Matteo Ricci and China Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Matteo Ricci and China - Research Paper Example 1-50).1 The point of this examination paper is to talk about Matteo Ricci in China, why he came to China, what he finished during his stay in China, just as the effects he had on Chinese society during that time and in the present day. Why Matteo Ricci came to China The principle motivation behind why Matteo Ricci went to China includes the craving to spread the Christian gospel to China. As a savvy and skilled Jesuit, Ricci looked to lecture the Christian message in China. He entered China during the Ming administration (1368-1644), denoting the start of what can be alluded as the third time of the historical backdrop of Christianity in China. Along with different Jesuits, Ricci planned to see the usage of the bits of knowledge of Alessandro Valignano, their Jesuit boss. So as to make China a Christian culture, he made endeavors to associate with both the customary individuals and the informed Chinese. The Christian conventions that Ricci needed to spread in China for the most part incorporated those of Catholicism (Fontana 2011, p. 1-50).1 Ricci likewise came to China with the point of accumulating information, which he could scatter to individuals in different pieces of the world. Of most extreme significance was his longing to spread Christianity to the Chinese societies, which had no earlier information on Christianity however used to be severe devotees of different strict convictions. Along these lines, his assurance to see Christianity spread in China can be named as the primary motivation behind why Matteo Ricci came to China (Brockey 22007, p. 10-250). What Matteo Ricci finished during his stay in China and his effect during that time up to cutting edge China Some of the achievements that Ricci made in China included lecturing and spreading Christianity to the greater part of the pieces of China. His primary center included spreading Catholicism tenet, showing space science, topography, and arithmetic. During his stay in China, Ricci gathered maps of C hina and combined them with maps of the west to concoct the guide of the whole world (Brockey 2007, p. 10-250).2 For the first run through, there came to be simply the Chinese Global guide, which Ricci assembled. His different commitments incorporated the presentation of geographic organize framework, just as western geology. The organize framework helped in the estimating of longitude and scope in maps, which prompted China. Ricci acquainted western human progress with the Chinese individuals; this development spread to different nations around China, for example, Japan (Hsia 2010, p. 30-120).3 His different achievements while in China included completing twenty works in Chinese. These compositions enveloped logical works, strict compositions, just as bargains; one of the most celebrated works that he did was the â€Å"True Doctrine of God.† Moreover, he added to the accumulating of the primary European-Chinese word reference and two Portuguese-Chinese word references. Ricci ’s achievements in China additionally enveloped abandoning 2,500 Chinese Catholics at the hour of his demise; the greater part of them incorporated the informed ones. His inheritance additionally enveloped a Friendship Treatise, Mnemonic expressions treatise, just as an interpretation of Elements of Geometry in Chinese (Lehner 2011, p. 4-70).3 Ricci’s achievements while in China additionally incorporate works that involved instructions and the interpretation of Chinese supplications. In addition, Ricci was profoundly engaged with the sythesis of psalms in the Chinese language, which assumed a significant job in his endeavors to spread the regulations and lessons of

Report on Hyundai Volvo Jetstar Malaysian Airlines-free samples

Question: Compose a report on hyundai volvo jetstar and malaysian aircrafts. Answer: Presentation This report presents the subtleties of serious systems of the four organizations that have a place with two businesses. The organizations are Hyundai and Volvo from the vehicle business and Malaysian Airlines and Jet Star of aircraft industry. The report presents the systems of these four organizations on the AAA structure. The investigation and conversation of the system on those four organizations have been explained in the ensuing segments. Some proposal have been given for the improvement of the circumstance. 1.0 Analysis and conversation 1.1 Hyundais procedures 1.1.1 Adaptation Hyundai is a car organization dependent on South Korea and has overall fame of its items. It has taken adjustment approaches for the development of its business in the Asian, European just as in the American nations (Kim, Hoskisson and Lee 2015). One of such adjustment is the instigating a variety in their offered models. The organization has propelled their model Santa Fe in the market of India monitoring the preferences and inclinations of their intended interest group. Such systems have been explicitly made for a country to guarantee more income from the market. The organization has likewise presented uncommon structure of their item variations to make more appreciation for their clients. 