Budgets are primarily p ressure devices used by management to ensure Essay

Budgets are primarily p ressure devices used by management to ensure organisational objectives are achieved - Essay Example Some of the purposes of budgeting in the hotel industry include: - helping to plan work effectively; - assisting in allocating resources; - aiding in controlling resources during the budgeting period. Moreover, it is important to understand that a budget is developed to insure that management is working toward the same goal, with a knowledge base of the organizations' resources and constraints. Although strategic planning, budget forecasting, performance analysis are inclusive operations of the budgeting process; it is ultimately up to the financial analyst to determine whether the budget is guiding the company toward the achievement of its goals. Sometimes inefficiencies result due to poor integration of the finance and strategy. â€Å"Budgeting and performance are typically overseen by the finance department, whereas planning s coordinated by strategy department. Often, the two processes aren't well integrated, resulting in strategies that are often dictated by the budget process instead of vice versa† (Gary 2003). The reason for this could be that everyone involved may be attempting to accomplish the same goals, but also trying to make sure that the outcome will be beneficial to them, such as a substantial bonus or a reward. Although many companies implement this reward theory in an effort to increase organization effectiveness, this theory does not always work. According to Aranya, â€Å"participation may create intrinsic valences due to a tendency for individuals to become â€Å"ego† involved in decisions which they have contributed, and this affects their subsequent performance† (Aranya 2001). " (Aranya 2001). Forms of budgeting There are many forms of budgeting, but in the hotel industry "the first step in the budgeting process is to develop and communicate a set of broad assumptions about the economy, the industry, and the organizations strategy for the budget period" (Marshall, 2004). By establishing an operating and financial budget for a future period, management can identify problems in advance. This can be maintained by forecasting for future predictions. A forecast is a reflection of the future. When forecasting is taken into account, two key aspects to consider are cash budgets and sales forecast. The cash budget, usually 1 to 2 year increments, is a statement of the company's inflows and outflows of cash. It allows the company to estimate the short-term cash limitations, with attention to potential planning for excess cash or shortages. On the other hand, sales forecast estimates the monthly cash flows that will result from projected sales receipts, production and inventory. Management can also det ermine the level of fixed assets required to support the forecast level of sales and production. However, it is important to obtain reliable data. As a result, this data should be acquired by internal, as well as external means. The internal sales forecast is based on unison of sales forecast through the company's internal network. External forecast, on the other hand, is based on the relationship between the company sales and key external economic indicators. This means being able to identify how future economic events will affect the business as a whole. This includes looking at consumer outlook, inflation, and political events. Many companies are now implementing a new concept of rolling forecasts in an effort to reflect the most recent market trends. "Rolling forecasts have considerable merit. A forecast produced on a quarterly basis will

Section I of the Capital Project Research Paper

Section I of the Capital Project - Research Paper Example With every capital purchase, an organization aims to meet a set of organizational needs. A capital purchase would not benefit an organization unless it contributes to the organization’s productivity or overall performance efficacy. This paper will discuss a software purchase a healthcare organization made for filing patient records properly. The paper will give particular focus on managerial, organizational, and economic benefits of this capital purchase. Capital purchase To define, â€Å"a capital purchase is defined as any purchase of $1000 and over† (Novak, 1996, p.335). Capital purchases are considered as long term assets of an organization. Generally, capital purchases are viewed as capital investments, capital assets, or capital acquisitions. The process of capital acquisition can benefit a healthcare organization in a number of ways. In the view of Gitman and McDaniel (2008, p.434), capital acquisitions add to an organization’s asset strength, which in tur n contributes to the firm’s value chain efficiency and service efficiency. In the case of healthcare organizations like hospitals, a capital purchase is mainly intended to improve the quality of care delivery and thereby promoting patient safety. ... The planned software purchase for filing patient records costs more than $5,000, and therefore, it is a capital purchase. This capital acquisition may assist the healthcare environment to deliver improved patient care services at affordable costs. Management goals of the purchase This capital acquisition would support many management goals including revenue growth, operational efficiency improvement, improved productivity, quality assurance, performance evaluation, reduced employee hiring and training costs. Loretz (2005) says that filing patient records manually is a difficult task because a large number of patients visit a healthcare institution every day. Hence, a healthcare institution needs to employ a large workforce to manage patient records appropriately. Evidently, an organization is forced to spend huge amounts on employee hiring and training in order to file patient records manually (p.2). This situation would probably reduce the firm’s profitability. However, compu terized patient records handling system would assist a healthcare environment to manage patient data effectively and inexpensively. A software-based patient information filing system is beneficial for the organization to minimize the level of employee hiring because such a program may be capable of handling patient data more accurately and quickly. Even though this purchase may cost huge money initially, this acquisition would benefit the organization to trim down employee hiring and training expenses in the long term. Consequently, this may aid the firm to reduce its operating expenses and thereby improve profitability. As we discussed earlier, a software-based program can more quickly and accurately manage patient information;

