A Life In The Day Of Me :: Papers

A Life In The Day Of Me My mother knocks. The door opens. Bright light blasts into my consciousness; I cannot see. I leap out of bed to reduce the longing to return and the cold hits me like a slap. As you can probably tell, I am not a morning person - I never have been. I have learnt to hate them over the years. We have never had heating on until Mid-November because my parents insist that they can't afford to heat the whole house. This makes mornings a nightmare! Once I'm up, I can just about manage. I dress and eat breakfast to music. Music is a significant thing for me. My parents used to be in a band together and my mother is still trying to get a record-deal. She always likes to think of herself as a young and trendy mum. She is really into the house and garage music scene, but meà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦I'm a different story. Everyone in my family has opposite views on music. My mother and one of my little sisters, Heidi, like pop and garage music. My father, my youngest sister, and I like rock and Heavy Metal. This causes terrible arguments over what to listen to in the car or whilst eating dinner. However, the one band that we all agree on is Nirvana. I am a massive fan of Nirvana and have flags and posters of them all over my room. This is why I listen to Nirvana in the mornings - because nobody minds. By the time I get to school, I am (almost) fully awake. I have to walk to the station and get the train to school so I arrive at school feeling like I've been up for ages. Once I get my brain in gear it doesn't slow down. I constantly think - about everything! I occasionally come out with a random comment, completely off the subject because I've been thinking about it while everyone else is speaking. People have therefore got the impression that I'm slightly mindless because I never know what people are talking about.

Psychological and Presentational Realism in Moll Flanders by Daniel Def

Psychological and Presentational Realism in Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe The Eighteenth-century literature is popular for its peculiar style of writing that gives the readers an insider’s view in the novel. By combining the two aspects such as Psychological and Presentational Realism, authors have created works of pure masterpiece such as Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe. Defoe illustrates Moll, the protagonist’s psyche by writing the narrative in the first person to imply it as an autobiography. This allows psychological realism to work at its finest since the readers can feel a personal relationship to the character. The two important instances that occur with this type of realism are when Moll realizes that she is married to her own brother and her meeting with Humphrey, her son. In addition, Defoe also uses Presentational Realism to describe Moll’s initial career as thief with her first episode at the apothecary’s shop and later stealing a gold necklace from a child. The manner in which the setting is described gives the reade rs a sense of feeling of being there and at the same time experiencing her escape from the scene. Amongst Moll’s several relationships, she is married to a plantation owner, who owns property and has mother and a sister in America. The couple decides to move to Virginia to be with the family (Defoe 77). Moll’s describes that she lives in marital bliss and also enjoys the company of her mother-in-law. She exclaims â€Å"†¦I thought of myself the happiest creature alive†¦Ã¢â‚¬  until her world is shattered as she portrays herself being â€Å"†¦most uncomfortable in the world† (78). As she is listening to the story of her mother-in-law being a transported felon to Virginia from Newgate prison in London and sudden... ...hough she may not have kept in touch with her son. She is overjoyed by meeting him, which gives the reader a sense of hope that the story will end on a positive note. On the other hand, presentational realism is shown through Moll’s darker side when she turns into a thief to support herself and live lavishly. Her description of her deeds and exact account of what she acquires amazes the readers. The reader can connect to her by being a thief and at the same time passing moral judgments upon her. Some may congratulate her on being slick enough to steal from an apothecary shop while others may criticize her for robbing a little innocent child. Regardless of various opinions, Defoe’s narrative style involves the reader in the story, which makes it interesting to read. Works Cited Defoe, Daniel. Moll Flanders. New York: Signet Classic Penguin Books USA Inc, 1996.

