The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Book Review

Eckhart Tolle's book, The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, is a self help book that is a shortened route to spiritual enlightenment. One needs to become aware of the present moment in order to experience joy in life. It's important to live in the present in life because the current moment is all we have. This can be done by controlling the mind in order to become untangled from it. The unconscious mind, the egoic mind, and the â€Å"pain bodies† all need to be addressed and dealt with for enjoyment of life to it's fullest potential. Our mind is our worst enemy, according to Tolle. This is because it loves to get itself into problems. The unconscious mind is always thinking. It is constantly looking back on the past, or ahead into the future, and ignore's the focus on enjoying the current moment. â€Å"When thought isn't connected with consciousness, it becomes insane and destructive† (24). Your unconscious mind will always be reflected in the body as an emotion, which has a strong physical component that is felt in the body. This emotion should be felt in the body, without it controlling you. Emotional pain is the main cause of physical pain. â€Å"The more you are identified with your mind, the more you suffer†(33). By accepting the â€Å"now†, you are more free from pain and suffering. This enables you to experience joy in life by being satisfied with the current state in which you are in. This means you are free from the emotions that arise from the unconscious mind thinking compulsively. The egoic mind that focuses on the past and future does not exist because nothing ever happened in the past or the future. Everything happened in the â€Å"now†. Past and future obviously have no reality of their own† (50). There has never been a time in your life that there was not the now, nor will there ever be. Many of us are ruled by our thoughts, emotions, reactions and desires. Often we feel a lack of completeness, a wanting, needing, or craving for something more. This could be money, success, power, recognition, or even a special relationship. Our n ormal state becomes focused through thought on these things, which need to be out of our focus in order to get full pleasure out of life. â€Å"Don't let your egoic mind take over your whole life† (49). Awareness of the present moment and allowing ourselves to enjoy living in it will contribute to our enjoyment of life. There are negative emotions, or â€Å"pain bodies† that our mind brings up which can interfere with our enjoyment of living in the present moment. Some forms of this pain include resentment, hatred, self-pity, guilt, anger, depression, and jealousy. Negativity can be stopped from arising by being fully present. This negativity is resistance that triggers the emotional pain-body. This is when minor situations result in intense negativity. The ego thinks that it can manipulate reality to get what it wants through negativity. Once we have got our hands on something negative, we don't want to let go. â€Å"Negativity is totally unnatural. It is a psychic pollutant, and there is a deep link between the poisoning and destruction of nature and the vast negativity that has accumulated in the collective human psyche† (189). When we notice negativity has risen within us, we need to use it as a signal to â€Å"be present† and get out of our minds. By doing so, we can increase our enjoyment of life because we are living in the â€Å"now† and dealing with whatever it may bring before us. In the current world, some of us are chasing after temporary pleasures, such as success, fortune, and things we desire. All this stress and worry over these things are not worth it at all. What's more important is to live in the current moment. It's important to realize that Tolle's teachings can apply to anyone who seeks to increase their enjoyment of life. Focusing on the present moment allows us to enjoy the life we are living, instead of being trapped in a non-existent world of reoccurring thoughts of the past and future.

Taunted to Death and Bullied Girl Kills Herself †Compare and sontrast Essay

The two articles, ‘Taunted to Death’ and ‘Bullied Girl Kills Herself’, both report the same incident, which happened on Sunday 28th September 1997. The incident involved a young girl called Kelly Yeoman who killed herself. ‘Taunted to Death’ is the report from a tabloid newspaper, ‘The Daily Star’, and ‘Bullied Girl Kills Herself’ is from a broadsheet newspaper, ‘The Guardian’. Despite both articles reporting the same story, there are numerous important differences in layout, content and style. There is an enormous difference in the presentational features of the articles. The headline of the tabloid newspaper is bold and large. Compared to the article, the headline is twice the size. It is written in a white font on a black background to draw the reader’s attention to the paper; the effect of this is that they are reversed out, whereas the Guardian headline is small in comparison to the article although it is still in bold type. The headlines reflect the styles of the newspapers; they both have bold, plain lettering to create a greater impact on the reader. The difference between the two headlines is that the Daily Star headline ‘Taunted to Death’ is placing the blame on someone and the Guardian headline ‘Bullied Girl Kills Herself’ is mutual. The Daily Star has a greater impact because tabloid newspapers are approached differently in order to sensationalise the story, here ‘Taunted to Death’ is ‘headline grabbing’. The first two paragraphs of these articles summarise the contents of the article. The Daily Star tabloid ‘Taunted to Death’ uses an ample amount of emotive words to make the reader read on, ‘hate campaign’, whereas the Guardian is straight forward, telling the reader facts. Such as, Kelly was bullied about her weight, her parents were unemployed and she had reported to the school that she was being bullied. Such facts aren’t in the Daily Star. They are designed to evoke sympathy. The Guardian article is more factual but does use some emotive language, ‘terrorised’. The word ‘terrorised’ suggests that Kelly was being intimidated through violence. You can learn from the Guardian the gender and the age of the victim, ’13 year-old girl’, how she killed herself, ‘found dead yesterday in her bedroom after taking an overdose’, a possible reason why she took this course of action, ‘bullied at school and terrorised at home’ and the probable offenders responsible for the bullying, ‘a mob of youths’. Also, the Guardian shows the bigger picture as they raise social issues. The newspapers contain photographs of both Kelly and her mother, Julie. In the Daily Star, one of the photographs of Kelly is in juxtaposition with the headline; it is in a block and is as large as the text. This has causes great effect and impact because she looks like a vulnerable victim and it shows who the article is about which induces empathy from the reader. The two photographs of Kelly, one in each newspaper, are visibly presenting her at different ages. In the Daily Star Kelly looks younger, she is also wearing her Salvation Army uniform, this is to illustrate that she was an innocent young girl who looks very vulnerable. The Daily Star used this photograph because it is more personal. Also, Julie, Kelly’s mother, looks distraught in both articles; this demonstrates the impact of her daughter’s premature death. In the Guardian there is a picture of Kelly’s mother, Julie, standing outside their home, it is much larger than the one in the Daily Star and is larger than the text. This photograph is used to illustrate their family home and show that they were just an average family. Julie looks distressed in this photograph but not as much as the one in the Daily Star. They live in a council house and people associate council houses with rough neighbourhoods. In the Guardian the photo of Kelly’s mother is less dramatic than the one in the Daily Star. This is because the Daily Star is a sensational newspaper, they would have had a range of photographs to choose from and they decided to choose these specific ones to match the style of the paper. The Guardian takes a less emotive approach because it is impersonal and wants to remain neutral. The captions are longer in the Guardian whereas in the Daily Star they are shorter and the word ‘tearful’ is used to emphasise her mother’s intense grief. The fonts are different in both articles, the Guardian is written in the same font throughout, with no sub-headings, whereas the Daily Star has one sub-heading, ‘Hounded’, which is written in bold and in a different font to make it stand out and separate the quotations. The word ‘Hounded’ implies a chase and is metaphorical in the respect that it shows that she was bullied. Only two conversations are in bold and italic in the Daily Star. These two quotes’ are in bold because they are the most dramatic this is due to the fact that the newspaper wanted to highlight these quotations because they were from Kelly’s family, so they are focusing on the family’s emotions in order to create a sensational approach to the story. The Daily Star mainly consists of quotations and conversations to be evidence for the reader to how people are feeling to gain their sympathy. The quotations in the Daily Star are heart felt. â€Å"My daughter has been hounded to death. I don’t know why they did such things†. By using the word ‘hounded’, Kelly’s father is implying that his daughter was pursued and harassed. The article is comprised of mainly quotations from family members, so the reader can see how they have had to cope with the loss of their daughter, and so they are sympathetic. The quotes are melodramatic. â€Å"I’ve had enough of this. I’m going to take an overdose†. Kelly said this to her mother. The Daily Star concentrates on the attack and the suicide and has used these quotations from family members to create a sensational account. The Guardian only has a few quotes of family members and a great deal from outside agencies. Also, they are not as sympathetic but more forthright. â€Å"This is unacceptable. They should make sure children are safe-how many more must we lose as a result [of bullying]? † This is a quotation from Pauline Hasler, director of the Anti-Bullying Campaign. This is included in the article because the Guardian is impersonal as it just wants to remain mutual. Although in the Guardian, one quotation from Kelly’s father Ivan, shows strong emotion. â€Å"She was a bubbly, charming little angel who would do anything for anybody and I have lost her†. This serves to remind the reader that she was only a little girl whose life was curtailed. The Guardian has included this quotation to show the seriousness of this issue and they have done so by using an emotive quotation. The Guardian tends to concentrate on the broader issues such as why Kelly was being bullied and what was being done by various agencies to resolve it leading up to her death. This is because the Guardian is unprejudiced and more formal. Derby City Council was due to meet the family and the police had been called out on several occasions. â€Å"We were made aware of one incident that occurred on Friday and were intending to go round and see members of the family today†. The Daily Star revolves more around the issue that she was ‘driven to kill herself’, and not what was going on in Kelly’s life before she ended it. In this case the journalist of the Daily Star focuses on the attack of the house and the suicide, which are both dramatic events. The Daily Star concentrates more on the opinions of the family, which is shown in the use of quotations. The quotations are used to have an impact on the reader. The Guardian takes a more factual approach, telling the reader the events of Kelly’s life which may help to understand why she may have killed herself and raising issues for debate concerning the circumstances of her suicide such as whether or not she really was driven to kill herself and whether that can be classed as murder. The language used in both papers differs extremely. In the Guardian the sentences are longer and the language is complicated. Some emotive words, such as, ‘terrorised and ‘taunted’ are used to gain sympathy from the reader, as it shows how she was separated out and that it was persistent. â€Å"In the latest incident eggs, flour and butter were hurled at the house and abuse shouted at Kelly as she watched from an upstairs window†. The emotive word in this sentence is ‘hurled’. It emphasises the malicious intention behind the attack and is more effective than using the word ‘throwing’. It suggests it was thrown with force and purpose. The preposition in this quote ‘at’ stresses violence as opposed to being gentle. They also interview Kelly’s head teacher and the re-housing council in the Guardian. Their words speak of Kelly as a person and her ability. The Daily Star is full of emotive words; this is because it is an opinionative article. â€Å"Her distraught dad found the tragic 13 year-old dead in her bedroom when he went to wake her for school at 7. 50am†. ‘Distraught’ shows the father’s pain and suffering; ‘tragic’ conveys a terrible image and has a severe impact on the reader. These are just a few examples but the Daily Star has plenty more. The sentence structure in the Guardian is complex. â€Å"Pauline Hasler, director of the Anti-Bullying Campaign, which was formed in 1985, said many schools did not take a hard enough line against bullying†. This is classified as a complex sentence. The subject throughout this sentence is Anti-Bullying; there are two objects, Pauline Hasler and schools in general. Punctuation joins three short statements together to form this complex sentence, whereas, the Daily Star tends to rely on simple sentences. â€Å"My daughter has been hounded to death. † It is simple but striking. It is simple because it contains a subject a verb and an object. Another example of a simple sentence is â€Å"Manslaughter charges could be brought if it is believed she was driven to kill herself†. The Guardian appeals to the more educated person with a better command of the English language, as it is a broadsheet newspaper. The vocabulary and style of language is more complex than a tabloid newspaper. The two newspapers are to suit different audiences and that is shown in the amount of fact and opinion in each article. The Daily Star is based on opinion whereas the Guardian takes a more factual approach. Although, they both try to grab the attention and sympathy from the reader. The Daily Star does this more successfully than the Guardian, the qualities of which lie in it’s broader range of facts and interviews with outside agencies which raise important issues beyond the immediate story of the suicide. Overall there is an element of class distinction which is related to the reader and their intellectual capability.

