Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Making Minimalism (Episode 4)

Making Minimalism (Episode 4) This is the fourth episode from our new web series Making Minimalism, created by Matt DAvella. Watch the entire series for free on YouTube. About Making Minimalism Creating our documentary, Minimalism, was simple, but not easy. A few years back we jumped in our tour bus (an old Toyota Corolla) and spoke with people around the country about how simple living had changed their lives. Now, with Making Minimalism, were deconstructing how we made the film from the very beginning. You’ll get a look at never-before-seen footage as we detail all of our big wins, failures, breakthroughs, and discoveries. See The Minimalists live on tour.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Three Representations of Effective Peaceful Protests in...

Analyse the representations (1,2 and 3E) and choose the one which you think is the best representations of how effective peaceful protest was in securing civil rights in the USA Representation 2 is the best representation in showing how effective peaceful protest was because it has the best accuracy since it’s a history book, for example â€Å"In 1961, 26 year old African-American teacher† this is an accurate report, moreover the source has good comprehensiveness and covers most of the events of the civil rights in the USA. However, Representation 1,2 and 3E all represent how effective peaceful protest was in securing civil rights in the USA. All the representations are judged on accuracy, which is compared to my own knowledge of factual†¦show more content†¦The only negative comment of representation 1 is that their impact was â€Å"limited† and it does not elaborate this point any further, this suggests that representation 1 is one sided although this limits the sources objectivity it is still relatively objective with a good overall view and non-emotive language. Representation 3 is accurate and no factual errors for example the source describes â€Å"Sit-ins were spreading across the south† this is correct since at least 70,000 activist from the SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) which were heavily involved in the sit-ins. In addition King often side lined as described in the source. Therefore, representation 1 has no incorrect information, it covers a large amount of detail and therefore very accurate. Representation 2 has limited completeness like representation 1 it does not discuss the civil rights act, however representation 2 mentions the Voting Rights Act and more importantly the black power movement and the riots which is key in understand that sometimes violent protest prevailed. Representation 2 describes the role of publicity and states â€Å"millions of television viewers around the world saw the divisions facing American society† Representation 2 isShow MoreRelatedGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 PagesResponsibility of Media j. Media ethics k. New Media and Democracy 2. Science/Tech a. Science and Ethics b. Government and scientist role in science c. Rely too much on technology? d. Nuclear technology e. Genetic modification f. Right tech for wrong reasons 3. Arts/Culture a. Arts have a future in Singapore? b. Why pursue Arts? c. Arts and technology d. Uniquely Singapore: Culture 4. Environment a. Developed vs. Developing b. Should environment be saved at allRead MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesMichael Adas for the American Historical Association TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS PHILADELPHIA Temple University Press 1601 North Broad Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19122 www.temple.edu/tempress Copyright  © 2010 by Temple University All rights reserved Published 2010 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Essays on twentieth century history / edited by Michael Peter Adas for the American Historical Association. p. cm.—(Critical perspectives on the past) Includes bibliographicalRead MoreBhopal Gas Disaster84210 Words   |  337 PagesCarbide disaster in Bhopal. On January 10, Judge Keenan had issued a letter rogatory for obtaining the documents from Eveready Industries India Limited that could potentially establish the nexus between this Indian Company and Union Carbide, USA and DOW Chemical USA. Sharma their Attorney General who had been fighting for the survivors in the US Courts since 1999 when the legal action was initiated. In his decision Judge has agreed to seek judicial assistance from the Indian Government, to compel EIILRead MoreRastafarian79520 Words   |  319 PagesCopyright  © 2003 by Ennis Barrington Edmonds The moral rights of the authors have been asserted Database right Oxford University Press (maker) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction Read MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesManagement Course: MBA−10 General Management California College for Health Sciences MBA Program McGraw-Hill/Irwin abc McGraw−Hill Primis ISBN: 0−390−58539−4 Text: Effective Behavior in Organizations, Seventh Edition Cohen Harvard Business Review Finance Articles The Power of Management Capital Feigenbaum−Feigenbaum International Management, Sixth Edition Hodgetts−Luthans−Doh Contemporary Management, Fourth Edition Jones−George Driving Shareholder Value Morin−Jarrell LeadershipRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesand reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2011, 2007, 2005, 2002, 1998 Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any formRead MoreStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesCredits and acknowledgments borrowed from other sources and reproduced, with permission, in this textbook appear on the appropriate page within text. Copyright  © 2013, 2011, 2009, 2007, 2005 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall. All rights reserved. Manufactured in the United States of America. This publication is protected by Copyright, and permission should be obtained from the publisher prior to any prohibited reproduction, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission in any formRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 PagesAssociated Companies throughout the world Visit us on the World Wide Web at: www.pearsoned.co.uk First published 2007  © Pearson Education Limited 2007 The rights of Joanne Duberley, Phil Johnson and John McAuley to be identified as authors of this work have been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical

