Deciding to Live with Less

Deciding to Live with Less I pulled into my driveway on a sunny March afternoon like I had hundreds of times before. Before I exited my Jeep I could see the screen of my kitchen window was shredded and a power cord from some electronic device was dangling from the sill. It was clear that an unwelcome visitor had used the window as a point of exit from my home. What was unclear, was the condition of my beloved golden retriever, Coda. I cracked open the kitchen door and yelled for Coda. The normal scurry of his nails across the wood floors was absent. There was no bark of relief or whimper of fear. I was afraid that Coda either fled the house during the crime or was killed. I called the police from my cell phone and waited outside. Two police officers arrived and entered my home with guns drawn. A few moments later Coda came barreling out of the house and into my arms. Apparently the burglars locked Coda in a bedroom while they alleviated me of most of my possessions. They took my 46-inch television, video game system, and an assortment of handheld electronic toys, from iPods to cameras. I suppose you could say this started me on my path of minimalism. But you would be wrong. The months that followed the burglary were some of the toughest of my life. Not because my stuff was stolen, but because just two weeks before the burglary I had shut down my martial arts school of six years and was going through bankruptcy. And I couldnt find a job. I sold anything that I could get a dollar for to buy groceries and keep the lights on. I sold all my DVDs, books, and the old equipment remaining from my martial arts business. Some might think this pushed me further down the road of minimalism. And they would be wrong. I didnt want to be a victim of a theft crime. I didnt want to sell my Fight Club DVD to get cash to buy a meal. Before the burglary, I was leaning on my big screen television and video games (not to mention a hell of a lot of beer) to numb the woes of my business failings. The last thing I wanted was to get rid of my stuff. Eventually the emptiness I felt after losing my business shifted. At some point I looked at myself in the mirror through another mornings hangover and I knew it was time to change. I was ready to start putting the pieces back together, and I was going to start with clearing my physical clutter. I made a decision to get rid of ten items per day for thirty days. Although most of my sales-worthy possessions were already gone by that time, I still had plenty of clutter to purge. It started with donating old clothes and shoes to Goodwill and soon crossed into territory of emotional crossfire. Did I still need the karate uniforms that I used to wear when I taught my classes? Did I need the large yearly group photos of my former students? What about the black belt that I knotted around my waist nearly every day for six years? I kept the black belt and decided that everything else was redundant in the memories they cued. With each drawer pulled and closet door opened there seemed to be an item I kept unnecessarily for memorys sake. I evaluated material possessions that I had emotional attachment to and made the decision to let them goâ€"from an old broken cell phone with the first text from an old girlfriend, to my prized punching bag I could vividly remember my father hanging in our old basement when I was twelve years old. I realized memories are within us, not within our things. At the end of the thirty days, two out of the three bedrooms in my home were completely empty. The only furniture that remained was a bed, a couch, a pub table, and a chair. A small part of me felt free. That taste of freedom made me question everything I owned. I canceled my cell phone contract and funneled all calls and texts through Google Voice. I pared down my clothing to only what would fit in a single load of laundry. With each item I relinquished, my sense of peace and freedom grew. I gained a long missing sense of clarity and made a major decision. I decided it was time for me to leave Columbus, Ohio (my city of nearly twenty years). I left my three bedroom house and moved into a 400 square foot studio apartment in Austin, Texas. Within three hours of arriving in Austin, I drove to one of those huge car malls and sold my Jeep. I was ready to rebuild my life. I was ready to let go of the unnecessary stuff in my life. These days I enjoy my new life in Austin. I go to the gym, take Coda on about eight walks a day, and contribute to others largely in the areas of weight loss and fitness through my work online. There is a pleasant flow to my life now because I made a conscious choice to eliminate the thingsâ€"whether they be possessions, persons, or habitsâ€"that disrupt my path of contribution and personal growth. Im streamlining towards strength. And it started with a decision to live with less. Vic Magary is a personal trainer, blogger, and dog lover. He helps people lose fat and get into great shape.