1.1.2 Aggregation Hyundai has made the methodologies for collection of their business to make a coordinated methodology for their success all through the world. The organization has made the accumulation of the business as far as economies of scale and degree all through the world. The total has been done on CAGE system. The measurements are social, regulatory, geographic and financial. Hyundai has situated a few items according to the way of life of the countries in Asia and Europe (Brondoni 2014). To cause a managerial coordination they to have complied with the approaches of the North American nations. They have presented protection approaches for keeping up protection of their clients, for example, the data to be gathered, strategy of data to be gathered, methodology of data to be gathered, technique of offering the data to the outsiders, data security, decision of data. 1.1.3 Arbitration Hyundai has additionally embraced the procedures for assertion through upgrading deals in the South East Asian and North American nations and lessening the deals in the European nations (Han, Lee and Choi 2015). The organization has understood that the buyers in the European market are substantially more inclined towards the results of General Motors. In this way, they have intended to improve their conveyance with changed directs in the market of North America and South East Asia. Such districts have a popularity of the items that Hyundai have. The organization has a necessity of the producers mediation. The companys strategy really required a few questions in regards to guarantee that are to be settled through the exchange of authoritative. According to the provision, until the proprietors make a notice to the organization, that is inside the 90 days of the vehicle buy (Jun and Park 2015). It is their choice for quitting the compensation to $275 for assisting with covering the proc edure of the expense. 1.2 Volvos systems 1.2.1 Adaptation Volvo is Sweden based car producer that has made their advertising technique for their adjustment of their business in France that is in contrast with the root of the organization, subsequently Sweden. The brands cause can have suggestions in the affiliations, which are diverse in the psyche of the purchaser, which will have an effect on the brands observation. In result, Volvo has a necessity of the adjustment in the specificities in the market of focus for drawing in and fulfilling more clients (Janesson, Nilsson and Rapp 2013). It is to furnish the crowd of France with the items that are been adjusted to the necessities of them. It is in reality through the expansion of the incomes and deals. The organization has utilized the structures favored by the French individuals while making the plan of their items. 1.2.2 Aggregation To make a decent a business wellbeing, the organization has taken the conglomeration procedures in the social, authoritative, geographic and monetary measurements. In the year 1997, the organization has taken the ecological projects for the persistent improvement alongside advancement of their innovation (Sushandoyo and Magnusson 2014). The organization is likewise proficient regarding assets. The projects that the organization have received for collection includes taking a view that is all encompassing for minimization of the effects of the prerequisite of procedure and item. Another program is to take a stab at improving in a persistent way all through the activities of the organization through definition, correspondence and the objectives, which are plainly characterized. The conglomeration technique additionally includes the interest of the customers under the watchful eye of condition. The organization likewise assesses the items complete life cycle and makes process for minimiz ation of vitality utilization and decrease of waste. 1.2.3 Arbitration Volvo has embraced the assertion methodologies that incorporate improvement of their exhibition alongside decrease of cost and dangers. The organization has rolled out a sensational improvement for keeping up its serious situation in the market (Ke and Diao 2016). The organization has made development in the business sectors that are rising and has made greeting to the representatives who are new. Such technique of assertion has made the activities of the organization to run in about 190 markets and has given chance of work to in excess of 115000 people. Such procedure has made a formation of maintainable and proficient arrangements of transport for the clients of Volvo. In the year 2012, the organization propelled a multi year methodologies for their territories of individual business. The outcome has made a procedure for the center regions that are typically significant for the advancement of things to come. Such auxiliary administration has made consolation of observing in the nea rby level (Dawar 2013). The framework has made an objective for the explanation of the person for accomplishing the objectives. 1.3 Jetstars methodologies 1.3.1 Adaptation Jetstar Airways is the Australia based aircraft organization that has the low toll carriers beginning from Australia to New Zealand to the 15 nations all through the locale of Asia-Pacific (Fu and Oum 2014). The organization has made more finding in their ticket tolls in the Oceanian nations to keep up their piece of the pie. They have made such adjustments for making them increasingly serious. To keep up a decent workforce, the organization has executed an enrollment procedure through which they can recruit quality experts (Whyte and Lohmann 2015). They have executed the procedure that incorporate online application, meeting of video or telephone, focal point of evaluation alongside the meetings in the last level. For making adjustment to the interest of more excellent workforce, the organization will enroll the labor who ought to have learning thirst and the eagerness for making adjustment to the condition that is evolving. 