The Political Spectrum Of South Africa - 1936 Words

With the advent spread of the English language during the colonial conquests the world had undergone a vast array of changes, and some of these changes that seems to have gone unnoticed for some part is how deeply the English language has impacted and changed a country s identity entirely. Then the question arises whether those changes are in fact beneficial or detrimental for language acquisition and maintenance for future generations to come. This essay will focus on my country of choice, South Africa, and will discuss how three different dimensions have been impacted by the English language. I will first focus on the historical dimensions to gain a better understanding of the circumstances within South Africa in the past and in today s context, especially how the English language had arrived and completely shaped South Africa as a whole. Furthermore, following the historical impact, this essay will go deeper into the political spectrum of South Africa, and discuss how the country shifted from the Apartheid era to its contemporary state. Lastly, I will discuss how the educational system has impacted the growing new generation to get a clearer understanding of how the country has been changed to adapt to the more globalised world that we live in now and will raise some questions about how language, being one of the key aspects that makes us human, could be wilfully applied for coercion into a chosen form of hegemony, and will thus demonstrate the importance of language inShow MoreRelatedThe Republic Of South Africa956 Words   |  4 PagesRepublic of South Africa History: The history of South Africa is characterized by racial and political violence, territorial conflict, wars of conquest, and inter-ethnic rivalry. South Africa was colonized by the English and Dutch in the seventeenth century. 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As a result, Desmond Tutu s impact on society has and will continue to inspire good-hearted people to take action on their beliefs. â€Å"Desmond Tutu was born on October 7, 1931, in Klerksdorp, South Africa.† (Encyclopedia Brittanica Editors- Desmond Tutu) Desmond Tutu lived in a multi ethnic household, where

Racism And The Australian Human Rights Commission

Racism, wherever it occurs, has damaging effects. It can be defined as the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race (Oxford dictionary). It can occur on individual, internal,or institutional levels, and it can be either subtle or obvious (Jones,2000). Research confirms that racism is still prevalent in today’s society, in 2013 the Australian Human Rights Commission received a 59 per cent increase in complaints about racial hatred and vilification compared to the previous year. Racism can also affect physical health, life expectancy, and social cohesion. Evidence suggests that discrimination and racism are linked to a range of adverse health conditions, including poor mental health and wellbeing in children aged 1 to 15 years (Mitchell, 2014). Maternal race is one of the most analysed, robust, and puzzling findings in the epidemiology of prematurity. It is believed that African-American women are two to three times more likely than white women to deliver preterm and this space appears to have been broadening in recent years, as rates of preterm birth decrease faster for white women than for black women. Many epidemiological studies have analysed whether this racial divergence in preterm and low birthweight rates can be explained by maternal age, education, lifestyle, and socio-economic position. Although, these factors explain only a small percentage of the racialShow MoreRelatedRace From A Historical Perspective Within The Context Of Australia1733 Words   |  7 PagesRacism has been the ugly underbelly of Australian sport for over a century (Human Rights, 2007). According to Szoke (2012), ultimately, racism is a denial of human relationship (Szoke, 2012). There are many ways in which race and skin colour has been  "marked† in sport in Australia. 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Common Thesis mistakes free essay sample

What is a good question or professional researchers to address is not usually a good question for someone doing a PhD thesis in lone-scholar, no-budget mode. (Duodenal 2003, p. 20) But a topic that is too small makes it difficult for you to demonstrate that you have made a contribution to knowledge. Not being clear about your thesis topic. Try the dinner party [pub/disco] test. The challenge posed by having to explain your thesis topic can also be a salutary stimulant to clarifying your own thinking.During the course of your doctorate there will be gruesome occasions, at dinner parties or drinks with trainers, when someone turns to you and asks what it is you do. Once you admit to working on a doctorate, your conversation partners inevitable fellow-through is to ask about your subject. From this point on you have typically about two minutes to convince your normally skeptical inquisitor that you know what you are doing and that it is a worthwhile thing to be at. . So the dinner party test is always a frustrating experience to undergo, and many students feel that it is an impossible one for them to pass.To expect them to be able to capture the essence of their sophisticated and specialized epic, and to convey it in a few lines to a complete stranger, is just absurdly to underestimate what they are about. Yet in my view the test is a good one. If you cannot give a synoptic, ordinary language explanation in two or three minutes of what you are focusing on and what you hope to achieve, the chances are very high that in a very fundamental way you do not yet understand your thesis topic. (Duodenal 2003, up. 22-3) Not being able to express your thesis aim as a question.In a thesis you develop, state and justify a question, and then develop an answer (or a partial answer) to that question. You should be able to state your thesis problem as a single question, button may also have subsidiary questions that follow from the main one. In addition: Do not include any elements in your research question that will not be addressed in substantive and (hopefully) original ways by your analysis. Do not have elements of your research analysis or evidence that are not covered by the statement of your key research question. (Duodenal 2003, p. 276) Not having a bit of a puzzle to solve.You define the question: you deliver the answer. This proposition means that very effective PhD thesis should be genuinely personalized in some way. You should take a manageable part of the existing literatures questions or concerns, and then tailor or modify that topic so as to shape it so that it can be feasibly answered. The way that the question is shaped should be reasonably distinctive, coming at a subject from a personally chosen angle. If you have such a personalized (even mildly idiosyncratic) perspective then it is less likely to be adopted by other researchers during the course of your studies.It is best to try and frame your thesis around an intellectual problem or a radio, not around a gap. It needs to focus on a set of phenomena that ask for explanation, which you can express as a non-obvious puzzle and for which you can formulate an interesting and effective answer. Many PhD students from countries or disciplines with more empiricist approaches, or placing more emphasis on intellectual or social consensus, find the idea of problematic their thesis topic difficult and odd. They Often regard their chosen topic as obviously worthy of study or intrinsically interesting and important in common-sense terms alone.They see no puzzle r enigma in front of them, merely an empirical landscape only partially painted by previous authors, which is their opportunity. This is a dangerous state of mind to be in at the start of a doctorate. It is often associated with people picking overly derivative topics important at some previous levels of education, or taking on very conventionally framed subjects from the existing literature which are too large or difficult to resolve in a PhD. Above all, an unproblematic thesis topic normally provides students with no worthwhile intellectual focus or protection at the examination stage.It leaves open too many questions along the lines of: what is this thesis for? (Duodenal 2003, up. 23-4) Structure your thesis around a paradox, not around a gap ? a principle for clarifying the central research question or problematic of your thesis. You should aim to explain a non-obvious puzzle in an original way, not just to produce the first description of something not already (extensively) studied. (Duodenal 2003, p. 274) Not delivering what you promise. The conclusion to the thesis must match the introduction. Some examiners read these two chapters first, and then the body of the thesis.Not being able to focus each chapter on a single purpose, such as the answer too question. Each of your chapters should do a discrete and distinctive job, well signaled from its start, and effectively building the thesis. Assign one function to each chapter, and make sure that this role does not overlap with those of its neighbors. (Duodenal 2003, p. 206) A key orientating device here is a rolling thesis synopsis Of three or four pages. This document is for your own use and for your supervisors only. It greatly expands on your chapter plan or contents page by giving a paragraph f writing about what each chapter will say.The synopsis also expresses the main storyline of your thesis. You should write your first synopsis as early as possible in your first year. Thereafter it is vital to keep revising it, so that it is permanently up to date and always captures your latest thinking. The whole point of a rolling synopsis is that you should never be writing or working into a vacuum. As you work on one chapter you always need to have a paragraph or so about what later unwritten chapters will cover, and an accessible summary also of the key points made in chapters already written. The rolling synopsis should always concentrate on summarizing your substantive arguments and conclusions ? what you have claimed, what you have found out, and what you hope to discover. (Duodenal 2003, p. 53) Describing your research methods without explaining how they help to answer the main and subsidiary questions in your thesis. You should be able to explain precisely what methods will be used to answer each question, rather than have a general account of all the research methods used in the thesis. Ignoring the need-to-know principle.Need to know criterion ? a key principle to use in determining how much detail or information to include in your text. Ask: What do readers need to know in order to follow and appreciate my argument? Provide only enough set-up or background information to meet this need. (Duodenal 2003, p. 271) Early chapters should provide concepts, ideas and methods or tools which can be applied in later chapters, so that the thesis is a connected and cumulative argument. One way to manage this problem is to think about what you would like to be able to say at the end of the thesis (e. . l would like o be able to say which of two competing theories is the better explanation of some phenomenon, and why), and then work out what you have to find out and explain to be able to say this, what concepts, ideas and tools are needed, and what is the appropriate starting question that will lead to this answer. Designing your thesis backwards can save considerable wasted time and effort, and ensure that you can actually answer the research question, but this is not something you can do in the first few months of your research.The need-to-know criterion should particularly be applied to literature reviews. The material in these reviews should either contribute to developing or justifying a research question, or provide concepts, ideas and tools that are used to develop answers. Literature reviews that are summaries, with little comment, evaluation or attempt at synthesis of different views. Also think carefully about where to put the literature review material. It doesnt all have to be in one blockbuster chapter, and some can go in the findings chapters.The appropriate division will vary from thesis to thesis. Insufficient chapters on your own findings. So much then for the organization of the whole. But this section is also about the core of your thesis ? which may be simply defined as all those sections with high research value-added. The core contributes to originality either by the discovery of new facts or by the exercise of independent critical power. This set of chapters contains all the most substantively new or different sections of your research, the ones that determine if you get a doctorate or not.In a big book thesis not all of your doctorate can or should fall into the core. There will also be a certain irreducible amount of non-core materials, composed of: Lead-in material, which introduces and sets up core material for readers so that it is understandable and accessible. Sometimes dismissively labeled as throat-clearinghouse, lead-in sections or chapters always require careful management. None the less they often loom much larger to students in terms Of their length, and their writing and rewriting time, than their eventual role in the final thesis would justify. Readers often page through lead-in materials quite quickly, looking mainly for the beef to be found later in the core sections. Lead-out materials do the book-closing role for large theses, providing an integrating summation or restatement of what has been found, and setting it in a wider context. To get a doctorate (and to do a good thesis more broadly) the size of the core matters a great deal. You must make sure that there are enough core chapters, and that they are big enough in terms of the total wordage of your thesis, to color the whole thing as an original piece of work.My suggested rule of thumb for big book theses is that 50,000 out of the 80,000 words of main text must be core materials. That is, appreciably more than half of your text should be original-sis stuff, reporting primary research that you have undertaken, or making new and distinctive arguments that you can plausibly claim to have originated or developed. This is a very demanding standard, but a therapeutic one . It throws into sharp focus the need to concentrate on your thesiss value-added elements.Do not end-load a big book thesis, leaving all the good bits squeezed into the last third or quarter of the text, as many people do. A recurring problem in most humanities and social sciences disciplines is that students spend so much time and effort on writing lead-in materials that they create a long, dull, owe-value sequence of chapters before readers come across anything original. To check your own plan, count the number of chapters and the number of pages that readers must scan through before they come to the core.Overextending the lead-in stuff will also squeeze out the time needed to do your core research and write it up properly. Long legacy chapters (often literature reviews or methods descriptions inherited from your first one or two years of study) also restrict the text space you have available to set out the core properly. (Dundee. Y 2003, up. 49-51) Miscalculating your time in reading and writing. Think of the implications of the advice above. Chapter conclusions which are section-by-section summaries of the chapter. Conclusions should be about what the chapter has contributed towards the development of the thesis.This could be the elaboration of some key questions, the identification of some concepts and tools that will be used in later analysis, or an answer to part of a research question. Too many subheadings. Breaking a chapter into lots of sections and subsections fragments the chapter and makes it harder to develop a coherent argument. Complex numbering systems like 3. 2. 3 and 3. 2. 3. 1 can produce confusion rather than order, particularly if the headings are in the same font and therefore look the same. Try using subheadings with different font sizes or styles, without numbers, as is normal in journals and books.This provides a better indication of the level and importance of the heading. For example, Geographical Research has only two levels of heading: First order headings Second order headings Repetition. The say it once and say it right approach urges you not to blur the argumentative impact of a single connected set of points about X by dissipating them in dribs and drabs, a little bit here and then again there and somewhere else a third time. Instead you should pull together all the related little into one, big bloc X argument.In weakly organized text this idea can again be a great force for good. Nothing is so corrosive of readers confidence in an author than the feeling that they are simply re-encountering material already described in a disorganized text, or are revisiting in only a marginally varied form points made already, perhaps for the third, fourth or fifth time. But some degree of linking back and forth across a text is inevitable and necessary. For instance, cross-referencing and short reminder passages can often be justified on the need to know criterion.Radically overdoing a say it once and say it right logic may sometimes push an already well-structured text into inaccessibility, denying readers the warm-up links that they need to grasp a wider pattern of argument. (Duodenal 2003, p. 1 09) Thinking that you will remember a good idea, and not writing it down immediately. Jotting thoughts down whenever you have them is a second seemingly obvious but actually crucial aspect of increasing your creativity. Nothing is so evanescent as your own good ideas, so fleetingly present and so easily lost. One of the most famous social psychology articles sheds light on this issue, focusing on the magical number seven, plus or minus two. Empirical research shows that on average we can all of us hold only about seven ideas at the forefront of our attention. Very clever people are perhaps able to focus on nine ideas at once, while less adept people (like me) may only be able to concentrate on five ideas at a time. When we are confronted by larger sets or anger lists of ideas we tend to react by randomly dropping some elements from the forefront of our attention.Hence if you think of a lot of ideas without jotting them down, you may appropriately be anxious that you will forget them. (Duodenal 2003, p. 35) Carry a thesis notebook around with you, because ideas come at strange times and in strange places. Neglecting to keep a full record of everything you read. Keep a record of what you have read, where it is located, and any comments. See an example on the next page. Build your bibliography as you read, as a Word file. Inadequate backup system.