The Wild By Jon Krakauer - 990 Words

Would choose a new car, a good job position and a high quality life or would you choose to give up all for a journey into the wild to discover the truth? Christopher Johnson McCandless choose ultimate freedom and truth rather than choosing security and material excess. The story into the wild is written by Jon Krakauer and it covers how Christopher lived for two years without the need of society and material excess. Chris journey enlightened him to the truth and made him feel the raw throb of existence. But, by mistaking people as part of society not as part of God creation and nature will suffer and eventually die. The journalist Jon Krakauer believes in Chris truth and see a relation between him and Chris and what gave him the motive ti write Into the Wild. Into the Wild is a true story that talks about Chris McCandless brave journey. Chris is an intelligent guy that grew up in a wealthy family in Washington D.c. Chris has a good relationship with his sister Caren. He had strong beliefs, values and morals that made him refuse to live in a materialistic value family that has no intentions of changing. During his journey, he encountered a friend called Westerberg that describe him in page 18 as an intelligent guy that did too much thinking and try to make sense of the world. Chris decided to go to Alaska and live there for a while to prove that one can go so far in life without the need of possessions. Chris did not want to live with his family because they caused him aShow MoreRelatedInto the Wild by Jon Krakauer563 Words   |  2 PagesJon Krakauer presents Into The Wild a tragic tale of a young ambitious man who is motivated to go into the wilderness and discover his true identity.Jon krakauer conveys many messages to his readers through Chris McCandless, and his messages often offer a warning to society.we will furture idenitfy how the author delievers the warning to society and what effect it can have upon society today.Three of the very important messages he empatizes on are the societies influence on people,the essence ofRead MoreThe Wild By Jon Krakauer1096 Words   |  5 PagesAllyssa Mikes July 2012 Into the Wild Mr. Fertmann Throughout the non-fictional novel Into the Wild, the author Jon Krakauer catches the reader’s interest early on in the book. Krakauer takes us on a journey, telling the story of young Chris McCandless’ adventures after abandoning everything he owned. Krakauer fully emerged himself into the study of McCandless’ life’s adventures and soon developed a deep understanding of who he was and how he impacted to world. Krakauer connected with McCandless in anRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer946 Words   |  4 Pagescompelling novel â€Å"Into The Wild† by Jon Krakauer the character and intelligence of the youth in men is questioned. Through the pieced together 200 page novel we are introduced to Christopher Johnson McCandless also known as â€Å"Alex Supertramp†. A ripe 24 years of age he chose to question our reality and his meaning of life that is given to us by hitchhiking across America to the Alaskan wilderness, where after four months in the last frontier he is found dead. Krakauer throughout the novel shows thatRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1330 Words   |  6 Pagesshared.† - Jon Krakauer Into the wild. Jon Krakauer, the author of Into the Wild told the story of Chris McCandless. Chris escaped reality and went to go live off the land in Alaska, hoping to live a simpler life. In the novel, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandless shared a similar philosophy with Jack London, as they both have a strong passion for Alaska, they both appreciated they beauty of nature, and both wanted to be reborn. In the novel, Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, Chris McCandlessRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1349 Words   |  6 PagesSummary Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a true story about Chris McCandless who is found dead in the Alaskan wild during September 1992. After discovering that his father had a secret secondary family when Chris was young, Chris pushes away his friends and family and eventually isolates himself. He obtains $25,000 from his parents by lying about attending law school and drives away from home, deserting his real name. He later leaves his car in Georgia after an engine breakdown due to rain damageRead MoreThe Wild By Jon Krakauer1522 Words   |  7 Pagesvictories.† (Richard M. Nixon). In his investigative biography, Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer, expresses that even though young people can be ignorant and take treacherous risks, these can be used as knowledge enhancers and can be life changers. Krakauer gives us insight by giving examples of what risk really are, how people take them, and how it actually affects those people. Throughout the whole book there are instances where krakauer uses real life examples of things that have happened where people haveRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer Essay1237 Words   |  5 Pages Jon Krakauer s novel â€Å"Into the wild†, Is a story about a young man named Christopher McCandless or â€Å"Alex Supertramp† who went on a self discovering odyssey in which he had traveled around the U.S. The story surrounds Chris and his travels and what he had done at the time, leading to his death in August 1992. Thus the story takes a direction in the viewpoints of the people Alex has come across through in his travels. It speaks about what he had done at the time of his journey before he hadRead MoreInto The Wild By Jon Krakauer1013 Words   |  5 Pages Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer, narrates the life of adventurer and free spirit Christopher McCandless, who died August 1992 in the Alaskan wilderness; however, his journey still remains relevant in today’s pop culture due to the unresolved controversy of whether he is a saintly role model or hubristic fool. Krakauer openly states that he â€Å"won’t claim to be an impartial biographer† (Author’s Note) due to the parallels he struck with McCandless, and provides a more idealistic approach to the biographyRead MoreInto the Wild by Jon Krakauer1516 Words   |  7 PagesRosselini, John Waterman and Carl McCunn. They all went to Alaska, just like Chris and died. After that Chris continued to canoe and got caught by the US officers when he was trying to get back into the US from Mexico. So he spent a night in jail. Krakauer then compared Chris to Everett Reuss. They both changed their names and they both disappeared. Chris applied for an ID as Alex Supertramp and found a job in Los Angeles. New York Times published about Alex’s death. Jim Gallien and Wayne WesterbergRead MoreInto the Wild: by Jon Krakauer1186 Words   |  5 Pagessense Krakauers natural liking for McCandless. He was sympathetic to McCandless, based on Krakauers sense of a shared experience in their youth and up until McCandless eventual death and Krakauers perceived near death experience on the Devils Thumb. I believe the author’s main point and perspective was formed from his own experience and relationship with his father. While the situations were basically reversed with Chris not approving of his father and Lewis Krakauer disappointed in Jon for not

