How to Find Satisfaction at Your Current Job

How to Find Satisfaction at Your Current Job Stress Management Job Stress Print How to Find Satisfaction at Your Current Job By Elizabeth Scott, MS twitter Elizabeth Scott, MS, is a wellness coach specializing in stress management and quality of life, and the author of 8 Keys to Stress Management. Learn about our editorial policy Elizabeth Scott, MS Updated on October 17, 2019 You can stress less and enjoy your job more with these simple steps. Westend61/ Getty Images More in Stress Management Job Stress Workplace Bullying Effects on Health Management Techniques Situational Stress Household Stress Relationship Stress If you’re overstressed and at risk for job burnout, you may feel that a major life overhaul is necessary for you to be able to enjoy your job and avoid burnout. Before making major changes, try some minor adjustments. They may help you enjoy your work and give you food for thought on whether major changes are truly necessary. Be Clear About Job Requirements It’s nearly impossible to do a good enough job at your work if you don’t know what the requirements are. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s difficult to know all of the requirements at a job when those in charge are poor communicators. Some bosses and supervisors are vague with expectations, assign new tasks with little advance notice, request new tasks without providing training, and inadvertently set workers up to fail in other ways. While you can’t prevent things like this from happening altogether, you can gain a clearer view of what you need to do and help your situation quite a bit with assertive communication skills. Learning to speak up for yourself in a respectful way can help improve your work life and decrease your risk for burnout. Find Rewards and Recognition We all need to feel recognized and rewarded for what we do. If your job doesn’t have built-in opportunities for recognition, or if rewards are infrequent, you may need to add rewards and recognition to your own life. You may decide to take yourself to a movie, have a home spa experience, buy yourself something nice, or give yourself other small but nurturing rewards when you complete a project or complete another month of hard work. You can also team up with a supportive friend and agree to listen to each other’s successes and provide support to one another if you don’t get that support and recognition from your job. The Importance of a Psychologically Healthy Workplace These things can nurture you emotionally and remind you of the importance of the work you do, especially if you work in a job or field where these rewards are sparse. Maintain a Balanced Lifestyle Keeping balance in your lifestyle is important; if it’s all work and no play, you may find your ability to work beginning to wane. In order to maintain balance in your lifestyle, the first step is to take an overview of your current lifestyle and see which areas are out of balance. Do you have enough time for relationships, hobbies, sleep, self care, exercise, healthy eating, and other important features of a healthy lifestyle, in addition to your work responsibilities? If not, the next step is to look at your priorities and make some changes so that your lifestyle reflects them better. Think Positively You can usually change your experience of your current circumstances by changing your attitude about them. Developing an optimistic point of view and changing negative self talk patterns can go a long way toward helping you see the glass half-full, as well as actually making you more productive and less stressed. Assess your current state of mind, and make some changes in yourself so that you see things in a more positive light, and you may just find you’re much happier where you are in life. Why Complaining About Your Job Might Not Make You Feel Better Know Yourself and Work With Your Personality Certain features of your personality make some jobs a better fit for you than others. If you’re in a job that’s not well-suited for your personality, you may be putting yourself under unnecessary stress every day you go to work. The following are some good questions to ask yourself: Do you like to work toward deadlines, or do you like your tasks to come in a relatively steady stream?Do you like to work as part of a team, or independently?Do you like things to be structured and routine, or loose and variable?Do you enjoy being a ‘big fish in a small pond’, or would you like to be a ‘small fish in a big pond’? (Meaning, would you like to be a small part of a large company or a large part of a small company, or something else?)Do you believe in what you do, and is it important to you that you do? These questions and others can give you a better picture of what kind of work would be best for you. If you find you’re not in the type of position that’s ideal for you, you can see if you can make additional changes in your job’s structure to make it fit better with your needs, or you might think of what jobs might be better suited for you and see if working toward a change in jobs is a good idea for you. 9 Tips for Coping With Work Stress

