Hockey In Canada Essays - National Hockey League, Montreal, Canada

Hockey In Canada Cater Crouch First year Program Dr. Joseph Jockel March 29, 2000 Hockey in Canada Ice hockey has in the last hundred years evolved to become international. Canada is in jeopardy of losing its six teams. Tradition run deep in all of the cities and also professional hockey teams create thousands of jobs and help out in the communities. Teams in the Canadian market are having trouble keeping their programs in the black because of higher taxes and a weaker Canadian dollar. In order for professional hockey teams in Canada not to relocate to United States, it is necessary for Ottawa to provide tax cuts for them. Professional hockey has been around in Canada for over one hundred years. Tradition runs deep in programs like the Toronto Maple Leaf's and Montreal Canadians, which have been located in those towns since the creation of the NHL. In 1917 the NHL had its first full season and all of the five teams were from Canada. By 1934 there were only two teams left in Canada but those two teams (the Montreal Canadians and the Toronto Maple Leafs) are still in the NHL after 93 years. Privet research firms have done studies for professional sports franchises to see if moving their franchise is more profitable than their current location. Currently three of the six Canadian markets are more profitable than the open locations in the United States (Dryden 2). A study done by J.C.H. Jones and D.G. Ferguson has come to the conclusion that the quality of a location directly affects a teams profitability. Also take into the consideration that the quality of a location also impact the quality of the athletic talent. Finally, the one pervasive element in the empirical analysis is the significance of a Canadian location. The hoser variable is simultaneously a proxy for Canadian sporting culture and a talisman for franchise survival. It is probably no accident that, at the entrance to the Canadian Pavilion at the World Fair of 1986, there is a single ikon which presumably described Canada to the world-the largest hockey stick and puck in the world. Seemingly, everyone recognizes that in Canada, Hockey is King (c1). These teams have made a home for themselves in their towns and if these two franchises are up rooted from their communities they may not be gained much of an advantage even with the lower taxes (Dryden 2). One of the fundamental problems with Canadian hockey teams competing with their American counterparts is that Canadian teams pay all of the players salaries and travel are in American currency. However, all the revenue from ticket sales, concessions and advertising is in Canadian currency. American teams have an advantage over their Canadian counterparts because all the money that was created from ticket sales, concessions and selling advertising is one-third more than what Canadian teams will make. This is because of a weaker Canadian dollar, 69 cents to one American dollar, means that Canadian franchises will always make one-third less from basic franchise profits as long as the Canadian dollar stays the same. The teams are among Canada's fewest businesses that pay most of their salaries and expenses in U.S. dollars out of revenue earned in depressed Canadian dollars (May p 2). This is a problem because the weaker Canadian dollar makes it harder for these franchises to run day-to-d ay operations (Duhatschek 7). The result is uneven playing field between 22 U.S.-based franchises and six in Canada(Duhatschek 7). The weaker Canadian dollar and higher taxes is forcing Canadian franchises to look south for better opportunities. The National Hockey League needs to make it so teams in profitable areas could help out teams in lower profit markets by sharing some of their profit. By sharing profits this could help Canadian teams with high taxes. Unlike the NBA or NFL the NHL does not have a lucrative TV contract with a network to help some teams with the inflated taxes. The NHL also does not share its gate receipts with its other members (c1). That means that teams like the Detroit Red Wings, which is one of the most profitable teams, does not share any of its gate receipts with teams that aren't profitable like the Calgary flames. This system

Case for locog workforce Diversity The WritePass Journal

Case for locog workforce Diversityï » ¿ Introduction Case for locog workforce Diversityï » ¿ London Olympic and Paralympic games. Benefits that could accrue from this diversity and implications have been outlined and include improvement in bottom line and workforce relations, resulting in enhanced efficiency, gains in competitive advantage and thus enhanced business performance which would enable LOCOG achieve its objectives and mandate. HR seeks to contribute to the realization of these benefits through deliberate training and development of diversity awareness and culture evaluation, as well as, focusing on workforce diversity in the recruitment and selection of staff. References Foot, M., Hook, C., 2008. Introducing Human Resource Management. 5th ed. Harlow  : Pearson Education Ltd. Mannix, E., Neale, M., 2005. â€Å"What Differences Make a Difference? The Promise and Reality of Diversity Teams in Organizations.† In: Psychological Science in the Public Interest. 6(2), 31-35. McCuiston, V., Ross, B., Pierce, C., 2004. â€Å"Leading the diverse workforce. Profit, prospects and progress.† In: The Leadership Organization Development Journal. 25(1), 73-92. Shen, J., et al., 2009. â€Å"Managing Diversity through human resource management: an international perspective and conceptual framework.† In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management. 20(2), 235-251. Syeda, J., Ãâ€"zbilginb, M., 2009. â€Å"A relational framework for international transfer of diversity Management practices.† In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management. Vol. 20, No. 12, 2435–2453.

