculiar organic structure portion in inquiry is most to a great extent loaded should be observed. The appraisal can be carried out by direct observation or by utilizing video footage. Measure 3 – Worker ‘s Assessment Check-list – the worker being observed must finish the ‘workers assessment ‘ check-list. Measure 4 – Calculation of Exposure Scores – utilizing the ‘table of exposure tonss ‘ to cipher the exposure scores for each undertaking. Circle all the letters matching to the replies from the ‘observer ‘s appraisal ‘ and the ‘worker ‘s appraisal ‘ . Mark the Numberss at the traversing point of every brace of circled letters. Calculate a entire mark for each organic structure portion. Measure 5 – Consideration of Actions – QEC rapidly identifies the exposure degrees for the dorsum, shoulder, arm, carpus, manus and cervix and it evaluates an ergonomic intercessions can efficaciously cut down these exposure. 2.3 Ovako Working Posture Analysis System – OWAS Ovako Working Posture Analysis System ( OWAS ) is a method of coding the position of a worker that allows the injuriousness of the position to be categorized into four ( 4 ) action classs of increasing urgency. It is based upon adept opinions of the injuriousness of peculiar positions. A clip based trying attack can be used with it so that the classification can take history of the length of clip spent in any peculiar position ( Karhu et al. , 1977, 1981, Kivi and Mattila, 1991, Vedder, 1998 ) . Puting the codifications for the four ( 4 ) sections in the sequence of back, legs, tonss and weaponries form the overall position codification. A evaluation system categorizes seventy two ( 72 ) different positions in footings of uncomfortableness caused, and the attempt on wellness. Back positions are defined as either consecutive set, directly and distorted, or set and distorted. OWAS identifies the most common work positions for the dorsum, which includes four positions ; weaponries three positions, legs seven positions and the weight of the burden handled three classs. The four ( 4 ) action classs listed below shows the wellness jeopardies of each work position or position combination in the OWAS method on the musculoskeletal system: – Work positions are considered normally with no peculiar harmful consequence on the musculoskeletal system. No actions are needed to alter work positions. Work positions have some harmful consequence on the musculoskeletal system. Light emphasis, no immediate action is necessary, but alterations should be considered in future planning. Work positions have a clearly harmful consequence on the musculoskeletal system. The working methods involved should be changed every bit shortly as possible. Positions during work have a high harmful consequence on the musculoskeletal system. Solutions should be found instantly to cut down these positions. 2.4 Advantages and Disadvantages of Tools Tool Advantage Disadvantage QEC Provides wellness and safety practicians with a user friendly assessment tool with good cogency. Helps carry organisations to do ergonomic alterations. Involves both the practician and the worker in the appraisal, thereby supplying a Fuller apprehension of working patterns. It is straightforward, speedy and easy to utilize. Is compatible with HSE hazard appraisal. Conjectural exposure scores with the suggested ‘action degrees ‘ demand validating. Extra preparation and pattern may be needed for novitiate users to better appraisal dependability. Method focuses on physical workplace factors merely. REBA Low cost and an effectual method. User friendly. If valid or accurate can supply valuable penetration into working conditions. Validity and dependability may be low in relation to specific demands for ergonomic appraisal. Can be biased. Time consuming ( both right and left manus hold to be assessed individually ) . OWAS Enables comparings with old research in similar scenes. Easy to utilize and use with high dependability in field probes. It is suited to measure dynamic, risky working positions of workers while traveling about their workstations. Time consuming. Does non divide right and left upper appendages. Requires thorough preparation. Appraisals of cervix, cubituss and carpuss are losing. Does non see repeat or continuance of the consecutive position. 2.5 Critical Analysis of Tools REBA, QEC and OWAS are all check-list type tools. The lone tools needed to execute this type of appraisal are a pencil and paper. All three ( 3 ) REBA, QEC and OWAS besides exist as computing machine plans, so you can input informations collected directly into the package to cipher the overall mark. REBA can measure position, burden, force and motion frequence whereas, QEC assesses position, burden, force, motion frequence, continuance, recovery, quiver, etc. and OWAS merely assesses position, burden and force. REBA, QEC and OWAS use ordinal marking systems and so unite the tonss for different hazard factors. REBA and OWAS were design to bring forth an appraisal of the urgency of remedial action for the undertaking being assessed utilizing action classs. QEC has an exact mathematical theoretical account implicit in its construction with fluctuations in burdening between factors. REBA and OWAS are performed by one individual who understands how the assessment tool is used, whereas QEC is carried out both by the affected employee and the individual making the appraisal. When executing anyone of these three ( 3 ) tools, the user must understand to the full the map and nomenclature used, or the appraisal will non be accurate. OWAS has a broad scope of utilizations but the consequences can be low in item. REBA was developed specifically with sensitiveness to unpredictable on the job positions. REBA does non cover in item with lower limb place. REBA distinguishes between greater or less than 20 grades of flexure of the caput and cervix but non farther. Both REBA and QEC create overall tonss from a mixture of hazard factors specific to the upper limb and to the lower dorsum. These three ( 3 ) techniques ( REBA, QEC and OWAS ) are easy and speedy to utilize, comprehensive and dependable to measure exposures and can be flexible adequate to be applied to a scope of occupations. Observational or subjective opinion techniques such as REBA, QEC and OWAS are non more dependable than direct measuring techniques. Decision There are a figure of tools used in the appraisal of musculoskeletal hurt in the workplace. It is of import to measure these state of affairss in order to forestall hurt to workers. The three tools discussed before are a good illustration of common check-list type tools that can measure the hazard of musculoskeletal hurts in the workplace in a quantitative manner. It is of import when taking an ergonomic tool, that it is right for the occupation. There is no, best tool for any one occupation but, one must make up one's mind on the best attack to what needs to be done. Rapid Entire Body Assessment ( REBA ) , Quick Exposure Check ( QEC ) and Ovako Working Posture Analysis System ( OWAS ) use ordinal marking systems and so unite the tonss for different hazard factors. Rapid Entire Body Assessment ( REBA ) and Ovako Working Posture Analysis System ( OWAS ) uses action classs based on four ( 4 ) and five ( 5 ) point ordinal graduated tables to give an appraisal of the urgency of remedial action for the undertaking. While the Quick Exposure Check ( QEC ) has an exact mathematical theoretical account implicit in its construction with fluctuations in burdening between factors. Even though Quick Exposure Check ( QEC ) has non yet been validated it has been wildly and often used along with Rapid Entire Body Assessment ( REBA ) and Ovako Working Posture Analysis System ( OWAS ) .

Jesus Christ Essay

Hate is one of the human’s feelings. It is a complex subject to study its reasons, causes and consequences. Broadly saying hate in this or that manifestation is one of the reasons of the majority of the violent crimes. Hate is used as an ideological background for a number of violent acts ranging from the street and terrorist attacks to full scale wars. Hate may be either justified in this or that way or it may be impulsive, based on the race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin. In the first case when the hate is caused by the unjust treatment it may be defined as rational, in the second one it is irrational (John R. Schafer, MA and Joe Navarro, MA, 2003). One of the most significant examples of the hate group is Aryan Nations. Aryan Nations is a typical hate organization promoting the white race supremacy. It is the political arm of the †White Identity Church of Jesus Christ-Christian,† long led by Richard Butler. The movement promotes the heresy known as †Christian Identity. † (Apologetics Index, 2006). The ideological background of the Aryan Nations is anti-Semitism. Paramilitary hate group Aryan Nations was founded in the mid-1970s by Rev. Richard Girnt Butler, now 77 years old. It was formed around Butler’s Church of Jesus Christ Christian, one of the several hundred churches affiliated with â€Å"Identity,† a pseudo-theological hate movement. Identity doctrine maintains that Anglo-Saxons, not Jews, are the Biblical â€Å"chosen people,† that non-whites are â€Å"mud people† on the level of animals, and that Jews are â€Å"children of Satan. † (The Nizkor Project, 2006). The anti-Semitism has been of the main hate ideologies since the biblical times. It was utilized by the worst human hating regimes, the most vivid examples of which were the Fascist regimes in Germany and Italy. The anti-Semitism doctrine as an ideology compromised itself in the 20th century. Aryan Nations militantly advocates anti-Semitism and the establishment of a white racist state. A statement of beliefs on the Aryan Nations Web site declares: â€Å"The Jew is like a destroying virus that attacks our racial body to destroy our Aryan culture and purity of our race. Those of our Race who resist these attacks are called ‘chosen and faithful. ‘† (Aryan Nations/Church of Jesus Christ Christian, 2006). In their â€Å"Declaration of Independence† the ideologists of the Aryan Nations declare threat to the white Americans from the federal government which pursues the interests of the Jewish rulers. The ideologists of the Aryan Nations state that only the Anglo-Saxon, Germanic, Teutonic, Scandinavian, Celtic peoples are the descendants of biblical Adam and the rest are the descendants of Cain and they are the results of the Eve’s original sin. The Aryan Nations leaders identify the Jews as the main threat to the white race. This movement could be considered as political and a religious movement. This is one of the causes of the extreme danger of Aryan Nations. Violence is declared by the leaders of the group. The motto of the group as indicated in its web site is â€Å"Violence Solves Everything! †. Still the original biblical part of the ideology of the Aryan Nation has been completely confused because the calls for violence became the dominating ones. The ideologies of Aryan Nations declaring their Christian origin try to support their violent call with the Muslim militant motto â€Å"Allahu Akbar! † (http://www. aryan-nations. org/) thus bringing complete confusion into their ideological basis. According to Aryan Nations â€Å"That VIOLENCE â€Å"IS† THE ONLY SOLUTION! You can no longer look toward local, state or federal law enforcement authorities to protect you, your families or your interests from these invaders† (Aryan Nations web site, 2006). The â€Å"Christian† identity of Aryan Nations was expressed by the leader of the group August Kreis in his comments on the 9/11 attacks and his attitude towards Al-Qaeda, â€Å"†You say they’re terrorists, I say they’re freedom fighters. And I want to instill the same jihadic feeling in our peoples’ heart, in the Aryan race, that they have for their father, who they call Allah. † (Henry Schuster, March 29, 2005). Such sayings put off the religious part from the Aryan Nations ideology leaving the extremist one. Terror unites the â€Å"proponents† of some special â€Å"violent† Christianity and Mohammedanism. In fact the only things which may unite both groups are the hate, extremism and terror which they share as basic of their ideologies. In fact, Aryan Nations have a lot of common features with the extremist Muslim groups. They share the same anti-Semitism, they accept the same terror methods and they lack any constructive ideology. They both base their activity on the hate which is destructive in its nature. The numerous hate groups whose ideologies are based on the irrational hatred can hardly find any serious political support in such democratic and a multinational country as the United States. As for the connections of the hate groups with the Muslim extremists, they are not new. During the WWII the leader of the German Nazis Adolph Hitler tried to find the connections with the Muslim extremists. Moreover, some Nazis found refuge in Egypt and Syria after WWII. At the same time it is too early to speak about the real alliance between Neo-Nazis and Muslim extremists. Most likely the leaders of Aryan Nations express their desire to create such an alliance and it proves the ultimate danger of the group. â€Å"Mark Potok, of the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that while some U. S. extremists applauded the September 11 attacks, there is no indication of such an alliance — at least not yet, and not on a large scale. If it exists anywhere, he said, it is in the mind (and the Internet postings) of August Kreis. † (Henry Schuster, 2005). At the same time the Aryan Nations desire to link to the most dangerous terrorist organization confirms the fact that Aryan Nations may become the serious threat to the national security of the United States. Bibliography John R. Schafer, MA and Joe Navarro, MA, The seven-stage hate model: The psychopathology of hate groups, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin/March 1, 2003, available at http://www. rickross. com/reference/hate_groups/hategroups355. html, retrieved 06. 12. 2006