Educational Systems Essay

Educational Laws| Twelve years of primary and secondary education prior to attending university.| * All children in the UK of compulsory school age must receive a full time education. * Classes from September to July * Long vacation from 1 July to 30 September * Languages of instruction.| * Academic year runs from March to December. * Primary: 4 or 6 hours * Holydays: two weeks in July| Organization of education at all levels| * Pre- primary education: from 3 to 6. Kinder garden – Child care center – Nursery level * Primary school (elementary) from 6 years old to 13/14. Private or state schools, * Secondary school (highschool): from 13/14 to 16/18Highschool diploma (basic or honour)GED (gral. educ. diploma) test for immigrants or international students to certificate de level.IB examination in different subjects.AP course in order to enter university. * Higher education/university education Undergraduate 1- Associate degree (AS/AA): 2 years. â€Å"General†. Semi- skilled job. Administrative.Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS): 4 years aprox.Graduate 2- Master’s degree (MS/MA): 2 or 3 years.Doctorate degree (PhD): university teachers, doctors, lawyers, scientific. You can choose the subjects and you obtain credits. That is why bachelor’s is more general.Universities divided in schools/orientation. | * Nursery school 1 – 4/5 * Primary school: Infant (4 – 7) Junior (7 – 11) * Secondary school: * Senior * College/ sixth form GCSE: General Crtificate of Secondary Education. One year. Pupils can leave secondary schooling.One more year: AS-Levels (higher level of secondary)A-level (required for university entrance)Diploma: skills and and knowledge needed for work. (like the associated)VOSE * Higher education * Undergraduate level (sometimes referred to as tertiary education) * Graduate (or postgraduate) level (sometimes referred to as quaternary education). Higher education differs from other forms of post-secondary education such as vocational education.There is a three-level hierarchy of degrees (Bachelor, Master, Doctor) A graduate student is an individual who has completed a bachelor’s degree (B.A., B.S.) and is pursuing further higher education, with the goal of achieving a master’s degree (M.A., M.S.) or doctorate In the United States, Graduate education can also refer to those pursuing a post-master’s Educational Specialist degree or post-master’s Certificate of Advanced Study (law school or business school.)| * Pre-primary level – kinder garden (two stages 4 and 5 obligatory) * Primary level – EPB (elementary). From 6 to 11 (it depends on the province) * Secondary level: from 12 to 17 years old. 1) ESB/CBU2) Polimodal/ CE/ ESO * Higher education: private/ national universities or institutions. | In college ≠  in university College: smaller Focus on undergraduate degrees There are a lot of variations especially in qualification. Each state has the possibility of regulate. University: divided into colleges but they are not specialized in one area ancient universities (Oxford/Cambridge). Each school has an orientation. Many courses of study in the same college. (â€Å"autà ³nomos†) OPEN UNIVERSITY: there are some degrees very prestigious. There is a curriculum: pass one subject in order to go on advancing in your program of studies. Diploma in higher education/associated: tecnicatura Undergraduate: after school Higher education: tertiary university undergraduate graduate and postgraduate as synonyms SLA: school leaving age

