Life is a Gift Essay Example for Free

Life is a Gift Essay Life is a gift. It is an honor; a spark; an excitement. We all have a world of our own. A wise author, Albert Camus, once stated, â€Å"you will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life† (Albert Camus). Life is about living to your fullest abilities; why waste our time looking for the meaning of each breath we take? Each person is a part of life. Each life has a world of its own. I believe that the meaning of life, defined by Victor E. Frankl, is to find meaning in our own life. Each and every person on this planet has a meaning to his own life, and is a unique and independent individual. And so, the question comes along, â€Å"Who am I? † The answer is I. I am who I am, and not one person can ever change that. My life is exceedingly meaningful, and is made up of a series of rituals, experiences, a plentiful amount of mistakes, and many various emotions. According to the article, The Rite of Passage, a ritual â€Å"help[s] us understand the changes in our lives and give meaning to experiences† we undergo. Rituals express who we are today, as well as the sum total of our actions, feelings, and thoughts that makes each person in this world, a single, individual person. An example of a major ritual and life-changing event in the Odyssey is the trial of the bow. During this scene, a disguised Odysseus surpassed a difficult task, as he without effort strung the challenging bow. Odysseus, after laying the arrow on the arch, shot the mighty bow â€Å"with careful aim, not miss[ing] an axe’s ring from first to last† (Homer 2011). This scene makes a change in not only Odysseus’s life, but also his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope. The trial of the bow is an important Rite of Passage, offering significance to each one of their lives. Just like Odysseus, I have progressed through a numerous amount of rituals, along with experiences, mistakes, truths and actions, all leading up to the fourteen year old girl I am today. Although each person has a different opinion on what surrounds us, I believe the nature of the universe is full of the unknown. The world is a scary place to be in, it encloses us in, with nothing but mystery. It is a frightening thing, to move on with your life not knowing what will happen in the next few moments, but that is what life is all about; the unknown. We surround ourselves with questions that can never be answered; yet we need to learn to live life in the present, not thinking about the future with every step we take. No one in this world is fearless, in fact, according to H. L. Mencken, â€Å"The one permanent emotion of the inferior man is fear fear of the unknown, the complex, the inexplicable. What he wants above everything else is safety† (H. L. Mencken). In agreement to Mencken, nothing in this world is safe; we waste seconds; minutes; hours; even days worrying about our fears. Worrying about our fears of the unknown. I believe we can’t relate to this unknown universe, however, we can live with it. Instead of waking up each day wondering what the unknown is, we need to wake up everyday focusing on what we do know, and interpreting that information into what we understand. In order to find the meaning in our lives, we each need control over our lives. I control my life one hundred percent. I make me own decisions, choose my individual actions, and control my responses. We have complete control over our own lives. However, the one think we do not have control over is other people’s actions and decisions. Although we have the power in our individual lives, others may influence our judgments, choices, and conclusions. All of these factors affect whom we are, along with the fact that we can’t control others reactions, which may cause poor influence on us. For example, in the novel, The Odyssey, Odysseus sails a long journey home, facing many distractions, challenges, and adventures. He encounters many different monsters that stop him in his path, including Cyclops, The Sirens, and Poseidon. Although Odysseus can control his actions, and the way he fights, he has a weakness when it comes to his opponents. Just like Odysseus, we can control our actions and responses, but when it comes to having others involves, we have no control over how they can act and make their choices. Living life freely, with no regrets, and accomplishing all of our goals. That is a satisfying life. Taking risks, without worrying, loving ourselves, being happy with our achievements, and experiencing all different emotions is what life is all about. A variety of different feelings occur throughout our lives; we need happiness, excitement, fears, anger, and even tears to lead a fulfilling life. In the independent reading novel, entitled Speak; Melinda Sordino writes about emotions and feelings, â€Å"When people don’t express themselves, they die one piece at a time† (Anderson 58). Melinda believes the reasons people need to express themselves is because everyone needs to experience all kinds of emotions in order to interact and stay alive. In the Odyssey, Both Odysseus