The Philosophy Of Business Management - 991 Words

What brought me to have a passion for business was my leadership skill set. As a child I always knew what I wanted my profession to be, I get electrified whenever I learn something new or see businessmen in their suits. I have come to realization, this job has a lot of components and it is an everyday challenge, although I have a great fondness for competition as well as challenges. The philosophy of business management considers the fundamental principles that underlie the formation, operation, and the everyday challenges of a business enterprise. Furthermore, the basic start of a business begins with a business plan. â€Å"A business plan precisely defines your business, identifies your goals, and serves as your firm’s resume†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"As a branch of ethics the field of business ethics is interested in how judgments of right and wrong, good and bad, moral obligation and responsibility, rights and duties, and the like, are made and justified† (Gill, David). As a descriptive enterprise, business ethics is an analytical exercise in understanding and explaining how people and businesses make their ethical judgments and decisions. If your business does not carry the proper ethics it cannot thrive. It takes the necessary steps within the business management to enforce these ethics upon their business. The field of business ethics is interested in more than just social and environmental responsibilities but those are certainly critical component areas. Knowing who your competitors are, and what they are offering, can help you to make your products, services and marketing stand out. It will enable you to set your prices competitively and help you to respond to rival marketing campaigns with your own initiatives. You can use this knowledge to create marketing strategies that take advantage of your competitors weaknesses, and improve your own business performance. You can also assess any threats posed by both new entrants to your market and current competitors. This knowledge will help you to be realistic about how successful you can be. In order to maintain a successful business, you will need to attract and then work to retain a large base of

