The cornerstones of character Essay Example for Free

The cornerstones of character Essay Challenges are the cornerstones of character. They are natural parts of life that not only support change, but they also strengthen the mold of which we are made. Of the many forms challenges that appear, two challenges (one of which is inevitable and the other that is self-imposed) do their parts to alter who we are for the better. Though a natural part of life, death, in any form, evokes and arouses many conflicting emotions. Experiencing my grandmother’s death at the age of sixteen marked the first time I attended a funeral. The fact that it was the funeral of someone very dear to me made my first attendance extremely difficult. The black dresses and solemn looks mirrored the emotions I felt inside. The beautiful remarks about my grandmother did little to comfort me or provide supplement for the inner loss I felt. Moreover, knowing I had to let go continuously battled the potent feeling of not wanting to let go. While old enough to realize that death is a natural end to life that must come at some point, I was also cognizant of the fact that death had marked an end to a very valuable friendship. My grandmother was the epitome of wisdom. Though her words of wisdom will forever resonate in my mind, I will deeply continue to miss her reassuring voice and still harbor a bit of resentment towards death for permanently depriving me of time in the future that I could have spent listening and learning from more of her valuable advice. One lesson learned from my grandmother’s death is to seize and savor each present moment. A newspaper article said that the present is so appropriately named because it is a â€Å"gift†. Gifts are meant to provide pleasure on more than one occasion. Thus, I have learned to assume and appreciate the times with my grandmother as invaluable and lasting sentiments. Approximately one year after my grandmother’s death, my idol and role model announced that life was too hard for him to continue. Working full time and attending medical school proved to be too challenging for my brother. He would go to classes during the day, take short naps, and whisk off to his night job. Though his goals were noble and definitely attainable, my brother failed to recognize his limits. Going to class required usage from the mental power source, for which a couple of hours of sleep could not replenish. The job required more mental effort as well as physical effort. As a result of his self-imposed ideals, my brother reached a point of exhaustion that threatened his logic and life. Between the two demands, my brother cracked under the pressure. He had simply stretched himself too thin. Witnessing my brother’s breakdown taught me that having high goals is acceptable, but that reasonable planning to reach those goals is just as important. When pursued logically and strategically, high goals will still challenge, but they will also prompt growth. On the other hand, pursuing elevated goals irrationally results in unnecessary stress, which results in a despondent state of mind and eventually death. Though one goal takes precedence over the other, my brother did not have to completely abandon one for the sake of the other. School was definitely a priority that could not be compromised. On the other hand, his job could have been part-time instead of full-time. Obviously, my brother was not going to make a sufficient amount of money working his current job; therefore, the number of hours were not as important as school. By continuing to pursue school as a full-time endeavor and reducing his work hours, my brother found a functional medium that allowed him to better balance both endeavors. Life is a gift of challenges that condition and a reward that serve as reminders. The challenges are there to strengthen us and aid in our growth to become better individuals. In addition, those challenges help us to recognize and appreciate the rewards. Though each serves in a different capacity, both should be taken with great care. Without either, we would be stuck in a stagnant pool of convenience surrounded by false senses of hope and security.