and Telemachus are involved by an overwhelming amount of emotions. Without the emphasis of their feelings without the novel, the story would have much less meaning and would not be as dramatic. Emotions add to our everyday conversations and feelings towards each other. We need them to live a satisfying, enjoyable life. I believe, in order to find the meaning of my life, I need to sit back, relax, and let the question answer itself. In order to survive, and live for as long as possible, I have to enjoy my life in the present. Not be thinking about the future, and where life is going to take me; but live life as it is brought to me, rather then bringing myself to my life. By being patient and letting my life come to me as time goes on, I am sure to survive for a longer, happier, and more exciting period of time. Yet, at the conclusion to each person’s life, the certainty of death must strike. Getting ourselves ready for this unpredictable day is very easy, as long as we’ve accomplished everything that we have set out to achieve, death may appear whenever it feels the need to. It is a misfortunate thing, though, as some deaths develop so quickly and suddenly, we do not have time to say our goodbyes. Nor do the victims have time to achieve their goals, and pass on wishes. An example of a sudden death is in the novel entitles Lost for Words, by Alice Kuipers. In the story, Sophie’s older sister died traumatically in a sudden train bombing. Due to the death, it ripped Sophie’s family apart. They stopped talking to each other, and everything became awkward between her and her mother. Because of the unpredictable death at such a young age, her sister was, sorrowfully, not ready for her time to come. She may have not achieved her goals in life, and got to take as many risks as life leads her too, making it an even bigger tragedy for Sophie and her family. There were a number of dreadful deaths in the Odyssey as well. These included Odysseus’ crew, Odysseus’ mother, and many suitors. From reading all of these disastrous scenes and stories about death, I have learned that in order to reconcile myself for the inevitability of death, I need to start living my life with many risks, and no regrets. By living my life without any doubts, and enjoying my life in the present, I can be sure to live a long, satisfying life, ready for the fate of death for whenever it decides to doom on me. I believe the meaning of life, is to find meaning in our own, individual lives. By waiting for life to come to me, and enjoying the present in a way of happiness, enjoyment, and risks, I can be sure to eventually come to a full understanding of why I am here, living today. Each life has a world of its own, and each person his own life. Each person in this world will have a different story to share, and a different meaning and impact on our world today.

The Great Patriotic War, Cold War, WWII Alliances Essay Example for Free

The Great Patriotic War, Cold War, WWII Alliances Essay The Great Patriotic War: The great Patriotic War is a term used in Russia or previous parts of the Soviet Union when referring to a part of the Second World War. It had originally been used first under the French invasion led by Napoleon and when referring to the First World War, before it again was used. The name represented fighting for your homeland. The Great Patriotic War (GPW) were during the German Occupation of the USSR, which lasted from 22nd of June1941, until 9th of May 1945. The Soviet term only refers to the war between USSR and Nazi Germany and its European allies on the east front were Germany had approximately 200 divisions. It does not refer to the war on the Western fronts, the war in Japan, The Soviets attacks on Finland and Poland, The 1940 invasion of the Baltic states or the 1941 invasion of Iran. The occupation of Russia or  «Operation Barbarossa » is the biggest military operation ever completed, both in manpower and in casualties. It had been one of the main goals for Hitler since the start of the Nazi Party in the beginning of the 1920s. In 1932 Hitler and Stalin signed a nonaggression pact, but Hitler only saw this as a good tactical maneuver. During the Germans time in Soviet they wanted to put a stop to communism and at the same time get rid of everyone that were a threat toward German power in Eastern Europe. Soviet refused to collapse, even though the Nazis had expected a rapid fall. Germany kept trying to push over Soviet so it would collapse, but Soviet knew how to use the surrounding to their advantage. Breakdown of wartime alliance: By the end of the Second World War, there were three main victors, Britain, The United States and the Soviet Union. At the start of the Second World War, this, Big Three, had one united goal; to bring down Germany, as it was threatening both the Capitalist West and Communist East. However, even though all three leaders; Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin were allies in their goal, it does not mean that their relationship was a happy one, but they had to work together to defeat the Nazi Germany regime. After