Advantages and Disadvantages of Starting Up a Business

Advantages of Starting up a Business Advantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Being your own Boss – You can make your own decisions, keep your own time and not have to answer to â€Å"The Boss† Hard Work & Know How – If you are a hard worker and / or have immense industry know how, you may want to benefit from the long hours you do or the knowledge that you have acquired over time. Financial Independence – One day, you may realize your dream of financial independence.Creative Freedom – No more restrictions, you can do what you like and have the freedom to work, design, create, build what you think is best – your way! Goodwill – You don't have to pay for it, you get to build it. Location, Premises, Building Fit out – You get to choose it all. Staff – You not lumped with staff you don't want. You hire and train from scratch – Your way. No Bad Name – A fresh business, a fresh start. Your name has no bad history with suppliers or customers. If you buy a business, you may find some people just won't deal with the business because of past dealings. Business Image – You create the business image you want.Your way. Disadvantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Cash Flow – Your business may not have a positive cash flow for two years – how are you going to cover that? Competitors – You may invest all this time, money and effort into your business and a large competitor targets your customers and offers them a similar product / service at below your cost – until your business has failed. Homework – Have you done it? You may do it all and then find when you are all set up, that something from left field becomes apparent and significantly alters the outlook of your business.History – If you buy a business, you are buying something. You are buying history of the business trading, you have staff in place, equipment and premises in place, customers ringing in with orders on your first Monday morning. If you start a business, you have no history. Everything must be generated from scratch. Married to the Business – This is a common phrase from small business owners. It basically means, your hours of work and level of commitment is such that you cannot take a holiday, your business is always with you (day, nights ; weekends) and basically your neck is on the line.You can't just throw the keys back and give it all away if it gets too hard! Suppliers – Suppliers may not extend you credit as your business has no history, so you may have to pay upfront for your goods, and you may not collect money from your customers for those goods for 90 – 120 days. This is very detrimental to cash flow. Can you sustain this? Have you factored it into your budget? Family – Is your family situation such that you can undertake this huge venture of starting a small busine ss from scratch? It often means a huge sacrifice with no guarantee of reward. Advantages and Disadvantages of Starting Up a Business Advantages of Starting up a Business Advantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Being your own Boss – You can make your own decisions, keep your own time and not have to answer to â€Å"The Boss† Hard Work & Know How – If you are a hard worker and / or have immense industry know how, you may want to benefit from the long hours you do or the knowledge that you have acquired over time. Financial Independence – One day, you may realize your dream of financial independence.Creative Freedom – No more restrictions, you can do what you like and have the freedom to work, design, create, build what you think is best – your way! Goodwill – You don't have to pay for it, you get to build it. Location, Premises, Building Fit out – You get to choose it all. Staff – You not lumped with staff you don't want. You hire and train from scratch – Your way. No Bad Name – A fresh business, a fresh start. Your name has no bad history with suppliers or customers. If you buy a business, you may find some people just won't deal with the business because of past dealings. Business Image – You create the business image you want.Your way. Disadvantages of starting your own small or medium business can include: Cash Flow – Your business may not have a positive cash flow for two years – how are you going to cover that? Competitors – You may invest all this time, money and effort into your business and a large competitor targets your customers and offers them a similar product / service at below your cost – until your business has failed. Homework – Have you done it? You may do it all and then find when you are all set up, that something from left field becomes apparent and significantly alters the outlook of your business.History – If you buy a business, you are buying something. You are buying history of the business trading, you have staff in place, equipment and premises in place, customers ringing in with orders on your first Monday morning. If you start a business, you have no history. Everything must be generated from scratch. Married to the Business – This is a common phrase from small business owners. It basically means, your hours of work and level of commitment is such that you cannot take a holiday, your business is always with you (day, nights ; weekends) and basically your neck is on the line.You can't just throw the keys back and give it all away if it gets too hard! Suppliers – Suppliers may not extend you credit as your business has no history, so you may have to pay upfront for your goods, and you may not collect money from your customers for those goods for 90 – 120 days. This is very detrimental to cash flow. Can you sustain this? Have you factored it into your budget? Family – Is your family situation such that you can undertake this huge venture of starting a small busine ss from scratch? It often means a huge sacrifice with no guarantee of reward.