Dealing with various types of emergency procedures Essay Example for Free

Dealing with various types of emergency procedures Essay The following sets out the principles for dealing with various types of emergency procedures within schools is given as guidance only. Fire other emergencies In the event of fire other emergencies (such as gas leak, flood bomb scare) buildings need to be evacuated quickly but safely. In all schools there should be clear, detailed procedures on evacuation which must be displayed in each area of the school. These procedures should give information on: How to raise the alarm in the event of an emergency. What to do if you hear the fire alarm. The nearest assembly point – this may be a playground, sports field or even a nearby evacuation centre/safety perimeter following instructions from police. Registers should be available so staff can account for the safety whereabouts of all the children. The route you should take – this should include a plan of the route from each room or area of the school, detailing the nearest fire exits. No staff or children should be allowed to stop to collect personal belongings or put on coats. Must not re-enter the building until you have been informed it is safe to do so. Security There should be security in place in schools to minimise the risks to children. As a teaching assistant, you must know what these are follow the procedures at all times. These procedures should include: Security locks on doors. Signing in procedures/visitor badges (you should be able to identify all visitors to the school by badges. If unsure about someone you see on the school grounds, always report your concern to someone higher). Procedures for collection of younger children. Registration. Missing children While security measures should minimise the risk of children going missing, it is vitally important that you follow the school guidelines. As a teaching assistant, you may be asked to accompany children on school visits to supervise a group of children. All staff present on such visits should make regular checks that all children are present. Some schools may require all the children to wear hi-visibility vests or other items which make them easily identifiable during school outings. On discovering children are missing, you must take the following immediate action: Report to the teacher responsible. Ensure the presence safety of the other children by checking the register. Check all surrounding areas from where the child/Children have gone missing, whether it is in the school grounds or during an outing. Inform the child/children’s parents.