Intl management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intl management - Assignment Example This leads to a cultural diversity within the company, which requires proper organizational management as well as cultural accommodation among all stakeholders. As a manager who has great knowledge about diversity of cultures as well as cross-cultural integration, I am able to bring all these diverse cultures together in order to achieve a cultural integration within the organization that leads to proper productivity. Furthermore, my skills in cross-cultural management will also enable me to influence other employees within the company to accommodate cultural differences of their fellow employees. This would lead to a religious and cultural accommodation of all members of staff whereby no one would look down upon the cultural background of others, or despise their religion. In fact, this would closely integrate the company in such a way that there would be no conflicts arising from ill opinion of workers expressed against the cultures or religious backgrounds of their fellow workers, or based on any other feature. As such, this would lead to increased cooperation and enhanced productivity within the company, hence profitability maximization. ... b.  What impact do you want to have? On whom?    I want to influence the entire company as a whole by enabling all members of the organization to be able to accommodate all people from different cultural backgrounds and settings. For instance, I want all employees to integrate properly with one another despite their different backgrounds and incorporate the virtues from their select groups in order to create a formidable production team at the company. c.  Whom do you want to know you benefited? In what ways? Apart from the general success that the organization will record as a whole due to the integration of different cultures, I would particularly want to influence the management team. This is because the management or leadership of a given company is what determines whether a company stays united as one or splits down into two or more pieces basing on cultural differences and other factors. As such, being part of the management team, I would use my position to work at integr ating different cultures within the organization and prove to the executive team that all cultures have the same output. d.  What do you want to learn? I want to learn how to mix different cultures and still have the same people without facing cultural discriminations, or breakages along any differential lines. This is because all persons carry the same equality despite their backgrounds or cultural affiliations. e.  How do you define your impact as a/n: employee, leader, manager, executive, etc.? As an executive, I define my influence in the company as monumental since cultural differences sometimes bring about serious conflicts and destruction of property and lives. For instance, in

Barrack Obama's Presidential Campaign in 2008 and Web 2.0 Essay

Barrack Obama's Presidential Campaign in 2008 and Web 2.0 - Essay Example The concept Politics 2.0 can be identified as the ideology that social networking and e-participation technologies can be used for modernising the public in seeking, reacting, and influencing political campaigns. As Daniel Nations points out, clearly understanding the communication techniques is the centre of a politician’s arsenal, whereas anticipating the future communication techniques can be the furtive sword for them to win the battle; and â€Å"for Franklin D. Roosevelt, it was radio, for John F. Kennedy, it was television, and for Barack Obama, it was social media† (about.com, n.d.). Politics  2.0 Today the society is highly fused with the network of computers and it has further changed the way one interacts with the Internet. In other words, the time people spent on Internet has significantly changed, and instead of gathering information dumped to them, they reach out to the rest of the world to listen what others have to say on any subject. In the opinion of Kreiss and Howard (2010), Obama has changed the face of politics in America, and as he used Web 2.0 in his presidential campaign, he gave the American people a voice in politics (1032-35). The ideology of politics 2.0 was first used during the political operatives of 2004 US presidential elections, when the enthusiasts of the Draft Clark campaign and of Vermont Governor Howard Dean made use of it. The most recent intervention of the politics 2.0 was seen during the trials of Obama’s campaign. Before launching his campaign, Barack Obama had a firm view that a fundamental understanding of communication had always been the prime tool of a successful politician’s arsenal and having a clear idea on the future of communication is the secret weapon that fights the battle (FC Barcelona). Obama's own social network had turned out to stage a protest of his attitude on a federal wiretapping bill, proving that social networking can cut both ways. Obama was able to shift the campai gn from the classical methods into the digital age by exploiting the advantages of Web 2.0, utilising it as the prime podium of his presidential campaign. He was efficient in turning the Web 2.0 into a major force behind his campaign, diversifying it through YouTube, blogging, and Social networking. Barack Obama and the ‘New Media’ The official website The official website, BarakObama.com was designed efficiently that any user could navigate through the site easily. The presentation and the layout of the website were surprisingly eye-catching with lots of information and continuous updates, which included links to articles, videos and gallery of Barak Obama (BarakObama.com). Moreover, the website did not remain just as a presentation, instead it was a multifaceted platform where the viewers could make calls in supporting Obama, volunteer programmes, or donate to the fundraising events. In the same way, the ‘My.BarakObama.Com’ section of the website enhanced a special platform for the youngsters who are already on the social sites, allowing them to create their own blogs or groups within the website with access to photos and videos. Social Media Social media can be considered as the living environment or necessary tool for the youth, where a lot of marketing strategies seem working. From the records (Guido, 2011), the social media network created by the campaign team contained about 3,500,000 friends for Obama, besides having the huge online subscriptions on

Ethical Issues and Tactics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Issues and Tactics - Essay Example Each part has its own desires, and a person’s behavior will be dictated by the degree to which each of those elements influences behavior. Some belief in this hypothesis, while others broadly discredit it. One thing that is clear, however, is that psychological modification is possible. One form of doing this is called â€Å"conditioning.† In an experiment run by the current author, a group of animals was taught that ringing bells were a precursor to food: a bell would ring, followed by them being given food every time. What this author found is that eventually, if one took away the food and only rang the bell, the animals in question would salivate anyways: it had been fundamentally programmed into their brain that these things were interconnected. This behavior was modified from the outside for a particular purpose. The ethical problem with this essay is the fact that it did not attribute ideas or programs to the people who they belonged to. For instance, I did not give Freud credit for id, ego, and super-ego theory, and failed to mention Pavlov at all in classical conditioning. Furthermore, it seems that I took credit for an experiment run by Pavlov and not by myself (though I suppose it is possible that I ran this experiment again). I think that this would cause the reader to either not believes in the integrity of my work (if they were familiar with the ideas involved) or else they would walk away with the mistaken impression that I originated those ideas. There are many different psychological theories that help to explain why people behave the way they do, and what can be done to influence behavior. In this essay, I will explain some of them in order to foster a better understanding. One theory is that people behave as they do because of a complex interaction between different parts of themselves, of which the conscious mind is one, and the subconscious is the other.  

John Lockes and Aristotles Understanding of Moral Life Essay

John Lockes and Aristotles Understanding of Moral Life - Essay Example Similarities and differences between John Locke and Aristotle’s understanding of moral life and model of governance While both thinkers focus on extralegal action, their intention is deepen mankind’s understanding of the competing to political theory. According to the Lockean view, self-preservation, liberties and estates causes men to support the legitimacy of government. On the other hand, Aristotle suggests that, the wants and interests of mankind must be secured, for political life to exist. However, Aristotle also explains that every regime aims for a common good and exist for the sake of living well. On another note, Locke reiterates that, human organizations exist in a state of nature where they have different ends, ties and bound (Maloy, 2009). This position is similar to Aristotle’s; however, he does not distinguish what is social or political. Aristotle considers social organizations to be part of the political community. Further, Aristotle asserts that men cannot live without the polis or government. Aristotle considers political association to be the most sovereign. Furt her, he views politics as part and parcel of human life. Politics according to Aristotle plays a role in fulfilling all aspects of human needs (Edmundson, 2013). Conversely, Locke differentiates social and political and suggests that while men are social by nature, their politics is not guided by nature. Locke further states that government is also not natural and its role is limited when it comes to serving human interests.