Germany was defeated, The Big Three met up on several occasions to deal with the aftermath of the war. At this time, their true motives came to be shown. Even during the war, there was already underlying tensions between the East and West countries, but they were forced to cooperate. As soon as their mutual enemy was defeated, tensions rose. The East and West had two completely different ideologies, which would present itself as a issue. The West supported Capitalism, based on free elections and the freedom of speech. In contrast, the East supported Communism. This comprised of a dictatorship, led by Joseph Stalin, lack of freedom of speech and essentially the government controlling peoples lives. There were mistrusts which ranged back to the 1918, that contribute to the breakdown of the Alliance. The West had felt that their values, freedom and Capitalism were being threatened by Russia. Stalin believed that is Communism was to be successful, and then a worldwide revolution would have to take place, meaning the collapse of Capitalism. Cold War: After World War II, Joseph Stalin saw the world as divided into two camps: imperialist and capitalist regimes on the one hand, and the Communist and progressive world on the other. In 1947, President Harry Truman also spoke of two diametrically opposed systems: one free, and the other bent on subjugating other nations. After Stalins death, Nikita Khrushchev stated in 1956 that imperialism and capitalism could coexist without war because the Communist system had become stronger. In October 62 the Cold War came the closest to being a hot war. USSR put up land based missiles in Cuba, because the US had many times tried to stop the communistic revolution there. They were close enough to hit the US and are known as the Cuban missile crisis or the October crisis. This were their first treat of mutual destruction. Also the coup de etat in Czechoslovakia in 68 and the Soviet satellite states were a treat towards the US. The Cold War were all the time driven by the Arms Race between the two super powers. They fighted over who could make powerful weapon and have the biggest military the fastest. The US took the first lead when they developed the atom bomb. After keeping on it for over a decade the two states agreed upon a settlement stating how big military forces they each were maximum allowed to have. Also Chine were added into this agreement as they also became Communistic after the Second World War. There were two hot wars during the Cold War. The war in Korea and the war in Vietnam. They both had a few similarities; both a country were the state had been split in two. The Northern parts were communistic and the south were non-communistic. In both wars the north part of the state tried to invade the south to make them communistic with the help from Soviet and China. The US helped both south part of the states defend themselves, in Korea the defense were sucsessful and they are today two seperate states, wile as in Vietnam its still today one communistic nation.

Language Very Important Part Of Everyday Life English Language Essay

Language Very Important Part Of Everyday Life English Language Essay Language is a very important part of everyday life. It is used to communicate in every aspect. Emails, conversations, signs and symbols, are just a few examples of our way of communicating with others, and without language this would not be possible. By definition language is, a body of words, symbols, signs, sounds, gestures, and the systems for their use common to people who are of the same community, nation or same cultural tradition (dictionary.com). Language is not just the way a person talks, there is a lot more to it than that. A person who is deaf does not use the oral aspect of language; they use signs and gestures that were developed for such purpose, called sign language. Other known gestures that are not always verbally expressed and are part of a more vulgar and offensive language that most people nationwide recognize such as the use of the middle finger. Written language, another form of non verbal communication, has been used for centuries. Some of the earliest uses of the written language were hieroglyphics, scrolls, engravings in stone, and many others. Throughout history the written language has enhanced and became our second most used way of communication. Another form of language that many do not think of is using our sense of hearing. People have been trained in their minds to know what people in different situations are communicating, whether it a cry of pain, sobs from someone in tears, or the honk! from the road ragers. Each sense plays its own role in language which will be explained further at a later time. Symbols are a part of our everyday life and also another part of language. Language is a very broad and not fully understood word that is necessary in everyday life. How? In this reading language will be broken down so that one may understand what language is, how is used in this nation, and furthermore how it is used universally. Language is more than just a means of communication (ONeil). Language is used all over the world every day. Language derives its meaning from culture, every culture is embodied in the language it speaks. Every language is rooted in the culture that speaks it (Universal Language). Language is used in every culture, and enrooted in the regions where someone lives, but that does not change how language is used. Language can be taken back to the beginning of time. Symbols in caves, which have been found, photographed and interpreted; scrolls found from the earliest teachings, to the stone engravings, the use of language began way before those who are living now. Without language, learning would not be possible. As we get older we use every source of language there is. When we learn to talk, read, write, drive, basically everything we learn to do is learning another form of language. As a student you explore the cultures, communities, people and languages of the world (Ziegler). In school children are introduced to multilanguages. Every culture, nation, and community has its own language. They may write differently, speak differently, and have different means of learning; however the use of language still remains unchanged (Ziegler). Language is used in the workplace, to communicate sales, used in every aspect of customer services, by contractors and construction workers, janitors, politics; basically every corner of a persons job has language involved. Language is also used in lifes rituals. In the car ride to work, one must use language skills to read signs, to drive a car, those using a GPS, and to communicate with other passengers. And also used when having a phone conversation, when reading a book or recipes, when talking to family and friends, and when using our senses to know what is going on around us. Our senses play a very important role in knowing language. Our sense of sight allows us to read the written language. Our sense of hearing allows us to hear t he words one is trying to communicate and to hear the sounds around us that are also communicating what is going on in our surroundings. Our sense of touch allows us to communicate when something is hot or cold, sharp or dull; our sense of touch communicates with our brain even during the most intimate touches. Our sense of taste is another form of language our body communicates with our brain. Lastly is our sense of smell. Smell is very important, one example is when there is a fire; the smell communicates with our brain, which causes a chain reaction, once our brain gets the signal from the smell, we then call emergency services, and so on. Every aspect of our lives is a form of language. And furthermore it is a very important part of the function of this nation. In the United States, language plays a big role in government. We are given the rights to free speech, which is our right to communicate verbally. We are given freedom of press, which gives us the freedom to the written language. We have relied on these freedoms based on the written words that have given us these rights which are exercising the written language. Along with the written language, during the birth of the USA, government set language guidelines for the immigrants who wished to live in this country in hopes to develop a national language. When one wished to move to this country they were first registered at Ellis Island, and then they were required to learn to speak English in order to become a citizen. The national language was in full swing, until the amount of immigrants coming in became hard to track. There is no national language currently set. Although English is technically the main language, Spanish is our secondary and so on. The USA has become such a diverse nat ion; there are several languages that are becoming more and more used. Telemarketers, billing centers, government agencies, etc. all have the Spanish option when beginning your phone call. This is where multi-languages come in, and the attempt at universal language. A universal language by definition is, any kind of expression that is used and understood everywhere (Dictionary.com). A universal language is essential in todays world. Modern communication and transport accelerate mass migrations from one continent to another (Schlesinger). Due to the high amount of travelling that is done worldwide, a universal language is a must. Many companies have already developed a universal language using logos that will be recognized everywhere. Universal language is a visual and picture language, which will fill the need (Universal Language). That is exactly what companies like McDonalds have done. When travelling to China, France, Israel, wherever one travels they will always recognize the golden arches. Pepsi, Coke, Nike, Lincoln, the Olympic Rings, all are symbols (pictures) that are recognized in every culture and nation. According Pei, the universal language is intended to bring people of different linguistic backgrounds together and form communicatio n among them to reduce the amount of misunderstandings (Pei). This however is yet to be developed though many have tried it is yet to come about.

