Hardest Victory Essay Example for Free

Hardest Victory Essay It is well known that man’s every desire comes forth, not from the mind, but from the core of his heart. It is this very heart that compels him to seek and fulfill those desires; be it moral or immoral in nature. From day one, man has sought to accomplish every single want that finds its way into his heart and he seldom offers any resistance against these. He may be all powerful and mighty when it comes to his daily hurdles but his weakness is evident in the fact that he cannot control and conquer the spirit in him that unceasingly demands more and more; the spirit against which, obtaining victory is nearly impossible. This is exactly the message Aristotle, through philosophical knowledge, has made an attempt to convey, to not only you or me but to all of us; a message stating, that the hardest victory is victory over the self. Indeed, Aristotle was right when he spoke about victory over one’s self being the hardest to obtain. Very often, it so happens, that despite the attempts made, one is unable to understand himself. He is left with no clue about who he is, where he is and most importantly, what he wants in life. This has resulted in him being uncertain and doubtful about his basic needs and so called luxuries. He is blinded by passions that may or may not be in his capability to achieve. But he is unaware that in his attempts to achieve these passions at any cost, he is loosing a battle against his greedy spirit; what he doesn’t know is that he has given himself to materialistic elements – elements that will only pull him down, making it harder for him to ‘breathe’ and live with ease – it will only make it more difficult for him to conquer that spirit, that big hurdle, that comes in his way to being truly victorious; a sight which is not all that common in the generation of today; because this present generation is a goal oriented and career driven kind that has given rise to numerous problems and various dilemmas due to its striving nature. At this point of time, it would only be right to say, that in order to be a true winner, man has got to learn that there is only one war to be fought; it is this war that determines the result of his success. This war is not symbolically a political or religious one, but signifies one that is personal and within one’s self. One must realize that in order to achieve success, it is necessary to surmount and do away with the desires of his mortal heart. Only then is he capable of acquiring the victory that was, is and will forever be the dream of scores of people who have come and are to come into this world. To conclude and leave you pondering, it would be best to impart to you a statement I happen to recall, a statement made by Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu; a statement that goes like this He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Example for Free

Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Martin Luther King was a major driving force during the 1950-1960s African American civil rights movement. Following his influence in fighting for the respect of equal human rights, Luther has become one of the most recognized human rights icons in the American nation. According to available historical information, born in 1929, Luther started his civil rights activist activities during his early ages. He led the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott due to segregation practices, which compromised the principle of equality of all American citizens (Darby, 1990). True from history, Luther brought much influence in the war against racial segregation and discrimination. Just to be appreciated is the fact that despite the provisions that all men are equal during the declaration of independence in the 18th century, racial discrimination was a common practice in the early twentieth century. Historical information indicate that the â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech by Martin Luther King in the 963 March on Washington triggered the African Americans into fight for their human rights (Darby, 1990). Conducting his affairs uniquely, Luther is praised advocating a non-violent approach to the realization of equal human rights in the American nation (Darby, 1990). Indeed, this was the underlying reason behind why he was given the Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending racial segregation and l discrimination through non-violent means in 1964. In addition to his impact on the American community, Luther finds his honor in advocating against the violation of human rights during the Vietnam War in 1968. Following his influence in the civil rights war, Luther is globally appreciated as a crucial fighter for freedom (Darby, 1990). To emphasis on this claim, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1977 nine years after his assassination. Such are also found in the establishment of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a U. S. national holiday in 1986. References Darby, J. (1990). Martin Luther King. Jr. Minneapolis: Lerner Publishing Group.