General Information and Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease

This research paper in general provides various details about the Alzheimer’s disease. The various symptoms and the various methods used to detect this disease. It also provides in general information about the methods that are used to cure the disease. Some of the natural techniques used to cure it. The various social and physiological issue faced by people suffering from this disease. Introduction Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible brain disorder which has no cure.This disease affects its victims slowly over a period of time and leaves them with no or very little control of their mind. Some of the affects of Alzheimer's disease are partial or total memory loss, they are not in control of their mind to make judgments, it leads to personality changes in the affected person and many a times they loose their control over their language skills. Alzheimer’s disease is one of the disease that affect its patients over a long span of time and with out a warning.The symptom s of Alzheimer’s disease are very similar to that of old age and are many times misinterpreted as old age and by the time people realize the actual problem it is too late. Some of the most common and early signs of Alzheimer’s disease is the loss of short term memory and this is one of the ignored by many and slowly and steadily becomes worse over a period of time. There are a number of organizations that have been started to find a cure for the disease and also to help the victims cope with the stigma faced by them in the general public.One of the major organizations started to help this cause is the Alzheimer's Disease Research (ADR) which was established way back in 1985 to provide funds to organizations performing research on Alzheimer's disease and also to educate the general public about the disease and raise awareness about the same. Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer's disease was first detected by a German physiotherapist way back in 1901 when a patient was brought to him by her husband as he was not able to take care of her due to her ever diminishing mental health.He noticed that the patient was suffering from short term memory loss and cloud not remember a thing. He continued research on these symptoms for the next 5 years and presented the same at the 37th Assembly of Southwest German Psychiatrists. The name Alzheimer's disease became popular after it was written about by Emil Kraepelin in his book called â€Å"Textbook for Students and Doctors†. However in the whole 20th century this disease was assumed to affect only the people who were of age 60 and above.However in early 1980s it was realized that this disease could affect anyone in any age group and the name Alzheimer's disease was used to refer to all the patients who were contacted with this disease (Alzheimer’s Research Foundation). Alzheimer's disease stops the normal functioning of the brains and reduces its capabilities to perform normal everyday activities . The disease grows over a span of time and the affected persons control over his brain lessens as time passes. Alzheimer's disease is an irreversible disease which has no found cure.The person who is contacted with this has no or very little control his brain and is not able to think and understand things correctly. The patient many have short term memory loss and may forget his name and many a times it has been noted that the patient will walk away from home and wander around not knowing what is to be done. The first sign of Alzheimer's disease is the loss of short term memory. This is a sign which is ignored by many as a sign of old age and by the time one realizes the issue it is too late.Over a span of time the person looses his thinking abilities and finally it leads to a change in the personality of the person suffering from Alzheimer's disease. In the last stage the person become fully dependent on others for his day to day activity and has to be kept under supervision at al l times. The person may get infected by an infection which may eventually lead to his death. It is said that usually people over the age of 65 are contracted with this disease however one can come in contact with Alzheimer's disease at any age.However age is the key factor for people who suffer from this disease as it ahs been noted that the chances of a person having this disease increase as the person grows older (Wikipedia). Some of the common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease are as follows; Short term Memory loss (Cohen): There are a number of symptoms that will be noticed in a person who is suffering Alzheimer's disease, however the most common and one of the symptoms that can be noticed in all the patients is the loss of short term memory.All the patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease loose there short term memory and are known to become forgetful. Short term memory loss is considered to be one of the key symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. However many time patients avoid te lling this fact to people around them and are know to smartly hide this issue. This is done by them to avoid being made fun by their family members and friends. Confusion and Wandering: Memory loss is followed by problems related to confusion where the affected person finds it difficult to perform even their everyday work properly.They find it difficult to perform some easy everyday work like cooking, eating etc very difficult to do. It becomes very difficlut for them to remember the name of people and places. It worsens to such an extent that they forget the names of their own children and grandchildren. This further worsens and the patient looses track of direction and finds it difficult to find his way around the house and many a times once he goes away from the house, does not know the way back home and is then referred to as a wanderer.In the beinging the affected person will not realize the problem and as time passes things will worsen and the person will find it very difficul t to find his way back home. Personal Care: The personal hygiene of the person suffering from Alzheimer's disease will deteriorate over the span of time. A person who would really take care of his hygiene will start ignoring it. The person will not want to have bath or brush his hair everyday, will forget to brush their teeth etc.Many times the person will start having a weird sense