Affirmative Action Essay example -- essays research papers

Affirmative action is the nation’s most ambitious attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma, will be reviewed, beginning with the explanation of how affirmative action came about. In March l96I, less than two months after President John F. Kennedy took office, he issued an Executive Order (10925), which established the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. Its mission was to end discrimination in employment by the government and its contractors. The order required every federal contract to include the pledge that "The Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action, to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." (QUOTE) Here for the first time the government called for "affirmative action." Soon, thereafter the Civil Rights Act of 1964 restated and broadened the application of this principle with the Title VI, which declared that "No person in the United States shall, on the ground Or r ace, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." But within one year President Lyndon B. Johnson argued that fairness required more than a commitment to impartial treatment. In his 1965 commencement address at Howard University, he said: "You do not take a person who for years has been hobbled by chains and liberate him... ...us attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma. Affirmative Action is the bridge between changing the laws and changing the culture. The radical right wing would have us believe that women and people of color earn less because we don't work as hard or we're not as smart. That simply isn't the case. Laws have changed, but discrimination persists. Affirmative Action only opens doors, women and people of color have to walk through those doors by themselves. Affirmative Action Essay example -- essays research papers Affirmative action is the nation’s most ambitious attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma, will be reviewed, beginning with the explanation of how affirmative action came about. In March l96I, less than two months after President John F. Kennedy took office, he issued an Executive Order (10925), which established the President's Committee on Equal Employment Opportunity. Its mission was to end discrimination in employment by the government and its contractors. The order required every federal contract to include the pledge that "The Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, or national origin. The Contractor will take affirmative action, to ensure that applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." (QUOTE) Here for the first time the government called for "affirmative action." Soon, thereafter the Civil Rights Act of 1964 restated and broadened the application of this principle with the Title VI, which declared that "No person in the United States shall, on the ground Or r ace, color or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance." But within one year President Lyndon B. Johnson argued that fairness required more than a commitment to impartial treatment. In his 1965 commencement address at Howard University, he said: "You do not take a person who for years has been hobbled by chains and liberate him... ...us attempt to redress its long history of racial and sexual discrimination, however in modern times and approximately forty years after the establishment of this policy, society is plagued with the issues of whether affirmative action is necessary, whether it is a benefit or detriment to society, and why it incites rather then eases the nation’s internal dilemmas after so many years of having been in effect. In the following paragraphs the issues surrounding this debate, such as what is the definition of affirmative action, how and why affirmative action was established to begin with, who is affected by this policy, whether affirmative action is still necessary in today’s society or if such policy should be done away with, and, finally, possible resolutions to this dilemma. Affirmative Action is the bridge between changing the laws and changing the culture. The radical right wing would have us believe that women and people of color earn less because we don't work as hard or we're not as smart. That simply isn't the case. Laws have changed, but discrimination persists. Affirmative Action only opens doors, women and people of color have to walk through those doors by themselves.

The Egyptian Pyramids Essay example -- Ancient History Egypt

The Egyptian Pyramids When most people think of Ancient Egypt they think of Pyramids. To construct such great monuments required a mastery of architecture, social organization, and art that few cultures of that period could achieve. The oldest pyramid, the Step-Pyramids, grow out of the abilities of two men, King Djoser and Imhotep. Djoser, the second king of 3rd dynasty, was the first king to have hired an architect, Imhotep, to design a tomb (Time-Life Books, 74). Imhotep was known as the father of mathematics, medicine, architecture, and as the inventor of the calendar (White, 40). He had a great idea of stacking mastabas until they reached six tiers, a total of 60 meters high and its base 180 meters by 108 meters (Casson, 118). A glistening costing of limestone was added to the mastabas that made them shimmer in the sun. The main feature of the pyramid was its 92-foot underground shafts and burial room lined with pink granite. It was the first time that this feature appeared (White, 41). Imhotep surrounded Djoser’s pyramid with a number of funerary courtyards and temples. He then, surrounded these complexes with a mile long protective wall (Time-Life Books, 74). Another pyramid was Khufu’s Great Pyramid. It is the largest tomb every built. It was the height of a forty-story building, and its base was the average size of eight football fields. The pyramid contains about 2,300,000 stone blocks. The limestone was covered with a layer of polished stone to add a shine. Deep inside the pyramid are the tomb chambers, one for the king and another for the queen. Narrow shafts lined with granite lead the way to the tomb chambers (Time-Life Books, 75). Social organization was another key factor in creating... ...0). The Ancient Egyptians were one of the first people to develop such well-proportioned figure. The Egyptian painter painted murals inside of the pyramids depicting the things that the pharaoh accomplished in his life (Cannon, 50). In conclusion, to create such a great monument, like the Step-Pyramid, took the mastery of architecture, social organization, and art that was amazing for that period. Today, we still do not know how the Ancient Egyptians created such grand monuments. Also, we are still fascinated about all the artifacts inside the tomb, and the possible uses for them. It will forever be a mystery. Bibliography Casson, Lionel. Ancient Egypt. 1965. Time Inc. NY, NY. Editors of Time-Life Books. Egypt: Land of the Lost Pharaohs. 1992. Time-Life Books, VA. White, Jon Manchip. Everyday Life in Ancient Egypt. 1963. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, NY.

