Short Story on the Afterlife

Short Story on the Afterlife A Dream I Had About the Afterlife Last night I dreamed that I had died. It wasnt the normal kind of dream. It wasnt the kind of dream that you wake up enthralled, afraid, or tearful from. It was something deeper than that. When I died, there was no white light to walk toward, no staircase in the clouds, no golden gate atop them, no heavenly chorus scoring each and every one of my footsteps, as if each one of them pounded on the drums of destiny, no heart, no passion, no feeling that every breath I took in my mortal life led to this moment, and that now my dreams were coming true, and I was ascending towards everlasting glory. There was none of that. But equally there was no fear. There was no anxiety, or panic, or hopelessness. The four emotions I had forever associated with death. The emotions that had left my mind crippled, contemplating other alternatives to constantly living with the big day forever looming over me. Emotions that had rendered me useless, unable to function, wondering what we are doing on this planet, and why something as spectacular as life on earth, with its inconceivable beauty and ability to emote human euphoria, could have such a terrifying and mind numbing opposite as death, and how we could know so little about it other than at its existential core, it is nothing but the absence of life in a previously living body. No. Instead of fear or euphoria, there was realism. Quite frankly, there was no commotion. I had died in a hospital, in a small room, my loved ones surrounding me as I lay in a bed drifting off courtesy of an incurable disease, as so many have done before me, and so many will do after. As I faded I felt my woes fade also. I dont think we realise it when our lives are so busy, but we always have our woes or problems on our mind, we just dont notice them as much. I thought about my family and friends. They held hands and sobbed around my bedside, knowing they were witnessing the last moments of my human life. I guessed that I should have been worrying about them, how they would cope without me, but three familiar words kept circulating in my head. Life goes on. Life would go on for them. They would be sad, but they would find closure, and then eventually it would be their time to go too. None of these things worried me. I had always pondered the afterlife, and by this point I had accep ted that I would either see them again, or that I wouldnt need to. I understood that love transcends life. And then it happened; though it didnt happen instantly. Throughout life I had always imagined that the moment of death would be similar to an abrupt power-outage, where in a split second, darkness would engulf everything. But it wasnt. It was a gradual process and I wasnt quite sure when life had ended, and whatever came next had begun. Those around my bed began to leave the room. They left in an orderly fashion, as if it had previously been decided how they would do so. Each of them did so matter-of-factly, and that was the first sign that I may have passed over, as Im sure in normal circumstances they would be crying and mourning uncontrollably. Instead, each of them just left. Some of them held my hand before leaving, and others kissed my forehead. And then, just like that, I was alone, albeit for just a few seconds. It was in this moment that I realised that I was witnessing my death out of body. I was standing in the corner watching this happen, not lying in the bed. And then I realised that I now had a purpose. I sat at a table in the middle of the room. It was small and there were only two chairs. The version of myself that I had just been watching got out of bed and sat at the table also. I was sitting across the table from myself. Somehow looking into my own eyes and staring back at them at the same time. Only when you look into your own eyes can you comprehend your existence. And then we talked for what felt like an hour, and yet it could have lasted for a thousand years because any comprehension that I had of time in my human life had faded, and I began to think that maybe time didnt exist anymore. We talked about the life I had lived on earth, about the relationships I had formed and the feelings I had had, what I had achieved in life, and what mark I had left on the earth. And then I as ked myself what was going to happen next, and of course didnt know the answer. Just as quickly as I had realised what my role was in my own passing over ceremony, I became clueless even faster. And there I was. At a table with another person, and yet somehow completely alone simultaneously; with the most pondered question of all time, and not a single answer. I closed my eyes and breathed in. I took two more, long, similar breaths, and I held the last one. I opened my eyes. And then I saw everything. Every sunrise and sunset from every possible corner of the earth. Every flower that had ever bloomed, every tree that had ever grown, every mountain that had ever been conquered. Every creature on land, in the sky and in the oceans. Every man who had ever made his dreams come true and every woman who had ever accomplished her greatest feat. Every new-born baby that had ever been born, potential in their eyes. I experienced every sensation that could ever be felt, and saw every note that had ever been played, I tasted success, I smelled hope and in all of these things combined I saw the face of God. I awoke in my bed and questioned my own existence again. As I write this I am still unaware of what my dream means. I believe that we are more than skin and bones. I believe that our bodies are nothing but vessels, and I believe that our souls are always yearning to escape them. I am unsure of the afterlife, and I wonder whether or not this life on earth is simply the afterlife to a previous one; that maybe every life is an afterlife and in each one we are promised something different for the next. I wonder how many times I have died before, I wonder how many times I will die again, and I wonder whether or not there is some end to this cycle. The only thing we can be sure of is death, for without death there is no life. There cannot be one without the other, but I do not believe that birth is the beginning and death the end. Until it is my time to become knowledgeable of what is next to come, I will just keep dreaming.