Use of Power and Political Acumen in the Organization Term Paper

Use of Power and Political Acumen in the Organization - Term Paper Example A good example demonstrating how a politically astute strategy was used to enhance a nurses power base involved a nurse acting as a policy advocate in a bid to improve health care delivery in a health organization. According to Parker (2007), "A nurse gains power through establishing positive, collegial, working relationships with physicians, other nurses, and all the members of the health care team. Productive relationships increase a nurses power to base care decisions on ethical principles". The nurse therefore advocating for the rights of the patients engaged effective skills particularly her convincing skills, negotiation skills, and decision making capabilities in seeking the support of all individuals involved in health care delivery. In doing so, the nurse created a productive relationship with all stakeholders and hence expanding her power base (Paynton, 2008). There are numerous strategies that can be used to enhance or leverage power and political acumen in the nursing profession. One of these strategies as elucidated by Pfeffer (2010) is being in charge of all resources within the organization that are of significance to other employees. Good examples of such resources include finances and information. Political acumen and power in nursing denotes the ability of a nurse to garner the support of others. Assisting other nurses and physicians to access the resources they require to conduct their activities and obligations can work in favor of a nurse as it is easy to convince them to return the favor when their support is needed (Pfeffer, 2010). Another strategy to enhance or leverage power and political acumen includes the use of rewards and punishment (Pfeffer, 2010). Since time immemorial, individuals in positions of management have issued rewards for individuals who support them in their endeavors and subsequently chastise those who work against them. Nursing leaders can therefore make it known that those who give

Operations Management At BMW Mini Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Operations Management At BMW Mini - Essay Example Multistage and single-stage production systems that have a supply chain flexibility are based on multiple production sites with dependency on how the firm’s allocation of products and resources to various sites. Formalization of BMW’s strategic planning process, as well as interfaces across strategic load planning, defines the firm’s partial strategies. BMW has rigid location strategies, allocation strategies, flexibility and capacity strategies, and make-or-buy strategies. The characteristics of such strategies are critical to impacting premium car manufacturing, unlike mass product manufacturers (Riesenbeck & Perrey, 2009, p 156). For example, the determination of location strategy means that BMW should consider the availability of qualified personnel in foreign countries and positive impact on the production image of Germany. Determination of the allocation strategy is based on BMW’s goal to make highly customized cars based on orders and requires more flexible assembly lines to be used for any product within the plant. The direction of BMW’s sustainability strategy is based in the global focus on international markets. Involvement of all management board members schedules planning processes for sustainability and convenes diverse interest and assessments of the company’s progress. Responsibility for the operative implementation includes evaluation of measures among individual company divisions and the focus of the sustainability circle. The implication is that there are representations on sustainable business operations and environment responsiveness. The responsibilities of the institution include evaluation and identification of opportunities and risks relating to sustainability. The concept also oversees continued product enhancement in terms of sustainability strategies (Lussier, 2011, p 78). The firm’s performance refers to sustainability

A Worldview Definition Essay Example for Free

A Worldview Definition Essay A worldview is the way you interpret everything that happens around you and the rest of the world. Everyone has some sort of worldview whether it is conscious or subconscious. People have different worldviews and it can be affected by several different factors around them. A Biblical/Christian worldview is â€Å" It’s any ideology, philosophy, theology, movement or religion that provides an overarching approach to understanding God, the world and mans relations to God and the world, quoted by David Noebel, author of Understanding the Times. There are five questions that help justify our beliefs in the Christian/Biblical worldview. The first is the Question of Origin, which is how did life begin? In Genesis 1:1 and Psalms 139:13-16 it tells us about the beginning and the reason for all of creation. The second is the Question of Identity. Identity asks the question, who are we? Genesis 1:27 and Jeremiah 1:5 are scriptures that cover the question of Identity. Both tell us that we were made in Gods image and that before we were created we were appointed a prophet to the nations. The Third question is the Question of Meaning/Purpose. This question is asking why we are here. Everyone is born with a purpose for life. John 17:3 states we were put on earth so that we may come to know God. Another scripture is Galatians 5:13-14 which states we were called unto liberty by love to serve one another. The fourth question is the Question of Morality. The Question of Morality asks what is meant by right and wrong or good and bad? Ephesians 2:9-10 states that following Jesus is the best way to have righteous morals. When you follow Jesus, not men you don’t have to worry about what is right or wrong, you know! Acts 5:29 Peter and the Apostles say â€Å"we must obey God rather than men.† The last question is the Question of Destiny. The Question of Destiny asks is there life after death. A scripture that everyone knows that refers to destiny is John 3:16, it says â€Å"should not perish but have everlasting life.† The book of Revelations talks a lot about Destiny, a scripture that goes along with that is Revelation 21:3-5. In those scriptures it tells about how there will be life after death and no more crying or pain. The biblical worldview influences me to always do what Jesus would do and treat people the way I would want to be treated. I have been raised under those sayings and I raise my kids under them also.

Hinduism and the Religion’s Worldviews Essay Example for Free

Hinduism and the Religion’s Worldviews Essay Hinduism is not merely a religion, it is also a philosophy and the culture in India, and it has already been a marked part of their everyday living. So much so that everything aspect of their daily lives goes back to it; and it has 950 million followers to wit (mostly from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Pakistan). Hinduism ranks third as the world’s largest religion after Christianity and Islam, and it is also said to be one of the world’s oldest organized religion along with Judaism (VandeWeghe, 2007). Hinduism and Christianity differ in many ways, and it is rational that there are disagreements and contradictions when two people from different religions involve themselves in a conversation regarding their beliefs. The purpose of this paper is to discover an effective way to build a pleasant relationship with a Hindu in order to be able to share the gospel with them. In order to accomplish this aim, this paper will discuss the origin, beliefs, practices and the views of Hinduism about Christianity and how they differ from the said religion. Hinduism: A Closer Look According to Robinson (2007), besides being called â€Å"Hinduism†, it is also referred to as Sanata Dharma (eternal religion) and Vaidika Dharma (religion of the Vedas). Hinduism has no specific founder and the day that it was born is still unknown; however, there are two theories regarding the origin of the religion. One is the Classical Theory which explains that Hinduism originated at the Indus Valley around 4000BCE to 2200BCE and that its development was due to various foreign invasions particularly of the Indo-Aryan for they are the ones who were said to have brought the religion of Vedism. The other is the Emerging Theory which went against the first theory by proving that there were no foreign invasions along the Indus Valley and that the Vedic religion (Hinduism at 1500BCE to 500BCE) was allowed to flourish by the same group of people who later called themselves Aryan. The Hindu scriptures as well as literatures, which are even older than the Bible’s Old Testament, are the sources of the religion’s beliefs and practices. The most sacred Hindu scriptures are the four Vedas (Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda) which consists of hymns, incantations, rituals and explanations – among which the Rig Veda (1700BCE to 1100BCE) is said to be the oldest. There are also the Upanishads which discussed â€Å"states of consciousness, dreams, meditations, self-realizations and unity†; the Darshanas which consists of six philosophical system and teachings derived from the Vedas; and lastly and the most recent, the Puranas which tells the stories of the most recent gods (Reid Corduan, 2008). Hinduism also has the two great epics that show the virtues and ideals that are significant to the religion; the first is the Ramayana which is a tale about a prince named Rama and his wife, Sita, and the Mahabarata, a collection of poems which states the duties of a â€Å"religious, law-abiding man† (Mason, 2000). Not only is Hinduism one of the oldest and largest religions, it is also said to be the most complex one (McDowell, 2002). There are various beliefs in Hinduism and one of them is the very popular and highly criticized Caste System which is said to be the cause of inequality and harsh laws in India. There are four main castes; the Brahmin (priest-teachers), kshatriyas (soldier-nobles), vaishyas (merchants) and sudras (servants). In the early periods, it was supposed to be part of the divine order, however, as years passed by, subcastes were developed and there came the outcastes or the untouchables – people who do not belong to any of the four main castes (Perry, 1989). Associated with this system are other beliefs. The belief that each of them have dharma (duty), depending on which caste they were born into; they also believe in karma and samsara (reincarnation) – thus, they believe that if they do their duty properly, they will have good karma and will be reincarnated into a higher class. On the contrary, if they did not, they might be reincarnated to the lower class or even as an animal. Their goal is to achieve moksha (release), which is their concept of salvation. Here they would not be liberated from sin but to life existence itself for they believe that as long as they are in the maya (phenomenal world) suffering would never stop because of karma and samsara. Moksha can be attained in three ways, by â€Å"way of works†, â€Å"way of knowledge† and â€Å"way of devotion† (bhakti) which is the most popular one, in which a person will completely devote himself to a certain god and the latter will take care of everything in his behalf (Reid Corduan, 2008). In early Hinduism, Jesus Christ has no particular role in the religion and is not even mentioned in their scriptures; however, due to the rise of Christianity, Hindu thinkers thought of a place where they could put Jesus Christ in their religion. According to Reid and Corduan (2008), since Hinduism is a polytheistic religion, the Hindus viewed Jesus Christ as one of the incarnations or avatars of Brahman who, like Rama and Krishna, is a â€Å"divine self-embodiment† in order to preserve Hindu teachings and another way was by saying that Jesus Christ spent his â€Å"silent years† in India to proclaim the teachings of Hinduism. Nevertheless, Hindus’ incorporation of Jesus Christ into their religion does not seem to fit properly. According to McDowell (2002), Hinduism is known to be tolerant towards other religions because of similarities with Hinduism. This is believed to be one of the characteristics of a polytheistic and henotheistic (believing in one god and regarding other gods and goddesses as just manifestations) religions. However, due to rise of a nationalistic political party which took hold of the India’s government, the separation of church and state collapsed and religious tolerance went down as well, increasing anti-Christian violence in the country (Robinson, 2007). Christianity and Hinduism has numerous differences and some of them are the following: Hinduism’s Supreme Being is the Brahman, an indefinable and impersonal deity, while Christianity has a loving, personal and caring Creator. Hinduism looks at man as a materialization of Brahman who has no value and self-worth at all, whereas, Christianity proclaims that man is created in the very image of God that deserves to love and be loved despite their sinful deeds. When it comes to sins, there are no sins that are committed against Brahman, things that were done wrong are taken as results of ignorance that can be redeemed by following the duty of a specific caste to which the person belongs to and the path going to salvation. On the other hand, wrongdoings that are done within Christianity is taken as acts of rebellion against God. Salvation in Hinduism is referred to as moksha and can be attained in three ways which cannot be accomplished in one lifetime, while salvation in the Christian sense is granted by God to those who deserve it after being separated from him. Lastly, even their view of the material world differ – for a Hindu, the material world is an extension of Brahman and just a transitory and secondary importance; on the contrary, Christians see the material world as an objective reality and a something total different from God (McDowell, 2002). However, despite these differences, it is said that Hindus accept Jesus, but not the Christian relgion. In fact, they even refer Christianity to â€Å"Churchianity. † According to Abhedananda (2002), Hindus can tell apart the religion of Jesus Christ from the religion of the Church for the reason that the true religion of Jesus Christ is a religion of the heart. Thus, it has no dogma and no theology, no rituals and ceremonies, and is not based from a book. From their perspective, the religion of the Church is based from a book, is full of creeds and rituals, and even has an organized way of preaching them. When it comes to the Gospels, they see it as full of inconsistencies and discrepancies, and one very doubtful area for the Hindus comes from their awareness that Jesus Christ did not have His own writings and that there are no precise and contemporary accounts of His life inside and outside of the Bible. In order to share the Gospels to the Hindus, Rev. Dharmaraj (2001), gave some advice to approach the Hindus and make them listen to the Gospels. He said that one should determine and understand what type of Hindu community one intends to visit, since there are different sects that belong to Hinduism. Next, he said that one should explain the concepts incorporated in the Gospels in order for them to understand the Gospels for they have their own understanding of God, salvation, sin, among others. Lastly, Christians should deal with the challenges of dogmatism, risks of syncretism and to focus on evangelism. In addition, according to Reid and Corduan (2008), a Christian should connect with the person rather with the person’s religion; Christians should approach them along with humanitarian efforts and outreach projects since Hinduism does not cater to such. Through a combination of these, Hindus have already felt the kind of loving relationships that pay no attention to the caste which have long been abolished but is still being practiced. The salvation of Christianity even reached them in a way, and it even made them accept Jesus Christ more as they felt that they have been freed from the dark aspects of Hinduism. The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven [is above all]. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him. (John 3:31-36, NAB) In the given Gospel, in order for a Hindu to understand it, one should clarify that the God in the Gospel is the Creator and that His son is Jesus Christ, the Savior of mankind from sins. In addition, it will also be better to give a slight background of what the Gospel is about – say that at this point in the Gospel, the Savior have finally presented Himself in front of the people. The Hindu should also be informed that â€Å"eternal life† is referring to the promised salvation in a Christian context and that it can only be attained by believing in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, the Christian should also point out what â€Å"the wrath of God† means, so that the Hindu could have insights as to the consequences of not obeying their God. And since this pertains to the concept of Hell, it should be also explained again in totality for Hindus do not have this concept in their belief system. Hinduism is a large complex religion that is older than Christianity. If one would be able to understand the essentials of this religion, it would be easy to reach out to the Hindus and make them listen to the Gospel. Christians have their views about Hinduism and Hindus likewise have their own views about Christianity. While they criticize and contradict each other about most of the aspects of their beliefs, setting them aside for awhile in order to learn about one another’s religion makes it possible to establish not just communication but also an open, two-way relationship. To share a Gospel to Hindus, proper understanding of Hinduism is required along with the use of an effective interpersonal approach. References Mason, C. (2000). A short history of Asia – Stone Age to 2000AD. London: Palgrave Macmillan Perry, M. (1989). A history of the world.Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Holy Bible: the new American Bible. (1987). Nashville: Thomas Nelson Abhedananda, S. (2002). Why a Hindu accepts Christ and rejects Churchianity. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from Hinduism website: http://www. hinduism. co. za/jesus. htm Dharmahal, P. (1992). Communicating Christ to the Hindu world. Retrieved April 1, 2008 from Mission Frontiers website: http://www. missionfrontiers. org/1992/0912/sd9211. htm McDowell, J. (2002). A ready defense. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from Jesus Who website: http://www. greatcom. org/resources/areadydefense/ch24/default. htm Reid, P. Corduan, W. (2008). About Hinduism. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from Christian Answers Network website: http://christiananswers. net/evangelism/beliefs/hinduism. html Robinson, B. A. (2007). Hinduism: the world’s third largest religion. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from Religious Tolerance website: http://www. religioustolerance. org/hinduism. htm VandeWeghe, R. (2007). Prepared to answer. Retrieved March 31, 2008 from Windmill Ministries website: http://www. windmillministries. org/frames/CH30A. htm