Risk-taking During Childhood Play

Risk-taking During Childhood Play Introduction to the proposed study area The aim of this dissertation is to focus on the question of the nature of risk around childrens play. What risks are the kinds of risks children prefer? How these risks are tolerated and coped with. What is meant by risky play the thrilling and exciting form of play which involves the chance of physical injury. This type of play can involve great heights, high speeds or even dangerous environments and elements. Risky play generally takes place outdoors and is generally through childrens free play which is normally not organised by adults. My interest for studying childrens play lies in my perceptions of my son and that children seem to seek and prefer this type of play. Play is built in to a childs very nature this helps them to learn, and be curious about there surroundings and themselves. This is that they unconsciously test boundaries and possibilities from there environment to get a reaction. It is through this play that they discover what is safe and what is not. This type of play is becoming increasingly hard to find due to the welfare state of today securing our environments in order to avoid accidents and liability issues. This has set a trend to prohibit the dangerous, resulting in an aversion on taking risk. This focus on childrens play and playgrounds has continuously grown over recent years bringing play to many discussions about the balance between safety, risk and the opportunities for children to develop through play. In this research I aim to examin issues such as safety accidents and childrens developmental benefits of risk in play. Aims of the project The main aims of the dissertation are to: Evaluate literature, best practice guidance, government guidance, and information on child development and risk Research legal positions with in risk and play The effect of risk upon an individual Present a picture of childrens play relative to a risk adverse society Research the benefits of risk in childrens play Explain why learning benefits will be reduced by removing risk Summary of risky criteria Make recommendations on how to encourage risk to make the best use of play areas (by the use of case studies) Research legal positions with in risk and play Personal Aims include: To complete the dissertation and gain my MA Extend my knowledge regarding childrens play and best practice Gain skills in conducting research Develop contacts through seminars, meetings and work Prepare myself in furthering my employment skills Scope and limitations of the study The topic is selected because it represents, possible significant risks to the health and well being of children and any possible subsequent social or health implications, which could contribute to the development of children from risky behaviour. This study will focus on the healthy risky behaviour of childrens play such as physical interactivity and unintentional injury. The methods of study could include observational or interventional with secondary data analyses of existing information, analyses of costs and benefits of risk in play to children. A multidisciplinary approach will be used researching findings from childrens behavioural scientists, education, public policy and others. Which can be influenced by a multitude of social, environmental or psychological factors. These could be affected by genetic makeup, temperament and memory of previous experiences could all be potential factors. These can all influence the physical intellectual and emotional development of risk in play it is my opinion that children should be encouraged to expand upon current experiences to consider techniques and strategies such as decision making and goal directed behaviours. Skills that could be developed through play are self-monitoring, self-awareness, stress management, mental imagery, prevention skills, conflict resolution, assertiveness skills, decision making skills, and will help develop healthy behaviors. Both internal and external factors could contribute to an individuals tendency to engage in or refrain from risky behaviors. What these factors are, how they interact, for whom, and when in the developmental trajectory, are all questions of importance in understanding risky behaviors and behavior change and development in children. Methodology and methods Literature search and review, data will be accessed through university library, city librarys and information service using a selection of tertiary and secondary information sources such as the information database, bibliographic database, internet search engines, directories and journals. These sources will be reviewed and analysed through a qualitative method for my primary data collection. Through observations and talking to children and school staff I plan to find out what kind of risky play children prefer and like to do. I will also look into how staff will arrange and cope with this type of play. This will help to find about childrens and adults thoughts and attitudes on risky play. I plan on observing children at several primary