How to Make Sure You Buy the Best Magnifier

After you get a rock hammer—maybe even before—youll need a magnifier. The big Sherlock Holmes type lens is a clichà ©; instead, you want a lightweight, powerful magnifier (also called a loupe) that has impeccable optics and is easy to use. Get the best magnifier for demanding jobs like inspecting gemstones and crystals; in the field, for quick looks at minerals, buy a decent magnifier you can afford to lose. Using a Magnifier Hold the lens up next to your eye, then bring your specimen close to it, only a few centimeters from your face. The point is to focus your attention through the lens, the same way you look through eyeglasses. If you normally wear glasses, you may want to keep them on. A magnifier wont correct for astigmatism. How Many X? The X factor of a magnifier refers to how much it magnifies. Sherlocks magnifying glass makes things look 2 or 3 times bigger; that is, its 2x or 3x. Geologists like to have 5x to 10x, but more than that is hard to use in the field because the lenses are very small. 5x or 7x lenses offer a wider field of vision, while a 10x magnifier gives you the closest look at tiny crystals, trace minerals, grain surfaces, and microfossils. Magnifier Flaws to Watch for Check the lens for scratches. Set the magnifier on a piece of white paper and see if the lens adds color of its own. Now pick it up and examine several objects, including one with a fine pattern like a halftone picture. The view through the lens should be clear as air with no internal reflections. Highlights should be crisp and brilliant, with no colored fringes (that is, the lens should be achromatic). A flat object should not look warped or buckled—move it to and fro to be sure. A magnifier should not be loosely put together. Magnifier Bonuses Given the same X factor, a larger lens is better. A ring or loop to attach a lanyard is a good thing; so is a leather or plastic case. A lens held with a removable retaining ring can be taken out for cleaning. And a brand name on the magnifier, while not always a guarantee of quality, means you can contact the manufacturer. Doublet, Triplet, Coddington Good lensmakers combine two or three pieces of glass to correct for chromatic aberration—what gives an image blurred, colored fringes. Doublets can be quite satisfactory, but the triplet is the gold standard. Coddington lenses employ a deep cut inside the solid glass, using an air gap to create the same effect as a triplet. Being solid glass, they cannot ever come apart—a consideration if you get wet a lot.

Definitions Week 1 - 2049 Words

Definitions Define the following terms using your text or other resources. Cite all resources consistent with APA guidelines. TermDefinitionResource you usedTime value of moneyA dollar received today is worth more than a dollar received in the future. Conversely, a dollar received in the future is worth less than a dollar received today.Titman, S., Keown, A. J., Martin, J. D. (2014).Financial Management. Principles and Applications(12th ed.). Pearson Education.Efficient marketWhen money is put into the stock market, the goal is to generate a return on the capital invested. Many investors try not only to make a profitable return, but also to outperform, or beat, the market.However, market efficiency - championed in theefficient market†¦show more content†¦Cash flow is the amount of cash that can actually be taken out of the business over this same interval.Titman, S., Keown, A. J., Martin, J. D. (2014).Financial Management. Principles and Applications(12th ed.). Pearson Education.Project managementProject management is the application of processes, methods, knowledge, skills and experience to achieve the project objectives.What is Project Management.(n/a).Retrieved on August 11, 2014 from HYPERLINK http//www.apm.org.uk/WhatIsPM http//www.apm.org.uk/WhatIsPM Outsourcing and offshoringOutsourcingrefers to an organization contracting work out to a 3rd party, whileoffshoringrefers to getting work done in a different country, usually to leverage cost advantages. Its possible to outsource work but not offshore it for example, hiring an outside law firm to review contracts instead of maintaining an in-house staff of lawyers. It is also possible to offshore work but not outsource it for example, a Dell customer service center in India to serve American clients.Offshore outsourcingis the practice of hiring a vendor to do the work offshore, usually to lower costs and take advantage of the vendors expertise, economies of scale, and large and scalable labor pool.Offshoring vs. Outsourcing.