Reflective Practice in Nursing Communication

Reflective Practice in Nursing Communication This assignment looks at the study of theoretical reflection in conjunction with how effective communication skills can be developed to expand our knowledge. To achieve this I will explain what reflection practice is using models of reflection; evaluate theories of personal development what they are and how they are used. Discuss how reflective practice benefits communication skills and in turn influence our knowledge of nursing care. What is reflection? In scientific terms reflection is seen as light, heat or sound striking a surface to give off a reflection (Darlene 2006). Reflection is also seen as philosophical understanding of how one can gain knowledge through experience and use different approaches to the same scenario (ref). Reflection can be described as; meditation, deep thinking and or giving careful considerations to possibilities and opinions of a given situation (Mcferran and Martin 2008). The novel idea of reflection rose from a theorist John Dewey (1859-1952); his proposed view on reflection is described as persistent, active thinking and taking into consideration the supporting evidence that forms knowledge to the given situation. This theorist suggests that the person uses their mind and emotions to facilitate reflection (Bulman and Schutz 2008). This suggests that John Dewey describes reflective individuals has being open-minded, responsible and wholehearted (Vaugn and Leblanc 2011). Deweys perception of reflection was a platform for many authors to elaborate on in terms of understanding reflective practice. Johns and Freshwater (2005) propose that health professionals should find the meaning of reflection through description rather than definition because to define reflection is to suggest the author has authority over its meaning. This in turn allows reflections models and frameworks to be used intuitively giving a more holistic approach, it can be subjective and purpose driven (Johns and Freshwater 2005). Mann et al (2007) describes Schons (1983) view that reflection can happen in two ways: reflecting upon activities whilst they are happening called reflection in action (present reflection) and reflecting upon activities once they have happened (reflecting on the past). Reflection can also be seen as the engine that facilitates superficial learning into finding a deeper understanding that enables the practitioner to transform what is known to knowledge in action (Boud et al 1985 cited in Rolfe et al 2011). Reflection (Broad overview) Describe some of the different theories and models of reflection that are available and how they are used. Explain how reflection can aid personal development. Schon, reflection on and in action Models of reflection, Driscolls, Atkins and Murphy, Gibbs, Johns, Kolb. 750 words Reflection Model and frameworks There are many different models of reflection which seem to have similar philosophical theories attached to each approach. Rolfe et al (2011) asserts models are methodologies and frameworks are methods used to understand and give guidance on how use the chosen reflective model and models therefore are ontological this mean they have formal specifications for representing ideas and concepts that aim to improve personal growth and development. Models of reflection developed by Schon and Argyris (1992) involves three elements: (1) knowing-in-action (2) reflection-in-action and (3) reflection-on-practice (Ghaye and Lillyman 2010). Ghaye and Lillyman (2010) have extrapolated Schons work to include knowing-in-action; they propose that practitioners customise and tailor their own knowledge or theories to the situation presented. Knowing in action is described further by Carper (1978) who identifies five approaches to knowing in action; empirical, personal, ethical and aesthetic knowing ( Newton and McKenna 2009). Empirical knowing is the formation of knowledge organised into general laws and theories for the describing and predicting phenomena pertaining to nursing practice (Averill and Clements 2007). Empirical means of knowledge tends to seek out theoretical explanation which can be replicated and be publicly verifiable (Newton and McKenna 2009). Newton and McKenna (2009) further suggest that empirical knowledge can only be effective when it is interpreted within the context of given clinical situation and how it is assimilated into practitioners personal knowledge. Personal knowing described by Carper (1978) is about finding out how much we know about ourselves when faced with clinical challenges and that health care professionals may not necessarily know about the self but do strive to know about the self. Newton and McKenna (2009) state that Caper (1978) does reiterate that it is difficult to master however it is an essential in understanding nursing care. Newton and McKenna (2009) suggest that personal knowing demands a deeper level of understanding and awareness to communicate and interact with ourselves and others. This type of knowing requires the nurse to be empathic, nurse attempt to do this by developing a personal yet professional relationship between the patients as opposed to viewing a patient as an object (Newton and McKenna 2009). Moral actions and ethical choices are intertwined with personal knowing to which Carper (1978) suggests presupposes personal maturity and freedom. Ethical knowing is about the moral aspect of nursing that is concerned with making choices, making justifiable actions and judging outcomes (Newton and McKenna 2009). The main focus of ethical knowing is trained towards issues of obligations that would require rationalisation and deliberate reasoning (Carper 1992). Chinn and Kramer (2004) suggest that rational can be expressed through codes, moral rules and decision-making. Newton and McKenna (2009) assert that having knowledge of moral issues is not isolated to ethical codes of nursing disciplines for example the Code of Conduct written by the NMC (2010). Newton and McKenna (2009) assert that ethical knowing is only partly learnt through applying codes and moral rules but is more through experiencing situations that initiate reflection upon what is or has happened and how this affects patient care. Gibbs( date) Driscoll(dates)and Kolb ( date)all conjured reflective models which are each similar to one another; they are all cyclical reveals that learning through reflection about what is or what has happened is continuous cycle. Gibbs et al (1988) model please see appendix 1 (a) Do you know of any other models that perhaps dont take on such a cyclical approach†¦ consider the work of Chris Johns, Mezirow, Boud et al also†¦. How do they compare and contrast with each other? Why might one model of reflection suit one situation or context better than another?Think about which models promote single loop or double loop learning if you can. Reflective practice (Specific) Give an overview of how reflection is used in nursing. Explain its relevance to nursing and how and when it is used. Explore the concepts of reflective practice and critical incident analysis. Introduce use of reflection for personal development. CPD, self regulation. Identify the different situations where reflection can be used. Skills V critical Incidents what is a critical incident. 750 words Reflective practice is seen has using reflective techniques to improve, maintain change in clinical procedures and influence guidelines to encourage greater safety of patients in all areas of health organisations (Bulman and Schutz 2008). Health care organisations in the UK have undergone and still continue to undergo changes to how it is regulated (Rolfe et al 2011). The emphasis is largely associated with increasing patient safety and risk reduction (Rolfe et al 2011). The four main bodies in the UK; Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Nursing Midwifery Council (NMC) and General Social Care Council (GSCC) and General Medical Council (GMC) which are concerned with the controlling, training and regulating of the healthcare system in UK (Rolfe et al 2011). Evidence-based studies have taught the NHS and regulatory bodies how to change practices and procedures to create better outcomes for patients, they have also encompassed further development for staff to promote a better use of resources through continuing professional development CPD (Ghaye and Lillyman 2010). An example of this could be the pressure sore nurses taking on the responsibility of giving guidance to non-specialist nurses to take care of patients with such conditions. This could not have been achieved if it was not for reflective thinking being part of the learning process (ref). How do we use reflective practice within our day to day practice? Consider the approaches that mentors take when supporting students, look at the principles involved in preceptorship and clinical supervision†¦ Communication skills (Application) Discuss and analyse how reflection can be utilised to improve your communication skills in practice. Explore how and when you would use it. What practical steps would you take and what resources would you utilise and why. Link reflection in and on action to communication situations giving information (in), breaking bad news (on), then use of journals, models, writing, peer support. 750 words Conclusion Sum up 500 words You have made a solid start at this assignment so far and have introduced many ideas which are relevant to the topic. These themes now need to be explored in greater detail . You have a slight tendency to introduce theoretical concepts ( not all of which are uncomplicated) without fully explaining their meaning†¦. Take care to avoid this as just mentioning them does not mean that you understand them and we will be looking for evidence of understanding. You also need to pay attention to your sentence construction as there are several poorly constructed sentences noted so far†¦. Make sure that when you lift them from the text you have referred to , that you do adapt them to make sense in the context that you are trying to use them. I would like to have a look at this piece when it has been developed a bit more. You are definitely heading in the right direction though and overall have made an effective start.