The Relationship between Regulation and Market Structures and How Regulation Affects the Market

With a long history of bilateral and multilateral trade, policies and trade liberalization, negotiations of creating independent market environments have been a major issue of discussion in the recent past.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship between Regulation and Market Structures and How Regulation Affects the Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Free market entails allowing markets rule themselves by allowing the free flow of goods and services, but in the past the government has had to regulate the market either by introducing trade tariffs, which seek to protect the internal industries or other tools which seek to set the market in order to guide the economy in an acceptable manner. Economic or industrial regulation can be described as the interference of the market by the government. Government’s aim of interfering with the market is to influence the behaviors of firms or even indivi duals in the private sector engaging in the provision of goods and services. These regulations are aimed at protecting the public from exploitation. Several tools exist through which the market regulation takes place and they include: price controls, taxes, interests and quotas thus regulations are used to improve the efficiency to which the society is allocated resources and alter income distribution in order to achieve certain goals. Industrial regulation affects oligopolies in such a way that for example with an oligopolist mutually aware his action will trigger reactions from others, tend to have stronger incentives to substitute anti competitive with cooperation for vigorous competition thus what may follow is a coordinated interaction. This causes the intervention by the government to regulate chances of cartel formations and thus the operations of oligopolies are interfered with as they cannot raise the prices as they would wish. The government allows them only to raise price s to levels which are socially acceptable. Another market structure affected is the operation of a monopoly. This is due to the fact that industrial regulation controls the market power by allowing free competition, market stabilization, and expansion of investments. This in return introduces more market players, several buyers and several sellers and operation of monopolies becomes curtailed.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Social regulation is the imposition and enactment of laws and policies, which seek to protect the society from harmful or hazardous corporate or individual behavior. It is simply concerned with the protection of the society against over exploitation, for example: production methods, the product attribute such as its quality, information disclosure for instance on the usage and includes the government rule on environmental protection, healthy, and fairnes s among the market players. It promotes what is deemed or has been assessed and declared as socially desirable. Social regulation affects both the private and public entities. The government ensures that what the private sector provides in the market is suitable for the public both in terms of quality and quantity. Thus social regulation protects the consumers, workers and environment from deceptive acts of the private sector. By introducing commissions such as the Environment Policy Act, the government ensures that the activities of the private sector do not threaten or overlook the safety regulations of the public as a whole. Through this, the public sector is not cheated, duped or exploited by the private sector. Social regulation differs from industrial regulation in that it is usually applied across the board too many or all industries and usually affects many people since it involves the government regulating all the details of production thus everybody involved in the product ion process has to comply. The private sector argues that social regulation is not economical as most of the times marginal costs exceeds marginal benefits leading to over regulation. This causes most of the private entities to change their production processes for example by adopting new technologies that support the required guidelines thus causing disposal of assets before their period. A natural monopoly is a firm producing a single homogenous product which other industry would like to produce but cannot due to cases of government protection or the capital required for such venture is not affordable or even the importance of the product to the society thus it might be deemed unsafe allowing everybody to provide the service.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Relationship between Regulation and Market Structures and How Regulation Affects the Market specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Natural monopolies are usu ally established as a result of government special interests as they enhance efficiency by encouraging innovations. Costs of production, which make one producer more efficient than the other, can also force the establishment of a natural monopoly due to the expected high returns of scale. As a matter of fact, high market concentration does not always guarantee the absence of competition; sometimes it can reflect the success of a firm. In the production theory, sometimes monopolies can be favored by their better chances of exploiting the economy of scales reaching market equilibrium faster by producing more goods or services at a relatively low cost than it would be in a competitive market. Since these firms make profits at an abnormal rate, this may lead to adoption of advance technologies in the long run which can aid at producing quality products for consumers at a reduced price. Monopolies often exist in provision of basic services, for example, in the water industry where existe nce of several firms would result in multiplication of water pipes which would be costly to both the public and the private sector and thus most of the times the government gives natural monopolies to certain government affiliated companies to provide the services (Joskow, 2005). Premised on the fact that free trade benefits the economy, the antitrust laws of the USA seeks to prevent the anti competitive business behaviors which could be displayed by some of the major firms. The Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 was the first antitrust law, which has since then undergone amendments with the most well known being the â€Å"Clayton Act of 1914 and the Robinson-Patman Act of 1936.Congress also created a regulatory agency to administrate and enforce the law, under the Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914† ( Hartman, 1997: Par 3) The four major pieces that the antitrust laws seeks to control areAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More â€Å"Agreements between competitors, contractual arrangements between sellers and buyers, the pursuit or maintenance of monopoly power, and mergers†, (Hartman, 1997: Par 2) Agreements between competitors is checked under the Sherman Act of 1890, which seeks to prohibit every contract or conspiracy between two or more companies which seek to monopolize market for any product. The act authorized the Federal Government to dissolve trusts and established penalties for the persons convicted for establishing such combinations. The Clayton act which also falls under the antitrust laws seeks to address specific practices where the effect may interfere with free and perfect competition. This act covers practices such as creation of mergers and acquisitions which may lead to a creation of a monopoly. The act prohibits exclusive sales contracts, local price cutting to freeze other market players. The only secluded sectors are the labor unions and agricultural cooperatives from these co mbinations that restraint trade. Robinson- Patman Act is another antitrust legislation which seeks to deal with discriminatory prices in the market charged to competitors. The purpose of this act is to protect small businesses by controlling the ability of large firms to engage in large discriminatory discounts due to their huge purchasing power. This law specifically bans the charging of different prices to different buyers. The act seeks to help the small buyers who might be disadvantaged when it comes to competition with the larger firms. The Federal Trade commission Act is the last piece of antitrust law and this act seeks to disallow the use of unfair and deceptive practices under this act, behavior which might not be illegal under the other said acts may however be unlawful under the FTC act. The Federal Trade Commission simply enhances consumer confidence by enforcing the federal laws which seek to protect consumers. It also ensures that consumers are well equipped with free information which can help them in exercising their rights and spots to avoid deception. The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission which is served with the function of ensuring compliance in line with the laws, regulations and any existing tariffs that exist in USA. The next commission is the Postal Regulatory Commission which advises the government on the legislations that need to be enacted with matters concerning market products and the expected consumer price index cap. Another commission is the Federal Communications Commission which has the jurisdiction over radio, telephone communication and television the commission is served with the function of regulating the monopolistic nature of firms search as the American Telephone and Telegraph Company. The other commission, Securities and Exchange Commission interprets federal security laws, issues new rules and amends the existing ones while also overseeing the inspection of securities firms, brokers and investment advisers among others and finally the US Federal Nuclear Commission whose main function is to protect the people of USA from nuclear compounds by ensuring the safety of nuclear production and other civilian uses of nuclear substances. With the increased attention towards civil rights, environmental concerns and consumer issues, there has been establishment of regulatory agencies which are: The Equal employment Opportunity Commission which is served with administering of civil rights, the commission coordinates the federal efforts at affirmative action for the employment of minority races and women. It enforces law against discrimination and investigates discrimination complaints against race, gender, age and religion. The second regulatory commission is the Environment Protection Agency which is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that industries adhere to the set rules which ensure that there is limited water and air pollution and also the disposition of hazardous wastes by companies is checked by this commission. It does this through by writing and enforcing rules as directed by the congress. The Occupation Safety and Healthy Review Commission is another regulatory commission charged with the role of developing regulations at work place. It is supposed to conduct inspections at work place and ensure that the working standards under which workers are exposed to are conducive. It ensures employees work under environment free of toxic compounds. The Consumer Product Safety Commission ensures that safety standards on potentially lethal and dangerous items such as hand tools and lawn mowers, flammable products, children toys are enforced by the industry players involved any unreasonable injury which may result from using such items is checked by this commission. Finally we have the Federal Election Commission which is an independent regulatory conducted in the US. The commission regulates election financing since its main function is to disclose the source of money use d during election campaigns. They do this through enforcing the provisions of the law such as the limits and oversee the funding of presidential elections Reference List Hartman, S. (1997). Antitrust Laws: West’s Legal Directory Law Information Center. Web. Joskow, P. L. (2005). Regulation of Natural Monopolies: Centre for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. Retrieved from http://ceepr.mit.edu/ This essay on The Relationship between Regulation and Market Structures and How Regulation Affects the Market was written and submitted by user Cheyanne Q. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