My Life Essay

Good morning to the honourable judges, wise time-keepers and contestants. First of all, I need you to relax, and reflect on what you have done the past months. Did any of your activity involve a random act of kindness? Like rescuing an injured cat, helping the homeless or even helping a stranger with his/her work. Yes, I’m going to talk on random act of kindness. We are living at a period of time in which where ever we look, people are always rushing in the hustle and bustle of city life to complete their daily chores. For some it maybe getting to work on time, preparing breakfast for the whole family or completing their homework. Inspite of all this hustle, we should spend a few seconds to observe around us, we could make a difference in a person’s life. Ladies and gentleman, observe around you, have you ever noticed the homeless children or animals around you? I agree time is gold but can’t you spare some time and approach them with a broad smile on your face. A simple smile is a universal language of friendliness and kindness. You can offer to buy them a drink, or provide shelter for them. According to Scott Adams, an Amerian cartoonist, there’s no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. As I was browsing through the Internet, I read upon a few stories and there is one in particular which I would like to share with you . A man named Jay and his wife were in Mexico on a holiday.As they walked into a McDonald’s restaurant, they saw a woman begging at the door and she had with her a young boy who was about 3 years old and about 2 feet tall, very fine built with short black hair. His face looked dirty, not so much in an unkempt way, but more like a young boy who had been left to his own devices and his smile shone like none other they have ever seen. The more they watched him the more they were drawn to him. He was playing with a stick at the front step, and as people left McDonalds, he would flash a mischievous smile and hold his hand out for a Peso. You could tell he did not care if he got one or not, he was just trying to help his mum out who was doing the real begging. They became enraptured watching him.They wanted to give him a gift. lt was then that it occurred to them that McDonalds always has toys for kids! So they went and got him a McHappy meal. They handed to him the bag of food and the toys which he did not imagine he would ever have. He was so thrilled. He grabbed the bag and ran across the step to his mother, â€Å"Mama, Mama, Mama.† As they left McDonalds, tucked into the corner of the step with his mother beside him, was the beaming little boy with a pop between his legs, fries hanging out of his mouth and his new plastic treasure clamped in his left hand. With his right hand he waved furiously at them and then in perfect English said, â€Å"Thank you very much!†. This story is a clear example of how a random act of kindness can touch someone’s heart. Aesop quoted that â€Å" No act of kindness no matter how small is wasted†. So if you think doing a simple kind deed is nothing, think again because for the person who gained from you random act of kindness, is indeed truly grateful. There is also the strange phenomenon where a dog helped a kitten that fell into a small drain. The kitten was all wet, shivering and giving out sounds in agony. The dog picked the kitten up with its mouth and dragged it towards the sidepath. Then, it licked the kitten’s body a few times with its tounge to dry him and ran away. So, you see ladies and gentleman, even a dog knows how to be kind. Recently, I witnessed an incident where 7 stray dogs were trying to cross a fully packed road. At that moment, a man driving an old sedan switched on his hazard lights and stopped in the middle of the road in a way blocking traffic going both ways. The dogs then quickly crossed the road while wagging their tails. The man then went on as though nothing had happened. I was awestruck. If everyone were like him, the world would be a better place to live in. Besides, there is a lot of things that you can do which is categorised as random act of kindness. Like, sharing your lunch with the needy, stopping for a pedestrian to cross the street or doing chores at home that you normally don’t do. Think of your mum’s reaction when she finds out that you have done some chores. How surprised she will be! This is the least we can spontaneously do for someone who we love and cherish a lot. We obviously don’t know how long we would live. So why not, make a difference in someone’s life while we can. So from now on, when we look at someone, a beggar, a child, stray animals, let’s try to do something that will truly make them happy. The smile that we receive in return of the kind deed is priceless. Trust me! The moment you see the smile, you will truly know that it is worth it. In one of Kahlil Gibran’s quotes, a Lebanese born American philosopher had said that