Product Development Sequence Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Product Development Sequence - Research Paper Example This accelerated new product development forces the companies to incorporate new innovated technologies into the products to achieve innovation success and improve profitability (Filippini et al, 2004). The e-business research field has enabled the businesses to emerge more and more e-business theories, applications and technologies to outline and stimulate information into research and business communities. It allows the businesses to form competitive and effective growth in product development. During the studies, the researchers found many ways in which the e-business applications can be applied. The time efficiency was influenced by a number of factors in the organizations including standardization, supplier partnership, concurrent engineering and cross-functional teams. However the synergistic approach suggested that the key factor to the concurrent engineering was teamwork, and on the other hand it was emphasized that the cross-functional teams would have greater influence on t he product development time performance if they are communicated well. Thus this is where the technological emerges. Many of the research methods including theoretical, experimental, case and survey research methods are used in order to advance the business methods used in new product development. They enhance the e-business techniques as an emerging technology into the growth of the business, and help in bringing the product to an established level. As many companies saw the increased potential benefits of the e-business., they have now begun to capitalize in it. E-business reinforces the use of information and communications in every business activity. It also enables the business to focus on the use of information and communication to interact with the external activities of the business and form relationships with external groups and individuals for their new product development sequence. Project managers usually ensure better product performances if the communication technologies are efficiently used. Thus, e-business technologies that enhance the networking amongst drivers and external links can bring a boost in the growth of the new product development. Many of these technologies have recently emerged in many businesses and formed a successful interaction link between all those who are joined in the product development. These technologies are introduced in order to improve the teamwork which would eventually reduce the time performance for each product and will enable the concurrent engineering to be carried out (Brown, 2004). The new innovated technologies that enabled stronger communication were the use of better communications devices which were new, modern and much easier to use than other communication methods. Many studies have shown the use of modern communication devices that are developed for the purpose of improving communication amongst drivers a

The Theories and Practices of Public Relations and Its Writing Assignment

The Theories and Practices of Public Relations and Its Writing - Assignment Example Writing in public relations is an important aspect and the success of any form of public relation campaign depends on the writing skills of the writer. Information has to be researched well, organized in a logical format so that the intended information is delivered effectively. Good public relation writing thus is important in ensuring relevant and correct information is communicated. Public relations is planned communication (Mahoney, 2008) TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 1.0INTRODUCTION 4 2.0PART A: 4 2.1Planning and Preliminary Research 4 a)Personal Study Checklist: 5 b)Timetable: 5 2.2Research Fact sheet   7 2.3Planning Template 8 2.4Planning Questions: 5ws and H 8 3.0PART B: 9 3.1Public relations is planned communication 9 4.0CONCLUSUION 12 LIST OF REFERENCES 15 1.0 INTRODUCTION Public relation is the practice related to the management of communication between the public and an organization (Zhao, 1999). It is the planned effort of establishing a mutual under standing between the public and an organization or an individual (Jovanovich, 1984). Public relation provides an opportunity of exposure of an organization or individual to a target audience. ... Public relation is a planned communication that involves research of relevant information, organization of the information in a clear format and the delivery to the target audience. The public relations practitioner has to identify the target audience and establish the form of information delivery that the audience will best understand. Written word is an important aspect in public relations that helps to communicate information to the public. The success of any public relation writing is in the writing skills of the writer and thus it is important to have good writing skills so as to deliver the information effectively (L'Etang, 2007). 2.0 PART A: 2.1 Planning and Preliminary Research Research and planning is a fundamental aspect of Public Relations writing. The following was the research plan that was formulated in preparation for the discussion, demonstrating planning, time management and organisation. a) Personal Study Checklist: I read and understood the assignment details and r equirements carefully Brainstorming for the assignment Noted the due date for the assignment ( 3rd June, 2011 ) Started a plan on how I was to complete the assignment Confirmed the due date from the unit guide provided by the lecturer The assignment had to be done by Friday 27th of May, before the due date Borrowed the Mahoney textbook from the library to aid in the assignment b) Timetable: 9th May, 2011 Started the assignment Read the assignment description carefully Made a note on how I was to do assignment 11th May, 2011 Brainstormed Read the instructions once again and noted the requirements Searched for documents that were necessary for the assignment Downloaded the fact