The Similarities And Differences Of Jonathan Edwards And Patrick Henry

The Similarities And Differences Of Jonathan Edwards And Patrick Henry The Similarities and Differences of Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henry convey theiThere were many similarities and differences between speech styles of the early 1700s and the late 1700s. Speakers were known to use persuasive techniques in these time periods to influence their audiences opinions. Speakers were also using an oratory approach to their speeches. Two speakers of this time period were Jonathan Edwards and Patrick Henry. The persuasive techniques of these speakers were different due to their topics, their purpose, and their messages being conveyed, yet they were similar due to their authority, their strong sense of emotion, and their belief in their subjects. Jonathan Edwards sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, was an example of a persuasive speech in which Edwards used scare tactics to persuade his audience. Jonathan Edwards purpose was simply to convey a message to the people of the church with intentions of changing their moral and religious views. Edwards often appealed to reason and logic and highly emotional fire and brimstone techniques to convey his point. Patrick Henrys Speech in the Virginia Convention was a powerful argument for American Independence. This was an example of an oratory approach. Henry used political views to help in his persuasion. Unlike Jonathan Edwards, Henry did not use the approach of scare tactics, but rather the approach to reason and logic. Both of the renowned speakers used strong feelings in their persuasive speeches. They also used Biblical illusions to strengthen their points. The two speakers both had to gain the attention of the audience. The speakers also gained their attention through the fact that they held high social and political level positions. Through these similarities, the speakers achieved their goals. In Jonathan Edwards sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, and Patrick Henrys Speech in the Virginia Convention, there were many similarities and differences. Their speeches were very persuasive and argumentative, and their strong appeal to logic and reason made it possible to successfully r messages. English Essays

Hindu Mythology Research Paper Example

Hindu Mythology Research Paper Example Hindu Mythology Paper Hindu Mythology Paper In Hindu mythology, dance is believed to have been conceived by Brahma. Brahma inspired the sage Bharata Muni to write the Natya Shastra, a treatise on performing arts, from which a codified practice of dance and drama emerged. [3] He used pathya (words) from the Rigveda, abhinaya (gestures) from the Yajurveda, geet (music) from the Samaveda and rasa (emotions) from the Atharvaveda to form the Natyaveda (body of knowledge about dance). [4]The best-known of Hindu deities- Shiva, Kali and Krishna- are typically represented dancing. 5] Shivas cosmic dance, tandava, Kalis dance of creation and destruction and Krishnas dance with the gopikas (cow-herd girls)- Rasa Lila- are popular motifs in Hindu mythology. [6] In ancient India, there were no dedicated auditorium halls or theaters, and dance was usually a functional activity dedicated to worship, entertainment or leisure. Dancers usually performed in temples, on festive occasions and seasonal harvests. Dance was performed on a regular basis before deities as a form of worship. 7] Even in modern India, deities are invoked through religious folk dance forms from ancient times. [8] Classical dance forms such asBharata Natyam use mudras or hand gestures also to retell episodes of mythological tales such as the slaying of Kaliya by Krishna. [9] Gradually dancers, particularly from South India, moved from temples to houses of royal families where they performed exclusively for royalty. [10] India offers a number of classical Indian dance forms, each of which can be traced to different parts of the country. Classical and folk dance forms also emerged from Indian traditions, epics and mythology. [11] There are many Indian folk dances such as Bhangra, Bihu, Ghumura Dance, Sambalpuri,Chhau and Garba and special dances observed in regional festivals such as Lohri[12] and Navratri. [13][14] The presentation of Indian dance styles in film, Hindi Cinema, has exposed the range of dance in India to a global audience. [1 Once Gods called a council and were surprised to find out that they had nothing to do. There was absolutely nothing to occupy their minds with or draw their attention to. They realized that they must put an end to such situation and after taking council with each other they decided to retell stories with the help of gestures and motions. So the art of dance and drama came into being. All this happened approximately in the era which is called the Golden Age or Krita Yuga in Indian mythology. No one heard anything about the art of neither dance nor drama then. The Golden Age lasted for hundreds of thousands of years and then according to cosmic laws Krita Yuga was replaced by Treta Yuga and everything in the world underwent great changes. Ideals, morals, ethics were distorted. People were unsatisfied and bored. And then Indra, after calling the council of Gods suggested that they made a request to Brahma to create such an art that would be pleasant for both eyes and ears like the most beautiful things in the world, the art for the highest castes and at the same time available even to the lowest castes which were forbidden to study Vedas. The Lord Brahma heeded their request and went into the state of meditation. In his mind he called for the four sacred Vedas, the embodiment of the eternal truths in Hinduism, and took the very essence from each of the four.

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and Jacopo Tintoretto Term Paper

The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci and Jacopo Tintoretto - Term Paper Example Focusing on the theme of the last days of Christ's life, Leonardo da Vinci makes it clear that the ideals of humanism are extremely important to him. The compositional structure of the painting created between 1495 and 1498 corresponds to the aesthetic principles of humanism. The symmetrical organization of the picture confirm this. Jesus is the central figure and six of the apostles are sitting on the left and right of him. In general, the apostles are divided into four groups of three. Behind Jesus, one can see three windows that visually enlarge the space, while there are four doors or curtains on the left and right sides of the picture. All this is consistent with the principles of humanity in relation to the organization of the space. However, the influence of humanism is not limited to these items. Its main value is observed in a special emotionality of the images. Da Vinci has made a special emphasis on the reaction of the apostles in response to Jesus' words about the fact th at one of them would betray him. The phrase â€Å"One of you will betray me† causes a different reaction from all the apostles and this reaction is expressed by a variety of their gestures and facial expressions. In other words, â€Å"together with facial attributes and expressions these gestures depict the essential character of each apostle†. â€Å"These reactions are quite specific to each apostle, expressing what Leonardo called the ‘motions of the mind'†. In spite of the expressivity of these images, the painting shows a certain order.

Analyzing Understanding the War on Terror 3rd Edition Essay

Analyzing Understanding the War on Terror 3rd Edition - Essay Example It was probably then when the notion of America on war with terrorism took birth. Later on, George W. Bush, US President and other officials of USA having high ranks used this term of War on Terror extensively to show that America is against terrorism and the organisations that use weapons and keep armaments for the purpose of spreading terror. This campaign was started because these terrorist organisations were not only causing threat to USA but they are threatening to other countries as well. Such militant organisations are dangerous for humanity on the whole. The phrase of the war on terror is particularly used against militant Islamic organisations like al-Qaeda. On the other hand, the present President of USA Barack Obama does not use the terminology of war on terror officially as he makes use of the term Overseas Contingency Operation for the same idea as that of war on terror. But the term of the war on terror is still in use and is used by political persons in media and some parts of government also makes use of it e.g. Global War on Terrorism Service Medal. Some people believe that the term of the war on terror was introduced by the US President George W. Bush after the 9/11 terrorists attacks on the twin towers of USA. The term the war of terror is developed to show America’s clash with the people who have Islamic extremist thoughts. This term of the war on terror was selected by George W. Bush when the higher officials of USA wanted to introduce the term "global struggle against violent extremism† (Coaty and Babst, pp. 222–228). USA had already a strained relationship with Iraq and also with Afghanistan which was led by Taliban. This stress in relationship occurred as a result of Gulf War of 1991 but the situation worsened and the terrorists’ attacks on the Twin Towers on 9 September 2011 made the US President Bush to take some steps against terrorism. The attack on the Twin Towers is observed as the attack on humanity and not on USA alone. Terrorism is a problem which has threatened not only America but also its allies and other independent countries. Furthermore, after the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers the anthrax-laced letters which were sent to USA took the lives of five American people and it is thought to be the worst biological attack in the history of USA created by Islamist militant extremists, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). As these events occurred together so United States of America had to take an action. The union of happenings forced USA to make amendments in its foreign policy as well as domestic policy. As a consequence, American officials drafted USA Patriot Act and also developed Department of Homeland Security. These steps helped in the renovation of the security measures such as operation involving investigation and intelligence. Along with the alterations made in the domestic and foreign policy the President Bush ordered the Taliban government of Afghani stan to give Osama Bin Laden to the US government. It was suspected that Osama bin Laden was the hand behind these terrorists’ attacks and it is he who developed the whole plan of terrorism and executed it. Along with Osama bin Laden, US government wanted to capture other members of al-Qaeda which could be a threat for any further act of terrorism. But the government of Taliban did not accept the orders of President Bush which made US President to start operations of war against