Mark Twain the Mirror of America Essay

Mark Twain who is well known for his master-pieces like Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, in which he used his extraordinary writing techniques thus combining rich humor, sturdy narrative and social criticism, plays a vital role in the history of American Literature. The reason why the author regarded him as a mirror of America was not only because of the true and vivid description and representation in his pieces, but for his extensive and abound life experience, including various people he had met on the steamboat, things he had heard during his early life. In the text, the writer used a word ‘cosmic’ to describe the wide range of people Mark Twain met on the steamboat. As for the theme of the text, from the steamboat on the Mississippi to the development of railway later, from the gold rush to the civil war, the writer has grabbed the trace of Mark Twain’s life experience and connect it to big transitions of American society at the same period of time. As a young country, America has witnessed several events that are powerful enough to leave significant influence to the development of the country. Mark got involved in them and created them in his books. Look more:Â  mark twain satire essay When read his works, we can review the history of that period at the same time. Through various occupations Mark Twain had engaged, he accumulated a rich knowledge of the society, which later lively reappeared on the pages of his works. I doubt that if hadn’t been for the abundant personal experience, there couldn’t be a perfect Mark Twain. Quite coincidently Moyan who have just the Nobel Prize in literature also mentioned in his banquet speech that his childhood experience out of school had played a vital role in his works, many characters including himself had been crafted in artistic ways. We can see how important the early experience plays in the creating of literature. In a nut shell, the first part of the text’s theme is that Mark’s life experiences and works are a reflection of American society at that time Besides the colorful experience of Mark Twain, the duel character of him are also worth talking about, since the great master is famous for his humor and criticism, people may regard him as the same sort of person, with humor or sometimes with a bit of sarcasm, however, the fact is widely divergent, if we reflect the overview of his family, only three of his brothers and isters survived from tragedies, which would leave an indelible impression on Mark Twain. What we do not often see is the cynical, bitter and unhappy side of him. The structure of the text is rather easy, with 22 paragraphs mainly divided into 4 parts. The first part consist only one paragraph, which serves as a general introduction to the text, through which we will have a glimpse of the great master of American literature who has both positive and negative character. The next six paragraphs depict the life routine of Mark Twain,in which he witnessed the development of the new country. The next 11 paragraphs focused on the reason why Mark turned his attention to writing, and it’s from writing rather that chasing the gold that made his name all around the world. The final part works in concert with the first paragraph, mention the reason why Mark Twain has another side of bitterness and cynical. In conclusion, this passage gives us a brief introduction of Mark Twain’s life routine and an unknown dark side of his character. And from the master’s life routine, reflects the history of America.

History, The Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 Essay

History, The Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 - Essay Example Nicolson, who was a member of the British delegation to the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, offers an important view of the peace process that resulted in the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919. Significantly, the author deals with the transitional phase between pre-war and post-war diplomacy and throws some light on the Paris Peace Conference. In the book, Nicolson presents his theses in the background of his memory concerning those congested days and offers a convincing explanation of the major consequences of the peace treaty. His main thesis of the book is that â€Å"Given the atmosphere of the time, given the passions aroused in all democracies by four years of war, it would have been impossible even for supermen to devise a peace of moderation and righteousness†¦ All that I hope to suggest is that human error is a permanent and not a periodic factor in history, and that future negotiators will be exposed, however noble their intentions, to futilities of intention and omissio n as grave as any which characterized the Council Five.† (Nicolson, 2001. P. 7-8). Therefore, the recollections of the British diplomat Nicolson in the form of the book Peacemaking 1919 has great relevance in realizing the consequences of the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919. Similarly, the legendary economist of the 20th century, Maynard John Keynes, offers an essential treatise of social science in the book The Economic Consequences of the Peace. This paper makes a reflective exploration of these two important books about the Versailles Peace Treaty of 1919 in order to summarize the major arguments of the works, placing the works within the historical context of the period in which they were written. The Economic Consequences of the Peace by the legendary economist John Maynard Keynes is generally regarded as the most influential social science treatise of the 20th century, and this

How to contribute to a community of difference and being a global (See Essay

How to contribute to a community of difference and being a global (See Guideline) - Essay Example As a means of this reality, it is incumbent upon the individual who wishes to integrate key level of change to understand that such a level of change does not only impact upon their own local community, it has global impacts in ramifications. In such a way, this brief analysis will discuss some of the key ways in which an individual can interact with different people, cultures, politics, and/or ideas as a means of effecting positive and lasting difference within the global environment. Furthermore, if brief discussion of what it means to be a global citizen in some of the ethical constraints that that’s necessarily entails will also be discussed. One of the most important means of contributing to a lasting degree of change and difference within the world is perhaps with regards to the video featuring Sir Ken Robinson available from TED. Although the video in question was specifically interested in education and the means by which future generations are being prepared for the c hallenges that await them, the reality of the fact is that this subject matter is applicable to all individuals (Garr et al, 2012). Ultimately, as a means of making sense of an increasingly complex world in which fewer and fewer elements of knowledge can be obtained and leveraged by anyone individual, society and the education system as a whole have sought to limit and ultimately constrain the extent to which individuals are exposed to certain ideas and/or types of education. However, such an approach is damaging due to the fact that it restricts the potential that the creative young minds could bring to a world that they might otherwise engage with a more complete approach. In short, although the impacts upon students are most definitive, such a faulty approach also impacts upon adults due to the fact that encourages each and every member of society to limit and constrain their worldview into a shallow rather presumptuous model of limited understanding. Similarly, another means by which the global citizen and seek to integrate change of a systemic level is with regards to the level and extent to which he/she understands the far-reaching replications of choices and models by which they ascribe to follow. What is meant by this is the fact that an appreciation for culture and key differences with regards to individual backgrounds and ethnicities is necessary for any change model to work effectively (Hornstein, 2012). As a corollary, the reader can easily understand the situation in which a simplistic model of changes advocated however, it is completely and entirely unsuited to key realities that exist in different parts of the world, different religions, different political associations, or different ethnicities/racial backgrounds. As a means of being mindful of such a reality, it is necessary for the global citizen/individual agent of change to perennially be mindful of the means by which such realities can impact upon their decision and framework. Finally, it must be understood that due to the fact that so many issues face the current generation means by which change can and should

SAM 400 UNIT 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

SAM 400 UNIT 2 - Essay Example They have acquired a self regulatory type of focus to help develop their behavior and motivations as well. Motivation can also be achieved through a simple gesture of employee recognition. This is in line with awarding what an employee has achieved as it works to boost his or her self esteem. The American work force is made up of people from various walks of life. Its diversity is notable. With this in mind, it is necessary to consider the interpersonal relationships within the working environment. An organization can only do well if at all every employee, irrespective of their affiliations and backgrounds, is working towards achieving a similar objective. This is an aspect of cohesion such that a good leader will work on harmony, cohesion and unity in the workplace. Technological advancement is a force to reckon with in any given organization. Those who have embraced it have reaped its benefits with respect to levels of motivation that can be inspired within an organization. America has embraced technology and therefore incorporated the various related aspects to ensure efficiency in the operation of the organizations. In this case, technological events have played a key role to influence current attitudes of leadership (Mind-tools.com, 1). In America, people are aware of their rights. It is evident how the issue of equality has taken centre stage in many heated debates. Minority groups such as women, children and the gay, too have their rights that should be equally respected. These groups are known to play one part or another in various organizations. Currently, a leader has to be very sensitive to such issues in order to realize efficiency within the organization. In conclusion, leadership styles have transformed from one level to another. This is necessary to keep up with the dynamic nature of the world. Adaption ensures that a leader is on the leading edge rather than a trailing edge. Kark, Ronit and Dijk Van Dina. â€Å"Motivation to Lead,