Essay --

Tom Nowakowski 12/20/13 HI-216 Dr. Pursell Final Exam 1) The Koran has many different things to say regarding the religions being practiced circa 600 AD in the Middle East. Prior to Islam, Saudi Arabia had a lot of people who practiced paganism. When Islam arrived, there was absolutely zero tolerance of pagans and paganism. Things were different regarding Christianity and Judaism. Islam tolerates Christianity and Judaism as they’re Abrahamic religions. The Koran does not have an issue with Christians or Jews practicing their own religious ideas or beliefs. The Koran also instructs Muslims to treat them respectfully and that there should be no forced religious conversions carried out. The Koran also believes that Christians and Jews are people of the book, or people who received scriptures before the Koran was written. The Koran views people of the book, or those who have an Abrahamic religion, as close or related to them. In fact, Islam and the Koran even view Jesus as a prophet and give respect to the Virgin Mary as well. Christ ians and Jews are viewed as misguided but must still be respected. The arrival of Islam drastically transformed the Middle East and its culture. Prior to Islam, women did not have the right to acquire an inheritance, initiate a divorce, and slavery was frequent as well. Muhammad wanted to improve the wellbeing of women and believed they should have more rights. Eventually, Muslim women also were allowed to inherit wealth too. Islam taught that both sexes were equal. Islam also forever changed the way many Middle Eastern countries governed. Many Middle Eastern governments are influenced by Islam or are even officially Islamic countries themselves. This influenced the types of laws that are passed and legi... ...oint where Egypt recognizes Israel and peace treaties between the two have been put into place. Egypt has even become a crucial strategic partner to Israel. Nevertheless, some are skeptical of this Egyptian-Israeli peace and question its effectives. That said, the two are on technically good terms and have diplomatic and economic ties with each other. It’s safe to assume that if such good terms continue in the future, then Israel and Egypt will not have another conflict with each other again. This is obviously important to Israel from defense standpoint too. 6) As of this point, it’s difficult to say for certain whether or not the Middle East will be democratic. Undoubtedly, challenges remain ahead for it to achieve democracy, or at least any reasonable semblance of it. The great hope and narrative that everyone had with the Arab Spring was that

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay: The Young Lovers -- Midsummer Nights

The Young Lovers of A Midsummer Night’s Dream  Ã‚      For the proper view of the plight of the young lovers of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we should look to other characters in the play. We are invited to sympathize with their situation, but to see as rather ridiculous the posturing to which it leads. This is evident in their language which is often highly formal in use of rhetorical devices, and in Lysander's and Hermia's generalizing of "the course of true love" (the "reasons" they give why love does not "run smooth" clearly do not refer to their own particular problems: they are not "different in blood", nor mismatched "in respect of years"). Pyramus and Thisbe is not only Shakespeare's parody of the work of other playwrights but also a mock-tragic illustration of Lysander's famous remark. This is evident in a number of similarities to the scenes in the Dream in which the young lovers are present.    Before the play begins, and at its end, as Demetrius loves Helena, we see two happy couples; but Demetrius' loss of love for Helena (arising from, or leading to, his infatuation with Hermia) disturbs the equilibrium. That Demetrius really does re-discover his love for Helena in the wood (as opposed to continuing merely in a dotage induced by the juice of love-in-idleness) is clear from his speech on waking. Unlike his "goddess, nymph, divine" outburst, this defence of his love and repentance for his infatuation with Hermia (likened to a sickness) is measured and persuasive. The critic who objects to the absence of any stage direction for the giving to Demetrius of Dian's bud, the antidote to Cupid's flower, can be answered thus: in a performance, the audience is not likely to detect the omission; we may supp... ...mbered but, in its many confusions (changes of desire, seeming betrayals, quarrels, voices from nowhere) thought of as a dream. This view is anticipated by the pair of six-line stanzas spoken by Helena and Hermia at the end of Act 3. Each is a moving expression of despair and resignation (though Helena's "O weary night, O long and tedious night" has a hint of Pyramus's "O grim-looked night, O night with hue so black!" about it. If Puck hints at how we are to see the lovers in the wood, Theseus is able, in the final act, to articulate our happiness at the comic resolution: "Joy, gentle friends, joy and fresh days of love/Accompany your hearts", while we inwardly endorse the fairies' blessing and Oberon's promise that the lovers' "issue" shall "ever...be fortunate", the couples "ever true in loving". We rejoice to see Lysander's pessimistic utterance contradicted.    A Midsummer Night’s Dream Essay: The Young Lovers -- Midsummer Night's The Young Lovers of A Midsummer Night’s Dream  Ã‚      For the proper view of the plight of the young lovers of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, we should look to other characters in the play. We are invited to sympathize with their situation, but to see as rather ridiculous the posturing to which it leads. This is evident in their language which is often highly formal in use of rhetorical devices, and in Lysander's and Hermia's generalizing of "the course of true love" (the "reasons" they give why love does not "run smooth" clearly do not refer to their own particular problems: they are not "different in blood", nor mismatched "in respect of years"). Pyramus and Thisbe is not only Shakespeare's parody of the work of other playwrights but also a mock-tragic illustration of Lysander's famous remark. This is evident in a number of similarities to the scenes in the Dream in which the young lovers are present.    Before the play begins, and at its end, as Demetrius loves Helena, we see two happy couples; but Demetrius' loss of love for Helena (arising from, or leading to, his infatuation with Hermia) disturbs the equilibrium. That Demetrius really does re-discover his love for Helena in the wood (as opposed to continuing merely in a dotage induced by the juice of love-in-idleness) is clear from his speech on waking. Unlike his "goddess, nymph, divine" outburst, this defence of his love and repentance for his infatuation with Hermia (likened to a sickness) is measured and persuasive. The critic who objects to the absence of any stage direction for the giving to Demetrius of Dian's bud, the antidote to Cupid's flower, can be answered thus: in a performance, the audience is not likely to detect the omission; we may supp... ...mbered but, in its many confusions (changes of desire, seeming betrayals, quarrels, voices from nowhere) thought of as a dream. This view is anticipated by the pair of six-line stanzas spoken by Helena and Hermia at the end of Act 3. Each is a moving expression of despair and resignation (though Helena's "O weary night, O long and tedious night" has a hint of Pyramus's "O grim-looked night, O night with hue so black!" about it. If Puck hints at how we are to see the lovers in the wood, Theseus is able, in the final act, to articulate our happiness at the comic resolution: "Joy, gentle friends, joy and fresh days of love/Accompany your hearts", while we inwardly endorse the fairies' blessing and Oberon's promise that the lovers' "issue" shall "ever...be fortunate", the couples "ever true in loving". We rejoice to see Lysander's pessimistic utterance contradicted.   

A Short Essay About Cancer

Short Essay on Cancer Cancer is defined as the unwanted growth of cells in any part of the body. There are various reasons that lead to development of cancerous growths in the body. There can be various reasons that lead to cancerous growths in the body. Genetic predisposition and environmental factors together play an important role. Genetic constitution of the body is something that cannot be dealt with. But controlling the external environmental factors is in one’s hands.Active or passive smoking is one of the biggest causes that results in development of various cancers in the body. In a health study it has been evidently shown that about 30% of the deaths due to lung cancers were those of who either smoke actively or are exposed to passive smoking. This data is proof enough to describe the serious complications of smoking. Besides, it is not just the lung tissue that is affected by smoking. Carcinoma of oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, kidney, pancreas and other systemic org ans of he body are evident. More than 6000 substances are released during smoking. Out of which 70 chemicals are known to act as carcinogens. These chemicals settle down in the lining of air ways and adversely affect the basic unit of respiration- the alveoli. Tobacco which is the main ingredient of smoking also leads to carcinoma of the oral cavity. The internal mucosa is severely damaged and continuous exposure leads to irreparable damage. A smoker is four times at a higher risk of developing mouth cancer as compared to non- smoker.The commonly affected areas are beneath the tongue and lips in the oral cavity. The vital organs of the body like liver, kidney, pancreas, colon and rectum also develop the risk of development of carcinomatous growth. Women who smoke also suffer a chance of developing breast cancer besides the above stated types. Higher incidences of cervical cancer have been noticed in women who smoke. According to researchers, 1 out 5 heavy smokers will die of lung ca ncer. The ratio for moderate smokers declines to 1 in 10 persons.Another alarming case is that among all the lung cancer patients only 0. 5% persons are non-smokers. The rest of the cases had a history of smoking. Lung cancer is one of the commonest types of cancer that lead to death in maximum number of patients throughout the world. In the advanced stage of disease other distant organs of the body are also affected and result in severe complications. Eventually the whole physiological system of the body collapses. Besides cancer smoking leads to various other grave medical diseases. Affecting the functioning of heart, viz.Coronary thrombosis; affecting the eye sight and predisposition to cataracts and macular degeneration and eventually vision loss; and brain in cases like cerebral thrombosis; smoking poses a threat to the whole physiological system of the body. Quitting smoking dramatically improvises the medical health of the individual. Though, the risk of developing cancer is higher than those persons who have never smoked. But by following an active life and eating healthy food and above all abstaining from smoking, one can substantially lower down his/ her chances of developing cancer.