Personal Plan To Get Out Of Debt English Language Essay

Personal Plan To Get Out Of Debt English Language Essay Summary: Based on the concepts of awareness, anticipation and action, my get out-of-debt plan is aimed at individuals who face financial difficulties and seem to be accumulating more debt instead of taking control of their finances. As a financial adviser, I highly value financial independence. Particularly, after the recent credit crisis that hit the economy forcing many firms out of business and millions of households into poverty, I consider financial freedom as a means to future success. Personally, I carry a debt of $7,500 in credit cards, a student loan of $2,000 and a car loan of $1,500. I pay monthly installments of $1,300 for this $11,000, and according to my amortization table I will be able to completely pay off my debt after 15 years. To get an idea of how an amortization table should look like, click here. The three As of My Get Out-Of Debt Plan To improve my financial situation within 2011, I have crafted a get out-of-debt plan that is aimed at individuals who face financial difficulties and seem to be accumulating more debt instead of taking control of their finances. If you are getting deeper into debt, have a look at my suggestions below. Maybe they can help you get your finances back on track again. My get out-of-debt plan is based on three concepts: awareness, anticipation and action. In the context of personal finance, these concepts are highly valued because they can offer guidance and financial stability in the long run. Awareness Some people complain about how they cannot get out of debt although they dont know how much their debt is. It is impossible to take control of your financial situation if you are not aware of it. List all your debt including credit cards, car loans, student loans, personal loans, and medical bills and sum them up including decimals for accuracy. Keep in mind that when adding many numbers decimals can generate a completely new figure, which will then be used in another arithmetic operation and produce an entirely wrong figure. At the end of the day, the picture you will have for your financial situation will be mistaken. Therefore, it is critical that your debt figures are 100% accurate. Other important steps in this stage include: Creating a debt allocation table After you have listed and summed up all your sources of debt create a debt allocation table to see how your debt is allocated in different sources, where you owe more and what the interest rate for each debt is. Your table can have three columns named Debt, Amount Owed and Interest Rate. In column Debt include each source of debt you have. If you have three credit cards, include each credit card in a separate line because your cumulative credit card debt may be $20,000, but each credit card has different interest rate and different terms of payment. In column Amount Owed include the correspondent amount in each source of debt. In column Interest Rate include the correspondent interest rate to each source of debt. To get an idea of how your debt allocation table should look like when completed, click here. With a grand total of $32,100 you need to 1) religiously stick to your monthly payments; 2) try to make more than the minimum credit card payments. I will explain more in the Action section. Creating a budget To create a successful budget you need to analyze your financial situation honestly and realistically. Figure out how much you earn on an annual basis and make sure to include all sources of income. It is critical to know exactly how much money you make because this is the money you can afford to spend. Then, include all sources of expenses in order to know how much money you spend on fixed expenses including rent or mortgage, gas, utilities, and insurance and adjust your variable expenses accordingly by spending less on groceries, entertainment or personal care. Make sure that your budget is realistic, accurate and flexible. By keeping a realistic budget you can cover your expenses, but most importantly, save money on a regular basis. Besides, an accurate budget gives you the freedom to enjoy your life without being deprived because you know you can really afford these purchases without putting your financial future at stake. Finally, a flexible budget enables you to make well-informed decisions about your finances. Anticipation Being able to anticipate sudden expenses allows you to stay within your budget. To achieve that, you have to be able to save as much money as possible. This might require some drastic changes in your lifestyle, but it will certainly help you become financially independent. Some important steps in this stage include: Controlling household spending If you dont control your household spending, not only you accumulate more debt, but you ultimately hurt the economy that cannot burden such high levels of consumer spending. You can control your grocery shopping by planning your meals, making a grocery list and stick to it, buy in bulk, keep food in your freezer, stock up non-perishable items, and use coupons. Besides, you can lower your energy bill by controlling your thermostat, using energy efficient appliances and bulbs and installing insulation. You can also use the envelope system to manage your cash. Identify your spending categories including groceries, gas, utilities, insurance etc., create an envelope for each category and allocate the proper weekly or monthly amount of cash to each. Once your balance is zero and the envelope is empty, you cannot spend anymore. Soon, you will spend only when you have to, cutting back on unnecessary spending. Set up an emergency fund By setting up an emergency fund you achieve two things at once: 1) you avoid borrowing from your IRA or liquidating your 401k, meaning you ultimately avoid taxation and 10 percent penalty and 2) you avoid borrowing from your already overcharged credit cards. It is tempting and possibly convenient to charge your credit card for a financial emergency, but the truth of the matter is that the infinite spiral of credit card charging accumulates more debt. Set three to six months worth of your living expenses aside in an emergency fund to cover up for a sudden job loss or a huge medical bill. Also, make sure to keep your emergency fund in a money market account (MMA), a regular interest-paying checking account or a certificate of deposit (CD). All these options allow you to withdraw money, with or without penalty, and are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). Action It took me quite sometime to take action on managing my debt mostly because I didnt exactly know what to do. Although my debt is not as high as in the example used in the debt allocation table, still I need 15 years to pay off my debt, which is a lot of time. Here are some suggestions to pay off your debt faster: Rather than paying off the low interest rate car loan first, it is wiser to pay off the credit card debt that has a higher interest rate. To do that, you have to make more than the minimum credit card payments. If the minimum payment is $80 then make an effort to pay at least $90. You probably wont notice the extra $10 but it will go directly onto your principal and reduce your debt even faster. If you have three credit cards, it would be $30 extra payment, but the difference you will see in your total balance will be worth the effort. If you cannot do it at once for all your credit cards, start by paying off the smallest bill. The extra money that you will have from the paid off credit card can be used towards paying off the next smallest credit card bill. By paying more money than the minimum installments, you will lower your principal (original amount borrowed) at a faster rate. Consequently, the total annual amount paid interest will be reduced at a faster rate. You can also quit using your credit cards and start using cash. By using cash for your transactions 1) you can control your finances because you know at any given time how much money you spend and how much money you have left in your wallet; 2) you dont incur any hidden fees or over-the-limit charges, no billing mistakes or overcharges on your bank account; and 3) you can get discount for paying in cash. On the contrary, credit card debt builds up exponentially and interest rates can head up really quickly. Moreover, by charging smalls amounts of money to your credit card you add to your credit card bill and you lose track of your spending. My Get Out-Of Debt Plan May Not Work For Your Situation Each situation is unique and even if you carry the same amount of debt, it doesnt mean that my get out-of-debt plan will certainly work for your case. However, I firmly believe that it can work as a guide to walk you through some vital steps that you need to take in order to understand exactly where you are today and most importantly, where you want to be in a few years from now. Regardless if you follow my suggestions, or if you choose to follow some other solution, be disciplined. This is perhaps the most important step you need to take. By focusing on your financial independence you are more likely to achieve it. Without discipline, even the best financial plan will fail because every little amount of money you will be saving it will be spent towards non-essential purchases. Every day we make decisions about money. And these decisions have a smaller or a greater impact on the quality of our lives. Being financially independent means different things to different people. To me, it means security, and the strength to take a step closer to my lifetime dreams. The steps to financial freedom may not give me immediate happiness, but they give me choice. Sources: http://getoutofdebt.org/1712/a-12-step-plan-to-get-out-of-debt-fast http://www.allbusiness.com/personal-finance/credit-cards-credit-card-debt/2442-1.html http://money.howstuffworks.com/personal-finance/financial-planning/money-market-accounts.htm http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/checkingaccount.asp http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/certificateofdeposit.asp http://www.fdic.gov/ More from this contributor How to Choose a Debt Relief Program How to Survive a Bankruptcy Filing What to Do when You Cant Pay Your Taxes