1.3.2 Aggregation Jetstar Airways is a completely claimed auxiliary organization of Qantas, a brand having world-class notoriety. In the year 2004, the organization has made a dispatch of its flight and made an advancement of the Magda Szubanski as its mascot. In the year 2007, the organization made an adjusting of its course in the worldwide level. It has likewise made a move for turning into the patron of the group of the NRL Football (Snyder and Tai 2014). The organization has additionally made a procedure for the development of the administration of JetStar StarClass for all the courses in the universal level for expanding piece of the pie through 5% of estimation. 1.3.3 Arbitration The organization has embraced the system of intervention if there should arise an occurrence of the key heading towards Eastern Asia. It has made bases in Vietnam and Singapore for its future development. The organization has profited the wages that are less expensive in Asia alongside the administration and property costs. It has made situation for making rise in quick way in Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and China (Pearson et al. 2015). The Jetstar has the brand for a lot of offer value, that has made breakdown of 45 percent in the course of the most recent year. It has been realized that the mediation of the approaching restricting has constrained the organization to make a weakening of the designs for moving quickly from Australia. 1.3 Malaysian Airlines systems 1.3.1 Adaptation The Malaysian Airlines has likewise made systems for adjusting with the expanded expense. They have made an embarkation on the arrangement for rebuilding in a monstrous way before the finish of 2011 with a target decreasing the expenses and returning for a benefit of entire year (Ashwini Nand, Singh and Power 2013). In the year 2012, the organization made another procedure for business with respect to concentrating on the top notch segment and on the serious market of Asia. The organization likewise made a declaration for making twofold its spending plan of advertising. They made a speculation that is over US$190 million for centering the exceptional division and the market of Asia for remaking their image. 1.3.2 Aggregation The organization has made the procedures for making accumulation of their business capacities in the ongoing occasions (Bamber et al. 2013). Despite the fact that the organization has experienced through an underperformance before the vanishing of MH-370 flight, it has experienced a hostile of advertising. It is to go after moving the brand of the bearer away from the catastrophe. Such system for rebranding has made contribution of the difference in name (Homsombat, Lei and Fu 2014). The organization is significantly possessed by the administration of Malaysia is presently looking for the financial specialists that are new and furthermore making its development in the redistributing office for expanding the gainfulness. The organization has made financial totals of its strategies coming about to

Social Networks and the Arab Spring Essay Example

Informal communities and the Arab Spring Essay â€Å"An Examination of the Role of Online Social Networks in the Uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt in 2010-11† In the scholarly research and reporting about the Arab Spring, there are differentiating sees encompassing the significance of the Internet and online informal organizations in the accomplishment of the uprisings. Did the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt offer legitimacy to Egyptian Google official Wael Ghonim’s guarantee that â€Å"if you need to free a general public, simply give them Internet† (Ghonim CNN), or was the capacity of online informal communities extraordinarily overstated by worldwide media to feature Western standards of vote based system? This exploration paper will intently break down the degree to which these online interpersonal organizations, for example, Facebook, Twitter, cell phone systems, and YouTube were utilized as devices for the association and preparation of common rebellion in Tunisia and Egypt in 2010-11. It will look at the job and effect of online interpersonal organizations and will survey whether they were simply expansions of disconnected networks or on the off chance that they played a basic and compulsory job in these uprisings. In spite of the fact that this paper will research the scope of sentiment on the effect of advanced media in the Arab Spring, it will contend that online informal organizations assumed a fundamental job for Tunisian and Egyptian residents in their quick and fruitful uprisings. Online informal communities obscure topographical limits, which make open doors for far reaching correspondence, powerful association, assembly of residents, and the sharing of recordings locally and universally. Prior