Delegation: Management and Work

AC 1. 1 Evaluate the benefits of delegation Delegation is widely acknowledged to be an essential element of effective management (Yukl, G. 1994). Delegation is basically a process of assigning responsibility, sharing authority, and producing accountability in organizations. It is a managerial instrument that allows managers to nurture subordinates to capitalize the subordinate’s potential and ability to meet organizational goals and objectives.As a form of employee involvement in decision-making, delegation describes a category of leader behavior that entails assignment of new responsibilities to subordinates and additional authority to carry them out (Yukl, G. 1998). Managers usually find it easier to speak about delegation of responsibility then to accomplish the organizational goals. Effective delegation can benefit the manager, the employee, and the organization. Perhaps the most important benefit for the company is a higher quality of work.Delegation can improve quality o f work by allowing the employees who have direct knowledge of products and services to make decisions and complete tasks. Quality can also improve through enhanced employee  motivation. Employees may do a better job because they feel a personal  accountability  for the outcome, even though responsibility ultimately rests with the individual who made the delegation. Motivation  should also be enhanced as delegation enriches the worker's job by expanding the types of tasks that are involved in it. Roebuck, Chris. (1998) Another advantage of delegation is efficient use of time and talent.Delegation will help a manager use her time and the time of her employees effectively, and it will allow a manager to get even more work done then they will alone. Delegation is a way of empowering employees as well, and this is a promising advantage. Giving responsibility and accountability to employees will give them an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents; it will also provide th em with the opportunity to have pride in their work. Managers who delegate effectively also receive several personal benefits; most importantly, they have more time to do their own jobs when they assign tasks to others.Given the hectic nature of  managerial  work, time is a precious commodity. Effective delegation frees the manager to focus on  managerial  tasks such as planning and control. Managers also benefit from the development of  subordinates' skills. With a more highly skilled workforce, they have more  flexibility  in making assignments and are more efficient decision makers. Managers who develop their workforce are also likely to have high personal power with their staff and to be highly valued by their organization. Straub, Joseph T. (1998) AC 1. 2 Explain how delegation can be used to empower others.Empowerment is the force that makes teamwork effective. An empowered team is significantly more productive than a group of individuals working under strict gui delines. As the people in workgroup become aware that leaders are willing to empower them, they are more committed to the tasks. Meyer, Paul J. (2007). Empowering team members through delegation involves transferring not only the responsibility for performing tasks, but also the authority, resources, rewards, and knowledge necessary to perform them. In some situations, standardization and inflexibility are essential.However, in giving assignments, recognize when teamwork and flexibility are the better approach. Empowering people requires a leader to become teacher, coach, colleague, and mentor, not just boss. Followers and peers in some cases even exceed leader’s abilities, ideas, and expectations. Successful delegation requires planning, careful introduction and training, commitment of all team members, and effective follow-up. Effective delegation always involves adequate communication. People accept responsibility and act when they know what you expect.Talk informally with a person before actually turning over responsibility. Non-threatening approach allows the person to express fears or enthusiasm about the idea of accepting delegated responsibility. Moving up to a higher level of delegation provides more time empowers the team member for increased productivity. Roebuck, Chris. (1998). In many ways, empowerment embodies principles effective managers and leaders have practiced for years. Two new driving forces in business, increased diversity and high-speed change, magnify the need for empowerment.Empowering people is now indispensable for effective personal productivity and maximum team success. AC 2. 1 Justify an appropriate process to follow when delegating work within your area of responsibility? When delegating work within one’s area of responsibility, following process can be tracked for appropriate process (UK’s NMC’s Council, 2007) – Treat people as individuals * Leader must treat people as individuals and respect their dignity. * Must not discriminate in any way. * Must treat people kindly and considerately. Must act as an advocate for those in one’s care, helping them to access relevant health and social care, information and support. Respect people's confidentiality * Leader must respect people's right to confidentiality. * Must ensure people are informed about how and why information is shared by those who will be providing their care. * Must disclose information if leader believe someone may be at risk of harm, in line with the law of the country in which leader is practicing. Collaborate with those in leader’s care * Leader must listen to the people in his/her care and respond to their concerns and preferences. Must support people in caring for themselves to improve and maintain their health. * Must recognise and respect the contribution that people make to their own care and wellbeing. * Must make arrangements to meet people's language and communication needs. * Must shar e with people, in a way they can understand, the information they want or need to know about their health. Ensure gain consent * Leader must ensure that one’s gain consent before begin any treatment or care. * Must respect and support people's rights to accept or decline treatment and care. Must uphold people's rights to be fully involved in decisions about their care. * Must be aware of the legislation regarding mental capacity, ensuring that people who lack capacity remain at the center of decision making and are fully safeguarded. * Must be able to demonstrate that you have acted in someone's best interests if you have provided care in an emergency. Maintain clear professional boundaries * Leader must refuse any gifts, favours or hospitality that might be interpreted as an attempt to gain preferential treatment. Must not ask for or accept loans from anyone in your care or anyone close to them * Must establish and actively maintain clear sexual boundaries at all times with people in leader’s care, their families and cares. AC 2. 2 Allocate and monitor work that you have delegated within your own area of responsibility. To allocate and monitor work that one have delegated within his/her own area of responsibility following matters are required to be achieved (Barter M, Furmidge ML. UAP, 1994) and (BuerhausPI, Needleman J, Mattke S, Stewart M, 2002)- a) Outcomes Of Effective PerformanceOne must be able to do the following: 1. Confirm the work required of the team with his/her manager and seek clarification, where necessary, on any outstanding points and issues. 2. Plan how the team will undertake its work, identifying any priorities or critical activities and making best use of the available resources. 3. Allocate work to team members on a fair basis taking account of their skills, knowledge and understanding, experience and workloads and the opportunity for development. 4. Brief team members on the work they have been allocated and the standard or level of expected performance. . Encourage team members to ask questions, make suggestions and seek clarification in relation to the work they have been allocated. 6. Check the progress and quality of the work of team members on a regular and fair basis against the standard or level of expected performance and provide prompt and constructive feedback 7. Support team members in identifying and dealing with problems and unforeseen events. 8. Motivate team members to complete the work they have been allocated and provide, where requested and where possible, any additional support and/or resources to help completion. . Recognize successful completion of significant pieces of work or work activities by team members and the overall team etc. b) Behaviors Which Underpin Effective Performance One must knowledge about the following: 1. make time available to support others. 2. clearly agree what is expected of others and hold them to account. 3. 3prioritise objectives and plan work to mak e best use of time and resources. 4. show integrity, fairness and consistency in decision-making. 5. seek to understand people’s needs and motivations. 6. take pride in delivering high quality work. 7. ake personal responsibility for making things happen. 8. encourage and support others to make the best use of their abilities etc. c) Knowledge and Understanding One needs to know and understand the following: i. General knowledge and understanding 1. Different ways of communicating effectively with members of a team. 2. The importance of confirming/clarifying the work required of the team with your manager and how to do this effectively. 3. How to plan the work of a team, including how to identify any priorities or critical activities and the available resources. 4.How to identify and take due account of health and safety issues in the planning, allocation and checking of work. 5. Ways of encouraging team members to ask questions and/or seek clarification and make suggestions in relation to the work which they have been allocated. 6. Effective ways of regularly and fairly checking the progress and quality of the work of team members. 7. The type of problems and unforeseen events that may occur and how to support team members in dealing with them. 8. How to log information on the ongoing performance of team members and use this information for performance appraisal purposes etc. i) Industry/sector specific knowledge and understanding 1. Industry/sector specific legislation, regulations, guidelines, codes of practice relating to carrying out work. 2. Industry/sector requirements for the development or maintenance of knowledge, understanding and skills. iii) Context specific knowledge and understanding 1. The members, purpose and objectives of his/her team. 2. The work required of his/her team. 3. The available resources for undertaking the required work. 4. His/hers team’s plan for undertaking the required work. 5.The skills, knowledge and understan ding, experience and workloads of team members. 6. Reporting lines in the organization and the limits of his/her authority. 7. Organizational standards or levels of expected performance. 8. Organizational policies and procedures for dealing with poor performance. AC 3. 1 Review how well you delegated the task, based on the outcomes of the delegated task and feedback from others. Here are 10 ways  for effective delegation and reviewing delegation based on the outcomes of the delegated task and feedback from others: 1. Delegate early.Make an effort to delegate the task early to avoid unnecessary pressure. This allows the  person to better plan the task. 2. Select the right person. Ensure that the person has the time to take on the responsibility. Assess the skills and capabilities of his/her staff  and assign the task to the most appropriate person. Make sure the person has the training and resources  to succeed. 3. Communicate the rationale and benefit. Identify  the reason for the task and how it will contribute to the goals of the company or department or team. Also, point out how the  delegated task could benefit the person.For example, develop a specific skill that is needed to get promoted. 4. Delegate the entire task to one person. This gives the person the responsibility, increases their motivation and avoids ambiguity in accountability. Otherwise, different people will have different ideas about who does what when. 5. Set clear goals and expectations. Be clear and specific on what is expected. Give information on what, why, when, who and where. Be prepared to accept input from subordinates. Confirm and verify task goals and expectations. 6. Delegate responsibility and authority.Ensure that the subordinate is given the relevant responsibility and authority to complete the task. Let the subordinate complete the task in the manner they choose, as long as the results are what you specified. Be willing to accept ideas from the subordinate on task fulfillment. 7. Provide support, guidance and  instructions. Point subordinates to the resources they may need to complete the task or project. That could be people they need to coordinate with,  crucial information or  be willing to be a resource his/herself. 8. Take personal interest in  the progress of delegated task.Request to be updated on the progress of the task, provide assistance when necessary. Be careful not to be intrusive; giving the perception that he/she does not trust the subordinate. Keep communication lines open, regular meetings on large tasks can provide this ongoing feedback. 9. If he/she is not satisfied with the progress, don’t take the project back immediately. Rather, continue to work with the employee and ensure they understand the project to be their responsibility. Give advice on ways to improve. This ensures accountability and dependability. 10. Evaluate and recognize performance.Evaluate results more than methods. Analyze cause of insuff icient performance for improvements and recognize successes as soon as possible. AC 3. 2 Assess how you can improve your own ability to delegate and empower others. Here are some suggestions for improving one’s own ability to delegate and empower others (Credit Research Foundation, 1999): 1. Understand the purpose of delegating very clearly. 2. Decide specifically what one can delegate. Generally delegate as much of ones work as possible. 3. Recognize that subordinates will make mistakes. Make sure they understand what they are to do.Be willing to take blame for mistakes that may be made. 4. Clarify what he/she is delegating. Agree on what the task is and how much â€Å"power† he/she is delegating to them to perform a particular job. Also, let others know of the arrangements so that proper cooperation will be extended to get the job done. 5. Most important,  follow-up. Remember that although you have delegated responsibility and empowered others to get the job done, he/she still have the final accountability for the job. Ask his/her team for progress reports or discuss with them from time to time.Empowerment This newer strategy may in-fact be the culmination of all the points above. Simply put, empowerment is delegation taken a step farther. In delegation, the supervisor is not only accountable for the results, but also assumes some responsibility since in most cases the delegated tasks most often are the job of the supervisor. Empowerment is the total, unmistakable passing on of responsibility to a person or team to accomplish a job or perform a process. As coach or supervisor, one have to maintain accountability for the overall outcome or results of the process.Empowerment brings with it a challenge for the organization to provide state-of-the-art systems, education, tools and most importantly support to the team for maximum performance. Applying empowerment frequently shifts ownership of a function or process from a traditional supervisor to a group, and with that ownership transfer; pride, job satisfaction, motivation and creativity develop. References Barter M, Furmidge ML. UAP: issues relating to delegationand supervision. J Nurs Adm. April 1994;24:36-40 BuerhausPI, Needleman J, Mattke S, Stewart M.Strengthening hospital nursing. HealthAff. Credit Research Foundation, (1999), www. crfonline. com. Roebuck, Chris. (1998). Effective Delegation. New York: American Management Association. September-October 2002;21:56-64. Straub, Joseph T. (1998). The Agile Manager's Guide to Delegating Work. Bristol, VT: Velocity Business Publishing. UK’s NMC’s Council (6 December 2007), Standards of conduct, performance and ethics for nurses and midwives for implementation. Yukl, G. (1998). Leadership in organizations (4th ed. ). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice–Hall.