Allocating Fixed Costs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Allocating Fixed Costs - Essay Example Activity Based Management is basically the use of such ABC system towards improving strategic decisions and efficiency. It further uses the ABC information to choose between products and analyze the activities that need to be employed in order to get those products manufactured. The focus is mainly towards identifying using those activities which add value. DHL is one of the earliest implementer of the ABC and the ABM system. DHL is a German logistics company known for its expertise in providing international express mail services. It is considered to be a World market leader in providing such mail services both via sea and air. The company is also popular for its mailing services with respect to heavy weight goods delivery. DHL, in 1990s, applied the ABC and the ABM model to identify non-value activities because as it was experiencing falling margins. DHL discovered that the main cause of the de-escalating margins were mainly because of the product, destination and the customer mixes. Following the implementation of the ABC and the ABM technique, which helped the company understand the margins, DHL designed a new pricing strategy which was globally accredited and adopted by various companies (Hilton, 2007). Just-in-time (JIT) is a technique initially employed by the Japanese in order to gain efficiency within the production by minimizing the storage costs of the inventory needed for the production of the goods. The main benefit of implementing the JIT system is that it helps in reducing the costs of production for a company and hence a company gains huge margins by saving from the inventory costs that are not incurred. The basic feature of TQM is to prevent errors before they actually appear and avoid any wastage. Besides this, the focus is towards the continual improvement of the organization rather than just implementing the

Influences in Conference and Banqueting industry Assignment

Influences in Conference and Banqueting industry - Assignment Example The paper tells that hospitality industry encompasses the establishments that provide accommodation, meals, drinks, conferencing services among other related services. The hospitality industry provides two major services, which are the overnight accommodation and sustenance for people. The UK tourism industry has recorded tremendous growth over the years, and even during the recession, the industry continued to expand. In 2010 July, the amount spent overseas visitors was  £1.96b, which represented a 15.9% rise as compared to the 2009 value of  £1.69b. This shows how the industry has potential for growth. Therefore, hospitality industry contributes significantly to the economy and employs millions of people. Conference and banqueting is one of the fields under the hospitality industry. This field provides conferencing activities to several people including local residents to international tourists. Banqueting is currently a lucrative business especially with the growth of conferen cing facilities. Banqueting refers to the act of serving food and beverage to a group of individuals eating together, for example, in cerebration or conference. It is a highly profitable venture, and as such, most facilities in the hospitality industry have incorporated it in their services. The hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing industries, and indeed, the largest in the world. In the UK, this industry makes up a significant part of the economy, with its over 50, 000 guest houses and hotels and an annual turnover of  £ 50 billion. In addition, the industry employs over 1.7 million workforce. (British Hospitality Association, 2008). This industry is large and wide, and ranks third among the top sectors that provide employment. The industry is diverse due to ownership, innovation, grading system and classification, leisure facilities, level of service and future trends. Narrowing down, the conference and banqueting industry contributes ? 18.8 billion to the economy of UK according to the UK Events Market Trends Survey results. The business prospect of this industry increases annually, thus, it has attracted many investors especially during the preparation for the 2012 Olympics. Currently, the industry does not only provide meeting and food services, but there are additional services such as shops, nightclubs, hair and beauty salons, internet, gymnasium, shops, and laundry services. Conferencing services are mostly for business people whom after the meetings would prefer to have a little leisure and relaxation. Thus, the conference and banqueting industry has included the mentioned services to ensure that the guests do not leave the premises to go and look for leisure activities elsewhere. Research reveals that most hotels have special facilities in built for conference and banqueting events, as it has emerged a very profitable business area. An example of hotel or hospitality provider that has excelled in the area of conference and banqueting is the Villa Park or Aston Villa. The hotel that offers hospitality and events services emerged the best in the category of ‘Best UK Unusual Events’ during the prestigious M&IT Awards. Apart from excellent services, Villa Park is located centrally less than two miles from the M6, and offers spacious free car parking spaces, which makes it a perfect venue to host events. Another example of facility that offers good conference and banqueting services is The Royal Over-Seas League, which is a Private Members’ club that offers unique services for all kinds of occasions. Referred to as ROSL in short, the facility has eclectic collection of events and meeting rooms, as well as styles and designs that offers exquisite views of various places. Factors that have

Translate Niches or Gaps Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Translate Niches or Gaps - Assignment Example The topic of the study is, â€Å"Impact of the internet on information literacy and library skills.† There is no doubt that numerous studies have been conducted on the same topic. It is also true that with the introduction, development, and advancements of the internet, information literacy and library skills have tremendously improved. In the contemporary society, studies are now able to develop their research methods and achieve a good sense of plagiarism through specific software (Correia & Teixeira, 2003). In addition, there is an extensive use of web 2.0 applications as well as search engines such as the Wikipedia and Google that has enabled students and other stakeholders to increase their information literacy and library skills (Correia & Teixeira, 2003). Indisputably, the internet has had a major impact on information literacy and library skills within the contemporary environment. Despite earlier studies and researches on the impact of the internet on education, very little has been done on specific items such as information literacy and library skills. Most previous studies and researchers have only been able to generalize the impact of the internet on education and probably acquisition of information. Specific skills such as library and information literacy have rarely been studies. Even in the few cases that such studies have been conducted, the research is not intensive and extensive. In this respect this research aims at finding out more about the specific impact of the internet. The specific impact of the internet to be addressed in this paper includes the information literacy and the library skills. Even though many researches and studies have been carried out on the impact of the internet on broad perspectives such as education, it is still evident that new advancements and developments arise within the internet. There are numerous dynamics still being experienced within the concepts of the

Learning Experience for Personal Trainer Certification Essay - 4

Learning Experience for Personal Trainer Certification - Essay Example etyl Glucosamine, N-Acetyl, L-Cysteine, Phosphatidyl, Choline Phosphatidyl Serine, Piperine, Policosanol, Resveratrol, RNA (Ribonucleic Acid), Rutin, SAMe, TMG (Trimethyl Glycine) Immunity Stimulating Blend: Aloe Vera, Polysaccharides, Beta 1,3-Glucan,Tea Polysaccharides, Herbal Extracts: Alfalfa Extract, Bacopa Extract, Bilberry Extract, Black Cumin Extract, Ginger Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Extract, Grape Seed Extract, Green Tea Extract, Myrrh Extract, Olive Leaf Extract, Pine Bark Extract, Silymarin (Milk Thistle) Extract, Turmeric Extract. Vitamins: Vitamin A (Palmitate/Beta Carotene), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide),Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine HCL), Vitamin B12, Biotin, Folic Acid, Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid/Activated C), Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol), Vitamin E (d-a-tocopheryl Acetate), Vitamin K (Phytonadione). Macro and Micro Minerals: Calcium (Gluconate & Amino Acid Chelate), Chromium (Chloride), Copper (Sulfate), Magnesium (Aspertate), Manganese (Chloride), Potassium (Citrate), Selenium (Sodium Selenate), Silica (Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) Extract), Zinc (Gluconate). While Xtend-life has several versions of its product to cater the different segments of market, second brand has positioned them for all-in-one as they claim to have all possible ingredient in their

Women’s Movement 1848-1970’s Essay Example for Free

Women’s Movement 1848-1970’s Essay Women have been â€Å"pushing† for equal rights, for a countless amount of time. Even before the United States â€Å"broke-free† of Great Britain, women have been trying to â€Å"gain† the equivalent rights granted to men. This essay focuses upon the women’s advancement for equal rights in the United States starting from the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, thru the 1970s.The Seneca Falls Convention (July 19-20, 1848) is known as the first Women’s Rights Convention to have ever taken place. This convention was organized by Women’s Rights Activists (as well as Antislavery activists) Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott. According to Stanton, the ultimate goal of this convention was to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and right[s] of woman. Neither Mott nor Stanton expected the ‘rally’ to have many visitors, however they were completely wrong. Their convention surprisingly had over 300 supporters. This proved that it was a highly valued topic amongst women in the United States. The Seneca Falls Convention marked the beginning of women organizing to ‘fight’ for their own rights / personal liberty. Two (2) years after the convention in 1850 the second women’s movement convention was held in Salem, Ohio, and 1850 was also the year for the first national women’s right convention which was held in Worcester, Massachusetts. Similar conventions regarding the women’s movement were held annually up to the Civil War Era. During the Civil War, many women’s rights conventions and activists put aside their movement to assist in the war effort. Many women took over the male’s role in society, while they were off fighting in the Civil War. After the war, while the United States was undergoing a period of reformation, Women begin to start organizing conventions, as they did before the war, and in 1867, Susan B. Anthony formed the Equal Rights Association, which worked for universal suffrage. This marks the time period when women began to push for women’s suffrage-the right to vote. Shortly after the establishment of the Equal Rights Association, the fourteenth amendment was ratified, and the fifteenth amendment passed Congress, giving the right to vote to black men. Women petitioned to be included but are ultimately turned down. The New England Woman Suffrage Association was formed (1868). In 1869, Women’s Rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton forms, and leads the National Woman Suffrage Association. Women finally begin to succeed with their suffrage movement when Wyoming Territory grants women’s suffrage, and allows women to hold elected positions. As time continued, it became increasingly harder for women to voice their concerns, mainly because males began to fight back. An example of this is the National Anti-Suffrage Association formed in 1871, or the multiple arrests, and imprisonment of women’s rights activists. Despite these hard times, women began to gradually move forward with their protests. Several laws and governmental programs assisted the women’s movement, and many controversial federal policies were either ratified, or became a decision on a local scale. The major component women’s movement, the suffrage movement came to an end August 18, 1920 with the passage of the 19th amendment which granted suffrage to women. Women strongly pushed for more equivalent rights, until the 1970s when legally declared equal, when all the U.S. amendments were finally to apply to all citizens, which included women. In conclusion, the woman’s movement was a slow and painful, but greatly appreciated movement which clearly showed off what freedom allows us to do. Gradually through time, as outlined in this essay, women were able to freely organize, gather, and protest / push for their voices to be heard. In doing so, Activists such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B. Anthony fixed some major flaws with the ‘law of the land’, and because of them, the praise ‘All men and women are created equal’, has moved from being fiction, to becoming and remaining fact.