The Running Cycle :: Sport Run Running Athletics

There are two main phases to the running cycle: Support and Forward Recovery Support Phase: This is the phase when the runner is touching the ground, and makes up about 30%-40% of the running cycle. Foot-strike: The foot touches the ground slightly ahead of the center of mass. When the foot contact occurs, several actions take place: the knee flexes, the tibia internally rotates, the ankle plantar flexes, and the subtalar joint pronates (Miliron & Cavanagh, 1990). It is necessary to have a certain amount of pronation to disseminate the energy of the foot-strike. The foot during the foot-strike should be straight and in line with the direction of linear motion. If the feet are turned outward it reduces the distance covered, and puts more stress on the knees and lower extremities (Williams, 1990). Mid-support: The foot transforms from a mobile structure into a rigid lever that supports several times the body weight of the runner. The shape of the bones and the tension on the ligaments, allows for the foot to remain rigid. The supination of the subtalor joint forms a rigid lever for forward propulsion. This occurs through a series of events including the knee joint extending, the lower extremity rotates externally, the calcaneus inverts, the midtarsal joint locks, and the foot becomes a rigid lever. What is Supination? This is the opposite motion of pronation. This occurs when the ankle appears to be 'tipped' to the outside so the weight is on the outside border of the foot. Supination allows the foot to be a more stable, rigid structure for pushing off of. The foot naturally supinates during the toe-off stage (when the heel first lifts off the ground until the end of the step) to provide more leverage and to help ‘roll’ off the toes. Take-Off: The the mid-support period ends with an uprising heel, and is called the take-off period. 100 World Record Holder Florence Griffith Joyner in take-off period Forward Recovery Phase: This is the phase when the runner is airborne and spends most of the time.

Quarantine of 1937

The Quarantine of 1937 The Quarantine of 1937 The Quarantine Speech of 1937 given by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) propositioned the idea of quarantining aggressive nations as an alternative to war. Even though many Americans were drawn to isolation, FDR was hoping to convince 90 percent of the American population this was the way to go (Haight, 1962). During the speech FDR did not specifically point out a nation which was being targeted but it was likely he was talking about the war in Europe or was it geared towards Japan and their aggression towards China. By remaining vague, Roosevelt had the advantage of not committing himself to a specific policy or set actions† (AP Central, 2002). The isolationist feeling of Americans were that of refraining from political and economic relations with other countries. Roughly ten years after World War I the United States fell into the great depression where a lot of money was invested and America did not fully recover. This ma y have been weighing on the minds of the citizens of the United States and swaying their attitudes toward the isolationist feeling.The Neutrality Acts of the 1930’s were originally passed as a way to thwart the United States from entering into foreign wars thus showing the United States neutrality (U. S Department of State Office of the Historian, n. d. ). FDR did not like the international aggression which was taking place around the world. His views and quarantine speech led to many protests by isolationist in America (Aboukhadijeh, 2012). FDR wanted to redirect his foreign policy from the problems in England and France towards Germany to that of domestic problems which had more importance to him (Brajkovic, 1978).With his speech FDR was trying to rally Americans around the idea of joining with other countries and cut ties with the belligerents. American’s having isolationist feelings does what for the United States? By following through with the quarantine will send a message to aggressive countries that the United States will sit back and let it occur. By amending the laws of neutrality and adding to them that there should be a greater focus on hold countries accountable for their actions. FDR stated â€Å"In times of so-called peace, ships are being attacked and sunk by submarines without cause or notice† (Roosevelt, 1937).These types of actions are not okay, especially when the incidents directly affect Americans by killing the innocent. Americans can only sit and watch for so long. World War I was taxing on America, but if this quarantine does not come to fruition then aggressive countries will keep on violating treaties and bring war to neighboring countries which have nothing to do with the aggressors. â€Å"Without declaration of war and without warning or justification of any kind, civilians, including vast numbers of women and children, are being ruthlessly murdered with bombs from the air† (Roosevelt, 1937).If these typ es of events occurred in the United States, how would the public opinion and reaction change? Just like the events during the Spanish-American War in 1898 American stepped in to help Cuba ending in the complete cut off of Spain from the new world. By quarantining aggressive countries America is following the Neutrality Act of 1937 which states that Americans are forbidden from traveling on ships of aggressive nations and prohibits the transportation of arms to aggressive countries even if those arms are made outside the United States (U. S Department of State Office of the Historian, n. . ). America needs to put the isolationist attitude on the back burner. World War I is done and over with. The United States needs to take a stand. By doing so, countries will know and recognize America as a true power and will have to take responsibility for the actions take by their country. â€Å"War is a contagion, whether it be declared or undeclared. It can engulf states and peoples remote fro m the original scene of hostilities† (Roosevelt, 1937). This quote from FDR’s Quarantine Speech shows that no matter what neutral counties do or view a war at some point in time they will be affected by it.By entering in to a quarantine of aggressive countries with other nations could possibly stop the flow of merchandise into those countries not allowing them to continue on in their ways. America has always hoped and wanted peace. â€Å"America hates war. America hopes for peace. Therefore, America actively engages in the search for peace† (Roosevelt, 1937). Peace will come from not allowing violent countries to continue the actions they are taking. The United States needs to step up with the assistance of all Americans to help stop these countries. ReferencesAboukhadijeh, F. (2012). Chapter 35: Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Shadow of War, 1933-1941. Retrieved from http://www. apstudynotes. org/us-history/outlines/chapter-35-franklin-d-roosevelt-and-the-shadow-o f-war-1933-1941/ AP Central. (2002). Franklin Roosevelt: The Quarantine Speech. Retrieved from http://apcentral. collegeboard. com/apc/Pageflows/TeachersResource/viewResourceDetail. do? source=tr&resourceId=4489 Brajkovic, H. J. (1978). The Foreign Policy of Franklin D. Roosevelt To The Entry Into World War II. Retrieved from http://www. yale. du/ynhti/curriculum/units/1978/3/78. 03. 05. x. html#c Haight, J. M. (1962). Roosevelt and the Aftermath of the Quarantine Speech [Research Article]. The Review of Politics, 24(02), 233-259. http://dx. doi. org/10. 1017/S0034670500009669 Roosevelt, F. D. (1937). Quarantine Speech (October 5, 1937). Retrieved from http://millercenter. org/president/speeches/detail/3310 U. S Department of State Office of the Historian. (n. d. ). MILESTONES: 1921-1936: The Neutrality Acts, 1930s. Retrieved from http://history. state. gov/milestones/1921-1936/Neutrality_acts