The Watergate Scandal :: President Richard Nixon

The tapes The hearings held by the Senate Watergate Committee, in which Dean was the star witness and in which many other former key administration officials gave dramatic testimony, were broadcast through most of the summer, causing devastating political damage to Nixon. The Senate investigators also discovered a crucial fact on July 13: Alexander Butterfield, deputy assistant to the President, revealed during an interview with a committee staff member that a taping system in the White House automatically recorded everything in the Oval Office—tape recordings that could prove whether Nixon or Dean was telling the truth about key meetings. The tapes were soon subpoenaed by both Cox and the Senate. Nixon refused, citing the theory of executive privilege, and ordered Cox, via Attorney General Richardson, to drop his subpoena. Cox's refusal led to the "Saturday Night Massacre" on October 20, 1973, when Nixon compelled the resignations of Richardson and then his deputy in a search for someone in the Justice Department willing to fire Cox. This search ended with Robert Bork, and the new acting department head dismissed the special prosecutor. Allegations of wrongdoing caused Nixon to famously state "I am not a crook" in front of 400 Associated Press managing editors at Walt Disney World in Florida on November 17. While Nixon continued to refuse to turn over actual tapes, he did agree to release edited transcripts of a large number. These largely confirmed Dean's account, and caused further embarrassment when a crucial, 18Â ½ portion of one tape, which had never been out of White House custody, was found to have been erased. The White House blamed this on Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods, who said she had accidentally erased the tape by pushing the wrong foot pedal on her tape player while answering the phone. However, as photos splashed all over the press showed, for Woods to answer the phone and keep her foot on the pedal involved a stretch that would have challenged many a gymnast. She was then said to have held this position for the full 18Â ½ minutes. Later forensic analysis determined that the gap had been erased several—perhaps as many as nine—times over, refuting the "accidental erasure" explanation.. This issue of access to the tapes went all the way to the Supreme Court and on July 24, 1974 the Court unanimously ruled in United States v. Nixon that Nixon's claim of executive privilege over the tapes was void and they further ordered him to surrender them to special prosecutor Leon Jaworski.