Symbolic Interactionism Essay Example for Free

Symbolic Interactionism Essay Living in the modern feverish world with its unprecedented level of change which is generating new developments in social, political, cultural, technological, and other spheres of our life, one may easily become engulfed by the dynamics of our social environment but remain ignorant of the actual mechanisms and hidden driving forces behind social processes. In their turn, various branches of social science have never abandoned attempts to establish and elaborate proper accounts that would explain how societies function, and what laws govern them. This ambitious task is on one hand made more difficult by the mentioned ever accelerating dynamics of our modern social environment, as the rapid pace of changes produces new phenomena that social theories must accommodate or be amended. On the other hand, the modern dynamic world serves as a kind of a laboratory that can test the validity of some fundamental and influential theoretical perspectives. One such major school of sociology is symbolic interactionism, the theoretical perspective which suggests that attention to the subjective aspects of social relationships is necessary to understand that people are pragmatic players who have to correlate their actions with behaviour of other people, and that such adjustment is done through assignation to our actions, actions of other people, and even to ourselves of symbolic meaning that influences not only our behaviour and attitudes but existing social structures as well (Gingrich, 2000). However, despite the firm place that this perspective holds in the field of social sciences, it has been suggested that explanations that symbolic interactionism gives for the influence of social structures on behaviour and attitudes are unconvincing. In this regard, let us take a closer look at the basic postulates of symbolic interactionism, and try to find out whether it indeed is incapable of proving itself out. For this purpose we should establish in what ways social structures can influence our behaviour and attitudes from the point of view of symbolic interactionism, and then critically examine whether symbolic interactionist’s explanations are always adequate. Symbolic interactionism has a long history of development that can be traced to the German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920), and to the American scholar George H. Mead (1863-1931). Both of them accentuated the importance of pragmatism as the factor that influences social processes, and of subjective meanings ascribed to social processes and human behaviour. In 1902 Charles Cooley (1864-1929) detailed the way people tend to perceive themselves, and introduced the concept of the looking glass self under which people construct self-images as if through eyes of others. In 1934 George H. Mead in frames of his investigation of deviance proposed a theory that was focused on processes of differentiation of the conventional and denounced behaviour. One of the important conclusions of Mead was that our self-perception is always placed in the larger social context, and that the self has to be treated as the product of processing of social interactions and symbols by an individual mind (Denzin, 1992, pp.2-21). In fact, the further studies of deviance greatly contributed to the development of symbolic interactionism. For example, another influential social theorist Howard Becker (born 1928) also elaborated the view of deviance as of not merely some type of behaviour, but as of a product of social interaction. Becker criticised theories of deviance that conformed to the commonly accepted values, and pointed out that it was not that crucial to examine concrete individual deviant actions because deviance is only a behaviour that breaks rules and leads to the attachment of labels by opinions of the majority (Becker, 1997). Finally, the very term symbolic interactionism was introduced by Herbert Blumer (1900-1987), who also formulated one of leading versions of this perspective (Gingrich, 2000). In general terms, symbolic interactionists are devoted to microsociology and mostly explore interpersonal everyday interaction. The symbolic interactionist perspective is concerned with the task to understand how people behave individually, and how they influence one another in the social environment. Naturally, for this perspective macro elements of society like government and the economy are not interesting. For interactionists, their attention to the interaction of individuals and groups is the tool to obtain new useful perspectives, to confirm or disprove expectations, and to define the boundaries of that pertaining to an individual and to a group. Simply put, this sociological perspective, in contrast to macro perspectives, analyses societies from bottom up, as for it society emerges out of interaction between individuals and small groups, which makes society inherently dynamic and constantly changing. Thus, for the interactionist perspective it is constant change, instead of fixed patterns, that defines the true nature of society, and these are acting people who constitute the true social basis. All other formations present in societies are simply human creations that emerge out of the mentioned interaction. What adds dynamics to this perspective is the ensuing conclusion that society is actually permanently being re-created, which makes symbolic interactionist perspective indeterministic. In many cases interaction that is interesting for symbolic interactionists is occurring in the so-called reference groups – various professional organisations, like for example doctors or teachers, groups based on friendship, groups united by education, groups formed within communities we live in, etc. While some groups are more cohesive, and others do not last long, dynamics and change that emerge when people communicate is what is common between them. When taken together, such reference groups represent society. In this connection, a branch of symbolic interactionism termed ethnomethodology raises a relevant question of how it is possible that interaction between people, who do not always have a complete understanding of each other and who have different world views, can produce what is seen as a social order. Harold Garfinkel highlighted problems that ethnomethodology deals with by conducting series of the so-called breaching experiments, when students, among other things, were for instance trying to essentially prevent the possibility of maintenance of common conversations as they refused to accept as fact that they could be sure that they understood what their conversational partners were saying (Garfinkel, 1985, pp.35-75). This demonstrates that what is normally viewed as a routine social procedure of communication is based on sets of social instructions that govern our behaviour, and that violation of such rules may break social order and prevent meaningful interaction between people. Considering the interest of symbolic interactionists in immediate communication, in their investigations they favour the methodology of participant observation instead of traditional sociological surveys. They believe that to properly comprehend actions of people and of social situations it is necessary to get immersed as much as possible in lives of subjects of studies. On ground of what we have observed, it is not surprising then that the notion of symbolic interaction holds a very important place within the field of social sciences because it draws our attention to the fact that the interaction between people and groups takes place via symbols and symbolic representations of social reality. In fact, what forms the basis of symbolic interactionism is the concept of symbol. In this case symbol can be defined as something that can properly represent some other element of reality. In this way, symbolic interactionist perspective introduces into the social life a set of widely spread conventional traditions and customs, and thus deals not only with the immediate interaction between people and groups, but at the same time studies common meanings that people instill in society as they interact. Therefore, one of the key features of symbolic interactionism is its interpretation of social structures, which in the general sense can be defined as social formations and groups that stand in a certain relation to each other, as growing out of the symbolic perception of reality by human beings. The importance of this quality of human interaction is hard to overestimate, as symbolic part of social life often substitutes reality, as exemplified by an observation of W. I. Thomas that if people define situations as real, then consequences of those situations are real (Denzin, 1992, pp.16,18). And as Erving Goffman (1922-1982) put it, there can be no ultimate truth but only its interpretations. Goffman also viewed humans as actors, thus turning the adoption of social roles into a principal means of symbolic interaction between people that enables us to share alternative perspectives and understand how our actions might be construed by other actors in our field of communication. This justifies Goffman`s view of society as an inhomogeneous theatre-like formation in which we have to behave differently in different situations, so that there is no one grand context that society is placed in, but a lot of specific contexts (Goffman, 2004, pp.238-252). Now, I believe that our above considerations should somewhat change our perception of possible accusations of symbolic interactionism in its inability to provide a convincing explanation of the influence of social structures on behaviour and attitudes. Indeed, as long as we agree that it is the propensity of human beings to attachment of widely accepted symbolic meanings not only to material object but as well to patterns of social behaviour that underlies social structures which are being constantly recreated from bottom up, then symbolic interactionism is clearly a perspective that seems to confirm on the micro level the existence of inseparable link between social structures and behaviour of people. In fact, it places actions of human agents prior to formation of social structures, and is mostly focused on the influence of the immediate interaction between people on larger social formations that emerge from it. Thus, this perspective tips the scale of macro-micro opposition in soc ial sciences towards the micro sociological methodologies. However, if we agree with Goffman`s comparison of society with a theatre, we should also not forget that as there is something behind the scene there equally is a larger context behind symbolic interaction between people. So, symbolic interactionism may be rightfully accused in overemphasising subjective factor, which deprives this perspective of the traditional methodological strictness of social sciences. Moreover, the ascription of pragmatic, and hence rational, qualities to human actors by symbolic interactionism cannot fully interpret new developments that open possibilities for conflicts. For instance, culture shocks that happen in the modern globalised world demonstrate that there are incompatible elements of social and cultural structures symbolically transmitted by each participant of intercultural communication that interfere into the face-to-face communication between people and shape its patterns, but which can be rationally modified by communicating pragmatic agents only to a limited degree. This observation may be construed as demanding the return of social studies to macrosociological theories as in this case the problem is not only to explain how social structures are re-created in symbolic interaction, but what types of symbols and social and cultural structures that correspond to them interacting agents should make sense of in the first place to be able to interact effectively at all (Ward, 2001, pp.61-63), which commands the reversal of the direction of symbolic interactionism`s research from bottom up. Still, I suppose that even though the doubts about the persuasiveness of symbolic interactionism`s explanation cannot be completely disproved, this perspective is very effective within its realm of microsociological studies, so all the difficulties that symbolic interactionism experiences may be attributed to the difficulties in bridging the conceptual gap between micro and macro views of society. Finally, coming back to the mentioned dynamics of social environment that has become the hallmark of modernity, the attention that symbolic interactionism pays to change as an inevitable and natural consequence of interaction between agents within societies, in any case makes this perspective especially urgent for our better understanding of the complex social world we live in. Sources Becker, H., S., (1997), Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Free Press Blumer, H., (1986). Symbolic Interactionism: Perspective and Method, University of California Press Denzin, N., K., (1992), Symbolic Interactionism and Cultural Studies: The Politics of Interpretation, Blackwell Publishers Garfinkel, H., (1985), Studies in Ethnomethodology, Polity Press Gingrich, P., (2000), â€Å"Symbolic Interactionism†, University of Regina Department of Sociology and Social Studies, viewed 11 May, 2006, http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/f10 0.htm. Goffman, E., (2004), The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Gardners Books Ward, C., (2001), Psychology of Culture Shock, Routledge