Book Report-Confessions of an Economic Hitman Essay Example for Free

Book Report-Confessions of an Economic Hitman Essay An enthusiastic young man on the threshold of launching his career to improve his lot is probably facing the first interview of his life. He is ‘wearing the best mask’ to project himself as a suitable candidate, but he has the genuine fear that the interviewers are clever enough to find out his real inner personality. He is worried about the serious negativities within him, but as the interview progresses, he realizes to his amazement that his dark past is his asset. His misdeeds are his trophies and medals. His rebellious disposition and discourtesy to his parents are his virtues. His possible contacts with the intelligence community relating to an important enemy country carry immense weight. A few weeks after the NSA testing, I (Perkins) was offered a job to start training in the art of spying. †(Chapter 1, p. 8) Perkins must have thought, it was better to receive without deserving than to deserve without receiving! By selecting such dubious recruits for ideal management training to run the affairs of the Nation, how secure is the future of the country? And the future of the world as USA has tremendous influence over many countries. It is in a position to pressurize them on various counts overtly and covertly. Where this country is heading for when the foundation stone of democracy and free-enterprise is in fact its headstone? Human values have vanished from the democratic framework. The values that assure the dignity of the individual and the economic freedom in the real sense of the term, without any deception, are the important pre requisites for the avowed objective of the UN, â€Å"The World is one Family. † Many specialized ‘isms’ have failed to achieve this objective. The history of the past few decades has witnessed the doomed failure of such philosophies. Only noble individuals can build a noble Nation. Only when the thought process of an individual changes, the action process also changes! When the thoughts are changed, the mind is changed; when the mind is changed, the man is changed; when the man is changed, the society is changed; when the society is changed, the nation is changed. Only such changed Nations will be in a position to say, â€Å"The World is one Family. † The pages of human history daubed in bloodshed pose a crying question. How to make this Planet on Earth heaven like? The answer is simple and direct. Eyes full of understanding, heart full of love, and the life that refuses conflicts –these alone are enough! In the paragraph cited above the negative qualities of Perkins are being awarded and the process is not going to build a bureaucracy or any type of force/institution based on truth and for human welfare. Such an agency will be utilized for subversive activities, dubious dealings and cunning machinations. â€Å"From the beginning to end, communism was never a legal action; it was illegitimated. They controlled the freedom of politic, social, culture, and economic. As the economic situation worsened, so did the people’s support for the communism. †(Article: Failure†¦)As for the failure of the ‘ism’s and corrupted versions of the surviving ones, E. F. Schumacher writes, â€Å"What is at stake is not economics but culture; not the standard of living but the equality of life. Economics and the standard of living can just as well be looked after by a capitalist system, moderated by a bit of planning and redistributive taxation. But culture and, generally, the quality of life, can now only are debased by such a system. †(Schumacher, p. 243) The need of the hour is, the administrative machinery and politics needs to be spiritualized. And that is not possible by hiring recruits to the type of training sought to be given to Perkins. â€Å"The main thing is a transformation of the spiritual climate, a new feeling for the difficulty and the nobility of being human, an all-pervasive fundamental disposition shared by everyone, and acknowledged by everyone within himself as the supreme judge. To the genesis and establishment of that disposition poets and artists, imperceptibly working through the depth and breadth of society, can make some contribution. But it is not something that can be taught and created; it must be experienced and suffered. † (Glaysher†¦. ) The problem of the day is squads of hit men are attached to departments, important ministries, defense establishments and it is they who run the administration and take important decisions in all the countries—without exception! And men like Perkins are part of such a system and after retirement they venture to write sensational books, yet again to make millions of dollars! The best alternative would have been to resign before retirement and then expose the administration. Not after enjoying all the benefits and perquisites provided by the administration and then confess the ‘guilt! ’ Perkins claims that he was threatened and bribed in an effort to kill his writing project†¦What is wrong in it? Perkins was engaged in similar exercises before. Where he was hiding his conscience then? A quote from an article, Complexity Digest, â€Å"Different (human) cultures and social groups have developed different levels of tolerance towards lying and cheating. Whereas in some cultures, being caught in a lie implies loosing face and considerable social consequences, in other cultures learning how to lie effectively as a child has a strong correlation with later success in economic and social standing in society. Complications and confusions, as consequences of not telling the truth, are considered funny Honesty, and are a continued source of entertainment in US sitcom TV shows like Seinfeld. (Honesty†¦) How true! Perkins must be recalling the experience of his first interview! References Cited: Perkins, John: Book: Confessions of an Economic Hit man Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Plume (December 27, 2005) Language: English ISBN-10: 0452287081 ISBN-13: 978-0452287082 Schumacher, E. F: Book: Small is beautiful-a study of Economics as if People Mattered. (Part III, Chapter 3, p,243)Indian Edition Publisher: Radha Kishna, 2 Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002 Glaysher, Frederick: Article: The Victory of World Governance To meet that objective, the nations of the world will either have a plan or.. UNO, www. fglaysher. com/WorldGov. htm 61k Cached –Retrieved on November 3, 2007. Article: Honesty, its importance for scientific advances. The importance of honesty in science: Regulation by formal bureaucracy will not work when the organizations employing the scientists have vested Complexity Digest dated October 23, 2000. personal. ee. surrey. ac. uk/Personal/D. Jefferies/ttruth. html 23k Cached – Retrieved on November 3, 2007. Article: The Failure of Communism In Eastern Europe essays. www. megaessays. com/viewpaper/86270. html Retrieved on November 3, 2007.