of dressing and will start wearing inappropriate dressing. In this stage a personal care taker will be needed to take care of the everyday work of the person and the patient will require constant help in doing their everyday activities. Mood Swings: A patient suffering from Alzheimer's disease will have massive mood swings and the person will behave differently on a day to day basis. There will also be sudden and quick changes in the person; they might start laughing when they would have been crying only a minute back.They might even start having fights and arguments with themselves or a non living objec t like the floor or even the television. They will start fighting with anyone around and will always be restless. They might even start talking to themselves and mumbling. Sundowner Syndrome: During the stage when the person starts having mood swings, he also starts suffering from the Sundowner Syndrome where the sunset has a very bad affect on the patients brain and the person becomes every restless and becomes over active during the night and early morning hours (Richter & Richter).Diagnosis (Alzheimer's Disease): The diagnosis of a person Alzheimer's Disease is a long and lengthy process and is based on the observations made by the physician over a period of time. A series of tests to check the memory of the person are done over a period of weeks or months to asses the condition. The physician performs number of other tests too to rule out any other disease that the person might be facing. This is done only to check for the symptoms of other diseases, as no clinical test has been proven to diagnose Alzheimer's Disease completely.All the diagnosis is based on the experience and knowledge of a physician who specializes in memory related disorders. The only guaranteed way to detect the Alzheimer's Disease is to do a micro scopic examination of the tissues of the brain. Causes of Alzheimer's Disease (Cohen): There are a number for theories have been formed about the causes that lead to Alzheimer's Disease, many of these have been accepted universally and on some of the other theories research is still on.Some of the causes of Alzheimer's disease are as follow (Richter & Richter)s: Bacterial Infection: Bacterial infection is considered to be one of the major causes of Alzheimer's Disease. Chlamydia Pneumoniae is a virus that usually affect the lungs, nose and sinusus of the infected, however it has been noted that this virus is very prominentnt in the brains of people suffering from Alzheimer's Disease. In a research doen recently seventeen out of ninteen patien ts suffering from Alzheimer's Disease had the virus in their brains.Brain Damage or Head Injury: The chances of a person having Alzheimer's Disease become very high after a person has an head injury. The trauma that the brain has when a person has a head injury leaves traces of amyloid which is know to cause Alzheimer's Disease. Age Factor: Another major factor that increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease is the age of the person. It is said that the chances of Alzheimer's disease occurring increases after the age of 65 and every 5 years after that the risk increases by about 5 percent.Genetic Cause: It has not been scientifically proven that Alzheimer's Disease is a genetic disorder and people who have family memebers suffering from the diesease have a high risk of having the disease. However it has also been proven that genetic factors only increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Environmental Causes: There is also an argument about how high levels of aluminum in the environme nt increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease, however there is not scientific proof of this actually being a cause.Some of the steps to be taken to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease are as follows; Intellectual Stimulation: One of good ways to reduce the risks of Alzheimer's disease is by doing metal exercise and doing things that requires one to work their brain. This helps in keeping the brain healthy and in good shape. Regular exercise: Another good way to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease is by doing regular physical exercise. This helps reduces the amount of cholesterol in the body and also reduces the fat. This reduces the risk of Alzheimer's disease.Healthy Diet: The risk of Alzheimer's disease can be reduced by having food that is rich in vitamins and proteins. Also reducing the intake of fat also helps in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Lowering Cholesterol Levels: Reducing the levels of cholesterol in the blood also helps in reducing the chances of a pe rson having the disease. Many clinical trails are also on to check the risk factor. There is another study that has found that compounds found in marijuana known as cannabinoids helps in preventing Alzheimer's disease.However they have not been able to prove it for a fact or replicate the same. Some of the important facts about Alzheimer's disease are as follows (Alzheimer’s Research Foundation); 1. Over a 100 billion dollars are spent a year to do research and to find a cure for the disease. 2. Around 24 million people around the world suffer from Alzheimer's disease. 3. Around 5 million Americans are suffering from Alzheimer's disease. 4. It is estimated that over 81 million people around the world will be suffering from Alzheimer's disease by 2020.Conclusion It can be clearly understood the gravity of the disease and the problems faced by a person suffering from the disease. It is very important for a person to lead a healthy life and be careful if they have Alzheimer's di sease in their family as there are chances that they may have the disease themselves. It is also necessary that one does not ignore the symptoms of short term memory loss as this can be the beginning of the disease and if found at the right stage it is possible to slow down the process of it damaging your brain.Research is on to find out a cure for the disease and reduce the risks the disease. References Alzheimer’s Research Foundation. (n. d. ). Retrieved from http://www. alzinfo. org/alzheimers-disease-information. asp? mtc=google&kwd=alzheimer's_disease&gclid=CIuZgcqL34sCFQIFEAodcyncXg Alzheimer's Disease. (n. d. ). Retrieved from Wikipedia: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Alzheimer's_disease#History Cohen, E. Alzheimer's Disease. Richter, W. R. , & Richter, B. Z. Alzheimer's Disease.