Ludwig Van Beethoven Essay -- essays research papers

Ludwig van Beethoven Beethoven's importance lies not only in his work, but also in his life (Tames, 4). Included in my report is proof that Beethoven was one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. In this proof is a brief description of his life. This will help you understand how he felt when he wrote his music. Also, there will be a description of all his symphonies. On December 16 or 17, 1770, (date uncertain) at 515 (now 20) Bonngasse Bonn, Germany Beethoven, like Mozart, was born into a small family (Comptons, 1). He took his first lessons on March 26, 1778, (Schmit, 10). In 1787, he went to Vienna to study with Mozart, but he went back to Bonn due to the nature of his mother's sickness (Schmit, 15). This would be the composers last visit to Bonn. After his mother's death on July 17, 1787, Beethoven went back to Vienna to study with Hayden in November of 1792, where he lived for 35 years (Tames, 14). He was unsatisfied with Hayden because he was preoccupied and commonly missed many mistakes made by Beethoven (Schmit, 17). Beethoven, then, went to Neffe who himself started composing at the age of 12. In the late 1700's, Beethoven began to suffer from early symptoms of deafness, and by 1802, Beethoven was convinced that the condition was not only permanent but was getting much worse. The cause of his deafness is still uncertain (Comptons, 1). He was determined to prove that deafness was not a handicap to him (Thompson, 25). Beethoven's deafness started to be noticeable, and by 1818 Beethoven was completely deaf (Schmit, 28). In the year of 1812, Beethoven fell in love with the "Eternally Beloved." Nobody knew her name except Beethoven, who did not mention it in any letter or to friends. Under his first patron, Prince Karl Lichnowsky, Beethoven wrote his first symphony. The first symphony was wrote in 1795, and was a set of three Trios. Beethoven believed that his income came from the successful sale of these works, but it actually came from Lichnowsky (Tames, 12). This symphony was reflective of the classical era. He did not publish this symphony until he was 31. In 1802, Beethoven wrote a second symphony. Beethoven named this symphony "Grande Sinfonie" while in Hiligenstadt wh... ...usic. Not only did he create a bridge between the 18th-century classical period and new beginnings of Romanticism, but he started a new era of music. Beethoven's last years were marked with illness. On March 24, 1827, Beethoven died in Vienna. A crowd of almost 30,000 people attended his funeral and burial at Vienna Central Cemetery (Schmit, 31). The bicentennial of his death was celebrated with performances and recordings of all the masters' works (Comptons, 2). At the funeral, Beethoven's friend wrote a moving address which stated: "We, the representatives of an entire nation, come to mourn the passing of the gracious mouth by which music spoke, the man who inherited and enriched the immortal fame of Handel and Bach, of Hayden and Mozart. He was an artist, and who shall stand beside him? Because he shut himself off from the world, they called him hostile and callous... He withdrew from his fellow-men after he had given them everything, and received nothing in return. But until his death, he preserved a father's heart for mankind. Thus he was, thus he died, thus he will live to the end of time!" (Thompson, 46).

King Solomons Mines Essays -- Henry Rider Haggard

Henry Rider Haggard sets out to create an epic tale of courage, a breathtaking drama that attempts to capture, within its limits, the universal spirit of adventure. He appeals in particular to the proverbial young male that seeks an audacious inspiration in life by which to model his own. He entices his readers because his motives lie simply in his desire to entertain, to delight, and to enthrall anyone with a prolific imagination. However, this purely entertaining account of an eclectic and adventuresome trio clearly manifests its motives by the simple elimination ambiguity, leaving little or nothing to the whims of infinite interpretation. As it is, everything within the novel seems to have the intention of being taken â€Å"with a grain of salt.'; Haggard knew his audience, a pretentious and nationalistic society bent on world domination or at the very least determined to reduce the rest of the world to nothing more than a means to meet their desires. And with these precepts in m ind, Haggard creates a fantastical tale, taking heed of what is socially acceptable and what is not, all the while maintaining western superiority over the rest of the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The fact of the matter is, that I thought that the best plan would be to tell the story in a plain straightforward manner†¦I cannot help thinking that simple things are always the most impressive, books are easier to understand when they are written in plain language, though I have perhaps no right to set up an opinion on such a matter.'; (Haggard 6).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this introduction/disclaimer, Allan Quatermain as our narrator, comes clean with his intentions, providing a stabilizing retrospective for the ensuing epitaph. He seems well aware of the vague line between words intended for fiction and those intended for controversy. And by designating the jolly old Quatermain as narrator, Haggard vicariously endear himself to his readers by exuding a simple humility in light of his grander than grand exposà ©, all the while disposing of the pretense intrinsic to most literary works. Haggard, due to the relative sensitivity of his subject matter, has no desire to have his novel the target of unwarranted and unwanted social and literary criticism. In that, he makes certain that he reaffirms his intentions of entertainment rather than controversy. In addition, despite Haggard’s prevalent use of juxtaposition throughou... ... complexion Twala is described as â€Å"Twala the One-eyed, the Black, [and] the Terrible'; (Haggard 118), not coincidentally the only true â€Å"Black'; among them. The plot is action-packed, carried along by one dramatic scene after another in which we as readers are witness to amazing feats of strength, bravery, and guile, leaving little or no time for readers to dwell much on any aspect of the novel except the plot. Haggard even goes so far as to implement a divisive source of comic relief in the form of Good, whom we see deified by the Kukuanas, who delight in the sight of his â€Å"bare legs,'; â€Å"transparent eye,'; â€Å"half-haired face,'; and â€Å"vanishing teeth'; (118 Haggard). By the end of the novel we see all strings tied, imparting a sense of conclusive triumph without controversy. Haggard’s audience gets exactly what it wants, the black evil doers are vanquished; peace, justice, and tranquility are returned to Kukuana land; our deserving white and pseudo-white heroes are the benefactors of the plunders of Solomon’s fabled mines; and we as readers are left thoroughly entertained. Work Cited Haggard, H. Rider. "King Solomon's Mines." 1989. Oxford, New York: Oxford World Classics 1998