Monday, May 11, 2020

A Regulated Organ Market - 1559 Words

David Trujillo is a 29-year-old man who was born with renal dysplasia, which caused his kidneys to be too small to work correctly. He has needed four kidney transplants in his life, receiving the first when he was four years old. One kidney came from his father, his aunt, his uncle, and his brother. All four transplants have been successful, and without the transplants Trujillo would have to receive dialysis three times a week for four hours a day (Knoll, 2012). Trujillo’s family has been remarkably generous in donating their own kidneys to keep Trujillo alive. Others, however, are not as lucky as Trujillo. There are over 120,000 people waiting for organ transplants (OPTN: data, 2013) – an average of 79 people receive transplants each†¦show more content†¦Unpaid receivers of organ donations run DATPA, and they match donors with patients. Once the donation has taken place, the government gives the donor health insurance and monetary compensation. Often, the donor’s family (or a charitable organization if the donor is poor) also gives the donor money. (Ghods Savaj, 2006) Yet even though this system works so well in Iran, the rest of the world bans organ sales. Experts say that the market would be immoral. They state, for example, that it would exploit the poor, as most transplants would occur between poor donors and rich recipients, perhaps creating transplant tourism where rich people traveled to poor countries just to receive a transplant (Ghods Savaj, 2006). The Iranian model addresses these problems very well – they forbid the transplantation of Iranian organs into foreigners, which eliminates the chances for transplant tourism. In addition, because the government pays for the purchasing of organs, both the poor and the rich have an equal chance of receiving transplants. Even though the majority of organ donors are poor, the majority of recipients are also poor (Ghods Savaj, 2006). Another argument against the idea of a market in human organs, presented by T.L. Zutlevics (Patient Ethicist at the Children, Youth Womens Health Service in South Australia) is that if organ sales were legal, first-world countries would have a motivation to keep less-developed countries poor so they would have a source of organs.Show MoreRelatedEssay on Organ Sales1478 Words   |  6 PagesOrgan Sales: Legalize for the Greater Good Every day, numerous people across the world stop their lives for four hours to get hooked up to a dialysis machine at a hospital nearby. This machine helps to remove harmful wastes, toxins, excess salt, and water from their body because unfortunately their body cannot do so for them. These people wait on a list until they can one day receive a kidney transplant because kidney failure has resulted in their body not being able to clean their blood properlyRead MoreThe Current Organ Donation System1482 Words   |  6 Pageslist for an organ donation. That is six people every hour, 144 every day, and 1008 every week. Approximately 120 thousand people need an organ transplant to survive. Of all of those people, only 79 thousand people are on an active wait list, while only 20 thousand transplantations have been completed this year. There are not enough donors to meet the current organ demand, and of those that do donate organs, the costs incurred by the donor do not equal the benefits. The current organ donation systemRead MoreLegalize the Sale of Human Organs956 Words   |  4 PagesLegalize the Sale of Human Organs Compensation for the donation of human organs should be legalized for medical use. Medical surgeons everywhere are calling the government to have them legalize the sale of organs for transplants; allowing people to sell their organs would help people by meeting their financial expenses, solve the lack of supply, save many lives, and get control of the black market. Compensation for donating bone marrow is legalized, so why not organs? There has been a huge problemRead MoreOrgan Sales713 Words   |  3 PagesSelling Organs Many people are dying each day because of the lack of organs available. Waiting lists can be as long as 106,000 people. On an average 17 patients in need of transplants die each day. Is this fair to the families or is selling organs a better option? What are the benefits of organ selling and should it be made legal? By legalizing organ selling we would be saving lives. People sell organs on the black market every day; the downfall to this is that the surgeons that removeRead MoreFree Market For Human Organs1329 Words   |  6 PagesFree Market for Human Organs This paper introduces the consequences of allowing a free market for human organs and how it will help alleviate the shortage for such items, which has arisen a social problem worldwide, giving entry to black markets. A description of the market for living organ donors and cadaveric organs can be found below along with the advantages, disadvantages, and ethical issues these markets arise in modern society. This paper also discusses how the shortage of human organs hasRead MoreOrgan Donations Philosophy Paper1262 Words   |  6 Pagesto reconsider the prohibitive laws that make it legally impossible to establish licit markets for bodily organs? So many people are unable to obtain organs they need due to the lack of availability. Increased medical advances have created the need for many more organs than are available (Staff). A commercial market may or may not solve the problem. There is a lack of commitment when it comes to donating organs which could be from fear. Potential donor s fear medical personnel will not make everyRead MoreLegalizing the Sale of Human Organs1071 Words   |  4 PagesLegalizing the sale of human organs has become a very controversial topic in the last few decades. Transplant surgeries were becoming relatively safe to preform, which lead the transplant list to grow rapidly. The debate on how to increment the number of organs available for transplant commenced. Currently organ donations were solely dependent upon cadaveric donors and family members. This shortage has engendered an ebony market for organs sales. People are peregrinating across the country to haveRead MoreOrgan Trafficking Speech955 Words   |  4 PagesORGAN TRAFFICKING SPEECH Good afternoon, my name is __________ and I’m here to talk to you about a massive problem. A massive problem which unfortunately we’re still letting this happen. While listening to this speech, you might think this is the typical speech anyone who really didn’t care about this matter, could give, but I believe this matter concerns everyone, and that I’ve got the enough reasons to convince you about that, to change your mind. Do you want to take part in changing thisRead MoreThe Sale Of Human Organs858 Words   |  4 PagesThe sale of human organs is a prevalent subject of moral exchanges that displays a civil argument that offers no trading off arrangement. Moral issues required in the selling of human organs make up its ethical issue. No argument is fully accepted when discussing the legitimation of selling human organs. I agree with the position from Savulescu’s article that individuals should be allowed to sell their organs and that it is morally permissible. Based upon figures from 2012, 95,000 Americans wereRead MoreBlack Market Organ Trafficking : The Illegal Act Of Exchanging Human Organs Or Tissues At An Agreed Price Essay1599 Words   |  7 PagesBlack market organ trafficking Organ trafficking deals with the illegal act of exchanging human organs or tissues at an agreed price. This practice involves mafia networks that collect organs from dead or living persons. A majority of people involved in this illicit business are poverty stricken and so, they see it as a promise of a brighter future. While the World Health Organization (WHO) has defined strict rules, imposed ethical standards along with the absence of any monetary compensation, the