Impact of Leadership Development in Healthcare

Impact of Leadership Development in Healthcare A crucial factor dominating health organisations in NSW, Australia and the world has been identified as patient safety and quality of care. Literature indicates that in order to achieve these objectives, there is need for effective clinical leadership to occur. This essay will discuss and analyse the impact of leadership development, with a focus on transformational leadership and related matters, on both the individual and health care. To understand how and why leadership in health care emerged as a necessity to avoid failure in health care, it is important to consider the Garling Report (2008) and the Mid Staffordshire Report (2013), of which both provided a multitude of recommendations for NSW and British public hospitals, following an inquiry into their systems after a number of high profile incidents which brought into question patient safety and quality of care. Garling SC (2008) and Francis QC (2013) both identified that in order to overcome these endemic issues, it is necessary to make a widespread cultural change within the public hospital system and as part of that process, it is imperative to engage frontline clinicians in ongoing leadership education and training. Garling SC (2008) also indicated the need to reform and redesign traditional leadership models in order to improve the delivery of health care, which is increasingly reliant on effective clinical leadership at all levels. Focus should be on creating an inter-disciplinary team approach to patient care, which according to evidence, produces the greatest possible outcomes (Garling SC 2008). This aims to continuously provide the best level of patient-based care and patient safety. Having considered why effective leadership emerged as a necessity, it is important to review the concept of leadership. It is an interactive relationship between the leader and followers (Kouzes and Posner 2012). For a culture shift towards a patient based care model to occur, leaders must effectively define, communicate and guide the vision for the organisation in order to ensure engagement at all levels Frampton et al. (as cited in Cliff 2012, p381). Effective leadership is vital for inspiring, engaging and motivating others to achieve greatness. Govier and Nash (2009), highlight that is through having a shared vision that moves people towards achieving the necessary common goal of providing safe and high quality health care, that leadership can occur at all levels. Covey 2006 (as cited in Govier and Nash 2009), indicated that in order to increase the effectiveness of management, leadership needs to come first. This therefore indicates the need for management and frontline clinicians to work together to tackle the many challenges that exist within health care. Furthermore, this is indicated by Vaill 1996 (as cited in Govier and Nash 2009) who argued that there is always a need for management in order to effectively run everyday procedures, however successful handling of the constant changes and instability, begins with effective leadership. As Kouzes and Posner (2012) suggest, to achieve this success, effective leaders must employ their Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, including; Model the Way, Inspire a Shared Vision, Challenge the Process, Enable Others to Act and Encourage the Heart. This incorporates leading by example, inspiring others through shared desires, making changes through risk taking and challenging oneself, whilst promoting an environment where team work, mutual respect and trust is exercised and where successes are celebrated. Personal experience suggests that through the variety of courses and workshops now offered via NSW health, the necessary ongoing education in leadership is occurring. As Health Workforce Australia (2013, p.4) prominently state ‘capable leadership, governance, and management are cornerstones of successful efforts to improve the quality of lives and to achieve the maximum impact from health investments’. Having worked the past three years within a team leader role in Occupational Therapy, continuous education has enabled successful running of a strong, caring, hard-working, energetic team, whose primary focus is on patient care and safety. After all, these are the core values of Occupational Therapy practice. Literature supports the ongoing education of leaders, as Kouzes and Posner (2012) state, leadership is a skill set obtainable by anyone. This is also consistent with Health Workforce Australia (2013) who highlights in their LEADS framework, that in order for successful improvement to occur and endure the ever-changing health care system, specific knowledge and skills are required to become an effective leader. As Covey 2006 (as cited in Govier and Nash 2009) emphasised, by employing a solid foundation of core values, incorporating trust, contribution, dignity, empowerment and growth, the ability to react and adjust appropriately to these changes is possible. Garling SC (2012) emphasises that by creating individual clinical leaders throughout the health care system, patient safety and quality health care will be continuously achieved. It is through the reflection, ongoing development and improvement of one’s self, that enables this leadership to begin occur (Kousez and Posner 2012; Health Workforce Australia 2013). Health Workforce Australia (2013) have created a model which encompasses the concepts of the transformational leadership theory whereby, once self-awareness and personal development is achieved, individual leaders within the organisation are able to engage others by sharing values, communicating openly and honestly, supporting other team members in growing and developing to continue to strengthen as a department, team and organisation. From here, leaders will work closely with colleagues and patients to ascertain, guide and set achievable goals that realise the shared vision. They will continue to evaluate outcomes, cele brating successes along the way. An environment fostering the awareness and need for positive changes will be promoted and encouraged, this in turn will continue to inspire others to achieve positive outcomes and best possible care for patients. The results of a study by Wylie and Gallagher (2009) around transformational leadership behaviours in allied health professionals revealed that one of the most significant influences on self-reported leadership behaviours is that of leadership training. Those who received training within the leadership area were able to score a significantly higher aggregated transformational leadership score, compared with those allied health professionals who had not. These results correspond with the findings of Kouzes and Posner (as cited in Wylie and Gallagher 2009), found that transformational leadership and self-awareness are more evident those who received leadership training. To best rise to the challenge and meet the recommendations of both inquiries, there is the need for implementation of not only leadership, but more specifically transformational leadership. This because, although over time there have been many other leadership theories, they have generally concentrated on what an effective leader is, rather than how to effectively lead (Armandi et al. 2003). Transformational leadership embodies the principles that are able to combat the instability and constantly changing environment in hospitals. Research by Halter and Bass (as cited in Armandi et al. 2003, p. 1079) and Weberg (2010), indicated that when transformational leadership is implemented within the health care setting, there is a positive impact on staff retention, job satisfaction, loyalty, burnout rates and overall staff well-being. From experience, this positive impact results in safer, improved patient care. This is supported in the article by Govier and Nash (2009), who reported that in large organisations such hospitals, there are increased levels of pressure on frontline staff to produce quality work and outcomes. If this occurs, stress levels and reduced performance also occurs and this leads to the potential harm of those being cared for. If leaders empower frontline clinicians and place ownership of care in their hands, then health care can be transformed from the bottom up, rather than top down, therefore meeting the recommendation of Garling SC (2008). Having previously worked closely with a manager and mentor, who embodied transformational leadership principles, had open, honest communication, trust and respect for all staff, this enabled both personal and professional growth, as well as positive development as a clinician and leader. As the article by Rolfe (2011) indicates, transformational leadership is a cyclical process whereby leaders empower their followers, which in turn fosters the growth and development of these followers into leaders themselves. Having experienced this first hand, it is safe to say that this enabled better leadership of the inpatient Occupational Therapy team, empowering and inspiring them to achieve positive improvements in patient care. Stepping into a team leader role three years ago was an enormous challenge. After gaining insight into recent times and history of the Occupational Therapy department, it was clear that instability, uncertainty and low morale had taken over. There had been a multitude of changes both within the hospital and wider organisation as well as within the department itself. Facing the challenge head on was the only way to make significant improvements. By closely building relationships with the individual team members and gaining an understanding into their driving forces, trust and mutual respect began to emerge. Through the implementation of a weekly inpatient team meeting, a structured environment was created to facilitate open communication and allow the discussion of complex cases and individual issues together in order to increase knowledge and solve problems as a team. This further instilled a sense of trust and confidence by showing commitment to self and the organisation, demonstrating strong open, honest communication skills and being supportive with a mentorship approach, with the main purpose of ensuring best possible care for patients. As Kouzes and Posner (2012) state that when a relationship is built on mutual respect and confidence, the greatest of difficulties can be overcome and a lasting impact remains. This is supported in the article by Govier and Nash (2009), who emphasise the importance of being a proactive leader, by solving problems with a positive approach, rather than reporting problems whilst others resolve them. They go on to say that leadership is then seen as a choice rather than a position and will therefore be focussed on ensuring that things get done in a positive way, therefore enhancing patient care. Based on experience with clinical supervision with junior staff, the traits of transformational leadership are also carried out. Regular supervision sessions with staff have enabled growth within the leadership area as well. It has enabled ongoing education and knowledge to be imparted on staff through discussion of their practices on the ward, with attention to solving complex issues and cases. Through the method of asking reflective, open-ended questions, it has empowered the team to review their own values and performance, which has resulted in an increase in staff engagement and a stronger sense of purpose, as a direct result of a leader investing in them. Evidence supports this, for instance Porter-O’Grady and Malloch (as cited in Weberg 2010 p. 246), report that transformational leaders are not only inspiring, however also assist their staff or followers to solve problems by assisting them to be aware of issues and develop the necessary means to overcome their difficulti es. Transformational leadership looks at the relationship between the leader and followers and states that when followers are able to have input into a team or organisational vision, there is an increase in their sense of value and hence this relationship is improved (Rolfe 2011, p. 55). From personal experience as a trained Essentials of Care facilitator, this is accurate. The process involved being trained in working with frontline staff to make the necessary changes to improve patient-based care. Through working closely with multi-disciplinary staff to review their personal and professional values, a shared values statement emerged. It is through this shared value and vision, that staff became empowered to start making frontline changes to improve patient care. Daft (as cited in Rolfe 2011, p. 55) stated that when staff feel empowered and have a sense of purpose, then the workplace environment becomes more positive, with increased motivation and job satisfaction. This then has a direc t impact on quality of patient-based care. From personal experience, being the representative for Occupational Therapy on the hospital falls advisory committee has demonstrated such leadership characteristics as leading by example and being a role model for other members of the department. This committee focusses directly on patient care and is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team who guide and lead the hospital in falls prevention best practice. It is through teamwork and shared leadership and expertise that successes are generated (Ward as cited in Rolfe 2011, p. 56). In summary, it can be seen that in order to achieve and maintain best possible patient-based care and safety, leadership must be developed throughout all areas of health care, focussing on frontline clinicians. It is through ongoing investment in training and education in the field of leadership that this can be accomplished. Through learning and practicing transformational leadership, staff at all levels are empowered, motivated and inspired to provide the best possible care for patients. This in turn has a positive impact, which affects individual staff, teams and organisations within health care and as a result, the quality of patient care. REFERENCE LIST Armandi, B, Oppedisano, J, Sherman, H 2003, ‘Leadership theory and practice: a â€Å"case† in point’, Management Decision, vol. 41, pp. 1076-1088. Cliff, B 2012, ‘Patient-Centered Care: The role of healthcare leadership’, Journal of Healthcare Management Nov/Dec, p. 381-383. Garling SC, P 2008, Final Report of the special commission of inquiry: Acute care services in NSW public hospitals, Overview, prepared for State of NSW, through the special commission of inquiry, NSW. Govier, I Nash, S 2009, ‘Examining transformational approaches to effective leadership in healthcare settings’, Nursing Times, vol. 105, no. 18, viewed 29 March 2014, http://www.nursingtimes.net Health Workforce Australia 2013, Health LEADS Australia: the Australian health leadership framework, Health Workforce Australia, Adelaide, SA. Kouzes, JM Posner, BZ 2012, The leadership challenge: how to make extraordinary things happen in organisations, 5th edn, Jossey-Bass, San Fransisco, CA. Rolfe, P 2011, ‘Transformational Leadership Theory: What every leader needs to know’, Nurse Leader, April, p. 54-57, viewed 29 March 2014, http://www.nurseleader.com Weberg, D 2010, ‘Transformational leadership and staff retention: An evidence review with implications for healthcare systems’, Nursing Administration Quarterly, vol. 34, pp. 246-258. Wylie, DA Gallagher, HL 2009, ‘Transformational leadership behaviors in allied health professionals’, Journal of Allied Health, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 65-73. Frances QC, R 2013, ‘Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry Report: Executive Summary’, Crown, The Stationery Office Limited, UK.