schools going about there every day life. This will allow me to get a better impression on how childrens risky play differs. I plan on collecting recordings images and write field notes thoughts and reflections. Studies of interest maybe: Secondary data analyses of existing information and desktop studies Benefits to children, issues and opportunities conduct primary research with schools Observational studies case studies Interventional how to make changes Resources The university facilities will be used extensively in support of my dissertation. In particularly the university library, computing suites and on-line systems. I will also be attending seminars and lectures Conducting interviews Using work experience Conducting internet research Reading books and journals Time table Prepare dissertation proposal Literature searching Literature searching Intensive research Final proposal Bibliography listing Dissertation presentation Further reading Draft dissertation Editing and rewrites References Bruner, J. (1972). Nature and uses of immaturity. American Psychologist, 27, 687-708. Childrens Play Council (2002). More than swings and roundabouts: Planning for outdoor play. Retrieved 23 May 2009, www.ncb.org.uk/dotpdf/open%20access%20-%20phase%201%20only/moveswing2_cpc_20050512.pdf Dempsey, J. D., Frost, J. L. (1993). Play environments in early childhood education. In B. Spodek (Ed.), Handbook of research on the education of young children New York: Macmillan. Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Getting serious about play: A review of childrens play. London: Author. Retrieved 12 June 2009, www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/21762951-E07E-4439-8BA3-04C6ECE510A3/0/ReviewofChildrensPlay.pdf Fjortoft, I. (2001). The natural environment as a playground for children: The impact of outdoor play activities in pre-primary school children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(2), 111-117 Fjortoft, I., Sageie, J. (2000). The natural environment as a playground for children: Landscape description and analysis of a natural playscape. Landscape and Urban Planning, 48(1/2), 83-97. Furedi, F. (2001). Paranoid parenting: Abandon your anxieties and be a good parent. London: Penguin. Gallahue, D. L. (1993). Motor development and movement skill acquisition in early childhood education. In B. Spodek (Ed.), Handbook of research on the education of young children (pp. 24-41). New York: Macmillan. Goodyear-Smith, F. A., Laidlaw, T. M. (1999). The price of safety at all costs. Nuance Greenfield, C. (2003). Outdoor play: The case for risks and challenges in childrens learning and development. Safekids News, 21, 5. Henniger, M. L. (1994). Planning for outdoor play. Young Children, 49(4), 10-15. Isenberg, J. P., Quisenberry, N. (2002). Play: Essential for all children. Childhood Education, 79(1), 33-39. Karsten, L., van Vliet, W. (2006). Children in the city: Reclaiming the street. Children, Youth and Environments Little, H. (2006). Childrens risk-taking behaviour: Implications for early childhood policy and practice. International Journal of Early Years Education, 14(2), 141-154. Lupton, D., Tulloch, J. (2002). Life would be pretty dull without risk: Voluntary risk taking and its pleasures. Health, Risk Society, 4(2), 113-124. Mitchell, R., Cavanagh, M., Eager, D. (2006). Not all risk is bad, playgrounds as a learning environment for children. International Journal of Injury Control and Safety Promotion, 13(2), 122-124. New, R. S., Mardell, B., Robinson, D. (2005). Early childhood education as risky business: Going beyond whats safe to discovering whats possible. Early Childhood Research and Practice, 7(2). Retrieved March 3 2006, http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v7n2/new.html Pless, I. B., Magdalinos, H. (2006). Risk compensation behaviour in children. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 160(6), 610-614. Poest, C. A., Williams, J. R., Witt, D. D., Atwood, M. E. (1990). Challenge me to move: Large muscle development in young children. Young Children, 45(5), 4-10. Potts, R. P., Martinez, I. G., Dedmon, A. (1995). Childhood risk taking and injury: Self-report and informant measures. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 20(1), 5-12. Rivkin, M. S. (1995). The great outdoors: Restoring childrens right to play outside. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. Stephenson, A. (2002). Opening up the outdoors: Exploring the relationship between indoor and outdoor environments of a centre. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 10(1), 29-38. Stephenson, A. (2003). Physical risk-taking: Dangerous or endangered? Early Years, 23(1), 35-43. Stine, S. (1997). Landscapes for learning. New York: John Wiley Sons. Taylor, S. I., Morris, V. G. (1996). Outdoor play in early childhood settings: Is it safe and healthy for children? Early Childhood Education Journal, 23(3), 153-158. Valentine, G., McKendrick, J. (1997). Childrens outdoor play: Exploring parental concerns about childrens safety and the changing nature of childhood. Geoforum, 28(2), 219-235.