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

All Quiet on the Western Front-Novel Free Essays

â€Å"Men may have escaped the shells of battle but were often destroyed by war† How is this idea explored in the novel? â€Å"All Quiet on the Western Front† written by Erich Maria Remarque explores the idea that men have escaped the shells of battle but were often destroyed by war. Remarque presents the changes in Paul and his friends and by displaying the sense of isolation the men feel after the war by using a range of techniques. Remarque displays the changes in Paul and his friends by showing how the boys were once school boys who had an education and a future but war extinguished all innocence and hope for a future. We will write a custom essay sample on All Quiet on the Western Front-Novel or any similar topic only for you Order Now The boys begin as an innocent class of twenty young men have the belief that war would be a glorious experience. â€Å"†¦Our heads were full of nebulous ideas which cast an idealized, almost romantic glow over life and even the war†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p. 15)This enables the reader to comprehend how much of an impact the opinion of the older generation had. Remarque uses the technique of inclusive language â€Å"When we came out here we were cut off, whether we like it or not, from everything we had done up to that point. † (p. 4) to reveal the universal suffering of the men. When Paul returns home he realises that only those who experienced the war would truly understand the effect the war had on the individual. When Paul’s Mother talks to him about the war she tries to understand what Paul is suffering but Paul realises she truly has no idea. â€Å"She says ‘with the gas and all the rest of it’. She doesn’t know what she is saying†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (p . 116) This further destroys the men as they as no one truly understands what they’re feeling. Remarque continues to use metaphors during the text to demonstrate how the boys’ outlook on life has changed dramatically. â€Å"†¦The war has ruined us for everything†¦ We are no longer young men. We’ve lost any desire to conquer the world. We are refugees. We are fleeing from ourselves. From our lives. † (p. 63) this quote emphasises how the war has killed everything inside of them that ever hoped for a future because the boys cannot literally flee from their lives. ‘We are refugees’ maintains the point that they will never be able to escape from the war and its effects. Lastly the metaphor â€Å"an abyss of suffering† finalises the amount of pain, grief and suffering the boys will face for the rest of their lives. On the surface it appears that the war has not impacted Paul and his way life but his struggles are imminent when he returns home on leave. Paul experiences a deep feeling of isolation when he returns home to find himself struggling to reconnect with civilisation. â€Å"The scenes existed once- but they will never return. They are gone, they are another world, a world that is in the past for us† (p. 7) This urges the reader to sympathise with Paul as he uses a sad, desperate tone of voice, wishing that he could become part of his old world again. â€Å"This sudden confrontation with the civilized world is too much for me. † (p. 174) This stresses the point that Paul has been away for so long, living in a completely different world of death, despair and fear that he is overwhelmed at the prospect of a clean bed and a pr oper toilet. When Paul returns home he develops an understanding of how a barrier has built itself between Paul and his old life. This quote further portrays the isolation Paul feels at home â€Å"’You are home, you are home. ’ But there is an awkwardness that will not leave me, I can’t get used to everything yet†¦ There is a veil and a few steps between me and them. † (p. 115) â€Å"Suddenly a terrible feeling of isolation wells up inside me. I can’t get back, I’m locked out; however much I might plead, however much I try†¦ and the past turns away from me. † (p. 124) Remarque uses the tone of voice and words such as ‘I’ and ‘me’ to conclude that Paul is alone in his suffering and that at this point in time, he has no one to turn to. The metaphor ‘the past turns away from me’ allows the reader to fully comprehend how strong the barrier is that has formed and how isolated Paul feels when he describes how he feels as if his past is literally turning away from him and leaving him behind in the uncertainty and despair of war. Remarque effectively captured the idea of how although men escaped the shells of battle their lives were destroyed by the war. It reveals how the men evolved from being young and innocent with a family and future to knowing nothing but death and despair and having no hope for a future. How to cite All Quiet on the Western Front-Novel, Essay examples

Thursday, April 30, 2020

Psychology Human Behavior and Mental Processes