Emotional Intelligence And Leaderships

Emotional Intelligence And Leaderships This essay discusses how emotional intelligence can affect leadership, through the fundamental function of decision making process, and lead to organisational effectiveness. For this purpose, Golemans, Boyatzis et al.s (2002) four key elements of emotional intelligence are employed, which are classified into twenty self and social focused competencies. A number of practical applications are described, explaining how emotional skills can affect leaders ability to achieve the desired outcome during the decision making process. We concluded that organisational effectiveness can benefit from the application of emotional intelligence on leadership skills, through the decision making process. Finally, we note some limitations such as the level of emotional intelligence and its accurate measurement. Keywords Emotional intelligence, leadership, decision making process Introduction Emotional intelligence was first introduced in the late 1980s (Mayer, Roberts, Barsade, 2008). Yet, one of the most controversial issues is how emotional intelligence as the new form of intelligence that concerns the interaction of thinking and feeling, can be employed on leadership and subsequently on organisational effectiveness (Goleman, 1998). There are several definitions and conceptions about leadership and its effectiveness. Until the 1980s, leadership effectiveness was measured by leaders cognitive ability to apply and develop effective strategies for complicated problem solving (Woods West, 2010). However, the last three decades leadership effectiveness due to its apparent social aspect is measured by leaders capability to influence, inspire and motivate followers. (Woods West, 2010). After further research, emotional intelligence evolved into a popular and useful tool for enhancing leadership effectiveness (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). In our essay we discuss how emotional intelligence through the application of individual and social skills on decision making process, can affect leadership efficiency and lead to organisational effectiveness (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Given the fact that the leaders decisions play a central role in the organisational viability (Woods West, 2010), we consider that the implementation of emotional intelligence resources to the decision making process can contribute notably to the increase of organisational efficacy. Emotional intelligence The term of emotional intelligence was first formally introduced into academic literature in the decade of 1990 by Salovey and Mayer (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). Emotional intelligence is considered to be a dual dimensional theory that is focused on peoples self and social skills. That means that emotional intelligence concerns the humans ability of having an effective command of expressing, evaluating, managing emotions, communicating feelings and generating thought applied on individual and relationship based level (Salovey Mayer, 1990). It can be classified in two broad models: the ability based model and the mixed model. The ability model involves the abilities of conceiving and recognising the emotions, facilitating thoughts, understanding complex emotions and managing them (Mayer, Salovey, Caruso, 2000). Emotional intelligence links emotions and intelligence to someones perception for understanding the social environment (Grewal Salovey, 2005). Specifically: Emotional intelligence involves the ability to perceive accurately, appraise and express emotion; the ability to access and/or generate feelings when they facilitate thought; the ability to understand emotion and emotional knowledge; and the ability to understand emotions to promote emotional and intellectual growth (Mayer Salovey, 1997). The four branch model as mentioned above, links hierarchically the basic process of conceiving emotions to the advanced level of understanding them and is measured by MSCEIT [Mayer Salovey Caruso Emotional intelligence Test; (Mayer, Caruso, Salovey, Sitarenios, 2003)]. Goleman (1995) introduced the mixed model of emotional intelligence that involves non innate talents but learnt competencies that significantly affect job performance (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). This kind of model mainly addresses leaders performance and provides dynamic outlines for becoming an effective leader. According to Goleman (2001) and Boyatzis et al (2000) the basic elements of the mixed model of emotional intelligence consist of self focused and social focused competencies. These are: self awareness, self management, social awareness and relationship management (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Self awareness involves emotional self awareness, accurate self assessment and self confidence. The emotional self awareness is referred to the fact that someone is fully aware of his/her feelings and realise their impact. The accurate self assessment involves the knowledge of strengths and weaknesses and how they can be eliminated