Theories Of The Age Of Enlightenment - 1026 Words

Before the 17th century, people believed that when someone committed a criminal act it was not because they chose to do so, but because of some supernatural force, such as the full moon or demonic possession. Offending acts were punished by a wide range of inhumane acts including but not limited to being tarred and feathered, quartered, burned alive, beheaded, drowned, or stoned to death. This way of thinking and punishing offenders continued through the 1600’s until the Age of Enlightenment. It was during this time that Thomas Hobbes wrote a book proposing theories that would change the way many people think about other individuals and their actions. Thomas Hobbes’ most influential contributions to the Age of Enlightenment were his†¦show more content†¦He proposed that the defendant would be protected from false or secret accusations, allowing them the right to confront and/or cross examine their accuser. Furthermore, all defendants would be given a trail and the outcome would be based upon the decision of a group of the defendant’s peers, not one biased judge. The proposed system would also ensure that the public was educated about the new system and understood its laws and processes. Beccaria believed that to prevent crimes the public should understand the laws and decisions made by their justice system, and that no defendants would be subjected to torturous acts. Beccaria’s proposal was very specific on the means in which an offender should be punished. He believed an appropriate punishment could help deter criminal activity, but too harsh a punishment could cause more crime. It is this belief that caused Beccaria to oppose capital punishment. He felt that this sort of punishment went against the social contract, in turn setting a negative example for others within the society. He also strongly believed that capital punishment did not deter crime but that it in fact could cause a brutalization effect. Beccaria’s influences of the enlightenment caused him to believe that individuals can make rational decisions, including whether to commit a crime. He alsoShow MoreRelatedVoltaire s Theory Of The Age Of Enlightenment848 Words   |  4 PagesFranà §ois-Marie Arouet, or most commonly known as Voltaire was born November 21, 1699, in Paris, France. He was a French philosopher, historian and writer of the Age of Enlightenment. He valued the right to have your own thoughts as well as the ability to change religion. Even though he was a complex person, he was highly intelligent, humorous and his writing style made him one of France s greatest writers and philosophers. 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