Moore Medical Corporation

Q1.   Today people start new business ventures with different expectations than it was to be in the past.   As many techniques, ways and means of dealing with customers have also changed.   The new technology to many people has brought a lot of significant changes in the global business environment.   All the business sectors including private and government sectors are currently doing reengineering on how businesses are operated.   This is happening because of the new information and communication technologies.   Different companies are coming up with various types of new information system.   . For the case of Moore Medical co-operation the customer relationship management software may be purchased to meet its objectives.   What is important for the success of any organization is whether its objectives are met in the long run.   The problem Moore is facing is to find a new technology to service its customers better, to generate new business and to give employees the tools to handle a growing number of customer communications, more efficiently and effectively. I therefore suggest that the customer relations management software (CRM) or technology will ensure that customers are served well.   Production will never be high if customers are not served well or attracted.   The way customers are handled will determine the success of the business. The CRM technology will therefore improve customer interaction consistence between the economy and its customers. Q2.   Most companies have failed to realize the finical benefits because of poor financial evaluation of what is being purchased.   Financial evaluation comprise of knowing the value of what is being purchased.   Disappointing results have been gotten because the cost of installing most of the new technologies are highly than the benefits that it will create at the end of the financial year. Financial benefits of any item can be evaluated. For example Moore medical cooperation can assess its financial benefits of the proposed technology.   One way is by analyzing the number of customers that are making orders using the new technology.   If the number of customers using the new technology is high then the new technology introduced is favorable to the company.   Another way through which the financial benefits can be assed is by comparing the installation cost, training cost, implementation cost with the sales that is obtained from the use of the new technology. It is obvious that implementation of the software’s will need some money.   Those who will be at the customer service department will also be trained.   So any cost associated with the introduction of the new system should be recorded down then compared with the sales obtained after the new system has been put into place.   This will determine if the company will be making profits or losses as a result of introducing the new technology. Q3.The success of any business or organization will depend on it quality of customer service skills employees working in customer service department possess.   Moore Medical Corporation has not been left behind.   The company is considering purchasing customer relationship management software with an objective of improving the ways of responding to customer desires. The CRM software will ensue that customer orders are not delayed.   The new technology (CRM) to Moore would increase or attract more customers and even maintain and keep the already existing ones. The number of customers a company serves normally determines the sales that the company will get.   Production rate would also increase by fixing the new technology in the system The new information and communication technology has changed the way businesses are done in the business environment.   Customers nowadays want maximum satisfaction from the company managers and front-line employees serving them.   Without new IT there is nothing that can be improved in any organization.   Performance and quality of products in any organization will only increase if the use of new information technology is implemented.   Goods will be delivered in time, customers will be served effectively and efficiently ensuring that they are fully satisfied.   New business and products have also been created in the environment as a result of the introduction of the new technology. Among the business needs Moore is hoping to address with this new information technology include the following.   They want to improve sales forecasting.   They also want to reduce the number of sales representatives and reduce time to attend to customers.   The new information will also increase the accuracy and accessibility of the information obtained from customers.   The other business needs that will be addressed by the new technology are to increase rep effectiveness and efficiency and finally to increase the customer interaction consistency among all representatives by increasing company control and manner of customer interaction. Q4.Training is one of the most business practices that any company should do whenever any new technology is introduced in a company.   All organization members need training to acquire new skills and knowledge for the production to be increased and effective. Training should provide essential information on the department / program. If the company uses new technology, the supervisor of that particular company needs to train the employees on how to use the software introduced. For the case of Moore medical cooperation, training its customer’s service representation on how to use the information technology that is the customer relations management software was ignored.   For example it was realized that the customers service representative found the order entry system in J.D. Edwards difficult to use in comparison to their old system.   The new account set up process within J.D Edwards also added time to customer calls.   It therefore means that customer needs and interest would be lowered.   When the way they are served is sluggish then there is a possibility that the company may lose them. Effective communication is another area where the Moore Company has failed to adopt.   Actually when changes are created in an organization, the management or human resource manager should ensure that the change is communicated to all the groups served by the organization (Satzinger, 2004). Effective communication is one of the key issues that the organization should know about its customers.   All members in any organization including employees, customers and suppliers have different cultural background.   The Moore should therefore consider the customers’ practices, likes, interest, belief and values.   After considering all these elements of culture the organization will then be in a position of making a good decision whether the new technology will work or fail.   In short the Moore manager should know about the cultural background of its customers to identify whether they will like the new technology created (Satzinger, 2004). Q5.The use of the new information and communication technology has created numerous changes in the global market and in companies dealing in electronic commerce.   New businesses have been created in the environment while old ones have been transformed. New business models have been formed that would that would have been unthinkable for years back.   However there are advantages and disadvantages that have resulted from the introduction of computer software. Moore move into E-commerce with an intention of improving customer service might result into same advantages and disadvantages.   For first the advantages are numerous.   If properly implemented the new system will automatically serve its customers better.   By improving customer Service, it means that the sales and production will also increase. Production in any organization will be determined by the number of customers it serves.   If more customers are attracted then it means that the profit or the financial benefits that the company wants to achieve will also be high.   The CRM software will therefore help Moore cooperation to realize high financial benefits. Service delivery by increasing the number of orders taken from customers will also increase While the advantages are visible, there are some negative outcomes that Moore might get by moving into E-commerce.   Culture of the customers might actually influence and determine whether the new system will be successful or not.   Some customer may refuse to make orders using the new system introduced in the organization.   This may lead to the failure of the system leading to a big loss to the company.   When customers refuse to use the new system then they will be lost leading to decreased sales. Customers might refuse to use the new system just may be because they are no informed in time or poor communication.   They may also just refuse due to differences in cultural background.   Therefore this is an important factor that might lead to the failure of the new system. The cost of implementation may also be too high for the company to realize the financial benefits it wants to meet.   It might decide to use the new system without financial evaluation, which is very important.   This may also lead to the failure of the company. Reference Sat Zinger, J. (2004). Systems analysis and Design in a changing world.   London: Thompson publishers.