through gradual improvement. A highly self confident person is aware of his/her abilities, expressing strong confidence and being able to deal with difficult tasks (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). Moreover, the group of self focused competencies includes self management capabilities that concern emotional self control, transparency, adaptability, achievement, initiative and optimism. The emotional self control is referred to ones ability to setting impulsive emotions under control, while the transparency is associated with integrity and honesty. The adaptability entails flexibility and the ability to easily adjust to spontaneous changes, whereas achievement concerns the fulfillment of goals and targets. The initiative concerns ones ability to act alone holding responsibility for the consequences of his/her actions; the optimism entails seeing the positive aspect of the events and the future facts that might take place (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). The social focused competencies i.e. social awareness and relationship management determine the manner of managing followers. The social awareness includes empathy which means understanding ones concerns and emotional situation, organisational effectiveness which is referred to the efficiency of meeting organisational goals and service which has to do with the comprehension of followers requirements. The relationship management involves inspiration (generating motivations to the followers), influence, developing others (improving ones capabilities), change catalyst (leading an entirely new and innovative modification), conflict management (how to manage disagreements), building bonds (the ability of socialising and developing a network of new relationships) and teamwork (effective collaboration and co existence within the group) (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). Leadership and Emotional intelligence According to House et al (1999):Leadership is the ability of an individual to influence, motivate and enable others to contribute towards the effectiveness and success of the organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Yukl, 2006). Some theorists argue that leadership is adjusted according to organisational environment and aims. Hersey and Blanchard (1982) claim, different situations require different kinds of leadership (Situational Theory of Leadership). On the other hand, Fiedlers Contingency Theory (1967) suggests that leadership effectiveness depends on the place, the time, the task and the situation (Arnold, Randal, al, 2010). In any case leadership through its dynamic dimension provides guidelines that can promote organisational effectiveness. By this term, it is meant profitability in financial terms, or organisations ability to equip employees with those skills necessary for performing business fully engaged with the organisational culture (Woods West, 2010). A leaders effectiveness depends on the manner of developing and enhancing followers skills and abilities. Personality characteristics in themselves do not make leaders inherently effective. What matters is how those characteristics are expressed to leaders behavior, and how that behavior is understood by others (Woods West, 2010). The Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), the worldwide known Work and Organisational Psychology Organisation, conducts research on what is effective leadership by highlighting the factors that lead to failure (derailing). Its study showed that even though there are common traits between those who succeeded and those who failed, certain characteristics seemed similar for their imminent failure. For example, managers promotion from lower levels of the organisation to upper ones, might lead to over-confident behavior (Woods West, 2010). At the organisational level, leadership is considered to be a mixture of behaviors, administrative abilities, traits and interactions that are driven by the circumstances and the organisational culture; the link among various departments in an organisation managed by the leader (Woods West, 2010). Considerable evidences in recent years note that social skills are vital for leadership performance (Prati, Ceasar, Ferris, Ammeter, Buckley, 2003). An efficiently oriented leader takes advantage of emotional skills and resources in terms of interaction, in order to achieve the optimal performance outcome (Wong Law, 2002). The emotional skills concern the social aspect of emotional intelligence during the interaction process (Riggio Reichard, 2008). Under these circumstances, leaderships outcome is considerably affected by a leaders ability to recognise and manage followers emotions in social interaction (George, 2000). This argument is supported by Goleman, Boyatzis and McKee (2002) wh o claim that emotional intelligence is fundamental for leadership effectiveness and specifically when it is applied on teams. Antonakis et al (2009) claim that leadership effectiveness is strongly linked to emotional intelligence when concerns the relationship development between the followers and the leader (Antonakis, Ashkanasy, Dasborough, 2009). Since leadership is considered an emotional process, the level of emotional intelligence in a leader plays a significant role in the effectiveness of social interaction with others. George J.M. (2000) in her article Emotions and leadership: The role of Emotional intelligence underlines that there are five basic elements of leadership that are positively correlated with the level of emotional intelligence. The five