Synergy in Project Management :: Project Management

Project management synergy beyond traditional processes Abstract Project Management - The term that dictates the future of a project. A successful project owes all its credits to the Project Management and the evidence is obvious when the service (result of the project) meets all its expectations. Yet we have witnessed several projects failing even after having a plan in place, following the plan and meeting all the requirements. Why have these projects failed and what more is critical to the success of the project? All projects are conceived with a vision to satisfy certain needs of the business. Hence the beneficiary of these needs become key stakeholders. Appropriate participation of this key stakeholder in steering the project insures the success of the project. Also businesses are impacted by competition and changing market place resulting in skewed expectation management. Managing expectations enhances the success of the project immensely. Now, goal of the project plays a pivotal role and hence respecting it, is an important task, in project management. Governance in projects plays this role in guaranteeing the projects success. This is what I call Project Management Synergy beyond traditional processes. Introduction The connotation that has always been associated with Project Management is more like "€˜an inward focused activity". An assignment given by the customer has to be delivered in time and within cost constraints by working out permutations and combinations of resources across the phases of the project lifecycle. The execution has almost become a mechanical process of following and adhering to a set of predefined rules. What is missed out in the process is the main objective for which the project was conceived, the need, the business requirement. Business Improvement Architect's annual research of project managers at ProjectWorld 2005 in Toronto, Canada indicated that à ¢Ã‚€Â˜Training of Project Sponsors' fifty-eight percent (58%) as something that would benefit them most to improve their ability to manage a project. As well they said they would benefit from 'Communication Skills' (42%) and à ¢Ã‚€Â˜Leadership Skills' (36%). These knowledge areas have increased in importance over previous years. (Figure 1) Migrating from Crisis to Controlled environment is the need of this Era and it can be achieved by Synergistic Project Management. Several research studies indicate that organizations are in a crisis with respect to how projects are managed. The key factors contributing to this crisis that need to be managed is discussed in this paper. Figure 1 * Source  © Business Improvement Architects Stakeholders Participation Right from the initiation stage, a legal contract dominates the relationship between the customer and the vendor based on the terms and conditions.

Our Fear of Wolves :: essays research papers fc

Our Fear of Wolves Wolf! What is the first thought that enters one’s mind upon the utterance of that word? More than likely it is the image of a hairy, razor-sharp toothed beast awaiting the thrill of its next merciless kill. Unfortunately, this stereotypical image has been embalmed within the human psyche of the Western civilization for hundreds of years. Most have never even seen a wolf, yet human’s fear of the animal is seemingly as natural as being afraid of the dark. Might these fears be caused by the mind’s interpretation of the literature and stories that have been told over the centuries? For hundreds of years, the wolf has been greatly mischaracterized and it is time to put these out-dated notions to rest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Writings depicting wolves as evil creatures are present in every era of history and began very long ago. As far back as 500 BC, the Greek fabulist Aesop often used wolves as characters in his short stories that are today known as Aesop’s Fables. Colette Palamar, a researcher at the University of Idaho, indicates that the animal characters in the fables symbolically represent different values and attitudes, and Aesop uses them to deliver some type of ethical advice or moral (1). Unfortunately for the wolf, â€Å"In Aesop’s fables, we saw the wolf portrayed as a wild, boundless animal who is a conniving, tricky, sneaky thief and killer† (Palamar 3). Although the intent of his stories was to give people ethical advice, his goal was achieved at the expense of the wolf’s reputation and influenced people to believe that wolves were horrible creatures. The way that the wolf is portrayed in mythology and fairy tales effected people’s impression of the animals. R.D. Lawerence points out how Germanic Norse mythology tells the story an enormous wolf named Fenris, who was the first son of the satanic overlord Loki (122). The legend of Fenris states that, â€Å"[he] was so large that when he opened his mouth his jaws stretched from earth to heaven†(Todd 1). As the legend goes, he â€Å"devoured several hundred people before the gods were able to chain him.†(Lawerence 122) This 1000-year-old German legend tells us that the wolf eats people mercilessly and is a satanic offspring of the devil. Take also into consideration the widely popular fairy tale â€Å"Little Red Riding Hood.† R.D. Lawerence states that, â€Å"The story of Little Red Riding Hood perpetuates a number of myths about wolves†(120).

The Disproof (and Proof) Of Everything :: essays research papers

The Disproof (and proof) of Everything Since the beginning of time, men (I'm speaking of the human race, this is not sexist in anyway because women are included in this too) have pondered our existence and purpose, as well as the nature of the world we live in. This is perhaps the single most time consuming thought we ever have for most people live their entire lifetimes without finding the answer or even coming close to one. I myself have pondered this question for most of my life, until recently when I used some odd (but logical) logic to come up with a strange conclusion: Nothing exists, and everything exists, for everything is possible all at the same time. Now, by now the reader of this paper is thinking "How is this possible?" or "This guy should be locked up!". Therefore, I plan to explain how I reached this conclusion in this paper. However, I must give fair warning, that some of the logic I used is strange and complex. If you have any doubts about your mental health, or are unsure of your capacities and limitations in any way, please do not read this, or at least do not take it seriously. For those of you who feel you can handle this, read on. Now, let us start at the most logical place to begin, the beginning. What is reality? Well, there are many explanations and theories about this, but I based mine on what I can observe and how I perceive things as a whole. Reality, as we know it seems to be made up of various dimensions. Most people will say reality is three dimensional, but it's really more than that. Time is often considered a fourth dimension, and some people say that there are at least eight known dimensions, possibly as many as thirty. However, it will be easier to start with dimensions from the ground up. Let us start with zero dimensions. A zero dimensional reality is a point. It does not extend in any direction, it is one point, there are no alternatives at all. This is the only type of reality in which a "fact" as we know it really exists. It either is or it isn't. Now, try to imagine a line. Well, there are several types of lines. There are infinite lines, which extend in both directions forever, and lines with one limit, and lines with two limits. Infinity with limits is still infinity. Suppose the line is limited, and is a certain length, not extending forever. This is a one dimensional reality,