Newborn Dried Blood Spot Screening (NBS) Essay -- Newborn screening p

Introduction Newborn Dried Blood Spot Screening (NBS) is the most widespread application of screening technology to identify infants with certain genetic, metabolic, and endocrine disorders. Several drops of blood are taken from the baby’s heel and placed on a ï ¬ lter paper card. Many countries are considering the expansion of their new- born bloodspot screening programs. As a public health intervention, NBS has greatly improved the lives of thousands of affected children. Yet despite the fact that newborn screening has saved the lives of thousands of children and help many more from lasting disability, previous experience has shown that screening can be costly and cause a-dverse psychological effects, such as anxiety, stress, guilt, social stigma, reduced self-esteem, and social, insurance and employment discrimination. Specifically concerning children, a request for screening creates legal concerns and raises ethical questions for the health care provider. In this review, we highligh t the major ethical and social challenges currently facing each facet of newborn screening. Background : Newborn screening (NBS) tests have been designed to identify infants with severe disorders that are relatively prevalent and treatable (or controllable) and it consists of taking a few drops of blood from a baby’s heel in the first week of life and testing it for a list of disorders. Newborn screening began In the United States and most countries in Europe in the 1960s and 1970s after Dr. Robert Guthrie developed a simple blood test for phenylketonuria (PKU) ( Baily & H. Murray, 2008). PKU leads to mental retardation, but can be effectively treated by early detection and continued adherence to a special diet. Until the late 1990s, screeni... ...creening for early detection of disease, the need for evidence. Clin Chim Acta. 315, 5-15 Miller. F, Robert. J, Z. Hayeems. R (2009), Genetic& ethics, Questioning the Consensus: Managing Carrier Status Results Generated Newborn Screening, American Journal of Public Health, 99,210-215 Rothwell. E, A. Anderson. R, J. Burbank. M, J. Goldenberg. A, Lewis. M, Stark. A, Wong. B, R. Botkin. B (2011). Concerns of Newborn Blood Screening Advisory Committee Members Regarding Storage and Use of Residual Newborn Screening Blood Spots, American Journal of Public Health, 101, 2111-2116 Tarini. B, Goldenberg.A (2014), Ethical Issues with Newborn Screening in the Genomics Era. Ethics of Newborn Screening, 1 , 381-393. Vanderburg. S, Verwei.M (2012), Maintaining Trust in Newborn Screening : Compliance and Informed Consent in the Netherlands, Hastings Center Report, 41-47.