key elements of effective leadership as presented by the authors Conger Kanungo (1998), Lock (1991), Yukl (1998) are the following: Development of collective goals and objectives. Instilling in others a sense of appreciation and importance of work. Generating and maintaining enthusiasm, confidence, optimism, cooperation, and trust. Encouragement of decision making and change. Establishing and maintaining meaningful identity for the organisation. (George, 2000) Emotional intelligence is the spark that ignites a companys performance creating a bonfire of success or a landscape of ashes. (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). There has been research on the correlation between the level of emotional intelligence and the leadership effectiveness; results showed that ones level of emotional intelligence might play an important role to the leadership effectiveness (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). However, it is doubtful whether the ability to understand emotions and the ability to act effectively are inextricably linked or not (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). According to Rosete and Ciarrochi (2005), the higher level of emotional intelligence, the higher leadership effectiveness (Kerr, Garvin, Heaton, Boyle, 2006). Leaders with high level of emotional intelligence inspire, generate motivation to the followers and state greater job satisfaction (Scott-Ladd Chan, 2004). Emotional intelligence and decision making process It is common knowledge that organisations consist of several departments that interact in order to perform business. Koop (1995) claims that this interaction is managed by the decision makers (leaders) (Scott-Ladd Chan, 2004). Under these circumstances, we realise the importance of the decision making process and the impact of their outcomes on organisational effectiveness. The decision making process is classified in the following stages according to Simon (1986) Langley (1989): Rational economic model Definition of the issue. Identification of limiting factors (external and internal). Plan and development of potential alternatives. Evaluation of each alternative in terms of practicality and cost. Selection of the best alternative. Implementation of decision. (Huczynski Buchanan, 2007) The decision making process involves the decision maker and those that are affected by the decision. The decision maker is essential to take into account the people affected by the decision and determine an effective manner of interpreting it (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Subsequently, the decision maker is required to make use of rationality and logic as well as of emotions. However, a controversial issue has been raised by some researchers. This is due to the fact that they consider that the best decisions are made in the absence of emotions. According to Stanovich and West (2000), the shift from emotional thinking to rationality can entail better decisions. They suggested that emotional functions may be substituted and replaced by logic in the aim of enhancing the quality of decisions. By contrast, others claim that the ability to have a good command of ones emotions is an advantage for the decision maker (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Actually, there is no wrong perception of the key factors of the decision making process. What matters most, is to take into consideration the possible impact that emotions might have on the decision making process and the quality of decisions (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Research on emotional intelligence and decision making process Sevdalis et al (2007) in the article Trait emotional intelligence and decision related emotions explain that emotions are evident during the decision making process (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). They suggest that differences in trait emotional self-efficacy can affect the way the individuals experience the impact of the decision (Sevdalis, Petrides, Harvey, 2007). Also, Mellers et al (1999) concluded that the emotions people experience from the impact of a decision, can affect their future attitude and behavior (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). Winter and Kuiper (1997) underlined that every person has a different perception of the emotions experienced whereas, Jordan and Troth (2004) noted that there is a significant difference on the effectiveness of emotional intelligence when the decision making process concerns individual or team tasks accordingly (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). They concluded that individuals with high level of emotional intelligence as members of a team are more likely to come up with better solutions, without the fear of making mistakes (Frye, Bennett, Caldwell, 2006). Studies in PDM (participation in decision making process) have shown that emotionally intelligent employees who are involved in the decision making process contribute to organisations effective response to continuous changes. But, organizations are supposed to clarify to the employees the reason, the way and the degree of their participation in the decision making process resulting in greater commitment and benefits for both employee and employers. Nevertheless, the clear definition of boundaries in the participation of decision making process improves the quality of decision outcomes which depends either on the purpose for implementing PDM or on how efficiently it is implemented (Scott-Ladd Chan, 2004). The contribution and application of emotional