(n/a).Retrieved on August 11, 2014 from HYPERLINK http//www.diffen.com/difference/Offshoring_vs_OutsourcingShow MoreRelatedOi 361 - Week 1 - Definitions Paper825 Words   |  4 PagesDefinitions Paper What are creativity, innovation, and design, and how are these concepts important to meeting the objectives of an organization? To understand these concepts they must first be defined. Webster’s dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com) defines creativity as the â€Å"Ability to produce something new through imaginative skill, whether a new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic objects or form. The term generally refers to a richness of ideas and originalityRead MoreProj 430 Course Guide Week 1 - 81230 Words   |  5 Pages430 Course Guide Week 1 - 8 Purchase here https://sellfy.com/p/pgnb/ Product Description (PROJ 430 Advance Project Management) PROJ 430 Week 1 Checkpoint Assignment PROJ 430 Week 1 DQ 1 Project Functional Manager Differences PROJ 430 Week 1 DQ 2 Projects and Organizational Structures PROJ 430 Week 1 Project Definition PROJ 430 Week 2 Checkpoint Assignment PROJ 430 Week 2 DQ 1 The Project Kick-Off PROJ 430 Week 2 DQ 2 Project Planning Documents PROJ 430 Week 2 Project OrganizationRead MoreIs4550 Week 5 Lab1611 Words   |  7 Pages------------------------------------------------- Week 5 Laboratory: Part 1 Part 1: Assess and Audit an Existing IT Security Policy Framework Definition Learning Objectives and Outcomes Upon completing this lab, students will be able to complete the following tasks: * Identify risks, threats, and vulnerabilities in the 7 domains of a typical IT infrastructure * Review existing IT security policies as part of a policy framework definition * Align IT security policies throughout theRead MoreHcs 533 Study Education on Your Terms/Hcs533Study.Com Essay866 Words   |  4 PagesHCS 533 Week 1 Individual Assignment Definition Worksheet (2 Answer) FOR MORE CLASSES VISIT www.hcs533study.com This Tutorial contains 2 Answers for each Question HCS 533 Week 1 Definition Worksheet Definition of Terms The health care environment is constantly changing, new systems arise every day with terminology of their own to reflect the changes. As a health care professional, it is important for you to stay up-to-date with the terminology and its proper use. Define each termRead MoreHCS 405 Week 1 Health Care Financial Terms Worksheet Paper1042 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿HCS 405 week 1 Health Care Financial Terms Worksheet Paper Introduction The HCS 405 week 1 financial terms worksheet throws light on some of the most basic concepts of the healthcare business. Understanding health care financial terms is a prerequisite for both academic and professional success. The health care business helps the nation by providing the building blocks that the citizens need to live a successful and healthy life. The worksheet is intended to ensure that the students understandRead MoreEssay on Definitions of Health1228 Words   |  5 PagesDefinitions of health It is fairly difficult to define health as there are no agreements between scholars. This is why many sociologists focus their research on the different issues and problems of ill health. Positive definition of health: positive health looks at the physical, emotional, intellectual aspects of a person’s wellbeing. This is in the way that they do not have any diseases or ailments. An example of the positive definition of health in a health and social care is a nurse in whoRead MoreProblem Shieet 21751 Words   |  4 Pagesanswers should show all steps but be concise and to the point. †¢ Your answer report should be prepared in WORD and printed in A4 or letter size sheets. Solve the following problems. (Numbered problems are from the textbook 8th edition.) 1. Mr. Smith would like to set up a package delivery service for 7 cities (Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, D.C., Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco). If a flight line covers a round trip between cities, how many flight lines are needed to connect 7 citiesRead MoreHealthcare Information Systems1063 Words   |  5 PagesPost Week 1 Health Care Information Systems Terms HCS/483 Healthcare Information Systems - Week 1 Name: Guidelines: Please use this form to submit your assignment and NOT the one on the UOPX website. Define the following terms. Your definitions must be in your own words; do not copy them from the textbook. After you have defined each term in your own words, describe in at least 50 words the health care setting in which each term would be applied. Utilize a minimum