Assignment Title Self-discipline Essay

Demonstrate self-discipline through relevant activities M2 – Perform relevant activities with a high standard of self-discipline D2 – Evaluate personal levels of self-discipline for entry to the uniformed public services I personally believe that I as an individual posses many skills and qualities that demonstrate my self-discipline. Self-discipline is another form of discipline and an essential quality for a member of any service. Self-discipline can be defined as the ability to apply yourself in the correct manner, including controlling yourself and your feelings. To  appreciate the qualities needed for self-discipline fully, you need to understand the following things; personal grooming and presentation punctuality time management reliability attendance composure attitude performance personality If you lack any of the qualities that make up the key areas of self-discipline then more likely than not, you will not be able to succeed at your job. For example, poor attendance could mean that you are not fully informed of important issues at briefings, which will mean that your team cannot rely on you to respond to certain situations correctly. Over the time I have spent at college I believe that I have successfully achieved some, if not all, of the points listed above. Personal Grooming and presentation In the uniformed public services, where members of the public may be looking to you for help or guidance, it is particularly important that you are of smart appearance. People form impressions and opinions about us from the way we appear to them, so if you want to create the right impression it is important that you are correctly presented. I have shown great examples of personal grooming and presentation by arriving at college (with 100% attendance) in my uniform, with polished boots and well ironed uniform. Punctuality In order to run efficiently and effectively, organisations have to be keep to tight schedules and this means being governed by time. In the public services punctuality is vital so that, at any time, someone can say where, when and how many people are on duty. At the beginning of a shift, public service personnel are briefed about any major issues that may have been arisen, for example, police officers would be kept updated about a missing  child. If you are late for a shift and miss the briefing, then you are preventing that organisation from operating at its full efficiency. Time Management Good time management skills are very useful skills to have. Someone who manages their time well can be far more productive than someone who may appear to be very busy, but who is, in fact, not being very productive at all. Often, there is not enough time to do all the work that needs to be completed by specific deadlines. This theoretically means that employees need to prioritise their work. To prioritise means to sort out which tasks are the most urgent and need to be completed first. People can be easily distracted and lose concentration rather quickly when tasks have to be completed, therefore, it requires a high level of self-discipline to keep on track and stay dedicated. Reliability In the uniformed public services reliability is an essential quality to posses. Being reliable means doing what you have agreed to do, therefore not letting people down. This is extremely important in the public services, where good teamwork is essential and team members need to be able to rely on each other. Attendance All employers, both in the public services and in the private sector, expect their employees to attend work regularly. Poor attenders can be expected to be disciplined or even dismissed. This is because work rotas are planned around the number of people who will be available, and this cannot work if people do not turn up. No team or organisation can operate effectively in this way. Composure If a person is described as being composed, it means that they remain calm, even in stressful situations or times of crisis. This can be extremely important members of the uniformed public services who need to think quickly and clearly at such times. Attitude Having the right attitude can be very important when you have to attend a job  interview. Uniformed public service employers will be looking for someone who shows that they are enthusiastic without being overbearing, confident without being cocky and who are polite and courteous, not aggressive or ‘stroppy’. Having a good attitude can be equally important when you are employed as a member of the uniformed services. You will need to be able to listen to members of the public and to empathise with them without letting your own attitude and feelings come to the for front. Performance Conscientious employees will carry out their job to the best of their ability. Public service workers will always be expected to provide a first-class service and to give the public good value for money. You will find that if your self-discipline is at a high enough standard then you will be able to do this without someone having to watch over you. Personality When ‘personality’ is talked about in the uniformed public services, it means they are talking about the distinctive, unique qualities that make members of a service stand out from others. When you are seen in a uniform people assume that you don’t have a personality. This is definitely not the case. Your personality can make a huge difference to your role within the public services: it can make you popular colleague to work with it can ease relations with the public both at home and abroad.