Steps to Success

1. Books are concentrated sources of wisdom. The more books you read, the more wisdom you expose yourself to. What are some books you can start reading to enrich yourself? Some books I’ve read and found useful are Think and Grow Rich, Who Moved My Cheese, 7 Habits, The Science of Getting Rich and Living the 80/20 Way. I’ve heard positive reviews for The Tipping Point, Outliers and The Difference Maker, so I’ll be checking them out soon. 2. Learn a new language. As a Singaporean Chinese, my main languages are English, Mandarin and Hokkien (a Chinese dialect). Out of interest, I took up language courses in the past few years such as Japanese and Bahasa Indonesian. I realized learning a language is a whole new skill altogether and the process of acquainting with a new language and culture is a totally a mind-opening experience. 3. Pick up a new hobby. Beyond just your usual favorite hobbies, is there something new you can pick up? Any new sport you can learn? Examples are fencing, golf, rock climbing, football, canoeing, or ice skating. Your new hobby can also be a recreational hobby. For example, pottery, Italian cooking, dancing, wine appreciation, web design, etc. Learning something new requires you to stretch yourself in different aspects, whether physically, mentally or emotionally. 4. Take up a new course. Is there any new course you can join? Courses are a great way to gain new knowledge and skills. It doesn’t have to be a long-term course – seminars or workshops serve their purpose too. I’ve been to a few workshops and they have helped me gain new insights which I had not considered before. 5. Create an inspirational room. Your environment sets the mood and tone for you. If you are living in an inspirational environment, you are going to be inspired every day. In the past, I didn’t like my room at all because I thought it was messy and dull. A few years ago, I decided this was the end of it – I started on a â€Å"Mega Room Revamp† project and overhauled my room. The end result? A room I totally relish being in and inspires me to be at my peak every day. 6. Overcome your fears. All of us have fears. Fear of uncertainty, fear of public speaking, fear of risk†¦ All our fears keep us in the same position and prevent us from growing. Recognize that your fears reflect areas where you can grow. I always think of fears as the compass for growth. If I have a fear about something, it represents something I’ve yet to address, and addressing it helps me to grow. 7. Level up your skills. If you have played video games before especially RPGs, you’ll know the concept of leveling up – gaining experience so you can be better and stronger. As a blogger, I’m constantly leveling up my writing skills. As a speaker, I’m constantly leveling up my public engagement abilities. What skills can you level up? 8. Wake up early. Waking up early (say, 5-6am) has been acknowledged by many (Anthony Robbins, Robin Sharma, among other self-help gurus) to improve your productivity and your quality of life. I feel it’s because when you wake up early, your mindset is already set to continue the momentum and proactively live out the day. Seth recently wrote a waking up early series which you should check out to help cultivate this habit. 9. Have a weekly exercise routine. A better you starts with being in better physical shape. I personally make it a point to jog at least 3 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time. You may want to mix it up with jogging, gym lessons and swimming for variation. 10. Start your life handbook. A life handbook is an idea I started 3 years ago. Basically, it’s a book which contains the essentials on how you can live your life to the fullest, such as your purpose, your values and goals. Sort of like your manual for your life. I started my life handbook since 2007 and it’s been a crucial enabler in my progress. 11. Write a letter to your future self. What do you see yourself as 5 years from now? Will you be the same? Different? What kind of person will you be? Write a letter to your future self – 1 year from now will be a good start – and seal it. Make a date in your calendar to open it 1 year from now. Then start working to become the person you want to open that letter. 12. Get out of your comfort zone. Real growth comes with hard work and sweat. Being too comfortable doesn’t help us grow – it makes us stagnate. What is your comfort zone? Do you stay in most of the time? Do you keep to your own space when out with other people? Shake your routine up. Do something different. By exposing yourself to a new context, you’re literally growing as you learn to act in new circumstances. 3. Put someone up to a challenge. Competition is one of the best ways to grow. Set a challenge (weight loss, exercise, financial challenge, etc) and compete with an interested friend to see who achieves the target first. Through the process, both of you will gain more than if you were to set off on the target alone. 14. Identify your blind spots. Scientifically, blind spots refer to areas our eyes are not capable of seeing. In personal development terms, blind spots are things about ourselves we are unaware of. Discovering our blind spots help us discover our areas of improvement. One exercise I use to discover my blind spots is to identify all the things/events/people that trigger me in a day – trigger meaning making me feel annoyed/weird/affected. These represent my blind spots. It’s always fun to do the exercise because I discover new things about myself, even if I may already think I know my own blind spots (but then they wouldn’t be blind spots would they? ). After that, I work on steps to address them. 15. Ask for feedback. As much as we try to improve, we will always have blind spots. Asking for feedback gives us an additional perspective. Some people to approach will be friends, family, colleagues, boss, or even acquaintances, since they will have no preset bias and can give their feedback objectively. 16. Stay focused with to-do lists. I start my day with a list of tasks I want to complete and this helps make me stay focused. In comparison, the days when I don’t do this end up being extremely unproductive. For example, part of my to-do list for today is to write a guest post at LifeHack. Org, and this is why I’m writing this now! Since my work requires me to use my computer all the time, I use Free Sticky Notes to manage my to-do lists. It’s really simple to use and it’s a freeware, so I recommend you check it out. 17. Set Big Hairy Audacious Goals (BHAGs). I’m a big fan of setting BHAGs. BHAGs stretch you beyond your normal capacity since they are big and audacious – you wouldn’t think of attempting them normally. What are BHAGs you can embark on, which you’ll feel absolutely on top of the world once you complete them? Set them and start working on them. 18. Acknowledge your flaws. Everyone has flaws. What’s most important is to understand them, acknowledge them, and address them. What do you think are your flaws? What are the flaws you can work on now? How do you want to address them? 19. Get into action. The best way to learn and improve is to take action. What is something you have been meaning to do? How can you take action on it immediately? Waiting doesn’t get anything done. Taking action gives you immediate results to learn from. 20. Learn from people who inspire you. Think about people you admire. People who inspire you. These people reflect certain qualities you want to have for yourself too. What are the qualities in them you want to have for yourself? How can you acquire these qualities? 21. Quit a bad habit. Are there any bad habits you can lose? Oversleeping? Not exercising? Being late? Slouching? Nail biting? Smoking? Here’s some help on how you can quit a bad habit. 22. Cultivate a new habit. Some good new habits to cultivate include reading books (#1), waking up early (#8), exercising (#9), reading a new personal development article a day (#40) and meditating. Is there any other new habit you can cultivate to improve yourself? 23. Avoid negative people. As Jim Rohn says, â€Å"You are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with†. Wherever we go, there are bound to be negative people. Don’t spend too much of your time around them if you feel they drag you down. 24. Learn to deal with difficult people. There are times when there are difficult people you can’t avoid, such as at your workplace, or when the person is part of your inner circle of contacts. Learn how to deal with them. These people management skills will go a long way in working with people in the future. 25. Learn from your friends. Everyone has amazing qualities in them. It’s up to how we want to tap into them. With all the friends who surround you, they are going to have things you can learn from. Try thinking of a good friend right now. Think about just one quality they have which you want to adopt. How can you learn from them and adopt this skill for yourself? Speak to them if you need to – for sure, they will be more than happy to help! 26. Start a journal. Journaling is a great way to gain better self-awareness. It’s a self-reflection process. As you write, clarify your thought process and read what you wrote from a third person’s perspective, you gain more insights about yourself. Your journal can be private or an online blog. I use my personal development blog as a personal journal too and I’ve learned a lot about myself through the past year of blogging. 27. Start a blog about personal development. To help others grow, you need to first be walking the talk. There are expectations of you, both from yourself and from others, which you have to uphold. I run The Personal Excellence Blog, where I share my personal journey and insights on how to live a better life. Readers look toward my articles to improve themselves, which enforces to me that I need to keep improving, for myself and for the people I’m reaching out to. 28. Get a mentor or coach. There’s no faster way to improve than to have someone work with you on your goals. Many of my clients approach me to coach them in their goals and they achieve significantly more results than if they had worked alone. 29. Reduce the time you spend on chat programs. I realized having chat programs open at default result in a lot of wasted time. This time can be much better spent on other activities. The days when I don’t get on chat, I get a lot more done. I usually disable the auto start-up option in the chat programs and launch them when I do want to chat and really have the time for it. 0. Learn chess (or any strategy game). I found chess is a terrific game to learn strategy and hone your brainpower. Not only do you have fun, you also get to exercise your analytical skills. You can also learn strategy from other board games or computer games, such as Othello, Chinese Chess, WarCraft, and so on. 31. Stop watching TV. I’ve not been watc hing TV for pretty much 4 years and it’s been a very liberating experience. I realized most of the programs and advertisements on mainstream TV are usually of a lower consciousness and not very empowering. In return, the time I’ve freed up from not watching TV is now constructively used for other purposes, such as connecting with close friends, doing work I enjoy, exercising, etc. 32. Start a 30-day challenge. Set a goal and give yourself 30 days to achieve this. Your goal can be to stick with a new habit or something you’ve always wanted to do but have not. 30 days is just enough time to strategize, plan, get into action, review and nail the goal. 33. Meditate. Meditation helps to calm you and be more conscious. I also realized that during the nights when I meditate (before I sleep), I need lesser sleep. The clutter clearing process is very liberating. 34. Join Toastmasters (Learn public speaking). Interestingly, public speaking is the #1 fear in the world, with #2 being death. After I started public speaking as a personal development speaker/trainer, I’ve learned a lot about how to communicate better, present myself and engage people. Toastmasters is an international organization that trains people in public speaking. Check out the Toastmaster clubs nearest to you here. 35. Befriend top people in their fields. These people have achieved their results because they have the right attitudes, skill sets and know-how. How better to learn than from the people who have been there and done that? Gain new insights from them on how you can improve and achieve the same results for yourself. 36. Let go of the past. Is there any grievance or unhappiness from the past which you have been holding on? If so, it’s time to let it go. Holding on to them prevents you from moving on and becoming a better person. Break away from the past, forgive yourself, and move on. Just recently, I finally moved on from a past heartbreak of 5 years ago. The effect was liberating and very empowering, and I have never been happier. 37. Start a business venture. Is there anything you have an interest in? Why not turn it into a venture and make money while learning at the same time? Starting a new venture requires you to be learn business management skills, develop business acumen and have a competitive edge. The process of starting and developing my personal development business has equipped me with many skills, such as self-discipline, leadership, organization and management. 38. Show kindness to people around you. You can never be too kind to someone. In fact, most of us don’t show enough kindness to people around us. Being kind helps us to cultivate other qualities such as compassion, patience, and love. As you get back to your day after reading this article later on, start exuding more kindness to the people around you, and see how they react. Not only that, notice how you feel as you behave kindly to others. Chances are, you will feel even better than yourself. 39. Reach out to the people who hate you. If you ever stand for something, you are going to get haters. It’s easy to hate the people who hate us. It’s much more challenging to love them back. Being able to forgive, let go and show love to these people requires magnanimity and an open heart. Is there anyone who dislikes or hates you in your life? If so, reach out to them. Show them love. Seek a resolution and get closure on past grievances. Even if they refuses to reciprocate, love them all the same. It’s much more liberating than to hate them back. 40. Take a break. Have you been working too hard? Self-improvement is also about recognizing our need to take a break to walk the longer mile ahead. You can’t be driving a car if it has no petrol. Take some time off for yourself every week. Relax, rejuvenate and charge yourself up for what’s up ahead. 41. Read at least 1 personal development article a day. Some of my readers make it a point to read at least one personal development article every day, which I think is a great habit. There are many terrific personal development blogs out there, some of which you can check here. 42. Commit to your personal growth. I can be writing list articles with 10 ways, 25 ways, 42 ways or even 1,000 ways to improve yourself, but if you’ve no intention to commit to your personal growth, it doesn’t matter what I write. Nothing is going to get through. We are responsible for our personal growth – not anyone else. Not your mom, your dad, your friend, me or LifeHack. Make the decision to commit to your personal growth and embrace yourself to a life-long journey of growth and change. Kick off your growth by picking a few of the steps above and working on them. The results may not be immediate, but I promise you that as long as you keep to it, you’ll start seeing positive changes in yourself and your life. hk