â€Å" Tenderness and kindness are not signs of weakness and despair but manifestations of strength and resolution†. Do you know that, the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation is an organization set up to encourage people to carry out good deeds. People all over the world are experiencing the pleasure of having kind deeds done for them and they in turn reciprocate. These are countless ways for people to show acts of kindness. So, whether you buy a drink for the road sweeper, give a bowl of water to a stray dog, provide a shelter to a cat, or even as simple as helping your teacher to carry their stuffs to the staffroom, it is all categorised as random act of kindness. According to Charlie Chaplin â€Å" we think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness†. I truly hope that I have inspired each and every one of you to conduct a random act of kindness. Fit this into your busy daily routine and let’s contribute to building a better society. Thank you.

International Monetary Fund Essay

The question â€Å"To what extent has the International Monetary Fund contributed in revamping the Nigerian economy since the 1980’s?† is a question that helps us to evaluate the true impact of international monetary policy.   In order to further understand the meaning of this question, this paper will examine the following subjects – 1) the meaning of the question, 2) the significance of the question for International Relations scholars, 3) how the question relates to other published work in the area, and 4) what methods would be employed to answer the question. First of all, the question is directly focused on economic impacts.   However, the question is not simply a matter of metrics, because the question is directed at procedural changes as well.   The question is focused on the restructuring of the Nigerian economy.   To only use economic metrics would fail to address the consequences restructuring entails.   When the IMF releases money to a country, they stipulate conditions that the country must meet. Therefore, the question is also directed at the matching the directives of the IMF with the implementation within Nigeria.   The question is not asking if the IMF has had a positive or negative impact on Nigeria, so value judgments can be left aside.   However, there are several hidden economic impacts.   Structural changes to the workforce, changes in occupations, and new roles within the economy are all more difficult to measure, but can be considered a result of economic policy.    Therefore, the question means 1) what are the economic stipulations of the IMF from the 1980’s until now, 2) has the Nigerian government met the requirements of the IMF, 3) what restructuring has occurred within the Nigerian economy as a result of the IMF, 4) what economic measures can be attributed to these changes, and 5) what are the indirect economic impacts of the IMF policies. International relations scholars are interested in this question because the answers yield important data on the impacts of policy.   International relations scholars are often consulted on questions of policy.   It is therefore in their best interest to know the impacts of policies made in the past.   In this regard, they are historians.   First of all, it is critically important for International Relations scholars to understand what the IMF has attempted to revamp within the Nigerian economy by tracing the stipulations as they were made. Additionally, the scholar can look at the Nigerian government’s ability to meet the demands of the IMF.   How well were they able to integrate the changes required by the IMF.   Were there consequences that required new policies in the future?   In tracing these policy changes, the scholar can also piece their own picture together of what the IMF did well (what was effective), and what changes needed to be made in direction in order to achieve effectiveness.   They can also have a unique insight into the culture and politics of Nigeria, as well as the internal culture and politics of the IMF. At this point, the International Relations scholar can also know what economic measures are affected by differing types of policies and requirements.   Additionally, they can make recommendations on what types of correlations can be found between initiative and their impact.   Perhaps some of the most valuable information for International Relations scholars, however, is related to the indirect impact of the IMF’s policies. When looking at the restructuring of the Nigerian economy, the International Relations scholar is able to examine the changes within the population, how people moved around, the changes in families, etc.   This type of information allows for a more comprehensive picture of economic change and the effects policy can have on cultural change.   Also, this may highlight the challenges represented by a more powerful entity interacting with a less powerful entity on a global scale. There has been much written about Nigeria since the 1980’s.   