Mythology: Edith Hamilton Archetypes Essay

In the myth of Dionysus there isn’t exactly a conflict between two sides of people battling for good or evil, its more as a battle between the two sides of Dionysus’ inner self. Unlike most examples of good versus evil, there isn’t a triumphant side. Just the personality switches between Dionysus being the joy-god or the heartless, savage, brutal-god. The reason for this change is due to the fact that he is the vine god; Wine is bad as well as good. He’d bring up peoples hopes and make them believe that they were capable of anything, but once they were sober again or they became drunk, you could see his dark side begin to arise. The hopefulness would fade and then you could see the people transition into darkness. Symbolic Archetype: Water versus Desert In the story of Dionysus, there’s a part where he comes across a crew from a pirate ship in Greece by the sea. The sailors tried to capture him and saw him as a mortal, rather than the son of a god. In the end, Dionysus turned into a lion and turned all but one of the sailors into dolphins and sent them into the ocean. At this point in the story it shows the first glimpse at Dionysus’ ruthless side, almost as if they’re using this scene in the book at the birth of his â€Å"second side†, setting up the second view point of Dionysus’ personality for future conflicts. Character Archetype: The Outcast In the myth, Dionysus was born in Thebes, he was the son of Zeus and Theban princess Semele- he was the only god whose parents were not both immortal. Before Dionysus’ birth he was snatched from his mother and hidden by Zeus’ side, almost as if he was ashamed by Dionysus. Dionysus was passed from person to person, his mother, Zeus, Hermes, and then to the nymphs of Nysa to be raised. As he became a man, Dionysus became a wanderer, wandering far to weird and strange places. Throughout his life he was often shunned  because many didn’t see him to be as he was- a god. They treated him as a lesser being and in the majority of the myth he is set on proving that he is mighty and punishing those who face him with disbelief. Part Two: Stories of Love and Adventure Chosen Myth: Cupid and Psyche Situational Archetype: The Task Psyche was repeatedly put through seemingly impossible tests by Venus, such as sorting seeds, fetching golden wool, and going to the underworld to ask Proserpine for a box of her beauty. Venus put her through these unruly tasks in hopes to keep Psyche away from her son. But on the other hand, Psyche only completed these tasks due to the fact that she thought it would bring her to her love, Cupid. In the end, Cupid and Psyches love prevailed and Psyches ultimate goal of being with her husband was completed. Symbolic Archetype: Light versus Darkness The battle between light versus darkness can be seen when Psyche and Cupid are together in the cave with each other. Although to Cupid the darkness represented trust and faithfulness in his and Psyches relationship, to Psyche the darkness represented the unknown and fear of her husband being a serpent rather than the son of Venus. When Psyche was about to attack Cupid in the cave, she brought the factor of light into their relationship with the use of the candle. To Psyche, this use of light â€Å"confirmed her love† in the relationship, but also brought along the realization that she had upset Cupid with her lack of trust in the relationship. So all in all the battle of light versus darkness was really a battle of trust. Character Archetype: The Star-Crossed Lovers Unlike the play, Romeo and Juliet, Psyche and Cupid’s love affair didn’t end in tragedy, like the beginning of the myth would lead you to believe. In the myth, Venus’ followers began to shrink and more of the attention from her followers were focused upon Psyche because she was more beautiful than Venus. Venus ordered her son Cupid to make Psyche fall in love with pretty much a scumbag, but instead Cupid fell in love it Psyche. When they were  together Cupid hid himself from Psyche because he knew the repercussions that their love could have. They were two people destined to not be together with every obstacle in their way, but in the end they made it work. Part Three: The Great Heroes before the Trojan War Chosen Myth: Perseus Situational Archetype: Supernatural Intervention On Perseus’ journey for Medusa’s head it was very much expected that he would fail and die, which was Polydectes goal. But in the end he prevailed and completed the mission, due to the fact that he had the luck and support of the Gods on his side. Throughout his voyage he was aided by the support of Hermes and Athena. This can be seen in Perseus’ use of Athena’s shield and Hermes’ sword that he used to attack Medusa. Also, without the help of Hermes, Perseus wouldn’t have been able to find the nymphs of the North, whose gifts (winged sandals, magic wallet, and an invisible cap) also aided him in the defeat of Medusa. Symbolic Archetype: The Whirlpool In the beginning of the myth, Perseus’ grandfather, King Acrisius, was told by a priestess that his daughter would have a son and that her son would kill him. So Acrisius goes out of his way to rid himself of his daughter. He locks her in a castle in hopes that she won’t come across other people and become pregnant. Once he finds out that his daughter does have a son, Perseus, he locks them both into a chest and throws them into the sea. And even though King Acrisius goes through all of this to avoid his death, he learns that fate is unavoidable. In the end Perseus still kills him but rather on accident, not like Acrisius had imagined. So no matter what you do to avoid fate, it’ll happen. Character Archetype: The hero/heroine Throughout Perseus’ journey for Medusa’s head he experienced fluctuations in his motives for the head. He didn’t set himself onto the path of killing Medusa to be a hero, he did it in hopes of making Polydectes happy and giving his mother a nice engagement gift. But when he came back to the  island after the mission and realized that it was in shambles, he used the gifts he got from the gods and Medusa’s head to bring happiness to the island. By turning Polydectes and his followers into stone he freed the people and rid them of their tyrant leader. Thus becoming the hero to the islanders. Part Four: The Heroes of the Trojan War Chosen Myth: The Trojan war Situational Archetype: The Unhealable Wound In the Trojan War the unhelable wound represents both physical and psychological wounds. The first was the start of all of the rest, the kidnapping of Helen from Menelaus, her father, by Aphrodite and Paris. The loss of his daughter brought an unbelievable amount of pain onto the King, driving him to drastic measures, such as war. Also, this archetype can be seen in the sacrificing of Iphigenia, the eldest daughter of the Commander in Chief, Agamemnon. By having to kill his own beloved daughter it brought grief upon him that would linger throughout the war. When the Greek ships reached the rivers of Troy there was a man named Protesilaus, he was the first man to leap ashore, and also the first man to die. His wife, Laodamia, was so sickened with sadness at the loss of her husband that she killed herself just so she could go to the underworld with him; Showing that she felt that she could never be happy without her husband. Another example is when the quarrel between Achilles and Agamemnon sparked over Agamemnon’s prize of honor, Chryseis. Agamemnon’s prize of honor had to be returned and then he ordered his men to steal Briseis, Achilles’ prize of honor. Achilles became so upset over the turning of his own men that he spent his days in his tent wrapped in sorrow. Throughout this myth there were countless of other examples of unhelable wounds like the loss of Hector, the relationships between the gods, the loss of Patroclus, and the abuse of Hectors dead body. Symbolic Archetype: Haven versus Wilderness This archetype can be seen in the comparison of the war versus taking refuge in the tents. You’d think after Achilles’ prize of honor taken away from him and he stayed back at camp rather than fighting in the war that his  haven would be the tents and the wilderness would be the war. But it was just the opposite of that. When Achilles was in the tents he was consumed with despair. When he finally got vengeance for Patroclus death, he was himself once again. Bringing him back into battle made him whole again and brought balance back to the war. Character Archetype: The Damsel in Distress The Trojan War was centered around two sides, the Greeks and the Trojans, fighting over one person- Helen. Helen was the fairest woman in the world, and Paris was promised her as his wife by Aphrodite. The problem with that being that the role of Helen’s husband was already being championed off by her father, Menelaus, to powerful families in the area. Paris was then responsible for kidnapping Helen, thus causing Menelaus to call the Greeks together and start a war with the Trojans to save the damsel in distress, his daughter. In the view of Menelaus, the heroes were the Greeks fighting to save his daughter and the villains were the Trojans. Part Five: The Great Families of Mythology Chosen Myth: The Royal House of Thebes Situational Archetype: The Fall In the start of the city of Thebes, it was blessed with prosperity and wisdom by the gods, but by its â€Å"end† it had experienced some of the worst hardships known to man. When Cadmus and Harmonia, the founders of Thebes, fled from the city to Illyria, the couple was turned into serpents by the gods. They were turned due to their fate, not because of punishment. Their fate was proof of that the innocent suffered as much as the guilty. They turned from the rulers of a great city into serpents. This archetype is also seen in the sub story of Oedipus. In the beginning Oedipus kills the Sphinx and is then made the King of Thebes. In the end, after the truth is revealed about his life, he begins a transition from light to darkness. He becomes blind and then his uncle/brother in law and his sons expel him from the city and he lives the rest of his life in penalty for crimes he wasn’t aware he was committing. Symbolic Archetype: Numbers In the House of Thebes you repeatedly see the use of numbers in the work, such as the numbers five and seven. The number seven is seen in the amount of champions that attack the gates and the seven champions that protect it. The number seven represents the completion of the cycle, and throughout the myth the importance of the seven is burying the seven dead warrior’s bodies. By burying their bodies it brings peace to the community and restores the balance. Character Archetype: Young person from the provinces The hero, Oedipus, was separated from his family as an infant because an oracle had told his father that someday his son would kill him. He was raised away from Thebes, by King Polybus in Corinth. As an adult Oedipus returned to Thebes and overnight became their hero. In Thebes there was an issue with a Sphinx, and for the Sphinx to surrender and kill herself a riddle had to be solved. Seeing the riddle in a new light, Oedipus solved the riddle and freed the people of Thebes from the Sphinx. They made Oedipus their king and for quite some time he ruled the area peacefully. Part Six: The Less Important Myths Chosen Myth: Midas- And Others Situational Archetype: The Initiation In the myth about Pomona, all she cares about are her fruits and orchids. Rather than her coming to a realization about her problems, she came to a realization about love. No matter the man, she was never interested in them because she felt that her plants were enough. She encountered the epiphany when Vertumnus finally revealed his true identity after kissing her and telling her how much he loved her. Once she saw him in the light of who he really was she saw her calling, to be with him and garden together. Symbolic Archetype: The Crossroads The Danaids were the daughters of Danaus, and in the myth his fifty daughters were being forced to marry their 50 cousins, Danaus’ brother, Aegyptus’, fifty sons. Throughout the myth they sisters were trying to avoid  marrying their cousins, but at some point the wedding between them arrived. The crossroads, symbolizes their fathers decision to tell the girls to kill their husbands after they got married. Because of this decision all but one of his daughters were sentenced to life in hell. And Danaus punished the one daughter who didn’t follow his orders. Because of this one choice the daughters fate was changed forever. Character Archetype: The Temptress Usually when you think of a temptress you imagine a hero falling for a girl, and then the girl is the source of his wrong doings, almost as if she urged him to do it. But in this case, it was a little different. Glaucus was a fisherman who was then turned intoa sea-god. Glaucus was in love with a nymph, Scylla. He did everything in his power to try and make her love him. But one day, he went to Circe for a love potion in hopes that it’d make the wonderful Scylla fall for him. But instead, Circe fell in love with him and used a vile of potion to turn Scylla into a monster. So because of Scylla’s beauty and Glaucus’ love for her, his downfall was the jealousy of others centered around love. It’s almost as if you combined Circe and Scylla’s characters into one and it’d form the perfect temptress. Part Seven: The Mythology of Norsemen Chosen Myth: The Stories of Signy and Sigurd Situational Archetype: The Quest Brynhild was a Valkyrie that was punished and put to sleep until some man shall crawl through the flaming fire and awake her. Brynhild wanted a man that was brave to rescue her and the man responsible for that was Sigurd, the son of Sigmund. He completes the journey of having to make his way through the flames with his horse. Once he reaches his end goal, awakening Brynhild, she gives herself to him because he had proved his worthiness and bravery through awakening her. Symbolic Archetype: Fire versus ice In the myth, fire is a reoccurring element. It first shows up when Signy’s children and husband are being burned and she allows herself to burn to  death. It pops up again Brinhild’s couch is surrounded with fire, a task for Sigurd to save her from. And again when Gudrun kills herself and prays to be laid on her husbands funeral pyre. So as you can see, fire is very much linked to life, rebirth, and death. Rebirth and death in the first scenario, birth of opportunities and love in the second, and death in the third. Character Archetype: Hunting Group of Companions Signy made such an effort to make sure she remained close to her family†¦.extremely close. She had a child with her brother, Sinfiotli. The three of them were most often very close together, a close knit family. Through their plans of revenge to avenge the dead they completed the deeds with one another. They were very support of one another and loving.