to the expansion of advanced media in the Middle East, these open doors were not accessible to residents and correspondence was restricted to singular networks or disconnected systems. The blend and cooperation of effectively settled disconnected systems, different advanced advances, and online informal organizations lead to the accomplishment of the regular people in toppling their administrations. We will compose a custom paper test on Social Networks and the Arab Spring explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom exposition test on Social Networks and the Arab Spring explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom exposition test on Social Networks and the Arab Spring explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer Notwithstanding the long periods of common discontent and defilement in both the Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak governments, upheaval didn't happen until computerized media gave the chance to various networks and people to join around their mutual surprises and make activation systems on the web. In Tunisia and Egypt, â€Å"social media have become the platform whereupon common society can assemble, and new data advancements give activists things that they didn't have previously: data systems not effortlessly constrained by the state and coordination instruments that are as of now installed in confided in systems of family and friends† (Howard 2011). It will be demonstrated that albeit online informal organizations go about as an expansion of the disconnected open circle, their job in these uprisings was basic in making an authoritative foundation and to create global mindfulness and help against the degenerate governments. Discontent had been preparing in Tunisia for quite a long time during President Zine El Ben Ali’s rule. In 2009 he was reappointed for a fifth term with an overwhelmingly deceitful 89% of voters (Chrisafis, 2011). Regardless of long stretches of experiencing an abusive system, increasing joblessness rates, and oversight, it was not until the self-immolation of a seller, Mohamed Bouazizi, was reported and transmitted online that the insurgency picked up the mindfulness and bolster it expected to have any kind of effect. There had been past demonstrations of dissent, however â€Å"what had any kind of effect this time is that the pictures of Bouazizi were put on Facebook† (Beaumont, 2011). A relative of Bouazizi, Rochdi Horchani, ventured to such an extreme as to state, â€Å"we could dissent for a considerable length of time here, yet without recordings nobody would take any notification of us† (Chrisafis, 2011). The unrests in Tunisia propelled Egyptian activists to utilize comparable strategies to inspire change in their own degenerate government. Muhammad Hosni El Sayed Mubarak managed over Egypt from 1981 to 2011, when he was ousted by the sorted out and viable fights of Egyptian residents. Albeit internet based life and computerized advancements had little to do with the fundamental sociopolitical and financial factors behind the common discontent, they assumed a quick job in the deterioration of these two systems. Likewise, despite the fact that defilement had been occuring for a long time in the administrations, â€Å"all inducing occurrences of the Arab Spring were carefully interceded in some way† (Hussain, 2012) regardless of whether it was archived and dispersed on the web or talked about on an online informal community. The defilement and discontent of the residents may have unavoidably lead to fights in the two nations, however â€Å"social media was crucial† (Khondker, 2011) due to it’s correspondence and authoritative capacities. The essentialness of online interpersonal organizations and computerized advancements is challenged by scholars who contend that â€Å"other sociological factors, for example, broad destitution and administrative idiocy had made the conditions for broad open anger† (Hussain, 2011) and that these prior conditions caused the unrests. A few savants including Gladwell and Friedman contend, â€Å"that while Facebook and Twitter may have had their place in social change, the genuine insurgencies occur in the street† (Hussain, 2011). Despite the fact that these scholars are right in their attribution to the previously existing political discontent for the preconditions to the transformation, online informal organizations went about as an essential augmentation of disconnected interpersonal organizations and activity. It is likely the triumphs of the fights in the boulevards would not have been as enormous without the correspondence capability of computerized media. One intellectual ascribed the absence of savagery in the transformations to the computerized media expressing that the utilization of online interpersonal organizations â€Å"may have less to do with cultivating Western-style vote based system than in empowering moderately less vicious types of mass protest† (Stepanova, 2011). Since residents had different vessels to convey universally and were not, at this point edited and constrained by their state controlled media, the legislatures couldn't be so open about their ruthlessness. Savants, for example, Gladwell and Friedman disregard the way that â€Å"digital media permitted neighborhood residents access to universal communicate systems, systems