The Experiences And Values Of Needy Families Social Work Essay

The Experiences And Values Of Needy Families Social Work Essay When thinking about my own personal values, I think of the customs and beliefs that I have developed through experience and education. Although these values have changed over time, I believe that they are pretty consistent with the NASW code of ethics and values of the social work profession as a whole. The preamble of code of ethics states that The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being and help meet the basic needs of all people (NASW, 2006-2009, p.401), and that is exactly what I strive to do. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) While I consider myself currently in a middle class American family, this has not always been the case. Growing up my family instilled in me the importance of working hard to achieve your goals, but despite their hard work my family too faced difficult financial times. I can remember times when my parents couldnt pay their bills, had to work multiple jobs, and struggled to put food on the table. Having gone through these rough financial times, my family instilled in me the importance of giving to other people in need and to this day I consider my father one of the most generous people I know. He would give everything he had to help someone in need, whether he knew them or not. A common bias is that people in need are lazy or incompetent, but this is far from the truth. I have witnessed several families, including my own work very hard to raise their family, yet still struggle to make it. One childhood experience that stands out in my mind is going into the grocery store with one of my best friends mother who was unemployed after losing her job of 12 years due to the store that she worked for closing. My friends mother had told us that she was going to get groceries and that we needed to distract the grocery stores doorman when we were leaving, because she had no money to pay for the groceries. Although I was aware that what she was doing was wrong, I knew she needed to feed her family. My friends mom did not steal lavish items as one would expect if you were stealing, she only took the items she needed to feed her family. During the car ride home, my friends mother apologized to us and explained that she is just too embarrassed to apply for Welfare or go on unemployment and that all of the savings she had prior to being unemployed is now gone. This has been a memory that I have carried with me since that day. Although I felt that there was little I could do at that t ime, I believe that it is not only my duty to help people in need, but societies as a whole. I believe that government and society have an obligation to intervene and help families that are in need. I do not believe that any mother should have to steal food to feed her family. I consider it my duty to promote national standards and policies for the delivery of benefits and programs that serve as a safety net for all people during times of poverty (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 364). I agree with the NASW Code of Ethics that all people are entitled to the basic needs to survive. As a social work student, I feel responsibility to advocate for families in need and to develop programs that educate people on the need for welfare reform. Schneider (1999) spoke of the need to reform welfare and for a shift in policy to focus on establishing universal benefits. I am in agreement with this as well as the need to reject the perspective that views failure to develop wealth as a personal failure without reference to structural inequalities (NASW, 2006-2009, p.363). I believe that it is important to promote education and fight the stereotypes associated with people in need. As a social worker I will provide services and counseling to families struggling to survive and I anticipate facing many challenges due to the regulations and policies that are currently in place. Rights of Legal and Illegal Immigrants Immigrants in the United States have faced a great deal of discrimination, inequality, and poverty throughout history. It is hard for me to understand how people can be treated so poorly just because they were not born an American. When I consider the United States, I believe it is a melting pot nation and that all people deserve the right to have their basic needs met despite their legal status in this country. I agree with the code of ethics that social workers need to be sensitive to cultural and ethnic diversity and strive to end discrimination, oppression, poverty, and other forms of social injustice (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 401). Whether immigrants are legal or illegal, they are people too and should be treated with dignity and respect. Legal immigrants have to go through a difficult and extensive process to become a citizen, which I believe is one reason why there are several illegal immigrants living in the United States. I think that instead of developing harsher immigration laws, this country needs to assist illegal immigrants in the process of gaining citizenship, an education, and work. I agree with Padilla (2008) in that immigrant legislation must treat people equally, promote social justice consistently, and recognize the significance of human relationships. NASW (2006-2009) recognizes that policies should promote social justice and avoid racism and discrimination or profiling on the basis of race, religion, country of origin, gender, etc. (p. 227). My views are consistent with NASW and I believe that the recent push for harsher immigration laws is a terrifying setback for this country. It makes me absolutely horrified that the state of Arizona would even try to instill a law that would call for police officers to check for immigration status and require immigrants to provide proof that they are authorized to be in this country. This law directly conflicts with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that recognizes the right to leave ones country as a basic human right (NASW, 2006-2009, p.226). As a social worker I think it is vital to advocate for people who have little or no political voice and who have faced such harsh discrimination throughout history. Being that I am considered a white middle class American, I will need to always be thinking about cultural diversity with my clients. Although I would be obligated to report undocumented citizens, I also feel that it is my ethical responsibility to provide all people with the information and services they need to fulfill their basic survival needs. Emotional Expression of the Client and the Worker I entered this profession because of my compassion to help others. For as long as I can remember, I always wanted to help people in need. During high school, my urge to help grew as I witnessed my fellow students being bullied for how they dressed or what type of house they lived in. Although I was considered a popular girl, I did not like that some people were considered unpopular. I did not think that classifying and judging people to be better then someone else was fair or justified. I was friends with everyone in high school and refused to get involved in the bullying that was happening all around me. It was during my junior year of High School that I took action. I spoke with my high school guidance department and expressed my concern with the targeting of the underprivileged or unpopular students in the school. I told them that I wanted to do something about the problem and begged for their support. I was granted permission to start an Anti-harassment Group, which I successfully did with the assistance of some other recruited students. Together we went out of our way to provide all students with friendships and support. We revised the schools policy on bullying, created anti-bullying contracts, gave presentations to all classes (high school, middle school, and elementary), and spent time with fellow students who were often targeted by others. We as popular students discouraged bullying and worked hard to change the reputation of bullying being cool. I carry this compassion to help others with me in practice and think that it is important for social workers to show emotional expression when working with clients. I feel that it is absolutely appropriate to express ones emotions and show compassion and affection when working in this field. Although I maintain that emotional expression is important, I believe that maintaining therapeutic boundaries with clients is equally important. I also agree with The Code of Ethics that social workers should not engage in any physical contact with clients if there is a possibility that the contact may cause psychological harm (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 407). As the Assistant Program Manager of an Adolescent Community Residence, I ran into issues surrounding therapeutic boundaries and emotional expression of client and workers on multiple occasions. Adolescents remained in the group home for approximately 1 Â ½-2 years. Many of the residents in the group home sought out affection from the staff. When a resident was having a rough time, I felt that it was appropriate to give them a hug and reassure them that staff was there to support them and help them get through their difficult times. I felt that by using the emotional expression of myself helped to develop a trusting and therapeutic relationship. As it is my desire to work with children and adolescents, I imagine that I will have to confront issues of emotional expression of self and therapeutic boundaries in the future. I think that in practice, I will have to be conscious and use my discretion about the amount of emotional support used while working with clients. I also think that it will be important for me to consider a clients race, culture, gender, past experiences, etc. on how comfortable the client may or may not be with emotional expression and physical contact. Religious Beliefs Growing up I had very little exposure to religion; however, I was able to recognize the impact religion and spirituality has on other peoples lives. Religion and spirituality became a reality to me when I studied abroad in Thailand. Religion and spirituality was at the center of their culture, and guided their decisions and attitudes on a daily basis. Although I have limited knowledge in this area, enmeshing myself in Thai culture made me recognize the power spirituality and religion can have on people and society as a whole. I also have witnessed the therapeutic effect religion and spirituality can have people. The NASW Code of Ethics (2006-2009) states that, Social workers should obtain education about and seek to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression with respect to race, ethnicity, national origin, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, political belief, religion, and mental or physical disability. Although I do not consider myself a religious person, I think that it is crucial for social workers to understand the religious and spiritual beliefs of their clients. I am in agreement with Dale et al. (2006) that understanding the importance of spirituality, the nature of organized religion, and secular uses of religion is key in understanding the development of human character and social institutions. Without gaining this insight, a social worker may offend or disrespect their client simply because they are not aware of lifestyles and customs based in their spirituality o r religion. As a social worker I will encourage my clients to discuss their spiritual and religious beliefs and how it affects their lives. Based on my limited knowledge about this area, I will have to be extra cautious not to judge or stereotype people because of their religious or spiritual choice. If clients want to discuss religion and spirituality, I will be straight forward with them and let them know that I have limited knowledge in that area but that I am open to listening and learning about their beliefs and experiences with religion and spirituality. Provision and Utilization of Social Services I believe that the concept of social services and providing assistance to people in need is very important to the field of social work. I understand that the goal of social services is to help people financially, provide food assistance, disaster relief, medical services, and employment; however, I believe that the process to obtain these services needs to be streamlined. The lengthy and humiliating process that people/families in need have to endure can cause further emotional distress on the individual and family. Growing up I have witnessed people too embarrassed or humiliated to utilize social services due to the stigma associated with it. I experienced this first hand while helping families at the Community Residence I worked at try to obtain the services they needed. Often times, I would wait in lengthy lines with the families I worked with trying to help them obtain assistance and then be denied do to the paperwork or documentation not being enough for what is needed, or the families to be ineligible for services. I believe that many people/families are being turned down for services based on the many provisions and specific requirements. Although some people/families that are denied services can establish other means to survive, not all can do so. I understand that there needs to be regulations on services; however, I do not believe that anyone should be denied help obtaining the services they need for survival (i.e. food, shelter, medical care, etc.). The NASW Code of Ethics (2006-2009) maintains that Social workers should advocate for living conditions conducive to the fulfillment of basic human needs and should promote social, economic, political, and cultural values and institutions that are compatible with the realization of social justice. As social worker, I believe that it is their ethical responsibility to advocate for people in need and promote a persons right to self-determination. I think that given a chance and the tools needed; people can make positive changes in their lives. Belcher et al. (2004) examined faith-based interventions and the liberal social welfare state and came to the conclusion that although faith-based interventions could provide some basic supports, the driving force for social change should remain with the state. Although I agree that the state should be taking responsibility, I do respect faith-based interventions trying to step-up the plate and fill some gaps. As a social worker I believe that I will often find myself advocating for my clients need for social services. I believe that at times this process can become stressful and draining, as the current social service system is not meeting the needs of the people it is designed to serve. For example, if a family is denied for services because they make a couple dollars above the cutoff for services, I think that the system is being too simplistic and not considering the entirety of the situation. It is my belief that the social services system needs to take a more holistic approach instead of having extensive provisions, requirements, and cutoffs for the services. Pro-life Versus Pro-choice Ever since I can remember, my family instilled in me the belief that abortions were wrong and even considered them murder. As I approached the age of sexual activity, my family was very vocal about practicing safe sex and their views against abortion. My mother informed me that I was not a planned pregnancy and that although she was a teen mother and unprepared for the responsibility; she would have never made the choice to have an abortion. Despite my families strict beliefs regarding abortion, my values are different from my families. I believe that there are situations when abortions should occur or at least be the choice of the mother. The NASW Code of Ethics maintains that it is the social workers responsibility to promote the right of the clients to self-determination (p. 404) and defines that as being without government interference, people can make their own decisions about sexuality and reproduction (p. 147). Although I would not consider an abortion as an option for myself, I understand that to others, it might be the best option for them. Abramovitz (1996) pointed out that throughout history there have been policies and conditions that have forced women to make childbearing decisions based on the conditions of aid or public assistance, and I believe that is an infringement on their constitutional right of reproductive choice. As a social worker, I believe that it is my ethical responsibility to support and provide information so clients can make informed decisions when considering an abortion. I would find myself conflicted if working with a patient who has had multiple abortions, because despite considering myself pro-choice, I also have great value for life and giving life. I believe that all people should have reproductive choice, but should not abuse the decision to abort or use abortion as a form of birth control. Rights of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals, and Transgendered People Growing up, one of my best friends had two mothers, as she would say. Throughout elementary school and middle school, I witnessed how my friend and her family were treated and I quickly understood why she did not want people to know about her mothers sexual orientation. We grew up in a small rural community and were not exposed to people of different sexual orientations or preferences very often. This friend was bullied and ridiculed in school by peers because of her mothers sexual orientation. I myself did not understand why two women would be together or in love; however, after getting to know my friends family, I came to realize that one could not control their feelings or who they fell in love with. Seeing the discrimination and prejudice that my friend and her family went through was very frustrating because after getting to know the family and understanding that it is okay to have different sexual orientations or preferences, I didnt consider them any different from my family or anyone elses. I had a similar experience in high school with one of my friends father being transgender and again witnessed a great deal of discrimination against this family. I dont think a person should be denied the right to love someone else based on sexual identity, preference, or orientation. I do not understand how people can be denied the right of marriage, a union between two people, because they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. I agree with the NASW Code of Ethics that same gender and transgender individuals should be afforded the same rights and respect as all people (NASW, 2006-2009, p. 247). I feel that a challenging circumstance that I could face as a social worker will be to address families that have children or other relatives who are LGBT and do not approve of them. As a social worker it would be my ethical responsibility to educate on the right of self-determination and nondiscrimination.