Question: Describe about thePsychology forHuman Behavior and Mental Processes?. Answer: Psychology perspectives are a discipline that study human behavior and mental processes. Some characteristics of psychological perspective include determination of how a message is sent and received. These represent messages filtered through individuals and not channels. Secondly, it places more emphasis on perception of the senders and receivers. It is only when this parties perceive it that communication happens. It assumes that ones physical behavior affects the behavior of another. The third characteristic is the purpose of this behaviors reaching at a consistent meaning between the sender and receiver. This reduces change of meaning each behavior carries. Psychological perspectives have contributed largely on our understanding of specific behaviors. It has allowed as to clearly understanding behavior. It has also allowed measurement of change in behavior (Carver, C., Scheier, M. 2004). All our behaviors are responses to stimuli and are learnt from surrounding environment. It also shows our behaviours are determined by reinforcement of positive or negative things we do. Psychological perspectives focus drives behind behaviour. 'Obsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD) is form of anxiety where the person has thoughts, images or ideas which they find hard to ignore(obsession). This can lead to them feeling that they have a need to perform certain things to feel better(compulsions) Most people worry, about something or other,all the time,and have routines and things they like to do in a particular way. When the thoughts or actions start to affect a person's everyday life that it's considered to be OCD. Around a one per cent of children and young people suffer from OCD. So in secondary schools of 1000 students there may be 10 people with OCD. There are lots of different types of OCD. For some people it's the some wording thoughts or images that keep coming into there head, the obsessions which they feel they have to 'cancel out' in some way with other thoughts. Other people feel the need to do things in order to stop or alleviate the thoughts(compulsions or rituals). Behaviorism as one of psychological perspectives is concerned with physical behaviours as opposed to internal factors such as thinking and emotions. It also helps to predict a given stimuli, that is state what the situation has caused the reaction (Frankl, V.E. 1984). Psychological perspectives such as behaviorism have different applications such as effects of childhood experiences and situations on developing personality. As children develop defense mechanisms to conflict the adult behaviors manifest such as those who have experienced abusive childhoods might never develop normally. However, everyone is different and some can shape their lives to ensure great future even though they have been brought up from deprived backgrounds. Other people that have experienced bad early experiences they can often not recover (Hergenhahn, B.R. 2005). The unconscious mind, which is part of the brain stores, represses memories that have been forgotten so that they are not remembered, as they are unpleasant. This unconscious mind determines human behaviors. Data Collection Methods. Subjective and Quantitative techniques - Qualitative methodologies expects to address the how and why of a system. They incorporate center gatherings, bunch exchanges and meetings. Quantitative methodologies address the topic of what of the system. They utilize institutionalized methodology strategies, for example, study. Center Groups-They helpful while investigating social qualities and wellbeing convictions .They are directed with a little specimen of the objective gathering and are utilized to invigorate dialogs. Interviews- Interviews done either vis--vis or by phone. Inquiries are asked, and the answers given are assessed. Documentation- Substantial depiction is utilized to encourage investigate the subject. It use gives an intensive portrayal of the study members, setting and strategies, the motivation behind the intercessions. Documentation use gives a progressing record of exercises. Innovative strategies-Creative procedures give chance to members to depict experience through various works of art, which frequently uncovers knowledge that they might not have possessed the capacity to expressive words (Frankl, V.E. 1984). Triangulation-This is utilized to address the legitimacy of information. It utilizes various types of information accumulations, for example, center gatherings, perceptions and top to bottom meetings. References Hergenhahn, B.R. (2005). An introduction to the history of psychology. Belmont, CA, USA: Thomson Wadsworth. pp. 52332. Frankl, V.E. (1984). Man's search for meaning (rev. ed.). New York, NY, USA: Washington Square Press. p. 86. Seidner, Stanley S. (10 June 2009) "A Trojan Horse: Logotherapeutic Transcendence and its Secular Implications for Theology". Mater Dei Institute. p 2. Carver, C., Scheier, M. (2004). Perspectives on Personality (5th ed.). Boston: Pearson. Leslie C. Morey, "Measuring Personality and Psychopathology" in Weiner (ed.), Handbook of Psychology (2003), Volume 2: Research Methods in Psychology.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Einstein essays