of two researchRead MoreSymptoms And Diagnosis Of Measles, Mumps, And Rubella1658 Words   |  7 Pagesdiseases: (a) Mumps Organism: Virus: Paramyxovirdae Transmission: air Bourne droplets or by direct contact with the saliva of an infected person Incubation period: can range from 12-25 days but is usually 16-18 days Infectious period: ranges from 1 week to 9 days after the onset of parotitis Notification: To the local medical officer of health Prevention method: Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine. And cases should be excluded from early childhood services or school until 9 days after the onsetRead MoreNur502 All Weeks Discussions Latest720 Words   |  3 PagesNUR502 All Weeks Discussions Latest Click Link Below To Buy: http://hwcampus.com/shop/nur502-all-weeks-discussions-latest/ NUR502 Week 1 Discussion DQ1 DQ 2 Latest 2015 DQ 1 What comparisons can be found between the GCU Mission and Domains/CON Mission and Program Competencies (for your selected specialty track, links located in the Course Materials) with the AACNs Essentials for Masters Education for Advanced Practice Nursing (link located in the Week 1 Topic Materials)? Explain your rational

The Stupidest Angel Chapter 22 Free Essays

Chapter 22 A PERFECT LONESOME CHRISTMAS The archangel Raziel hovered outside the Santa Rosa Chapel’s big cathedral window, looking through a small pane of pink glass that formed Saint Rosa’s cheek. He smiled at his handiwork, then beat his great wings and flew off to find some chocolate to sustain him on his trip home. Life is messy. We will write a custom essay sample on The Stupidest Angel Chapter 22 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Would that every puzzle piece fell into place, every word was kind, every accident happy, but such is not the case. Life is messy. People, generally, suck. This year, however, the Lonesome Christmas party in Pine Cove was coming off with clarified joy, an infectious goodwill, and a general harmony of spirit that shone in the guests with a smooth, high polish – a no-mess affair. â€Å"Theo,† Molly said, â€Å"can you grab the other lasagna pans out of the back.† She was carrying two of the long stainless-steel pans herself, and she was careful to bend at the knees as she set them down on the buffet table to keep the back of her short cocktail dress in the realm of decency. It was a plunging neckline LBD (little black dress) she’d borrowed from Lena just for the party – the first low-cut thing she’d worn in years. â€Å"We could have barbecued after all,† Theo said. â€Å"I told you fucksticks that the storm would turn south,† Mavis Sand growled as she sawed the end off a baguette like the moyl at a titanic bris. (Some people’s goodwill shines differently than others’.) Molly set down her lasagna and turned around into the arms of her praying mantis of a husband. â€Å"Whoa, sailor, Warrior Babe’s got work to do.† â€Å"I just wanted to tell you,† Theo said, â€Å"before everyone gets here, that you look absolutely stunning.† Molly brushed her hand across her neckline. â€Å"Scars don’t do that, do they? They don’t just disappear overnight like that, right?† â€Å"Doesn’t matter to me,† Theo said. â€Å"Never mattered. Wait until you see what I got you for Christmas.† Molly kissed him on the chin. â€Å"I love you, even if you have mutant tendencies; now free me, Lena needs help with the salad.† â€Å"No, I don’t,† said Lena, coming out of the back room carrying a huge salad bowl. Tucker Case followed close behind with a stainless caddie of dressings. â€Å"Oh, Theo,† Lena said, â€Å"I hope you don’t mind, but Dale is going to come by in his Santa suit tonight.† â€Å"I thought you guys were in combat,† Theo said. â€Å"We were, but he surprised me a couple of nights ago when I was stealing some of his Christmas trees, and was just losing his temper when Tucker happened along and popped him in the nose.† Tucker Case grinned. â€Å"I’m a pilot, we’re used to handling tense situations.† â€Å"Anyway,† Lena continued, â€Å"Dale was drunk. He started crying, getting maudlin, talking about how he was having trouble with his new girlfriend, saying how he hated that everyone saw him as the evil developer, so I invited him here. Thought maybe if he could do something nice for the kids, it would make him feel better.† â€Å"No problem,† Theo said. â€Å"I’m glad you two are getting along.† â€Å"Hey, Theo!† yelled Joshua Barker as he ran across the chapel floor toward them. â€Å"Mom says Santa will be at the party.† â€Å"A quick appearance, Josh, then he has to get on his route,† Theo said. He looked up to see Emily Barker and her boyfriend/husband/whatever Brian Henderson coming across the room. Brian was wearing a red Star Fleet Command shirt. â€Å"Merry Christmas, Theo,† Emily said. Theo hugged Emily and shook Brian’s hand. â€Å"Theo, have you seen Gabe Fenton?