Begin With The End In Mind

The thesis topic, â€Å"Begin With The End In Mind† is from the book â€Å"The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People† written by Stephen R. Covey. Prior to writing this book Covey had over 25 years of experience dealing with business issues such as helping companies and their employees to be more effective and efficient in their work. Stephen R. Covey leads seminars teaching managers to â€Å"do the right thing† as opposed to â€Å"doing things right.† In a nutshell, that's the difference between being effective and being merely efficient. Stephen R. Covey is chairman and founder of Covey Leadership Center, a worldwide, 700 member leadership development firms. He is author of the phenomenally successful best seller The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People, with over 6 million copies sold in 32 languages. Dr. Covey is respected internationally as an author, lecturer, teacher and leadership mentor. For more than 30 years, he has trained thousands of leaders in business, industry, education and government. Stephen has a doctorate degree from Brigham Young University, an M.B.A. degree from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Science degree cum Laude, from the University of Utah. He has served as an officer and board member of several corporations, an administrative assistant to the president of Brigham Young University, a visiting professor at the University of Utah and at Belfast Technical College, as well as a popular faculty member for the Young President's Organization. Dr. Covey is also the creator of â€Å"The Masters,† a nationally acclaimed management development program; publisher of Executive Excellence, an executive advisory newsletter; and producer of the Seven Habits video and audio training programs and organizer. He is married to Sandra Merrill Covey, and they are the parents of nine children. Overview of the Book: Stephen R. Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People was first published in 1989. Since that time, the seven habits he identified and described have been used by scores of individuals and organizations to improve their effectiveness. Stephen R. Covey's incredibly successful book is a pathway to wisdom and power. It offers a revolutionary program to breaking the patterns of self-defeating behavior that keep us from achieving our goals and reaching our fullest potential, and describes how to replace them with a principle-focused approach to problem solving. Covey in his book The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People explains in-depth the 7 habits that makes people effective in their work. In the book Covey explains the concepts by giving real world examples. He also guides the readers, how they can follow the 7 habits of highly effective people. Following are the 7 habits discussed by Covey in his book. 1) Be Proactive 2) Begin with the End in Mind 3) Put First Things First 4) Think Win/Win 5) Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood 6) Synergize 7) Sharpen the Saw Begin With The End In Mind: Great advice is often ignored because it sounds so matter-of-fact, makes such common sense, and is so simple that it just cannot be that good. Anyone could have thought of that idea, and probably has – so what's new? â€Å"Begin with the end in mind† is one such thought and is presented by Stephen Covey in his series of books on the 7 Habits of Highly Successful People. You have to think ahead to your goal or your destination before you can plan the steps or plot the route needed to reach it. And that makes good sense! STOP – right now – whatever you are doing. Now, ask yourself, what is the end (the purpose) of reading this thesis? If you do not know, then why are you reading it? Everything that you do, you do for a reason. However, you may not always be aware of that reason. Habit 2 â€Å"Begin with the end in mind† is all about knowing why you do what you are doing. Your starting point is a set of goals, targets, missions, visions or dreams. These give purpose to all that you do. If you do not follow this Habit; > You will spend your leisure time the way TV companies want you to > You will buy what advertisers want you to > You will take the first half-decent job that comes along > At the end of the day, you will have no idea what you have achieved If you do follow this Habit; > Your leisure time will be amazing > You will spend less and enjoy it more > Your job will match your desires and your talents > At the end of the day, you will look back over many worthwhile achievements To get into this habit; > At the end of every day, decide what you will achieve the next day > During the day, regularly ask yourself why you are doing what you are doing. If you do not get a good answer, do something else Imagine that our minds are like a camera lens. When we zoom in on the details, the big picture gets out of focus. And when we take a wide-angle view, we can see more opportunities and then choose which actions we'll take to seize those opportunities. A wide-angle view can provide the motivation needed to focus on all the details needed to make something happen. In Stephen Covey's book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Habit #2 is to â€Å"Begin with the end in mind.† By focusing on the final outcome first, you can get clearer about what it would look and feel like if you were already there. This wider focus makes it easier to see more opportunities and possibilities than we can see when we only focus on the details. Author Stephen R. Covey in his theory presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity — principles that give us the security to adapt to change and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates. According to Covey, â€Å"begin with the end in the mind† means, you know where you are heading and you know what your destination is. In other word you should not start your trip without knowing your destination/Goal. For e.g. if you want to go to your friend's house, you need to know the exact address of the house otherwise you may waste your time and possibly you will not be able to reach his house. Just by sitting in the car and start driving you will not help you reach your friend's house. The most effective and efficient way of reaching your friend's house is to make sure that you have the address (The end) before you start your trip What is Goal? The definition of Goal is the end that one strives to attain. It's the object of a person's ambition, desire or final destination. Are goals really an end to something? They are just the beginning. Once you set and reach your goals you are on your way to achieving greater heights, unlimited heights. Here are some tips on goals. > The most successful people have goals. Their goals are specific, measurable and positive. Goals are not dreams, they are achievable within reach. > Goals must be achievable and believable. If you don't believe you can reach your goal then you won't. Make sure you are really committed to your goal. > Don't waste your time, energy and emotions on goals that you don't believe you can achieve. > Share your goal, write your goal down, look at your goal everyday. The best goals are the ones that cause you to stretch yourself in order to reach them. In other words if you want to set a financial goal for sales or business, set one that you think you can reach then add 20%. This will cause you to stretch and go beyond your comfort zone. How are you going to achieve your goal? Here's how you do it. > Think of a goal that is specific, measurable, explicit and positive. One that is reachable with a stretch. > Then you ask yourself, when do you plan to achieve it? 6 months? 1 year? 5 years? > Now work backwards from that point. What do you have to do? What are your monthly, weekly and daily milestones and actions? In other words what are your short-term goals to achieve your long-term goal? > Always keep the end/goal and the reason you want to achieve the goal in your mind. In this way you will stay determined and focused to achieve your goal. Make goals or choices that are: > Specific – Have a crystal clear picture of the desired outcome. > Measurable – How will you know you have achieved your desired outcome? How will you measure it? > Achievable – Create a step-by-step plan to accomplish what you want. > Relevant – Does this goal fit within the bigger picture (wide-angle view) of what is most important to you? > Time-bound – What is the timeline for accomplishing what you want? Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day or task with a clear understanding of your desired direction and destination. By keeping that end in mind you can make certain that whatever you do on any particular day does not violate the criteria you have defined as supremely important, and that each day of your life contributes in a meaningful way to the vision you have of your life as a whole. Importance of setting Goal/End The key to success is setting up goals. If you have a goal then you will strive to achieve it, you will be motivated, and focused. If you have a goal in front of you, you will know what you want to achieve, and why you want to achieve those things. Therefore, if you know your goal, stay focused, and you know the reasons for achieving the goal then you will successfully achieve your goal. In work force there are 2 types of people: First types of people are the ones who are working because they have to feed themselves and their family. These are the people who do not look forward, who do not look at the end, and who do not have goals. As far as their basic needs are filled they are happy. They do not have any goals and therefore do not strive to achieve them. In most cases these types of people will remain at the same position from where they started. Second types of people are those who have ambitions, goals and they have the end in their mind. They are not satisfied with just feeding themselves and their family. They get satisfaction when they take a step forward to achieve their goal. They work hard and are intrinsically motivated. They are the employees who are successful and make the business successful because they have end/goal in their mind. They are most likely to get promotions in company very quickly. They will keep moving and will give their 100% to reach their destination/goal. For Covey a personal mission statement is the key to effective decision-making. Through a series of thoughtful exercises, Covey leads the reader to identify what is truly important in his or her life. A personal mission statement answers two essential questions: > What am I about? > Upon what principles do I operate my life? A person without such a mission, Covey writes â€Å"fluctuates from one center to another, the resulting relativism is like roller coasting through life. One moment you're high, the next moment you're low†¦There is no consistent sense of direction, no persistent wisdom, no steady power supply or sense of personal, intrinsic worth and identity. â€Å"The ideal, of course, is to create one clear center from which you consistently derive a high degree of security, guidance, wisdom and power, empowering your proactively and giving congruency and harmony to every part of your life.† Similarly, we believe it is important for every aspect of life, in a reflective and thoughtful way, to develop a mission statement. Imagine the rich conversation and the benefit to all of the people of the world if get to answer: 1) What is my life all about? and 2) Upon what principles do I operate? Mission statements, along with a set of goals, allow stating exactly what it desires for everyone -i.e., to define the ends toward which everyone is collectively striving. Searching for synergy and focus, one may want to encourage family, teachers, parents, community members, and themselves to help develop a certain mission statement. In this way everyone can â€Å"begin with the end in mind.† Typically, many people are successful managers-of their own lives, of their farms, of their homes, of their work or business interests-and it is often difficult to move from the tried and true management approach to the leadership function. Jesse Jackson is quoted as saying: â€Å"We do best what we do most.† It is difficult to step up to leadership issues when our comfort zone is in the management arena. Shifting the focus from the means (what we do most) to ends is tough work. We find it easier to debate the merits of a particular problem-solving approach-knowing in our heart of hearts that we are not accountable for actually solving the problem-than it is to determine the vision for the bigger picture The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values and principles upon which being and doing are based. In order to write a personal mission statement, we must begin at the very center of our circle of influence, that center comprised of our most basic paradigms, the lens through which we see the world. Whatever is at the center of our life will be the source of our security, guidance, wisdom, wisdom, and power. Who are busy people? According to Covey people who do not have goals/end are the people who are busy and are liability for their employers. People watching them might think they are working hard but in reality they are wasting their time and the money of the company they are working for. They have the tendency of rushing things; they will start things without knowing the cause and the effects. They will never plan and never look at the end. They are one of those people who will sit in the car without know where exactly they are going. These characteristics make them inefficient employees. Covey's words, the Logic Model and other tools encourage us to first think about what we want our final results to be, then to plan and carry out the steps required to reach those results, whether in our teaching, our personal lives or other situations. In teaching, think, â€Å"What do I want your students to be able to do when they leave the class?