There are environmental reports, malnutrition reports, and economic reports.   However, these all approach Nigeria from a different perspective than the direction of this question.   This question seeks to directly explore the impact of IMF policies and economic aid on the revamping of the Nigerian economy.   As such, this question seeks to provide supporting information of the changes in Nigeria.   It seeks to trace change related to IMF policies alone.    It is impossible to completely know what current conditions in Nigeria are caused solely or even primarily by the IMF policies, however by focusing on the IMF, widespread impacts can be evaluated from IMF policies.   It is taking the infusion of money and change of monetary policy as the starting point and looking for the economic aspects affected.   One of the main sources for research on these types of development programs is found with the World Bank.   A particularly useful document is â€Å"The Evolution of Poverty and Welfare in Nigeria, 1982 – 1992.†[1]Using this document and also information from the IMF, the scholar can tie together the policies of the IMF and the effects. In order to study such a complex issues, a rigorous approach will need to be taken.   It is the most difficult to know the indirect impacts of the IMF’s economic policies.   It is undesirable to claim that changes were a result of IMF policy, if in fact, they owed their existence to a governmental or environmental change.   However, the economy is so closely entwined with all aspects of life, the implications of the IMF policies will be seen to have far-reaching consequences. Therefore, we can begin by examining the Nigerian economy and economic statistics in 1980, and comparing them with the present day to get snapshots of the economic health of Nigeria at these two points in time.   These snapshots, however, encompass other economic influences other than the IMF programs.   Then the specific policies of the IMF and their objectives are compared to the resulting economic changes to see if the stated goals have been achieved via metrics. Also involved in this analysis is the ability of the Nigerian government to implement the changes required by the IMF.  Ã‚   This area of analysis is perhaps the easiest, as the initiatives of the IMF are easily available.   However, information on the implementation and the implementation’s challenges may be more difficult to find.   Looking at a timeline of IMF policies, one can also deduce what was effective or not effective.   If a policy was ineffective, then in a later cycle we should find a correction or an abandonment of the program. The internal structure of the government and economy can also be viewed.   The way that money flows and what directions can be measured.   It is important to see structural change since the 1980’s.   The Nigerian government worked with the IMF to develop the National Economic and Empowerment Development Strategy in 2004.[2]   This document reviews previous policy and also lays the groundwork for future work between the IMF and the Nigerian government. This report focuses on structural changes – highlighting the importance of revamping the Nigerian economy. Additionally, looking at the basic economic unit – the household – can show structural changes ass well.   By looking at these structural changes, the real question about revamping the economy can be answered.   Of course, this type of analysis also looks at the indirect effects of economic change.   These are difficult to measure, but by tracing newspaper stories and major events in Nigeria, it may be possible to trace events back to economic policy decisions. Overall, the question of the effectiveness of the IMF’s policies to restructure the Nigerian economy is a very important question with implications for future policy consideration and also a deeper understanding of the past. Now that the world is becoming smaller and national boundaries are being crossed with money and policy, it is more important than ever to understand the impact of economic policy.   Additionally, with the prevalence of capitalism and modernization, the effects of economic policy on third world nations must have a thorough understanding. Reference List International Monetary Fund, The Nigerian Economic Reform Program, IMF, 2005, retrieved 10 January 2007    World Bank, The Evolution of Poverty and Welfare in Nigeria, 1985-92, World Bank, 1997, retrieved 10 November, 2007, < http://www4.worldbank.org/afr/poverty/databank/DocNav/default.cfm> [1] World Bank, The Evolution of Poverty and Welfare in Nigeria, 1985-92, World Bank, 1997, retrieved 10 November, 2007, < http://www4.worldbank.org/afr/poverty/databank/DocNav/default.cfm> [2] International Monetary Fund, The Nigerian Economic Reform Program, IMF, 2005, retrieved 10 January 2007