System Analysis and Design Bec Part 1 Answers Free Essays

1. What qualities have led to BEC’s success so far? I think the most notable quality that has led to BEC’s success is their ability to adapt to change. The company seems very dynamic and it seems like they notice trends and adapt the business to meet these trends. We will write a custom essay sample on System Analysis and Design Bec Part 1 Answers or any similar topic only for you Order Now The company is also successful because they have such great teamwork and great management running the company 2. Is the IS organization at BEC poised to undertake significant systems development in the near future? Yes. The company has grown and is continuing to grow so they will need to move towards a new IS system. They are going to need to update to keep with the demand of online rentals. 3. What specific management skills do systems analysts at BEC need? The analyst is going to need risk management in order to be able to forsee what could go wrong during the project and try to prevent or respond to the damage that is caused. The analyst will also need change management to help the users transition onto this new system. . What specific communication skills do systems analysts at BEC need? The system analyst will need interpersonal skills so that they can communicate clearly and effectively what needs to be accomplished to the team. 5. What specific areas of organizational knowledge do systems analysts at BEC need? The analyst will need to know the companies goals and mission statement. They will also need to know the policies and procedures so that they can design a system that meets these. How to cite System Analysis and Design Bec Part 1 Answers, Papers

The Human Resource Audit as an Improvement Tool - Essay free essay sample

Tool Regardless of the type of company or the size of your HER department, the HER Audit is a simple, yet comprehensive tool to analyze and improve your effectiveness as a function. The audit is made up of four main steps: 1) Define desired HER practices for your organization 2) Assess current practices against the criterion that you have established 3) Analyze the results 4) Establish Improvement goals and take action This simple four-step approach can be repeated as the annual planning and goal setting process occurs within your company.Progress can be measured against goals and a continuous improvement cycle naturally unfolds. Purpose(s) of an Audit The audit can serve any of the following purposes: To clarify desired practices of HER work and roles within the organization (HER Department, Line Managers). To establish a baseline for future Improvement. To evaluate current effectiveness. To standardize practices across multiple sites within a division or company. We will write a custom essay sample on The Human Resource Audit as an Improvement Tool Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To assess current knowledge and skills required of HER practitioners. To improve performance levels to key customers within the organization.The Audit Process Step OneDefining Audit Statements Definition of desired HER practices can occur through in a variety of ways. A good starting point Is to take some time and reflect on the legal requirements and programs that the department must administer. Simply listing them Is a good first step. Next, consider your areas of responsibility and traditional HER practices covered by your function: They may include HER Planning, Staffing, Performance Management, Employee Relations, Compensation and Benefits, Training and Development, Safety ND Wellness, Employee Surveys, and Communications.Finally, other areas to consider are company Initiatives that the HER function may be required to support, I. E. Internal customer requirements. Specifics are unique to your company, but examples could Include supporting a Total Quality Management Initiative, Team Based work System, etc. With this list in hand, a statement can be written about each major practice that you want to define. Typically, they are stated in the present tense and in a positive manner.The following examples illustrate these traits: The staffing recess is documented so that the responsibility of each person in the process is clear and understood. Performance appraisals are completed for each employee in the organization. There Is a train-the-trainer program for each major training program within the company. New employees complete a new hire orientation program of key company policies and procedures within the first 30 days of work. There is an issue resolution process that is well understood and used by employees. As you may notice, definitions can be as complete or detailed, as the developer desires. In starting out, It Is better to make more general statements and improve summary, you may as many as 60-70 statements depending upon size of your company and the level