History and Development of the Charismatic/Pentecostal Movement Essay

Charismatic movement is a religious revival movement that developed during the late 1960’s among members of several Christian denominations, notably Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and Methodists. Charismatic believe they can become infused with the Holy Spirit. When so infused, they believe, they may be granted such charisms (gifts) as the ability to speak in tongues, to make prophecies, and to heal by faith. Charismatics share many beliefs and practices with the Pentecostal churches but do not consider themselves to be Pentecostals (Duin, 2000). Moreover, Pentecostal churches base their faith and practice on certain religious experiences that are recorded in the New Testament. Pentecostal churches teach that every Christian should seek to be â€Å"filled with the Holy Spirit. † The proof of this occurrence comes when the person speaks in tongues. That is, the person will speak in a language he has never learned. The New Testament refers to the disciples speaking in tongues on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), and mentions speaking in tongues elsewhere (Blumhofer, 2004). Pentecost is an important springtime Jewish and Christian feast. Its name comes from the Greek word fifty because Pentecost occurred on the fiftieth day after the first day of Passover. As a Jewish thanksgiving feast for the harvest, it was called Feast of Firstfruits (Exodus 23:16) and Shabuot or the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23: 15-21): â€Å"From the day after the Sabbath, the day you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven full weeks. Count off fifty days up the day after the seventh Sabbath and then present an offering of new grain to the Lord. From wherever you live, bring two loaves made of two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour, baked with yeast, as a wave offering of firstfruits to the lord. Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and with out defect, one young bull and two rams†¦Ã¢â‚¬  From the least the 200’s, Christians celebrated Pentecost on the seventh Sunday after Easter as one of their greatest feasts. It commemorated the descent of the Holy Spirit (called Holy Ghost in older English) upon the apostles on this day (Acts 2: 1-4): â€Å"When the day of the Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled tem. † He had been promised by Jesus as â€Å"another Comforter† (John 14:16) and came to strengthen the apostles after their nine days of prayer following the ascension of Jesus into heaven. Then they showed themselves more courageous and zealous than they had been before. Pentecost was later called Whitsunday or White Sunday, because the newly baptized wore their white baptismal robes on that day, marking the end of the joyous Easter season (Pentecostalism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2004). In masses of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church, red vestments are worn on Pentecost to symbolize the tongues of fire representing the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). This paper studies the origin of Pentecostal/Charismatic movement and knows some denominations that practice the Pentecostal beliefs. II. Discussion Pentecostal churches that emphasize glossolalia (speaking in unknown tongues). The term â€Å"Pentecostal† refers to the day of Pentecost, soon after the death of Jesus, when the disciples spoke in unknown tongues. In present-day Pentecostal churches, during the highly emotional moments of the service, members make utterances that have not been identified with any known language (Wakefield, 1999). Pentecostals also believe that they can receive other supernatural gifts. For example, they believe they can be given the ability to prophesy, to heal, and to interpret what is said when someone speaks in an unknown tongue. The New Testament refers to these gifts in I Corinthians 12-14. Aside from these distinctive qualities, however, individual Pentecostal denominations do not usually resemble each other. There are more than three dozen Pentecostal groups in the United States of America alone. They differ radically in size as well as in their interpretations of matters of faith and practice. Some of the largest Pentecostal bodies are: Church of God in Christ, 3,700,000 members; Assemblies of God, 2,100,000; United Pentecostal Church International, 500,000; Church of God (Cleveland, Tennessee), 455,000; Church of God in Christ, International, 200,000; International Church of the Four-square Gospel, 180,000; Pentecostal Holiness Church, 110,000; and the Pentecostal Church of God, 90,000. Pentecostal churches trace their origins to revivals of tongue-speaking that occurred at Bethel Bible College in Topeka, Kans. , in 1901, and at the Azusa Street Mission in Los Angeles in 1906. Similar revivals also took place in Great Britain and in Europe, Asia, and Latin America during the early 1900’s. Since the 1930’s, the Pentecostal denominations have grown rapidly. With a worldwide membership estimated at seven million, the Pentecostals are sometimes called Christianity’s â€Å"Third Force,† alongside the Roman Catholicism and traditional Protestantism (Ferm, 2001). Many Pentecostal churches are Methodist in origin. John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodism, believed on perfectionism. As Methodism later decreased its emphasis on perfectionism, many American Methodists broke away and formed their own churches. Stressing the perfectionist doctrine, these bodies are became known as Holiness churches. The Pentecostal churches are usually defined as those Holiness churches that consider speaking in tongues an important sign of having attained holiness. A. Assemblies of God Assemblies of God are Protestant Christian churches forming the largest of the Pentecostal denominations. The basic belief of this denomination is that conversion is a spiritual rebirth. Speaking in tongues is the first sign that that the Holy Spirit has been received by the reborn. Members believe in the infallibility of the Bible, the second coming of Christ to rule the world, eternal bliss for believers, and eternal punishment for the wicked. The denomination is composed of churches (assemblies) that are self-governing in local affairs. Each ordained minister and one lay delegate from each assembly is a member of the General Council, which is responsible for missions, publications, and other matters affecting the entire denomination (Assemblies of God. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2004). The church arose out of a rival movement about 1900. The General Council was organized in 1914. Membership is about 2,100,000 in the United States. The church has missions in a number of African and Latin American nations. International headquarters are in Springfield, Missouri. B. Practices and Beliefs †¢ Gift of Tongues Gift of tongues in Christianity is the ability to praise God in words that cannot be identified with any known language. It is also called glossolalia (Greek: tongue talking). Speaking in tongues occurs during moments of intense religious emotion. Many people believe that the speaker is possessed by the Holy Spirit. In Pentecostal churches, the gift of tongues is considered a sign of spiritual perfection. Early in the 1960’s, speaking in tongues spread through some congregations in other denominations, especially in the Episcopal, Roam Catholic, and Methodist churches (Glossolalia. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition, 2004). According to the Bible (Acts 2:1-13), 50 days after the Resurrection of Jesus, on the Jewish Pentecost, the Holy Spirit entered the disciples of Jesus and caused them to speak strange words. Many foreign Jews who were present understood the words, even though they were not spoken in their language. Instances of the gift of tongues are recorded in later New Testament books. However, in all these cases the words were directed to God and were not understood by any human being (Pentecostal movement. Grolier Encyclopedia of Knowledge). †¢ Faith healing Faith healing is another practice of Pentecostal church. Faith healing is the curing of physical and mental ailments through religious faith of the sufferers. Medical science recognizes many kinds of physical disorders that are caused or made worse by the patient’s state of mind. These ailments can often be cured or relieved by mental therapy—by changing the patient’s outlook rather than by prescribing medicine. Faith in the curing power of religion or religious relics has often brought about this mental change. Some reported cases faith healing, however, cannot be explained medically (Foster, 2006). Faith healing has been recorded in many religions under various conditions. In the Old Testament, the Syrian general Naaman was cured of leprosy when, as instructed by the prophet Elisha, he washed himself seven times in the River Jordan (II Kings 5:10-14). Jesus performed many miracles of healing. After healing a leper, Jesus said to the man: â€Å"Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole† (Luke 17:19). The apostles performed acts of healing. They believed that â€Å"prayer of faith shall save the sick† (James 5:15). III. Conclusion The Pentecostal churches stress the doctrine of perfectionism, or holiness, which states that man has free choice, while still on earth, may become sinless through uniting with God. This doctrine rose in reaction to the Calvinist doctrine of predestination, which states, in part, that man is sinful by nature and may be saved only through God’s choice. Other beliefs common to many Pentecostal churches are the fundamentalist ideas that the entire Bible is literally true and that Jesus will return physically to rule the earth; some of the Pentecostal churches also practice faith healing (Pentecostal churches.New Standard Encyclopedia). Reference 1. Blumhofer, Edith L. Thinking in the Spirit: Theologies of the Early Pentecostal Movement. The Christian Century. Volume: 121. Issue: 7. Page 43+. April 6, 2004. 2. Duin, Julia. Charismatic Movement Transcends Sects. The Washington Times. Page Number: 2. March 31, 2000. 3. Pentecostalism. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press, New York, 2004. 4. Wakefield, Dan. Fire from Heaven: The Rise of Pentecostal Spirituality and the Reshaping of Religion in the Twenty-First Century. The Nation. Volume: 260. Issue: 3. Page Number: 98+. January 23, 1999. 5. Pentecostal churches. New Standard Encyclopedia. Vol. 13, Page 456-457. 6. Assemblies of God. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. New York, 2004. 7. Glossolalia. The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press. New York, 2004. 8. Foster, Mark. Sugar Grove Pentecostal Church Draws Members. Daily Herald. Page Number: 4, Dec. 18, 2006. 9. Ferm, Vergilius. An Encyclopedia of Religion. Philosophical Library. New York,