competencies to leaders as decision makers Since the decision making process involves stages that are addressed both to brain and emotional function, it is necessary to understand the impact of the application of emotional intelligence on decision makers and the potential outcome. According to Hess Bacigalupo, (2011) no considerable research has been conducted for the practical interaction between behavior and emotional intelligence during the decision making process on both individual and group basis. In their paper, they develop a methodology based on a number of practical applications of emotional intelligence skills on the decision making process that could be useful and beneficial for individuals and organizations development. For this purpose, the model of Goleman (2001) and Boyatzis et al (2000) is applied, as it concerns individual and interpersonal skills, which are both crucial and determinative for the decision making process (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). The group of the skills mentioned, involves self awareness, sel f management, social awareness and relationship management (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). In the organisational environment, the leader plays the role of the decision maker. Taking advantage of the competencies of emotional intelligence, the possibilities for making an effective decision are increased. The individuals skills i.e. self awareness and self management enable the leader (decision maker) to acknowledge his/her weaknesses, recognise the possible influence that can have on the followers and boost his/her confidence. Why is this so important? Because, it helps the leader to foresee the different aspects of followers vision as well as their reactions and communicate effectively the decision (Goleman, Boyatzis, McKee, 2002). Tannenbaum and Schmidt (1958) claimed that leaders and followers share control during the decision making process that is based on the assumptions they have formed for the amount of control they possess (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). A strongly efficient leader is supposed to achieve balance during the decision making process; he/she should guide th e discussion appropriately, act as a consultant encouraging the information exchange and the increase of comprehension as well. At this stage, emotional intelligence competencies can be applied, so that the leader can regulate the allocation of control among the parties creating a climate of cohesion. Though, emotional intelligence application is as important as in the case of sharing responsibility for inappropriate decisions. An emotional intelligent leader not only welcomes the commendations of good decisions but also holds responsible for bad decisions (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). This reinforces leaders integrity and reliability, necessary elements for establishing a climate of trust and honesty in an organisation. Moreover, through the self control the leader can develop the skill of controlling emotions and impulses i.e. stress tolerance, which derive from time pressure and unexpected changes in the organisational environment. The ability to manage time pressure and suppress neg ative emotions is considered of utmost importance, as it enables leaders to establish the appropriate climate for making decisions and avoid misjudgments that can have an adverse impact on organisational effectiveness (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011; Goleman,Boyatzis et al, 2002). Likewise, emotional social focused skills i.e. empathy, organisational awareness, conflict management, change catalyst, teamwork and others, are highly important when they are implemented by the leader in an attempt to achieve effective consensus of team decision making. On the grounds that most times the decision is addressed on employees, with different values and beliefs, the leader should be able to manage diversity through the skills of empathy and conflict management. Furthermore, organisational awareness enables a leader as a decision maker, to make decisions that comply with the organisational status and determine the appropriate processes. On the basis of service orientation, decisions that are related to the customers needs and satisfaction are highly appreciated within the organisational environment and add value (profitability) to the image of the organisation. Last but not least, the decision making process involves active participation and constant interaction among me mbers; emotionally intelligent leaders taking advantage of this fact can not only enhance the quality of teamwork and promote relationship development, but also ignite and stimulate followers initiative, motivation and commitment (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011; Goleman,Boyatzis et al, 2002). Conclusion In conclusion, the leader through the application of emotional intelligence can empower followers and establish cohesion among them during the decision making process. This allows to the leader to improve the quality of decision making process increasing the organisations potential for effectiveness (Hess Bacigalupo, 2011). However, we should not overlook a range of factors that can limit emotional intelligence efficiency on organisational basis; queries such as Can emotional intelligence affect negatively the organisational effectiveness if it is excessively high? or Could it be accurately measured? (Fiori Antonakis, 2011) are considered to be crucial and part of future further research on emotional intelligence.