which were then utilized by online common society associations to campaign backing campaigns† (Hussain, 2012). It was these informal organizations that supported Tunisian and Egyptian residents with their achievement in the avenues. The Arab Spring has additionally been credited the moniker of â€Å"The Twitter Revolution† (Stepanova, 2011) because of the enormous job Twitter and Facebook played in the uprisings. This moniker offers light to another differentiating point of view about the significance of online informal communities being featured by global media to stress the job of Western standards of majority rules system. Because of the way that advanced advances and online interpersonal organizations multiplied the West before the Middle East, the U. S claims credit for the democratizing impacts they had on the Middle East during the Arab Spring (Stepanova, 2011). By stressing the intensity of new advances in spreading Western majority rule esteems, this methodology disregards the financial and social correspondence measurements of the monstrous fights in the Arab world. Ekaterina Stepanova states that â€Å"the programmed association [The United States] makes between web based life and a Western-style vote based system agenda† (Stepanova, 2011) is a frail connection in U. S approach. Web-based social networking devices with indistinguishable capacities can work contrastingly in created as opposed to creating nations. It was not simply the Western media which focused on the job of online informal organizations in the Arab Spring, yet in addition nearby media and the regular people themselves. The job of Twitter and Facebook may have been underscored in Western media because of their nationalistic demeanor, however this ought not make light of the real significance that these advancements held in the uprising. During the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, informal organizations were the key factor in the correspondence, activation, and association of regular people. Regular folks utilized their cell phones or PCs to get to online interpersonal organizations where they could examine and design strategies for the unrest, and spread messages and photographs of what was happening. During the counter Mubarak dissents, an Egyptian lobbyist put it compactly in a tweet: â€Å"we use Facebook to plan the fights, Twitter to organize, and YouTube to tell the world† (Hussain, 2012). In the ‘Jasmine Revolution’, the job of cell phones was vital in both sharing and getting data. The telephone went about as an instrument which supported in the expansion of disconnected systems into on the web. Presently, regular citizens didn't should be eye to eye to impart messages of discontent or plans for resistance as they had versatile systems. The capacity to message numerous individuals one after another of access their Facebook or Twitter from their telephone was significant to the agitators. Correspondents without Borders expressed that â€Å"the job of mobile phones likewise demonstrated pivotal [in Tunisia]. Resident columnists kept document sharing sites provided with photographs and recordings, and took care of pictures to spilling websites† (Reporters without Borders, 2011). It was not simply the immense correspondence capacities that helped residents in the revolt, yet by placing cameras in the hands of a plenty of Tunisians they became resident journa

Innovation and Technology Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 1

Development and Technology Management - Essay Example Contrasted with late decades, the present business condition has gotten exceptionally unique and capricious. It has clients that are profoundly requesting and work in an exceptionally serious condition. So as to counter these difficulties, organizations have been growing new items and administrations the offer better encounters for its separate purchasers. Realize that the accomplishment of a business relies upon a variety of elements, other than human asset the board, innovation and advancements (Kleinman 2009, 13). This paper looks at the significance of advancement and innovation in organizations with accentuation on how these two procedures have affected the achievement of Apple, an organization that has been known for its accomplishment in the structure and offer of different buyer advances. Organizations are begun with a point of accomplishing the set objectives and targets. For this situation, the proprietors and directors must be inventive and devise methodologies that can empower them to deliver and disseminate their products to their distinguished markets in the best way. Numerous fruitful organizations on the planet have been established on painstakingly evolved methodologies and approaches that comprehend the market needs of the individuals. One of the methods of dealing with this is having a statistical surveying, which is fundamental in giving data on contender systems and the different manners by which the business can fulfill the necessities of its market (Thompson 2008, 65). Creating market-arranged items and administrations is significant for the business so as to maintain a strategic distance from wastages in the creation and dissemination of its products and enterprises. Human asset the board is basic in the accomplishment of organizations since, it enables human capital in the business to create approaches and techniques to expand the business’ upper hand and market position. Human asset the board includes the procedures worried about enrollment, recruiting and advancement of business representatives to make it