† rather than â€Å"How many experiments can you fit into the semester?† Consider â€Å"How should these producers change their practices after your session?† rather than â€Å"How many Power points can you fit into my 45 minutes?† Ponder, â€Å"What actions do you want these youth to take after the camp?† instead of â€Å"How can I keep these kids busy all day?† Covey says, â€Å"Begin with the end in mind is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There's a mental or first creation, and a physical or second creation to all things.† For example, when building a new home, we visualize how we want the exterior and each room to look. Then we develop the blueprint and gather the materials, then actually carry out the construction. In education, we visualize what we want our learners to do (the desired outcomes), then organize what we need make this happen (the inputs), then carry out the program (the outputs). Don't confuse urgency with importance: As you go through your week, there will undoubtedly be times when your integrity will be placed on the line. The popularity of reacting to the urgent but unimportant priorities of other people or the pleasure of escaping to unimportant activities will threaten to overpower the important activities you have planned. Your principle center; your self-awareness, and your conscience can provide a high degree of intrinsic security, guidance, and wisdom to empower you to use your independent will and maintain integrity to the truly important. Time management has evolved beyond the basic idea of organizing and executing around priorities, the author says. Many managers are good at scheduling their time and setting goals. So why is frustration so often the end result? Why do managers regress into primitive techniques, writing themselves notes, making checklists, keeping calendars and appointment books? It's because the object of management should be you, not time. Don't confuse urgency with importance. Crisis managers who live from one problem and deadline to the next always have one waiting. The only relief is in busy work-opening mail, making a few nonessential phone calls, wasting time in pleasantries. That overlooks the big middle and Covey sees his mission as sorting out what is really important for executives who don't have time to do so themselves. Covey has made a life study of personal paradigms and has found, among other things that â€Å"we never really understand what's going on inside another human being.† We're overdrawn on our â€Å"Emotional Bank Account.† When we try to persuade people of something, we overlook the ancient Greek art of rhetoric, which involves presenting our character and communicating our feelings before presenting the logical argument. Instead, we go straight to logic. A business organization jam-packed with effective people would really be a sight to see. The obstacles to being your own agent of change are so formidable that most people can only wish it will happen. If inspiration is the first step, this theory provides it. The evidence is now clear. A Vision for the END: Almost all of the world-class athletes and other peak performers are visualizers. They see it; they feel it; they experience it before they actually do it. They Begin with an End in Mind. You can do it in every area of your life. Before a performance, a sales presentation, a difficult confrontation, or the daily challenge of meeting a goal – see it clearly, vividly, relentlessly, over and over again. Create an internal â€Å"comfort zone.† Then, when you get into the situation, it isn't foreign, it doesn't scare you. Begin with the end in mind. (This is the Principle of Personal Leadership) Look at where you want to go. What does â€Å"being successful† mean to you? What is really important? â€Å"All things are created twice.† Leadership is the first creation. Management is the second creation. The leader has a vision. The manager implements the vision. Management is the efficiency in climbing the ladder of success: leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall. If you do not plan, things are going to evolve on their own and out of control. You need to re-script: impose your vision on situations, become the first creator. You may want to develop a Big Picture vision: it is your Personal Mission Statement. In this statement, you will have to include the following values: Security, Guidance, Wisdom, and Power. You need to recognize your centers. Some of us are spouse centered, family centered, money centered, work centered, possession centered, friend/enemy centered or religion centered. Try to find your de facto center. The ideal would be to be Principle Centered. To develop a Personal Mission Statement, you need to use your whole brain: your mind and your emotions; your logic and your intuitions. Then you can try writing a Mission Statement for your family, your organization. Security Represents your sense of worth, your identity, your emotional anchorage, your self-esteem, your basic personal strength or lack of it. Guidance means your source of direction in life. Encompassed by your map, your internal frame of reference that interprets for you what is happening out there. Wisdom in your perspective on life, your sense of balance, your understanding of how the various parts and principles relate to each other. Power is the faculty or capacity to act, the strength and potency to accomplish something. Covey lists several advantages to principle-centered personal decision-making, which can lead to achieving the desired results. > Proactively choose what it determines to be the best alternative, rather than reacting to other people or circumstances. > Make choices that are in keeping with its ultimate values. > Feel comfortable about your decisions because they are based on unchanging principles. You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage–pleasantly, smilingly, nonapologetically — to say ‘no' to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger ‘yes' burning inside. The enemy of the ‘best' is often the ‘good.' Prior to any measurement one must have a target/reference, where one can find if that process has been improved or detoriated upon certain action taken. Key criteria must be established prior to any action. Although, it would be naive to celebrate any short-term improvement (apparent) without any action taken. What is the balance between leading and managing? It is important for us to clarify the difference between ends and means. The focus on the ends must be both individual and collective. People who choose to work at this level can begin at any point, and move out from there â€Å"We are more in need of a vision or destination, and less in need of a map. Leaders create their own destiny by following their internal compass. They make their life a mission, not just a career.† This habit refers to the fact that our behavior must not be driven at random, we must have precise objectives to achieve: Buy a house or a car; earn a degree in the university; achieve a promotion in our job. Every time we make an important decision we must ask ourselves if this decision is approaching our goal. Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day or task with a clear understanding of your destination, thus making certain that whatever you do that day contributes to your ultimate goal in life. As we choose, so we become: Do you accept full responsibility for the choices you make? Have the choices you've made in the past taken you to where you want to go? Pretend it's your eightieth birthday and all your friends and family have come to celebrate. Each will get up in front of the group and reflect on your many accomplishments. What will they say? What do you want them to say? â€Å"Destiny is not a matter of chance, it is a matter of choice; it is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved.† – Unknown Different choices take us down different roads. To make sure that the road you choose will lead to your ultimate destination, it can help to imagine it's your eightieth birthday when all of your friends and relatives have gathered on the occasion to stand before you and describe all of the magnificent accomplishments of your life. When I hear others complaining about negative things happening in their lives, I am reminded that everything we have, everything we are, is a byproduct of the choices we make. Nothing happens to us that we do not choose, whether consciously or unconsciously. Want to have a better life? Make better choices. Our health is a good example. When we complain that we feel tired, run down, overweight or stressed out, perhaps we need to realize it's because of the poor choices we've made. A sedentary lifestyle or one filled with too much fat, sugar, caffeine or alcohol, will not result in a healthy body. Dr. Bernie Siegel asks his patients, â€Å"Why did you choose this disease?† Optimum wellness is a choice! And what about your career? Your mama didn't tell you to become a widget repairman! If you dislike your job and really want to make a contribution to society or express your true talents, heed the words of Nike and â€Å"Just do it!† The only thing standing in the way of the job or career you desire is you. Don't just sit around waiting for things to change to your liking because chances are they never will. You must be the change agent. You must manifest what is you desire! â€Å"Better Lives Begin with Better Choices† To make better choices and live the life of our dreams, we must focus on a couple of key questions. First, will this choice bring me closer to learning who I am and becoming who I want to be? We often make decisions and choices too quickly without taking into consideration the long-term consequences. Every decision today creates the world we will inherit tomorrow. Or looked at another way-your life today is the sum total of all the choices you made in the past. After you have identified the accomplishments that will in essence become your legacy, do what Stephen Covey says and â€Å"begin with the end in mind.† In other words, work backwards from where you want to end up in your lifetime and make choices today that will lead you there. Don't settle for anything less! Next, I think it is important to determine on a scale of 1 to 10, whether the choice you are about to make is your highest choice. How will you know? Your highest choice will always be the one that is void of any ego attachment and will reflect the inner direction of your soul. Normally, your highest choice will not be the first choice that comes to mind because the ego will usually override your soul and scream the loudest! The ego is very clever and knows exactly how to distort what it is we really want. Whenever I find I have made a poor choice, I usually realize that my ego found a way to shut out my heart. It's as simple as that. To quiet the ego and let your soul speak, you must be out of your mind. In other words, you must turn your mind off and let your soul, heart and feelings take over. Find some quiet time-get off by yourself-and without distraction, learn to be still. Then, move from the stillness to a meditative state. This will provide an environment in which the voice of the soul can be heard. The soul, you see, is a rather polite fellow. It will always remain quiet in the presence of more boisterous competition such as the ego. Your challenge is to find a way to get the ego to shut up just long enough for the soul to speak. During meditation, try on your various choices in the context of how you feel once you have made them. In other words, see yourself as having already made the decision. How does it feel? Do you feel lighter, happier, and full of energy? Or is there a queasy feeling in your gut? Repeat this exercise as many times as necessary until the decision lines up with your highest values and beliefs. Oh, and that little voice you're hearing in your head; listen to it! It's there to help you along the path. While we're on the subject of meditation, please understand that setting in the lotus position with your legs wrapped around your neck is not a requirement. Frankly, not many people can sit like that for any length of time. It may be a good way to learn to scratch your nose with your big toe but how often will that come in handy? Find a position that feels comfortable and relaxed so that you can focus your attention on shutting down the inner-chatter of your mind and finding the voice of your soul. As we choose, so we become. Don't look back at your life from your eightieth birthday and wish things had turned out differently. Learn to make better choices today that allow you to leave the legacy you desire. Turn off the noise, turn up the silence and choose to become your highest gift. A better life awaits you! From the Decision Maker's Point of View: Stephen Covey's Habit 2 is â€Å"Begin with the end in mind†. From the Decision Theory point of view, it is essential to have a way to rank the options. If it doesn't matter what happens, then there's no reason to think about the choice. Flip a coin. Throw some sticks on the ground and look at the pattern. Tea leaves. Bird guts. But if you want to choose, you need to know what you want to accomplish. That means understanding the likely results of each option and then choosing between options to achieve those results. To rank outcomes we need values. What is good? More money. Longer life. Good for whom? Just me? Just my family? From Pringles to Austria. So part of Deciding Better