The Power of Concentration

The Power of Concentration By Remez Sasson When I was a child, I saw how a magnifying glass could burn a piece of paper, when the rays of the sun were focused through it. The fire could start only when the sun's rays were concentrated to a small point. When the magnifying glass was moved too far away or too close to the paper, the rays were not focused enough and nothing happened. This experience describes vividly the power of concentration. This power can be described as focused attention. It is the ability to direct the attention to one single thought or subject, to the exclusion of everything else.When our mind is focused, our energies are not dissipated on irrelevant activities or thoughts. This is why developing concentration is essential to anyone who aspires to take charge of his or her life. This skill is essential for every kind of success. Without it, our efforts get scattered, but with it, we can accomplish great things. Concentration has many uses and  benefits. It assi sts in studying and understanding faster, improves the memory, and helps in focusing on any task, job, activity or goal, and achieving it more easily and efficiently.It is also required for developing psychic powers, and is a powerful tool for the efficient use of creative visualization. When this ability is developed, the mind obeys us more readily and does not engage in futile, negative thoughts or worries. We gain mental mastery and we experience true peace of mind. This ability also plays an important role in meditation. Without it, the mind just jumps restlessly from one thought to another, not allowing us to meditate properly. Do you now realize, why it is very important and worthwhile to develop and improve the ability to concentrate?To develop this power you need to train and exercise it. Forget all your excuses about not having the time or being too busy. Do not say that the circumstances are not appropriate or that you cannot find a quiet place to exercise. With a little p lanning, desire and motivation you can always find the time to exercise each day, no matter how busy you are. The Restless Mind Thoughts claim our attention incessantly, and waste our time and energy on unimportant and useless matters. They actually rule our life. We have become so used to this slavery, that we take it for granted, and have become nconscious of this habit, except on certain occasions. While breathing, we do not need to pay attention to each inhalation and exhalation. We become conscious of the process of breathing, only when we have some difficulty with breathing, such as when our nose is clogged, due to a cold, or when we are in an unventilated room. It is the same with thinking. We become conscious of the constant onslaught of our thoughts, and of our inability to calm them down, only when we need to concentrate, solve a problem or study.We are also acutely aware of them when we have worries or fears. Look at the following familiar situation. You need to study som ething for your job or for an exam. You sit comfortably on the sofa with the book in your hands and start reading. After a while you feel hungry and go to the kitchen to eat something. You return to read, and then hear you people talking outside. You listen to them for several moments and then bring your attention back to the book. After a while you feel restless and switch on the radio to listen to some music.You continue to read for a little while, and then remember something that happened yesterday, and you start thinking about it. When you look at your watch, you are amazed to find out that one complete hour has passed and you have hardly read anything. This is what happens when one lacks concentration. Imagine what you could have accomplished, if you could control your attention and focus your mind! Work that requires physical strength, such as carrying heavy loads for example, develops physical strength. Yet, it is not as exercising daily to the gym in a systematic manner.It i s the same with concentration. Reading, studying and trying to pay attention to what we do, develop some of this ability, but practicing exercises diligently each day is something else, it is like training in a gym. Inner resistance to developing concentration In order to develop this ability we have to train our minds. Most people think that concentration is a strenuous and tiring activity, and that it involves exertion and tension, which are difficult and unpleasant. This belief starts at an early age.Parents and teachers expect children to study, do their homework and get good grades. This brings up in the children a feeling of being coerced and forced to do something they don't like doing. When they are too often told that they are not concentrating good enough, they develop a loathing for concentration, and often for studying too. These become associated with coercion, lack of freedom, doing something they do not like to do, and which is against their will. When they grow up, i t is no wonder that their powers of concentration are weak, and they have no desire to strain their minds.Though most people acknowledge the fact that good concentration is a great asset, yet most of them do nothing to strengthen it, because they don't know how, and because they lack the motivation. It is hoped that this article will provide the necessary