The Start of the Contamination in Man’s Environment

In the late 1960s to 1970s, Americans understood that industry was harming air, water, and the earth itself, the most basic normal assets. The entire consciousness of the harm being done to the earth stemmed out from the vitality emergency of the 1970s. The vitality emergency was a ‘slap-in-the-face' for America. They expected to understand the mischief that was being done to the normal assets and their diminishing accessibility subsequently. With the diminishing accessibility and expanding costs of oil, new vitality sources must be found. In spite of the fact that researchers saw atomic force as a spotless, modest, and boundless wellspring of intensity from the start, the preservationists battled to limit its utilization inspired by a paranoid fear of atomic emergencies, which could spread atomic waste. Elective vitality sources were conceivable, and what seemed, by all accounts, to be the best were tidal vitality and sun powered vitality. These ecologically protected techniques for tackling vitality were exactly what the preservationists had focused on, and another development had been begun †environmentalism. In the event that you read this circle it. The hippies likewise attempted to advocate the preservation of vitality, with the goal that the cleaner however less powerful ways could be controlled to deliver more vitality. Notwithstanding numerous endeavors to keep the earth spotless, about 200 million tons of contaminations were filling the air every year, and clean air in numerous urban areas had been supplanted by exhaust cloud. The earth, air, and water were breaking down as development of expressways, shopping centers, and lodging advancements caused the obliteration of rich, fundamental farmland. Removal of squanders was another issue to be managed. Consuming could discharge toxic gases into the air, and entombment could cause unsafe rot. By the mid-1960s, individuals started to truly understand the need to save the country's assets. Much credit for stirring open concern had a place with Rachel Carson for her book Silent Spring. This book cautioned of the focal issue of our age being the tainting of man's condition. During the following hardly any years, developing quantities of environmentalists, scholars, and different researchers demonstrated their anxiety about the wild maltreatment of nature. In 1970, Congress made the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which helped set laws controlling utilization of pesticides, bug sprays, and other possibly perilous splashes. They ensured imperiled natural life, and requested that vehicle producers needed to give contamination control gadgets on debilitates of their vehicles. New waste removal and sewage treatment plants were being worked to forestall further contamination of the land and water and to tidy up the waterways and lakes. Government likewise directed unattractive junkyards and dumps to reestablish the characteristic excellence of the open country. Central government put aside more zones as national parks, not to be altered, and impressive advancement had been made in the administration and protection of America's backwoods, soil, and water. Be that as it may, numerous individuals felt that it was a bit much for the administration to make this move. President Reagan yielded and permitted the quest for minerals on government grounds and oil investigation off the shore of California, which some felt was exceptionally dangerous, on account of the opportunity of an oil slick, which would obliterate all sea life in the region. Natural choices were significant in the sixties time, the same number of different countries tailed them with concern. With the total populace expanding so quickly, the world's common assets will be intensely burdened, and numerous individuals, the naturalists, accepted that asset preservation was critical in keeping up the day to day environments of the total populace.

LimBitless The Rachel Handler Story

LimBitless â€" The Rachel Handler Story My life changed forever on March 3, 2012. Some may consider me disabled now, but I dont think the prosthetic limb I wear is a sign of loss. It is a symbol of empowerment and a reminder to overcome fear and embrace life.Heres my story I was driving from New York City to an audition in South Jersey. I never made it to that audition. I was in a slight fender bender â€" my first ever car accident. I was shaken up but the other driver and I were fine and had little damage to our cars. We parked on the shoulder of the causeway and as we leaned against the guardrail, waiting for the police to arrive, the unthinkable happened. I saw a car speed around the curve behind us. The driver quickly lost control and hit the guardrail across from us. In the matter a second these thoughts raced through my mind â€" “Will that car hit us? No way. Yes it will! Jump over the guardrail!” Without even the chance to scream, it was too late; we were both hit and I was flung over the guardrail and into som e muddy grass. I fell paralyzed onto my stomach. All I