Dead beat dads Essay

A dead beat dad should be penalized for not taking care of their child by providing financial support. Dead beat dads should serve jail time; attend an educational program, and show these men the circumstances that they have forced their child and mother to live in. In most homes children are born out of wedlock. Even though a child is born out of wedlock, it is still both parents responsibility to contribute to the child needs. Unfortunately, its easier said than done because this is not happening much in today’s world. A deadbeat dad isn’t just someone who doesn’t pay child support. A deadbeat dad is also a man that is mostly never around his kids, break promises that he makes to his kids, and doesn’t help contribute to his kids house hold by taking care of home finically. The term â€Å"deadbeat dad† came from child support agencies that used the term to identify men who had fathered a child and choose not to pay child support ordered by a family court of law. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, â€Å"Children who have fathers in their lives learn better, have higher self-esteem and show fewer signs of depression than children without fathers†. Dead beat dads are a menace to our society. First and foremost the police needs to arrest these dead beat dads in put them in jail. They should go to jail if there child support payment is 3 weeks or more late. 3 weeks is enough time so that the child want have to suffer no longer than they should. The place of arrest should be at their job or hang out area. What an awesome way to put these men down just like they done to their child. By doing this it will show these men that their behavior is not acceptable. A father’s decision to leave their household and not help support his family can cause a lot of unnecessary conflict in the family. It is easy for a man and a woman to make a baby in the heat in the moment. However, in most cases the father decides he doesn’t want anything to do with the mother or the newborn leaving the baby fatherless. The responsibilities that the father is faced with such as child support or just being around a newborn baby can scare them away. It is not fair to a child or a mother to be walked out on. It is the father responsibility just as well as the mother to take care of a child that they created. Most men feel irritated with the mother but he’s only getting what he started. Putting these men in jail will definitely make them start paying their child support. While these men are in jail they should be required to attend educational programs. This program will teach these men parenting skills and how important it is to be in their child’s life and the importance of child benefits and financial support. These men should also attend a psychology class that teaches them the consequences that a dead beat dad can have on their child. Dead beat dads should be required to read personal stories wrote by kids that experienced hurt that has been caused by men that has failed to be a father. Hopefully this will open up these men eyes and help them realize how much harm these children go through. The goal is to teach these men how important it is to help these women out with the children they’ve created. Education is very important when it comes to these dead beat dads. With these educational parenting programs, these men would have what it takes to raise their children the right way. Dead beat dads will make better decisions on raising their child with education. Last but not least it is important that the actions we take teach these men a lesson that sticks with them for life. After they complete the educational classes, then these men should be placed in an afflicted home where they will be required to take care of a computerized baby for 1 month. These men will be forced to go find work to take care of themselves and the baby because no food, transportation, or clothes will be given to them. These deadbeat dads shall be required to purchase baby food and diapers for the computerize baby. While these men attend these programs they will also be required to pay back all owed child support. With taking these steps these dead beat dads will understand the nurture of a child. With all this taking place dead beat dads want be a menace to our society any more. Men that choose to not take full responsibility for their children will no longer be accepted in this world. This problem will no longer exist. This problem with dead beat dads has not only affected families but also it has become a public problem that must be addressed now. The goal is to make sure that no child shall ever suffer again because of a dead beat dad. Innocent children need both of their parents in them lives. With these extremes our society will rehabilitate dead beat dads while helping innocent children.

Consciousness Our Portal to Fulfillment - 977 Words

Human culture expands rapidly and our concept of consciousness is rapidly evolving with it. Philosophers have filled the void concerning the true nature of consciousness not yet determined by science. Despite the subjective nature of consciousness, perceived by many to be a personal and private aspect of human existence, neurobiologists are investigating and measuring objective characteristics of introspective reasoning and associated elements of morality. Most agree that consciousness is key to human happiness and belonging. I will argue that consciousness is a physiological phenomenon, equivalent to the concept of self, as well as a portal to one’s culture, collective experience and fulfillment. I contend that it is critical to†¦show more content†¦Despite religious objections to the contrary, neurobiology in no way accounts for the soul or human spirit in its explanation for moral behavior and consciousness. The mental processes afforded by consciousness allow humans to reflect upon the ideas of other humans and create imaginative responses which form an evolving anthology of culture. According to the neuroscientist Antonio Damasio, each human has a capacity for introspection he calls â€Å"the self.† Damasio says that â€Å"the self introduces the subjective perspective in the mind, and we are only fully conscious when self comes to mind (Damasio, 2011).† This â€Å"autobiographical self† places learning in context with the past and generates original reflections in kind, reflections that give rise to new language, concepts and modes of expression. In this way, the self is able to grow ideas in collectives of other individuals and, via exponential growth in communications ability, effect a rapid development of culture. In this way, consciousness allows personal ideas to have wider causal range and even become transformative globally. According to Damasio, â€Å"without consciousness, we would have no acce ss to true happiness and even the possibility of transcendence (Damasio, 2011).† This suggests concepts are determined in the collective and can’t be validated without the collective. In other words, if are stripped of consciousness, there is no comprehension of one’s ownShow MoreRelatedThe Is The Sacred Purity Of Love s Innocence874 Words   |  4 Pagesfragment within our beings that maintains a quickening to become god-like, our ‘secret place,’ exists as ‘God’s country’ created for communion with the LORD within one’s inner sanctuary. Whereupon, out of Creation-God implanted in humans a â€Å"power† to â€Å"desire† His/her presence and by this, the birth of â€Å"sex† evolved; fashioning within humanity a â€Å"hunger† to experience God’s company and commune with His/her energy and presence. 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