In “The Stone Angel,” Margaret Laurence writes a gripping story seen though the eyes of an old woman nearing the end of her life

At ninety, Hagar Shipley speaks touchingly of the dangers of growing old and reflects with bitterness, humor, and a sorrowful perception of her own frailties on the life She has led. In this story circumstances and character traits are most influential in shaping the lives of the characters, especially Hagar Shipley. An example of a character trait that is most influential in shaping the live of a character is at the beginning of this novel. From her childhood as a daughter of a Scottish merchant to her marriage, Hagar has fought a long and wrong battle for freedom and respect. Her life has been ruled by her concern of external appearances and behavior. Although She felt love and happiness, She refused to show it fearing others may view it as a weakness. Hagar has divided feelings about her husband, her passionate fondness to one son, Marvin, and her negligence of another, John. She is sometimes regretful but rarely sorry. The main internal characteristic responsible for this was her pride. This is supported by the comment she made: â€Å"Pride was my wilderness and the demon that led me there was fear. † She has been afraid of being unrespectable, afraid of needing too much and giving too much and her pride is both unsettling and inspirational. Hagar inherited this strong pride from her father, Jason Currie, along with other poor qualities. However, Hagar tries to escape from her own poor qualities to which She is imprisoned; attempting to stuff the emptiness within her. Throughout her life, Hagar is desperately trying to escape. Even though Hagar has pride of herself, She becomes progressively more powerless to care for herself and therefore becomes an unbearable tension on her son, Marvin and his wife, Doris. This tension makes them decide to put her in a nursing home because they can no longer take care of her. She is full of anger, but is childlike and illogical. She needs support with almost everything, yet She irritably refuses aid. Despite her knowing that She is a worry, she denies it herself. Despite character traits being most significant, circumstances within this story too are also as influential as the character traits. An illustration of this is the use of Lilacs by the author, Margaret Laurence, to indicate many bad events in The Stone Angel. This color is portrayed through a silk dress that Hagar wears many times in this novel. The Lilac dress is introduced on the day that Hagar purchases the dress. She refers to the past on the day She bought the dress with Doris, her daughter in law. I wear my lilac silk because the day seems Sunday†¦ How annoyed She was with me when I bought this dress. † She mentions that her feet are aching and is very tired. Doris on the other hand does not think this silk is worth buying. Though she does not like this dress Doris thinks she will buy it anyways and this started all the bad happenings that are related to this lilac silk dress. One such bad happening in the novel is when She wears the lilac silk dress at the dinner t able with Marvin and Doris. She then notices that something is wrong. â€Å"What is it? I want to shout the question impatiently at the face. Instead I fold my hands, as I am meant to do over my silk lilac belly, and wait. † She later finds out that She lives in with her husband and her family for many years. Doris keeps on pushing Marvin to tell Hagar that She should let go of the house and move on with her life. Hagar feels that her life is joyful and does not think that She needs a change. As a conclusion, circumstances and character traits have both been most influential in shaping the lives of the characters in The Stone Angel.