is knowing what you value. Then you can make decisions that maximize that value. And when you make inappropriate decisions- the car that impresses the neighbors, when you don't hold â€Å"others opinions of me† as a value, you might make a different decision. Or rethink your values, understanding that what you think you value and how you act don't match. So begin with the end in mind. You aren't choosing options, you are choosing between likely results. But we know that the future is uncertain. That's where simulation and imagination help you decide From the Management/Business Point of View: Be it in business, real life, religion or any other walk of life the second of the seven habits described by Stephen Covey in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Begin with the end in mind answers all the questions. Pause for a minute and remember when you first thought about running for the board of education. What were you hoping would happen? What did you want to accomplish? What kind of organization were you hoping to give your time to? Simply put: What end did you have in mind? Advance the tape a little. How well did you convey your hopes-your vision-your ends-to the other board members? Did your hopes converge with theirs? Did the other board members share your vision? Did the board find ways to â€Å"speak with one voice† as it clarified its goals and objectives? Now fast forward. You have been on the board for a few years. Newer members have joined you. How have their hopes been blended into the new board's vision? If you answered the questions above, you have taken the first step toward defining the â€Å"end† or outcome you want for your school board. The images that describe those outcomes are the basis of a personal mission statement that will keep you on tract as you make decisions. Covey quotes the president of an oil company who attended a Seven Habits seminar. The man understood the difference between leadership and management, and decided to withdraw from managing his company to assume a position of leadership. â€Å"It was hard,† said the CEO, â€Å"I went through withdrawal pains because I stopped dealing with a lot of the pressing, urgent matters that were right in front of me and which gave me a sense of immediate accomplishment. I didn't receive much satisfaction as I started wrestling with the direction issues, the culture building issues, the deep analysis of problems, the seizing of new opportunities†¦But I persisted. I was absolutely convinced that I needed to provide leadership. And I did. Today our whole business is different†¦We have doubled our revenues and quadrupled our profits†¦Ã¢â‚¬  You need to consider yourself, your family and your community. Sit down and figure out how much you need to support your lifestyle, save for a secure retirement, put away for a college education, vacation, hobby, or fulfilling a dream, tithe your church, pay fines at Rotary or contribute to the community chest. Now, ask yourself, what return do you want from your investment in your business? If you took those same assets and made reasonable investments in CDs, bonds or stocks, how much would you make? This, as a minimum, should be your profit goal for your business. Next, realizing that your expenses dictate the â€Å"end† where you need to begin, add up your overhead costs from your P&L and balance sheet. Add to this figure any increases you anticipate in overhead, such as increases in rent, utilities, insurance or capital expenditures like a new vehicle. Divide the total of all your expenses, personal and business, by your historical gross profit margin, and voilà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, you have your sales goal for the year! Well, maybe. Suppose that this sales goal is more than you want or can do because of such limiting factors as a shortage of qualified labor, a slowing economy or a commitment to your own sanity. Now, you have a choice: Modify the end you have in mind or think about how you can increase your gross profit By beginning with the end in mind, you are more likely to have a business that works for you. You can monitor your progress throughout the year to make sure you end up where you want to end up. By beginning with the end in mind, you can eliminate the nagging doubts about how much work to take or not. Instead, you know you are on a path that will meet your needs. You can have a whole new way of looking at your business and look forward to a successful year that is taking you where you want to go. Life is uncertain. Revolutionary entrepreneurs leap through conventions into the unknown. The future is waiting to be discovered. That discovery reveals itself in each moment. Our challenge is simple: to focus on what needs to be done now and trust that our next steps are enough. Taking a Religious Glance: Each of us should â€Å"Begin with the End in Mind.† We will one day stand before God. How does that affect where you are right now? How does that affect the direction that you are walking? It should give clarity of purpose to your walk for the end. It should motivate, encourage and direct. The reason that people wander aimlessly in life, many times away from God, is that they have never thought to â€Å"Begin with the End in Mind.† You can only know how to live if you first know where you are going. When we were born Muslims we probably began with the spiritual end in mind when we realized our need for salvation and obeyed the Lord's command to be baptized for the remission of our sins. We wanted to be sure that we pointed our spirits toward heaven. As we settled into living the Muslim life, however, we tended to lose sight of the end for which we were striving and settled into a comfortable accommodation with the world around us. We didn't want to be â€Å"preachy† and we didn't want to make waves about the spiritual condition or doctrinal status of other religious people. We didn't comment unfavorably about how the world violates God's will by its crime, delinquency and harmful habits. We became just so easy to live or work with. Prophet Mohammad said, â€Å"Inamal amalu bil niat† This means your acts are depended on your goals/niats. Covey said Begin with the End in Mind, the same thing which Prophet Mohammad said years ago. Or as another hadees proves that whatever we do today in this world; its ajur will be given to us when this world comes to an end; i.e.; â€Å"Dunya Aakhirat Kee Khaitee Hai† The comfort of Christianity may be deceiving though, because it goes against the experience of early Christians who found their lives to be somewhat of a struggle, Peter writes to Christians dispersed throughout the Mediterranean world and says that they â€Å"Have been distressed by various trials† (1Peter 1:6). James says, â€Å"Count it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing† (James 1:3,4) Some of us who began with the end in mind may fall prey to an even more ominous danger posed by â€Å"Deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, â€Å"the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods† (1 Timothy 4:1-3). It's easy to fall prey to people who strive to generate in us a desire for a new or novel approach to religion by decrying what they imply is a staid and stolid stance on Scripture as doctrine. They try to create in us the feeling that we are not as â€Å"spiritual† as they are because we insist on going by the Bible only at all times. Our struggle is going to be against arguments for preaching what is â€Å"politically correct† in the sense that it satisfies what the pollsters determine is â€Å"what people want.† Find out what people want, and give them that is the implied message of much that the â€Å"change agents† want to foist on the church. Our cry should be; â€Å"Sustain me according to Thy word, that I may live; and do not let me be ashamed of my hope† (Psalm 119: 116) we began with the end in mind – be saved and go to heaven. The devil is trying by every means to discourage us from keeping the end in mind. He is trying now to get the human kind to drop the Bible as their guide (â€Å"It's propositional truth,† he says) and listen to messages which are more comforting to all. He wants a trouble free religion for all, with no challenges, no stress, no trials, no temptations – but that will not lead to the end we had in mind at the beginning of our life. â€Å"But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to men in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self- controlled so that you can pray.† I Peter 4:5-7 My Point of View: As I watched David Beckham making his final winning shot, I realized that football provides some great analogies for life. Hundreds of moves and plays are required to reach the goal, yet it is impossible to plan each play before the game begins. The players can see the goal — to win the game — and they can predict what the next few plays will be, but they can't figure out the exact moves they will make by just standing on the sideline. They must take action and continuously look for their next few moves as they keep the goal in mind. They stay focused by remaining aware of where they are and what options are available to them. This sharp focus makes it possible to seize opportunities as they arise and ultimately win the game! During the game I overheard a friend ask, â€Å"Why is he running backwards with the ball? Isn't the goal the other direction?† My friend explained that the football player hoped to gain yards by running backwards, because he was creating space so he could throw a long pass. That's bigger picture thinking! How often do we plow forward with our next move without thinking about the bigger picture? Take a few minutes to jot down your response to these questions: > What are my most important goals or dreams for the coming year? > What would it look and feel like if I were already there? > How can I accomplish this with the greatest ease? Look through your wide-angle lens for the opportunities you may have previously missed. Be aware of where you are on your journey and what your next few moves will be. Then take action! Stephen Covey's second habit (Begin with the end in mind) will help you to move from dependence to independence. Procrastination! I know it well. From taxes to yard work to filing papers–you name it, I'm the expert procrastinator. I can put off doing anything, with style and ease. I file for college registration at the last minute without breaking a sweat. Am I proud of this? Well, admittedly, sometimes yes. I pat myself on the back and say â€Å"I have the amazing ability to get things done at the last minute.† Do I usually end up regretting my procrastination? Almost always. So I've had to learn ways to get things done now, on time. I'm still learning and always will be. Procrastination is a persistent thief! Procrastination is an expensive way to spend your life. Waiting until the last minute can even cost you your life. And when you â€Å"spend† your life mired in defering, you don't truly live. You are perpetually putting off living. There are numerous causes and explanations for procrastination, including, but not limited to: > Fear of success > Fear of the unknown > Lack of interest or motivation > Lack of information > Too much information > Indecision > Not knowing where to start > Too busy > Laziness I believe procrastination is one thing, which can be overcome by having an ulterior motive in life. In other words, get a clear vision in your mind (and on paper) of what you want, and where you want to be. This may seem contradictory to what I said about not worrying about tomorrow, but these two principles work hand-in-hand. By knowing clearly what you want to achieve, you can relax in the day-to-day details of accomplishing your goal. Secondly, being productive also means begin with the end in mind. Even for a simple meeting held to be successful one has to keep the end results derived from it in mind. Before you hold your meeting, you should know what you're trying to accomplish in the meeting and how you will know when you've actually achieved what you set out to achieve. In Simply Brilliant, Fergus O'Connell recounts the tale of a friend who writes down the minutes of the meeting before she actually holds the meeting. â€Å"Here's how I will know when the meeting has achieved it objectives,† says O'Connell's friend. Winners understand that success comes from a series of small steps that keep in mind their ultimate destination. We may have a dream and not know how or where to begin. If we map out how we will feel, think and act when we reach our goal, then Its time to begin building an internal kinesthetic sense of success. Each step reveals the next step. A series of steps, done with excellence and discernment, will lead us to our destination. Conclusion: Let's go back to the future†¦Imagine yourself reflecting on your life ten years from now. As you reflect, what is it you wish you had said or done? What vision is it that you wish you had been able-or willing-to articulate? Take some good advice from Stephen Covey: as you step up to the challenge of giving your life a meaning-you will make the best contribution if you â€Å"begin with the end in mind.† In summary, create and live by a personal mission statement. This may lead onto more specific goals and objectives, but the idea is that you try to live as the sort of person you'd like to be remembered for when you've passed on. â€Å"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.† -Oliver Wendall Holmes Bibliography: > Seven Habits Of Effective People by Stephen Covey > Internet (Web Search from Altavista.com and Askjeeves.com) > Critical Analysis written by Michael Gray > Critical Analysis by Gary Vancil College of Business Management Begin With The End In Mind Page 1