Characteristics of the Accounting Information Systems

An accountant plays a vital role in any business; one can even say they are one of the most influential practitioners. For instance, accountants participant in generating rules and guidelines, advising day to day business activities, and even decision making. While the IT and IS communities are used frequently in many businesses, they are not the founders of the characteristics of useful information. The key reason behind this is due to the fact that accountants are the users of IS and IT communities.As being the primary users, one can expect the characteristics, rules, and guidelines for an information system to be designed by the accountants themselves. In a broader view, â€Å"accountants can assume three roles: designer, user, and auditor† (Gelinas, Dull 27). As a designer, the accountant can offer its knowledge of various principles (accounting principles and auditing principles), and various methods and techniques (information system and system development).In designing an accounting information system (AIS), the accountant can answer various questions that relate back to the seven characteristics of useful information systems. Some questions may include: â€Å"What will be recorded and how will transactions be recorded? When will the transaction be recorded and when will they be reported? What controls will be necessary to provide valid, accurate, and complete records? How much detail will reports need? † (Gelinas, Dull 27). If accountants did not design the AIS then these questions may be left unanswered without their expertise.Accountants perform many functions in an organization such as a â€Å"clerk, controller, treasurer, tax specialist, and financial analyst† (Gelinas, Dull 27). Therefore, it is necessary for them to use the AIS to perform their duties. As a user, it is imperative for the accountant to participant in the AIS process to make sure it contains the required features. In addition, knowing how to use the AIS technolo gy would be very beneficial in working effectively and efficiently. For example, a financial analyst would need to know how to store the data and access it, and how to present the information.Finally, as an auditor, one of their main interests in the AIS is the reliability of the data. Without reliability, auditors cannot â€Å"provide an opinion on the effectiveness and efficiency on internal controls† (Brazel 38). Accountants will remain the main users and as a user, an auditor as well. With the seven characteristics in mind, could they have evolved from the past? With technology not being as easily accessible as in today’s accounting world, one can assume that information was not as relevant, reliable, timely, or accessible.In relation, modern technology is so efficient in today’s world; therefore the flow of information can be quickly exchanged at any time. For example, Internet has allowed companies to send reports across the globe at any given time. This a bility gives accountants easy access to information and timely information. Without timely information, relevant and reliable information would be impossible. However, one possible disadvantage in today’s accounting world may be the relevance of the data. With such easy access to information, it can be more difficult to narrow down that information to its essence.Having too much information can make AIS more difficult to understand and increase uncertainty. Without being able to understand the AIS, an accountant cannot verify the same information. All these characteristics come hand in hand; if one characteristic fails then other characteristics will be affected. Although today’s accounting world has greatly shifted from the past, one cannot deny that the accounting community has always had a major impact in generating the characteristics of useful information.Older accounting communities created the building blocks of the characteristics. Technology merely enhanced th e flow of information and efficiency. Accounts will remain the designer, user, and auditors of the AIS. Work Cited Brazel, Joseph. â€Å"How Do Financial Statement Auditors and IT Auditors Work Together? † The CPA Journal (2008): 38-41. Print. Gelinas, Ulric J. , Richard B. Dull, and Patrick R. Wheeler. â€Å"Chapter 1: Introduction to Accounting Information System. † Accounting Information Systems. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning, 2012. 27-28. Print.