† Brian asked. â€Å"I wanted to show him the shirt, I think he’ll get a kick out of it. You know, nerd solidarity.† â€Å"He was here a little bit ago, Brian, but then Val Riordan arrived and they were talking. I haven’t seen them for a while.† â€Å"Maybe they went for a walk. Beautiful evening, isn’t it?† â€Å"Isn’t it,† said Molly, coming to Theo’s side. â€Å"He said he was good with weather,† said the Narrator. â€Å"Shhhhhhh,† said Molly. â€Å"Pardon?† Brian said. Out behind the chapel, the dead were feeling festive as well. â€Å"He’s going to do her right here in the graveyard,† said Marty in the Morning. â€Å"Who would have thought a shrink could moan like that. A little carnal scream therapy, huh, doc?† â€Å"No way,† said Bess Leander. â€Å"She’s wearing Armani, she’s not going to mess up that outfit.† â€Å"You’re right,† said Jimmy Antalvo. â€Å"They’ll just suck face and take the party home for makeup sex. But how do you know she’s wearing Armani?† â€Å"You know what?† said Bess. â€Å"I have no idea. Just a feeling, I guess.† â€Å"I do hope they sing ‘Good King Wenceslas, † said Esther, the schoolteacher. â€Å"I just love that song.† â€Å"Has anyone seen the biologist’s dreadful dog?† asked Malcolm Cowley, the dead book dealer. â€Å"Last year the beast urinated on my headstone three times.† â€Å"He was sniffing around a minute ago,† said Marty in the Morning, â€Å"but he went inside when they started to bring the food out.† Inside, Skinner was sitting under the Christmas tree, looking at the strangest creature he’d ever seen. It was hanging from the lower branches, but it didn’t look like a squirrel, or smell like food; in fact, it had a face that looked like another dog. Skinner whimpered and sniffed the air. If it was a dog, where was its butt? How could he say hello if he couldn’t sniff its butt? He took a tentative step back to study the thing. â€Å"What are you looking at?† said Roberto. How to cite The Stupidest Angel Chapter 22, Essay examples

Solution Focused Therapy

Therapists, who rely on solution focused therapy, emphasise the role of exceptions or the situations when a person managed to cope with a problem that usually seemed insurmountable. Moreover, these practitioners lay stress on the idea that a patient has the strength to overcome such difficulties on a regular basis.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Solution Focused Therapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This paper includes the discussion of a video that exemplifies the main techniques included in solution focused therapy. In particular, this video shows how a practitioner can help a person control the outbursts of anger. The task of this professional is to assist an individual in changing his/her views on a certain difficulty. These are the main issues that can be distinguished. The principles of solution focused therapy were formulated by Insoo Kim Berg and Steve de Shazer (Sharry, 2007, p. 132). This method is aimed at helping clients discover the way in which their difficulties can be overcome. This paper will explore the role of exceptions in this method. In particular, exceptions can be viewed as those situations when a person was able to cope with his/her challenges. Apart from that, much attention should be paid to the amplification of exceptions. In other words, a therapist should highlight the idea that small successes can be transformed into a norm. To some degree, this discussion will be based on the role-playing video illustrating a hypothetical interaction between a patient and a therapist. Overall, this video can give viewers deeper insight into the use of solution focused therapy.  It is important to mention that solution focused therapy is based on the assumption â€Å"that are always exceptions to the problems† (Sharry, 2007, p. 39). In other words, there are situations when a person is able to overcome a certain difficulty. There are various factors that can influ ence the behavior of individuals and their relations with other people. More importantly, in many cases, people forget about such situations. Furthermore, they do not analyse them (Sharry, 2007, p. 39). This is why they often feel helpless. In turn, the task of a practitioner is to urge people to recollect such cases. In part, this principle is reflected in the video. It should be mentioned, a patient is a woman who has problems with anger management (Loveland, 2012). So, she often quarrels with her husband. The practitioner asked her to remember those cases when she did not lose her temper (Loveland, 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Furthermore, he encouraged her to think about the reasons why she was able to control her emotions. Overall, it is possible to argue that this discussion is the first step to identifying solutions to the challenges faced by people. Thus, patientsâ €™ perceptions can change.  