could do was scream at the top of my lungs, “Help, HELP! HELP!!!” I quickly realized my iPhone was still in my hand, unscathed (unbelievable!). As I turned my head my second realization was not so promising â€" I couldn’t see my left boot. The shoe was gone, which led me to believe that so was the flesh inside it. Panic sunk it, but luckily good samaritans came to my aid. A father and his 10 year old daughter held my hand and called my dad. Not ten minutes earlier I had called him to say I was in an accident but everything was fine. This call was much more somber. As I choked back tears I told my parents, who were 2 hours away from me, that I had lost my leg. They immediately started driving towards me.Once the paramedics got to the accident they kept my parents updated as to which hospital would take me. Those minutes spent waiting for the ambulance were the scariest moments of my life. I wondered if I had other injuries , if the blood by my head indicated a head injury, and why was I still conscious?! I cried for my loss; I cried for my pain; I blamed myself for the accident; and I cried for my dreams of singing and dancing on Broadway being dashed (I didn’t know then what I know now about the amazing world of prosthetic legs). I also cried for the kindness of strangers. When a person loses a limb due to illness they are in the hospital surrounded by their loved ones. But in my case my mom wasn’t there to hold my hands and tell me everything would be ok. I had a stranger’s hand to hold. Lucky for me, a wonderful woman pulled over and rushed to my side. She prayed with me and helped me keep the faith while we waited for medical help to arrive.I was unconscious when we arrived at the hospital. I only remember waking up after surgery and feeling very relaxed. I knew I was finally safe. Safely on pain medications in a hospital filled with people who could help me. I had my parents with me and my close friends by my side. But that night was the calm before the storm.The rest of my stay in the hospital was filled with surgeries, pain, anxiety, and fear. Also love and support. But mostly fear. For over two weeks the doctors werent sure if they could save my knee. Most of the skin below my knee wasnt salvageable and they didnt know if the muscle underneath would be viable. I never prayed so much in my life.I had a 50/50 chance of keeping/losing my knee. Below knee amputees can navigate steps and other terrain much more easily than above knee amputees. Luckily the odds swung in my favor. Unluckily, I had to spend two more weeks without skin covering the muscle below my knee. Every time the residents changed the dressing on my wound it felt like they were peeling off my skin while simultaneously burning my leg. Yet somehow my parents managed to help me find a sense of humor to cope with the situation.We laughed when one of the residents thought I was a medical student. We found a sense of community with my roommates, who consisted of prisoners and stabbing victims (I changed rooms 5x during my stay in the Newark hospital). I cracked up when my order of shrimp scampi arrived as prawns and rice. And my parents smiled when they walked into post-op and found me holding hands with my surgeon and resting.My month long stay in the hospital consisted of multiple blood transfusions, major surgeries, and the side effects that come along with being bedridden and heavily medicated. Little did I know, however, that the hardest part of my recovery was yet to come.After I was released from the hospital my parents took me to my childhood home. As I crutched into my home I realized that my life had been changed forever. I saw my home with a new pair of eyes; eyes that had been opened by God’s mercy. I cried when I realized that my home felt different because I was different. I knew there was no looking back, only forward. I lived on crutches for the next few months while the doctors waited for my skin to heal. The new skin from my skin graft was too raw for me to wear a prosthetic leg.I didn’t want to be weak but at times it was hard to be brave. I would check my leg and there were days when the skin would just peel off of it, like in a horror movie. My patience was being tested. It felt like any glimmer of hope turned into a step in the wrong direction. Some days hope was just another four letter word and all I could rely on was faith.One particular night in June hope was presented to me as not only a feeling, but a choice. I went to a beautiful wedding and had an amazing time, but for a moment I wasn’t sure if I could let myself enjoy the night. While congratulating the groom during cocktail hour, we talked about the couple’s first dance. He mentioned the name of the song and it sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it…until I heard that first verse.Memories of the accident flooded my mind and tears fell from my eyes. I had danced to tha t song in my favorite contemporary dance class, two nights before I was hit by the car. It was the last time I would dance as an able-bodied person. I hadn’t even thought of that until the moment I watched the bride and groom dancing to the music.I knew I had to choose â€" let my fear of never dancing again swallow me whole, or turn that page in my life and accept this new chapter. A friend held my hand as the tears of grief subsided and a smile