information and motivation. Concentration can be fun, if approached in the right way. It should be practiced with joy, positive attitude, optimism, and understanding of its great possibilities. The benefits of developing concentration Sometimes you can find strong powers of concentration in yourself.When you really and earnestly want to excel in your studies, pass an important exam or solve a problem, this power becomes available to you. In such cases, it appears because of some need or desire, but developing it in a systematic way brings it under your control, and grants you the ability to use it intentionally, whenever you need i t. To do so, you need to practice special exercises on a daily basis. Here is what you can gain by developing this power: -Control of your thoughts. -The ability to focus your mind. -Peace of mind. -Freedom from futile and annoying thoughts. -The ability to choose your thoughts. Better memory. -Self-confidence. -Inner strength. -Will power. -Decisiveness. -The ability to study and comprehend more quickly. -Inner happiness. -Enhanced capability to develop psychic abilities. -More powerful and efficient use of creative visualization. -Enhanced ability to meditate. -And much more†¦ Seems too good to be true? Develop the power of concentration and find out for yourself! So what about starting to develop concentration power today? In part two of this article you will find advice and exercises for developing and strengthening this ability. The Power of Concentration Part Two

Impact on My Life Essay

Ashley Douglass 3rd period Jason When I think of someone who has made an impact on my life, the first person that comes to mind is my older brother Jason. He inspires me to be the best person I can be. Graduating valedictorian from his class and attending Yale University, Jason has shown me that dreams do come true; he reminds me that I must never give up. Growing up, Jason was always the smartest kid in class. He was beating games at age five and had an eloquent vocabulary. At a young age my parents could see that he was a genius; my mom always joked how it was all the Chinese food she ate while she was pregnant with him. After finishing seventh grade, he attended SMU’s talented and gifted program, also known as TAG. This was a summer program where you live in a dorm, go to classes, and earn college credits at a young age. He continued this summer program every year until he graduated high school. After applying to multiple colleges, two schools he had dreamed of going to contacted him and let him know that he had received a fully paid scholarship. These schools were SMU and Yale University. He had to decide if he wanted to stay close to family or move thousands of miles away to Connecticut where he’d never been before. Soon after, he decided to attend Yale University and begin his college adventure on his own. When he moved out, a part of me felt like it was missing. I knew eventually he’d have to leave for college, but I didn’t mentally prepare myself. I would come home from school and go in his room to ask for help with homework and the vacant room reminded me he had left. Even though I wasn’t ready for him to leave, I knew when he left he was leaving to fulfill his dream and make his family proud. Throughout high school he had always dreamed of being a movie director, so right off the bat he chose to major in directing at Yale. Every summer after he had completed his classes, Yale paid for him to study abroad, study film, and film his own movies. Jason is now a senior, and if his script gets picked out of all the directors there, he gets his movie and name on the big screen. What makes Jason stand out from others is how he has never become big headed. Not only does he put other people before himself, he stays humble and he wakes up everyday to make others smile. School has always been his priority, and he tells me religiously to keep my grades up because getting into a good college holds the pathway to my future. Fortunately, he almost has his dream in the palm of his hand. I know with his drive and work ethic, his script has a big possibility of getting picked to be on the big screen. I have always believed in him and I appreciate how he constantly pushes me to be the best I can be. He has shown me that dreams can become reality if you try hard enough. For many years, I’ve always dreamt of being a famous singer. Jason has been by my side since day one and supports my singing. Not only is he my big brother, he is my motivation. Every person he comes across, he treats them with upmost respect and lets them know he will always be there for them. In conclusion, Jason has made the biggest impact on my life out of everyone. Not only does he tell me to follow my dreams, but he pushes me to be the best person I can be. He inspires me with his love, integrity, honesty, and how humble he is. He is important to me because of how supportive he is in everything I do and he is always there for me when I need him even though he is thousands of miles away. He has taught me that you have all the potential inside you to be whatever you want to be. Each day you take a step towards your dream and when times get hard, hold onto it. Because there will be a morning where you wake up and realize you’re the person you dreamed of, doing what you wanted to do all along.