Henri Fayol Principals Essay

Principle 1: Division of work According to Fayol’s principle one of management, division of work, he proposed that â€Å"work can be performed more efficiently if it is divided into smaller elements and assigning specific elements to specific workers† (Rodrigues 2001, p. 880). Contrary to this principle, workers might get bored of doing the same task. For instance in a factory, work is divided into many parts where each of the worker is responsible for a specific task. Eventually these workers will be proficient in their job, where it will become a routine work. However, if they were to continue to perform the same routine task over a very long period of time, they might lose interest or become too complacent. They are not being challenged or made to encounter new or different situations during the job. Thus, this does not create opportunities for them to develop new skills. Employees need to be exposed to job opportunities so that they will be able to pick up new skills, and not just focusing on a specific task. If these employees are given the opportunity to develop new skills, it will give them a sense of importance and belonging in the organisation, and these new knowledge will inspire and motivate them to be more engaged and have a better understanding in their work. Every employees would seize it as an opportunity whenever they face challenges (McGregor & Harpaz, cited in Rodrigues 2011, p. 881). Therefore, organisation should come out with methods and tools that are able to increase the opportunities and challenges of the employees (Schmitt, Zacher & de Lange 2013, p. 516). To support this, employers can provide workshops and trainings for employees to broaden their skills and specializations. This will also open up the employees’ room for professional development. For example, Singapore Workforce Development Agency, WDA encourages employees, professionals, managers and executives to upgrade and build up on their skills through skills-based trainings (Singapore Workforce Development Agency 2012). Opportunities given to employees at work will allow them to learn and gain more skills and knowledge. In addition, this will also boost up their growth and confidence level in their work as they are empowered with multi responsibilities. In the presence of job enrichment, employees are able to deepen their job responsibilities and have control over their work (Dickie & Dickie 2011, p. 71). Job enrichment will benefit the organisation as it will reduce the number of absenteeism, turnover  intentions and social loafing while increase employees’ job satisfaction, organizational commitment and individual productivity (Davoudi 2013, p. 107). In other words, organisation should encourage and send their employees for skills upgrading to stretch their capabilities. In contrast to Fayol’s understanding that an employee doing one task will increase their efficiency, employee that have more than one skill will benefit the organisation as their knowledge has become greater than before. Another disadvantage to this principle in this 21st century context is the impact of technology whereby machines has taken over some but not all, specialised jobs (Rodrigues 2001, pp. 880-881). Back to the factory example; then people were hired to do manufacturing jobs such as assembling cars. Each worker was given a specific task to assemble a car, but now these tasks are carried out by robots, where they are able to do more than one task (John Markoff 2012). As a result these workers might lose their jobs. Thus this principle, to a certain extent, it may not be relevant today. There are still organisations who practice this principle, but with the fast moving technology and employees who are eager to learn, it might not apply to this day. ? The managers have the power to instruct their employees to perform work that they give. Thus in this principle, managers give their employee rights (authority) and let them be responsible to complete the task (responsibility) that is being delegated to them (Bushardt et al. 2010, p. 9). In this context, it shows that the manager’s role is authoritative, which makes the subordinates have to follow the manager’s instructions (Cheng 2004, p. 91). Managers must stay in mind that they must have a shared understanding with their employees when they assign the task to them (Miles, cited in Evans et al. 2013, p. 24). They must take in consideration not to misuse their authoritative power to the extent that their employees have no choice nor say when their managers delegate the task to them. When the manager and the employee have a common goal, it will open up opportunities for employees to share opinions and make decisions to accomplish the required task. This also allows the managers to understand their employees and get engaged with them. In support of this, managers need to be a good example to their employees so that they will feel inspired and motivated to reach their organisational goals. Hence, managers have to be a transformational leader by moving their team forward to inspire and motivate them (Warrick 2011, p. 12). Whenever someone thinks of a leader, he will associate them with acquiring power, influence and authority (Dickie & Dickie 2011, p. 83). One can have power and authority, but only a few are able to influence, inspire and motivate their employees. Fig 1.1 Leader behaviour continuum (Tannenbaum & Schmidt, cited in Dickie & Dickie 2011, p. 87) The two-dimensional model in fig 1.1 explains that managers’ role of authoritativeness and sub-ordinates empowerment has to be balanced between managers and the employees. Employees are able to participate in the decision making by voicing out their ideas to their managers. Managers can then make a decision based on this shared understanding (Tannenbaum & Schmidt 1973). Hence, employees are given the permission to complete the given task which was based on a clear and discussed understanding with the manager. In contrast of Fayol’s perspective, delegation of work to the employees should be tasked responsibly with a shared understanding. Thus, employees will feel that their role in the organisation is worthy and  trusted. References Davoudi, SMM 2013, ‘Impact: Job Enrichment in Organizational Citizenship Behaviour’, SCMS Journal of Indian Management, p. 107, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 21 November 2013. Dickie, L & Dickie, C 2011, Cornerstones of Management, 2nd edn, Tilde University Press, Australia, p. 71. Rodrigues, CA 2001, ‘Fayol’s 14 principles of management then and now: A framework for managing today’s organizations effectively’, Management Decision, vol. 39, no. 10, pp. 880-889. Schmitt, A, Zacher, H & de Lange, AH 2013, ‘Focus on opportunities as a boundary condition of the relationship between job control and work engagement: A multi-sample, multi-method study’, European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, vol. 22, no. 5, p. 516, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 17 December 2013. Singapore Workforce Development Agency 2012, About WDA, Singapore Workforce Development Agency, viewed 12 January 2014, . John Markoff 2012, Skilled Work, Without the Worker, New York Times, viewed 12 January 2014, . ? Principle 2: Authority and responsibility Bushardt, SC, Glascoff, DW, Doty, DH, Frank, M & Burke, F 2010, ‘Delegation, Authority and Responsibility: A reconfiguration of an old paradigm’, Advances in Management, vol. 3, no. 9, p. 9. Cheng, BS, Chou, LF, Wu, TY, Huang, MP & Farh, JL 2004, ‘Paternalistic leadership and subordinate responses: Establishing a leadership model in Chinese organizations’, Asian Journal of Social Psychology, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 91. Dickie, L & Dickie, C 2011, Cornerstones of Management, 2nd edn, Tilde University Press, Australia, p. 83. Dickie, L & Dickie, C 2011, Cornerstones of Management, 2nd edn, Tilde University Press, Australia, p. 87. Evans, WR, Haden, SSP, Clayton, RW & Novicevic, MM 2013, ‘History-of-management thought about social responsibility’, Journal of Management History, vol. 19, no. 1, p. 24. Tannenbaum, R & Schmidt, WH 1973, ‘How to choose a leadership pattern’, Harvard Business Review, vol. 51, no. 3, p. 164. Warrick, DD 2011, â₠¬ËœThe urgent need for skilled transformational leaders: integrating transformational leadership and organization development’, Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics, vol. 8, no. 5, p. 12. ?

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.