of detail that you prefer to measure. Regardless of the number, you are developing a description of the level and quality of performance you desire for the Human Resource function. Step TwoAssessing Current Practices With the list of statements completed, the assessing current practices requires you to be objective.A good approach is to look for evidence that supports or refutes each statement made. Evidence may take the form of policies and procedures, output from employee surveys, interviews with key customers, data collection from a Human Resource Information System, reports issued to regulatory departments, statistics, etc. The first time the assessment is made, it may become apparent that the definition in step one needs impr ovement or modification. These changes should be noted and made a part of the next improvement cycle. As you review the summary of statements and your assessment, there are several analysis that can help. Step ThreeAnalyze the Results It is important to recognize strengths and opportunities for improvement. As results are reviewed, themes will emerge around specific HER areas. For example, one company may be very strong in administration and managing legal requirements. On the other hand, it may need improvement in developing higher-level systems definition. Another company may be very strong in areas Safety, Security, and Training, but need improvement in Communication practices that run across the company. Reviewing the data in a variety of perspectives is helpful to formulate a stricture of overall HER performance against the audit. It can reflect the positive effect of actions taken in previous years as well as provide information for future actions. It may become apparent that all definitions are not equal in importance The effort required to meet the definition is one factor to consider. For example, having performance appraisals for all employees may require significant effort. On the other hand, if you already have a good new hire orientation program in place, that definition is more easily met.The contribution that meeting a definition may have to he organization is another factor to consider. For example, supporting a company initiative like Total Quality Management may be more meaningful to the organization at this point in time than other statements. In summary, the purpose of analysis is to sort through the areas of strength and opportunities for improvement in order to take positive action steps to improve the effectiveness of the HER function. Step Four Establish Improvement Goals and Take Action The ideal time to complete an audit is Just prior to the annual planning process.With audit information in hand, you can be poised to take advantage of your insights into setting next years goals. There are two aspects of setting goals: maintenance of current good practices and development of improved practices. Knowing the capacity and capability of the HER department and system is critical in developing a realistic plan. Good practices need to become a part of the HER system and baked in, so that they occur in a reliable, predictable fashion. Once a process or program has reached that level, then future development can occur more effectively. With little discretionary time available, it is prudent to review the analysis of step three and decide which one or two areas will provide the greatest overall improvement for the goals are established for the next year. This is the point in the audit process, where definitions are reviewed and modified to create a new and improved vision of the HER system as you wish it to be. Doing this on an annual basis allows practices to be improved and benefits shared. Examples of improved HER measures using the Audit Process: OSHA incident ratesDevelopment and sharing of Total Compensation Philosophy Reduction in throughput time of filling open positions Employee turnover rate HER customer survey results % of training time/employee Reduction in throughput time of administrative requests Self funding variable compensation strategies Employee survey results Succession/replacement planning Business results Summary The HER Audit can be a powerful lever of change in your department and organizati on. In one sense it is simple, in that each step can be completed fairly quickly and with ease.Also, the degree of detail and definition of performance is within the control of the audit developer. At time passes, the Audit enriches itself through better definition development and higher levels of performance expectations. It takes on a systems approach because it is comprehensive, inclusive of all traditional HER practices, yet accommodating to the uniqueness of company cultures and business initiatives. Finally, it moves HER professionals into an active state of defining their direction, making sense of their choices, and contributing to the business in a more definitive way.