Apart from that, solution focused therapy involves the need to â€Å"amplify the exceptions† (Sharry, 2007, p. 39). In other words, one should encourage a person to think about those qualities that are useful for addressing a certain problem. Moreover, a patient can be asked to speak about his/her experiences on such occasions. This discussion is very important because it demonstrates that a certain problem can be resolved. This approach has been exemplified in this video. For instance, the patient mentioned deep breathing that often prevented her from venting her spleen on other people (Loveland, 2012). Moreover, they talked about such a method as counting from one to ten. The amplification of exceptions is necessary because it makes an individual feel more confident. Furthermore, the feeling of helplessness does not affect an individual very strongly . One should keep in mind that the emphasis on exceptions can be useful for solving other p roblems. For instance, one can speak about work stress, conflicts with relatives and co-workers, or ineffective time management. So, this form of therapy has been used in different settings. This video highlights the importance of other techniques; for instance, the therapist relied on the so-called â€Å"miracle questions† which prompted person to imagine that every problem had been effectively addressed (Sharry, 2007, p. 39; Loveland, 2012). This approach highlighted the idea that it would be easy to overcome a certain problem. Overall, this questioning technique has been rather helpful. Admittedly, one should remember that it is only a role-playing video illustrating a hypothetical interaction between a patient and a practitioner. In real life, therapists may not face considerable challenges. For instance, it may be difficult for a person to recollect those cases when a certain challenge was effectively overcome. Apart from that, he/she can be very irritated. Nevertheless, this strategy chosen by the practitioner can be applied in various setting if a therapist displays empathy for a person. Overall, this discussion indicates that exceptions play an important role in solution focused therapy. They are vital for showing that a patient has the strength to cope with a specific challenge. Many people are adversely affected by the lack of confidence. In turn, one should change people’s views on their difficulties.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Solution Focused Therapy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More So, it is important to explore those cases when an individual could address a certain psychological problem or at least reduce its impacts. The chosen video exemplifies the main peculiarities of this technique. It seems that this approach can benefit patients who may encounter various difficulties. Reference List Loveland, D. (Executive Producer). (2012, Apr. 11). Solution Focuse d Brief Therapy  (SFBT) Demonstration [Video file]. Sharry, J. (2007). Solution-Focused Groupwork. New York, NY: SAGE. This essay on Solution Focused Therapy was written and submitted by user Jonathon Juarez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Robert E Lee

Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee has always been thought by many as a god-like figure. To others he was a contradiction. Born on January 19, 1807 at Stratford, Virginia, Robert E. Lee was the fourth child of Revolutionary War hero, Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, and Ann Hill Carter Lee. Raised mostly by his mother, Robert learned patience, control, and discipline from her. As a young man, he was exposed to Christianity and accepted its faith. In contrast to the strong example of his mother and the church, Robert saw his father go from failed enterprise to failed enterprise. As a result, young Robert tried harder to succeed. Robert was accepted to the United States Military Academy and graduated 2nd in his class. But perhaps greater than his academic success, was his record of no demerits while being a cadet, which today has still not been equaled. Following his graduation, Lee, like most top classmen, was given a commission as an engineer. As Lt. Lee helped build the St. Louis waterfront and worked on coastal forts in Brunswick and Savannah. It was during this time he married Mary Custis, the granddaughter of George Washington and Martha Custis Washington. In 1845, the war between the United States and Mexico broke out. Lee was given the important duties of mapping out the terrain ahead, dividing the line of advance for the U.S. troops, and in one case, leading troops into battle. Following the Mexican War, Lee returned to the service as an engineer. Now a