What I Learned on My Summer Vacation Lessons in Joy, Leadership, and the Mona Lisa

What I Learned on My Summer Vacation Lessons in Joy, Leadership, and the Mona Lisa Mona Lisa Smile Have you ever tried smiling with just the one side of your mouth? I attempted to do so as part of a leadership workshop last week and was surprised to find out what happened. Before I reveal the punch line, try it yourself: Really smile, with your eyes and everything. Just only use the left side of your mouth. How did it go? OK. Now try smiling with the right side of your mouth. Smile with your mouth and with your eyes. Surprised? If you’re like me and everyone else I know, you found yourself grimacing more than smiling in the second part of this exercise. For me, the seeming impossibility of cracking a right-sided smile was a true eye-opener about where in our brains our emotions show up. Perhaps it’s no surprise that the Mona Lisa is smiling on†¦ guess which side of her face? This phenomenon was just one of the many things I learned about last week when I attended a leadership training with the Wright Institute. The training was a total immersion in a sea of topics including emotional intelligence, creating joy, the formation and workings of the human brain, and getting group projects done with the right leadership (note: the link will bring you to an introductory weekend training; the one I attended was a more in-depth week-long retreat). After the retreat, we were asked to write an essay about the experience in order to cement our learning- something akin to â€Å"What I Did on My Summer Vacation.† I’m sharing my essay here. What I learned will inform the way I live my life and conduct my business for years to come. I gained takeaways not just about Mona Lisa smiling tricks but also about what it means to be a leader, share myself, create joy, and, well, be human. My wish is that you see something for yourself in the following words What I Learned on Summer Training 2013 At Summer I learned how to show up as a leader. It’s not about what I’ve done. It’s not about my skills as they relate to stuff I can do. It’s not about being liked. Leadership requires presence. It requires being willing to risk and to correct myself and others. It requires a strong vision and the ability to communicate it powerfully. It requires being incredibly awake! And it requires caring about the people I’m leading more than I care about getting stuff done. At Summer I learned how to share. It’s not about telling stories or talking about insights. It doesn’t require â€Å"getting it† or having â€Å"done the homework.† It doesn’t require â€Å"knowing† anything. All it takes to share is to be with my feelings, be with the person I’m with, be with my heart and feel into the hearts of the people around me. At Summer I learned how to â€Å"dedicate† to joy. It’s not about being happy all the time. It’s not easy. It’s not a one-shot deal and there’s no magic pill. Joy is not a phenomenon based on life circumstances. Dedicating to joy is a responsibility- a big one to the world and the people around me. Joy is a choice, made moment by moment. Joy often looks like hurt, tears and anger fully felt that open into joy. Joy requires opening- over and over. Joy is accessible to us all. It takes practice. 10,000 hours to mastery, as with so many other things. (See Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers) At Summer I learned that I matter. Not for the things that I do, not for my talents and not for my creativity or my singing voice. I learned that I don’t have to prove that I matter, and that trying to do so is a losing battle, since in that paradigm as soon as I’ve had to prove it I don’t really matter. I matter because I am. I matter because I have feelings and heart waves that reach out at least 3 feet from my body. Because I am everything that I am. And I learned that these are the things that make other people matter too. At Summer I learned that the lifelong journey of getting to know myself as a leader and group member has only just begun. Getting to know the people around me (including the intricacies of their left and right side facial muscles) is an integral and fascinating part of that journey. I will continue to explore over the next year, and look forward to taking the next steps forward on Summer Training 2014.