crept across my face. The song became less painful and more inspirational as I looked around that ballroom, filled with love and the promise of a new beginning.So many people; friends, family and even strangers have been asking me, “How do you stay so positive?” They mention that I’m “inspiring.” I’m so flattered, but I don’t ever think of myself that way. God has given me the gift of life and shown me how fragile it can be. He’s allowing me to watch my very own body perform the miracle of healing. Even though what I’ve e xperienced in the past eight months has been brutal and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy, I’ve always been an optimistic person and because of my faith I remain optimistic. The word “can’t” has never been in my vocabulary, and now more than ever I refuse to let that cruel word walk into my life.I felt like I lost part of my soul the day I lost my leg. I saw my dreams of singing and dancing on Broadway being crushed; I felt confused and angry with God. I was worried that when I looked down at my feet all I would feel was a sense of loss. I’m happy to have been wrong. Now the prosthesis I can finally wear is a testament to my powerlessness and to God’s might. Who could have imagined that at 24 years old what I consider to be my greatest achievement is simply walking? I’ve worked hard in my life at many jobs, classes and auditions, but learning to walk with a prosthetic leg at physical therapy has been the most powerful and humbling experience of my life.I used to t hink of my prosthesis as “the torture device” because it was extremely painful, but now it seems like magic. Of course it’s still a little uncomfortable and my residual limb feels sore after a long day wearing the prosthetic leg, but there’s no better feeling than looking down at my two feet and taking a step. It could simply be a step towards the fridge to pour myself a glass of water, or it could be taking a step onto the stage.At this point the only thing holding me back is fear. But isn’t that true for everybody? My experience was pretty extreme, but we all have obstacles to overcome. For me the obstacles are just a little more noticeable! It’s taken a while, but I’m pushing myself to drive again. I’m even trying things I’d never done before! Like discovering my love of kayaking and Pilates. I’ve also been studying anatomy so that I can go back to school to become a physical therapist assistant. I’m writing more original songs and now I’m writing a play. My capacity for compassion and determination has grown so I’ve become a motivational speaker and advocate for disability and amputee awareness in the media. Who knows what the future holds, my only goal is to praise God through my actions and contribute to my community.I’m in a show now and one member of the cast had no idea that I use a prosthesis because I’ve been wearing long pants. When I walk down the street or into a restaurant, no one knows the trauma I’ve endured; they can’t see that I’m part of the nearly 20% of disabled Americans. I’m thankful to be able to hide my disability and appear “normal”; some people don’t have that luxury. Yet, sometimes when people can’t tell I’m an amputee I feel guilty for hiding that part of my life. I’m not ashamed of my leg, in fact, I’m pretty proud of it!There are times when I choose to expose my prosthetic leg so that strangers may see it and ask me about it. I like to show that there can be opportunity in adve rsity. However, people tend to stare, gawk, and point and this makes me uncomfortable. After experiencing such a traumatic event and enduring so much discomfort the last thing I want to do is purposefully put myself it an uncomfortable situation. I don’t like it when people just stare or get embarrassed by their child questioning my leg; I want them to ask me questions about my disability so that society can stop fearing disability. As the playwright, John Belluso, says “disability is the minority no one wants to join but anyone can fall into at any time.” Instead of fearing this fact we must become aware that disability is a natural part of life.As I move forward with my life, my goals, and my dreams I find myself drawing closer to God and relying more on prayer. This experience has shown me that everything happens for a reason. Even though this injury certainly wasn’t in my life plan, sometimes the most creativity happens when you color outside the lines. My injury dared m e to be vulnerable and taught me to be strong. With prayer and the support and aid of my parents, brothers, extended family, friends, talented team of surgeons, doctors, nurses, therapists and prosthetist, my dreams of singing and dancing on a Broadway stage have not beenâ€" and will never be extinguished. Life is truly, limBitless.By Rachel Handler RachelHandler76@yahoo.com Actor, Singer, Dancer, Motivational Speaker Personal website: http://www.rachelhandler.webs.comRachel Handler Photo Gallery:

How to Write a Blog Post in 10 Steps

Writing blog posts can be an incredibly rewarding activity for writers of all skill levels. Whether you are starting a blog to promote your business or are working on a personal blog to supplement your writing, learning how to blog is a useful skill for all writers to learn. Below are some tips for how to craft a great blog post and take your blog to new heights.