Colonel, Lee was sent to put down a believed rebellion at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, the site of a United States arsenal. A train rushed Colonel Lee and a young aide, Lt. Jeb Stuart, with a detachment of U.S. marines to Harper's Ferry where they were able to capture radical abolitionist, John Brown, and his followers. Lee next, offered his services to the newly elected President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. When President Davis accepted Lee’s offer, Lee was mad... Free Essays on Robert E Lee Free Essays on Robert E Lee Robert E. Lee Robert E. Lee has always been thought by many as a god-like figure. To others he was a contradiction. Born on January 19, 1807 at Stratford, Virginia, Robert E. Lee was the fourth child of Revolutionary War hero, Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee, and Ann Hill Carter Lee. Raised mostly by his mother, Robert learned patience, control, and discipline from her. As a young man, he was exposed to Christianity and accepted its faith. In contrast to the strong example of his mother and the church, Robert saw his father go from failed enterprise to failed enterprise. As a result, young Robert tried harder to succeed. Robert was accepted to the United States Military Academy and graduated 2nd in his class. But perhaps greater than his academic success, was his record of no demerits while being a cadet, which today has still not been equaled. Following his graduation, Lee, like most top classmen, was given a commission as an engineer. As Lt. Lee helped build the St. Louis waterfront and worked on coastal forts in Brunswick and Savannah. It was during this time he married Mary Custis, the granddaughter of George Washington and Martha Custis Washington. In 1845, the war between the United States and Mexico broke out. Lee was given the important duties of mapping out the terrain ahead, dividing the line of advance for the U.S. troops, and in one case, leading troops into battle. Following the Mexican War, Lee returned to the service as an engineer. Now a Colonel, Lee was sent to put down a believed rebellion at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, the site of a United States arsenal. A train rushed Colonel Lee and a young aide, Lt. Jeb Stuart, with a detachment of U.S. marines to Harper's Ferry where they were able to capture radical abolitionist, John Brown, and his followers. Lee next, offered his services to the newly elected President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis. When President Davis accepted Lee’s offer, Lee was mad...

Make Time to Be Solitary

Make Time to Be Solitary Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone. ~ Paul Tillich Books take many hours to write, which gives the public the impression that writers are lonely, solitary creatures. The average person cannot stand being alone. However, its next to impossible to be alone anymore. Im not talking about people interference, though that is an issue. How often do you write without access to the internet? Your phone? Earbuds or background music? Most writers arent solitary. On the contrary they usually cannot stand not to be connected. And maintaining that connection means you are not completely alone which could be impacting your writing. You may think you need the noise, connection, or music because your brain cannot take the concept of being totally shut off from it. Youve convinced yourself you need that accompaniment. Truth is, being focused on one, intense thing like creative writing is a challenge. We multi-task so much these days that we have lost touch with single-tasking. If we are too long silent online, or do not answer our phone, other people worry. Actually, when people are able to slide away into solitary mode and remain there a while, other people become concerned about broken, abnormal behavior. You arent depressed, are you? In reality, all the stimuli we cant keep up with might be more the cause of said depression. Suzanne Degges-White, a psychology professor at Northern Illinois University, says: â€Å"You can’t make good decisions if you don’t ever give yourself time to reflect.† And â€Å"if you’re constantly engaged in the world, it’s harder to make space for those moments of genius.† Resource: https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/sc-fam-need-for-alone-time-1225-story.html Gaming  on your phone is not alone time. Background music is not alone time. Anything conflicting with alone time saps brain function. Find time where nothing is required of you. Absolutely nothing. Regenerate with alone time, then try writing with nothing else active around you. Attempt pure, unadulterated thinking about your story. This allows your writing to pour instead of fighting its way around the distractions.