Einstein essays Einsteins theories all came about from his curiosity as a child, he could not imagine what sitting on a beam of light would be like, and so he continued to imagine different possibilities until he came up with one that stuck true. His perseverance to find knowledge allowed the world to understand the universe better. And his theories about time travel have sparked many writers creativity. Another theory, led to the decimation of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Picasso at the Lapin Agile is based on the idea of Einstein and Picasso meeting and debating their ideas. Then Elvis comes into the scene through time travel and reflects on the effects that the two had on the century. Although Einsteins ideas were amazing and great they led to the terrible invention of the atom bomb. Even today, we feel this regret as we enforce non-proliferation. Einstein himself was very interested in politics in Why Socialism? he wrote: Is it advisable for one who is not an expert on economic and social issues to express views on the subject of socialism? I believe for a number of reasons that it is.... we should be on our guard not to overestimate science and scientific methods when it is a question of human problems; and we should not assume that experts are the only ones who have a right to express themselves on questions affecting the organization of society (monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm) He had previously had a discussion with Freud on War when it was suggested by the League of Nations. Most of his political ideas are very idealistic as in accordance with the opinion of the day: human beings are not condemned, because of their biological constitution, to annihilate each other or to be at the mercy of a cruel, self-inflicted fate. As in Steve Martins play, Germaine comments in her prediction that: Cruelty will be perfected. This is in no doubt a reference to atom bo...