Free Essays on Lifes Values

create an image of a death camp. One can infer this though the author does not come out directly and say it. Throughout the whole story the description paints a picture of despair. In this particular situation Stella’s value become warped. Stella becomes envious of the child; â€Å"Stella wanted to be wrapped in a shawl,† (Ozick 1) like the sleeping baby Magda was. Rosa’s values however remain steadfast as she becomes fixated with ensuring the life of the child even though she is convinced that the child’s death is eminent. The main symbol that appears in â€Å"The Shawl† is in fact the shawl itself. It becomes the source of life. The shawl is described as a â€Å"magic shawl† that could â€Å"nourish an infant for three days and three nights† (Ozick 5). The shawl was a source of warmth and support for the child. Rosa also found sustenance in the shawl; with it she was able to conceal the child from the danger of the camp. Stella reveres the shawl for warmth. She began to envy the child and eventually let her greed take over. She stole the shawl from the child and the n... Free Essays on Life's Values Free Essays on Life's Values Life’s Values In Ozick’s â€Å"The Shawl† and O’Conner’s â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† the characters find themselves in different, trying circumstances. In these testing situations the character’s core beliefs and values they have acquired through life are shown throughout the story as well as in their horrific, climactic moment. Through symbolism, word choice and other literary devices the author displays varying life values in each of the characters. The word choice in â€Å"The Shawl† paints a bleak picture. Rosa with â€Å"sore breast† and Stella, â€Å"her knees were tumors on sticks, her elbows chicken bones† (Ozick 1) display the tragic lifestyle that the two are facing. The two main women in the story are desperately hungry and tired. â€Å"Rosa and Stella were slowly turning into air† (Ozick 6). These descriptions and words create an image of a death camp. One can infer this though the author does not come out directly and say it. Throughout the whole story the description paints a picture of despair. In this particular situation Stella’s value become warped. Stella becomes envious of the child; â€Å"Stella wanted to be wrapped in a shawl,† (Ozick 1) like the sleeping baby Magda was. Rosa’s values however remain steadfast as she becomes fixated with ensuring the life of the child even though she is convinced that the child’s death is eminent. The main symbol that appears in â€Å"The Shawl† is in fact the shawl itself. It becomes the source of life. The shawl is described as a â€Å"magic shawl† that could â€Å"nourish an infant for three days and three nights† (Ozick 5). The shawl was a source of warmth and support for the child. Rosa also found sustenance in the shawl; with it she was able to conceal the child from the danger of the camp. Stella reveres the shawl for warmth. She began to envy the child and eventually let her greed take over. She stole the shawl from the child and the n...

Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought

Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought Showing, Not Telling, Personality Through Speech and Thought By Mark Nichol You know the fiction-writing dictum â€Å"Show, don’t tell.† But how does it apply in practical terms when it comes to communicating characterization without exposition? People in different eras have unique speech and speech patterns, but restrain yourself from indulging in periodization in your historical novel; if your Elizabethan-era characters talk like Shakespeare’s, people 1) won’t understand much of what they say and 2) will be distracted by your forced and fatally flawed attempt at authenticity. Do, however, immerse yourself in that period’s society: What did people know about history and sociology and psychology and spirituality (even if they didn’t use those terms to identify them)? What were prevailing political and social and religious viewpoints? How open were people about expressing themselves? Be careful not to let modern sensibilities intrude on the way your characters speak and think, but do permit them and their speeches and thoughts to be accessible to modern readers. The extent to which characters will express their ideas and opinions, or ruminate about them, and the language with which they will do so, depends on a few other factors: People of different generations and different social backgrounds generally speak differently. Geriatric characters should exhibit speech and speech patterns distinct from juvenile ones and consistent with norms unless an exception is a deliberate dramatic point for instance, if a teenager who has switched bodies with an elderly person is trying to pass vocally as well as visually as a senior citizen. Likewise, the speech and thoughts of well-educated characters will usually be distinguishable from that of those of others with less formal schooling. Of course, no one should assume that a person with only a high school education is less intelligent than a college graduate, or the reverse, but their vocabulary and the level of sophistication of their thoughts will, unless they are self-educated, likely differ. Further individualization of characters makes fiction writing more vivid. How does one’s personality affect words and thoughts? A repressed person’s speech patterns will differ significantly from an extrovert’s. A tense, angry character will exhibit different rhythms of speech and thought than a carefree individual. Length of speeches and thoughts is also a consideration: Children do not soliloquize, and philosophically minded people do not tend to make snap judgments. Match the extent to which people speak and think to their personalities. But keep in mind that various sentence lengths and paragraph lengths have differing dramatic values, too long passages tend to be soothing (but, when too long, are soporific), while short bursts create or maintain tension (though, in excess, can be just as wearying as extensive paragraphs). In essence, capitalize on your knowledge of individual characters to establish vocabulary and modes of speech and thought, as well as on familiarity with societal norms for speaking and thinking appropriate to the era in which your characters live. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Possessive of Proper Names Ending in S45 Synonyms for â€Å"Old† and â€Å"Old-Fashioned†While vs. Whilst