Thursday, March 5, 2020

How to Be an Author 5 Personality Characteristics to Nurture

How to Be an Author 5 Personality Characteristics to Nurture How to Be an Author: 5 Personality Characteristics You Want to Nurture Becoming a new author requires a unique fortitude and strength of character.Writing a book forces you to plan, write, and edit between 50,000 to 100,000 words!It also requires working with an editor, a publisher (or self-publishing), a design team, and developing a book launch strategy  to get readers to see your upcoming bestseller on Amazon. This amount of work can feel overwhelming and can easily crush your confidence.But what makes new authors become bestsellers like Stephen King comes down to one factor: hard work.Writing takes tremendous effort, but more importantly, requires a strong mindset. Having coached and taught so many successful writers ourselves, we’ve studied and compiled all of their strongest personal qualities that you can adopt and apply to your life to become an author.This guide covers how to:Exercise PatienceApply ConsistencyPractice OptimismValue CriticismBe EmpatheticLet’s reveal how these qualities can shape you to become a published author. 1. Exercise PatienceWriting a book is not an overnight process. It takes a lot of time! Part of learning how to be a professional writer means that you have to cultivate not only discipline and focus, but patience.The good news is that patience is something that can be developed with practice. Suzannah Windsor Freeman, author of The Busy Mom’s Guide to Writing, discovered that infinite patience was the key to her success.Freeman also famously said, â€Å"If your dream were to be a concert pianist, you wouldn’t expect to sit down and just play. You’d take lessons for many years, practice every day, and sacrifice a great deal in order to achieve that dream. So, why do we expect ourselves to be able to write well without the same level of commitment and patience?† Her words advocate that the more time you spend practicing your craft with patience, the better writer you will become.Action Plan:  Cultivate patience by practicing your craft everyday. Whether its creative writing or creating short stories, experiment with any form of writing to improve your skills and develop great ideas.2. Apply ConsistencyTo become a professional writer, you must treat writing like a serious job. This means that you must commit to a consistent schedule and adhere to a writing process in order to develop good habits and not waste time.Consider the following strategies to make yourself more consistent as you start the writing process:Emulate the â€Å"Calendar Strategy.†Ã‚  With a calendar, mark an X for each day you write and make it a goal to not break the chain.Find your creative space.  Find and create your own space where you’re most comfortable and creative. Whether its your office, a coffee shop, or even your kitchen, use it as your place to write everyday.Create a writing schedule. Writing at the same time everyday will develop a consistent writing habit. Consistent writing actually creates a muscle memory, triggering your brain t o turn on creativity when you sit down to write.For more writing strategies, check out our guide on 7 Strategies to Start Writing Your Book Today.Action Plan:  Experiment with these methods to optimize your writing process. Following a consistent plan will easily double your output and complete your book in no time.3. Practice OptimismPsychologists say  that practicing optimism  can help you be more productive and live a happier life. It can also help you  overcome inevitable pitfalls like writer’s block. The best part is, you can  train yourself to think more positively and take on even the worst  events that can negatively impact your life.Here are a few ways to practice optimism:Anticipate a positive outcome.  Our realities  reflect what we think, making our perception of reality the mirror of our thoughts. So having a positive attitude will always increase your  optimism,  even at your worst.Share your optimism with others. Optimism is a contagious att itude powerful enough to shift the momentum of any negative situation to a positive one. So share your   positivity with others and build that unshakable force to complete your goal.Remove all negativity.  Negativity will bring you down, and surrounding yourself with it will encourage more pessimistic thoughts and self-doubt. Avoid it at all cost.Action Plan:  In your writing process, come up with both negative and positive outcomes for any given situation. For each negative situation, try to look for positive outcomes and work towards turning it into a favorable result.4. Value CriticismNo matter how amazing your book is, there’s always someone who will harshly criticize your work. Instead of viewing it as a humiliating remark, learn to apply the feedback to your writing.Developing a thick skin is one the hardest things to do, and like many of the other characteristics, takes time to build.When writing your book, you can build resilience  to criticism by practicing t he following:Anticipate harsh edits and rearrangements across your entire book.Prepare to cut out your favorite paragraphs or sentences.Count on reading  plenty of negative reviews on Amazon, social media or by the press.Action Plan: Try to find positive feedback from every negative criticism or review on your book. Make it a goal to develop enough flexibility so that one day it will no longer bother you.5. Be EmpatheticKnow that by sharing your story, you’re helping someone else. Your unique experience will empathize with readers and they will draw strength from the words you wrote in your book.Here are two successful authors whose work has touched many readers:Professor Randy Pausch, author of The Last Lecture, was faced with a terminal illness at a young age. Rather than wallow and fade away, he used his last days to create his masterpiece. His book wasn’t about death, but rather short stories that advocated the importance of overcoming hurdles and capturing every moment you have to live for. His generosity to share his life resonated with readers as a tale of courage and inspiration to anyone facing similar adversities.Elizabeth Gilbert, bestselling author of Eat, Pray, Love,  wrote her memoir while going through a devastating divorce that left her full of anxiety and panic. She stressed the importance of discovering the best version of herself by leaving behind her previous life to set out to explore the different aspects of nature within food, travel, and love. Her painful story of loss and regrowth profoundly connected to readers so much that it eventually became a movie.Action Plan:  Make the effort to write down the biggest obstacles you’ve encountered and explain how you have dealt with them. You will be surprised to see how meaningful your story is to your readers.Adopting these characteristics  can mean the difference between seeing your name on the best-seller list and never publishing your first book. Applying these p ractices not only help you become a published author, but also a better person.