ShutterFly's ProGrowth and ProProfit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ShutterFly's ProGrowth and ProProfit - Essay Example Shutterfly has had great commercial successes and fulfilled 12 million orders, sold 370 million prints, stored one billion consumer photos and their net revenues increased from $31.4 million in 2003 to $54.5 million to 2004 and $83.9 million in 2005. Shutterfly was also voted one among the top 500 fastest growing private companies in 2005. The company also got publicly enlisted and offered about 23.5 million shares of common stock. Shutterfly rides on the growth of the photo industry market that allows online consumers to store, share, print and edit photos for the present and future generations. User friendly websites and increased access to the internet have been increasing the number of online photography users and photo prints have been generating revenue of $10 billion in 2005. Greeting cards, scrapbooks, calendars and other general merchandise on digital photography are some of the other revenue generating consumer products that are sold by the company. However several issues such as branding, competition, innovation and expansion, marketing strategies, profits and growth, market shares, consumer preferences have to b considered to analyse the various orientations to growth or profits. It would be interesting to analyse whether profits or growth of a company should be brought about with two different forms of governance, one for increasing profits and other for increasing growth. Certain firms tend to give equal attention to profits and to growth and may allocate equal amount of resources to bring about profits and growth and costs, quality and time spent on PG and PP efforts would be the same (also in Armstrong and Levesque, 2002). It would be necessary to understand whether the PP and PG efforts of a company are opposed or mutually beneficial. In certain cases, the firm would focus only on increasing profits and in certain cases the focus is on growth. With the focus on both profits and growth, there may be conflicting market ori entations and strategies although this would be an interesting combination to analyse the firm's success. Roper (1999) delineated how strategy choices affect market position and business performance of firms and suggested that a firm's turnover growth and return on assets are weakly related for short-term profits. Roper also states that firm performance also depends strongly on strategy choice, with turnover growth being particularly strategy dependent. Thus turnover growth and general profitability of a company as well as long term growth of a company would be all related to strategy choice. Even in case of Shutterfly's business analysis, the primary importance could be given to the strategy and market choices used by the company. Considering the uses of PG and PP, it would be interesting to note that when both PP and PG are allocated, executed and achieved simultaneously, they would together increase the total value of the firm. When these models are used exclusively, then downturn in the firm's performance can lead to the use of an alternate model so the focus would be on either of the two, the PP model or the PG model and either the profits or the growth of the company would be important. In fact Han (2005) noted that the management of two paradoxical forces such as pro-growth strategy and pro-profit strategy could provide for strategic ambidexterity

Business information system Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business information system - Case Study Example This led to the system having success such as technical failures and network failures. It being a cloud-sourced system, network failure rendered the system useful. Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd is an Indian drug distributor. It distributes drugs from manufacturers by selling to retailers. In the first decade of the 21st century, the firm experienced increased growth over time and it was growing at a rate of 30% annually. However, this bust of growth was not to last forever because the growth, presented by a number of challenges, ended up declining. Not only did the growth decide eventually, but it also brought up issues for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd because it now had to deal with a larger customer base. The need for use f IT became imminent and the managers had to consider procuring an ERP in order to help in serving the customers better. Some of the problems that led to Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd requiring them to acquire a system were as follows; The market in India was starting to gain a new structure and this increased completion for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL). As identified in the case study for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd, the Indian drug market was very structured and regulated by the government as compared to the western drug markets. As a result Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd had to respond to this new challenge in the market. Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL) had to know how to use this new strategy. Apart from having to make the decision to use technology to deal with its strategic issues, the mangers at Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL) had to also make the critical decision as to what approach to use. The possibilities were many and varied and deciding what is the best way to deal with the issue was not an easy decision for ht managers. They had to decide to use a cloud according approach to the technology or they could use the licensed software to

Measurement and instruments Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Measurement and instruments - Lab Report Example on-chip Hall voltage generator for magnetic sensing, a Schmitt activate to offer switching hysteresis for noise denial, a comparator that amplifies the Hall voltage, and output open collector. An internal regulator is used to offer temperature remunerated supply of voltage for internal circuits and enables a large operating supply choice, When current flows through a piece of metal, the voltage can be measured perpendicular to the flow of current and the voltage should equal zero under no influence of a magnetic field (PopovicÃŒ , 74). When a magnet field is introduced perpendicular to the flow of current a voltage is induced. If you reverse the polarity of the magnet the polarity of the induced voltage will reverse. The operation is ignited when the device is placed in a magnetic field. When the material is placed in a magnetic field, the flux lines of the magnet and exerts a force on the material which is a semiconductor. This leads to deflection of electrons and charges. Movement of charge carries is due to magnetic force that they experience (PopovicÃŒ , 204). When current flows through a piece of metal, the voltage can be measured perpendicular to the flow of current and the voltage should equal zero under no influence of a magnetic field. When a magnet field is introduced perpendicular to the flow of current a voltage is induced. If you reverse the polarity of the magnet the polarity of the induced voltage will reverse. There are distinctive features that the instrument has. The features include low current consumption, 3.5V to 24V DC operation voltage, open-Collector pre-driver, wide operating voltage range, temperature compensation, 50mA maximum sinking output current and reverse polarity protection. This is the Hall Effect named after Edwin Hall who discovered this in 1879. The principle which was used was the basic physical principle underlying the Hall Effect being Lorentz force. To generate a potential difference across the device the magnetic flux

Business information system Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business information system - Case Study Example This led to the system having success such as technical failures and network failures. It being a cloud-sourced system, network failure rendered the system useful. Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd is an Indian drug distributor. It distributes drugs from manufacturers by selling to retailers. In the first decade of the 21st century, the firm experienced increased growth over time and it was growing at a rate of 30% annually. However, this bust of growth was not to last forever because the growth, presented by a number of challenges, ended up declining. Not only did the growth decide eventually, but it also brought up issues for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd because it now had to deal with a larger customer base. The need for use f IT became imminent and the managers had to consider procuring an ERP in order to help in serving the customers better. Some of the problems that led to Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd requiring them to acquire a system were as follows; The market in India was starting to gain a new structure and this increased completion for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL). As identified in the case study for Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd, the Indian drug market was very structured and regulated by the government as compared to the western drug markets. As a result Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd had to respond to this new challenge in the market. Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL) had to know how to use this new strategy. Apart from having to make the decision to use technology to deal with its strategic issues, the mangers at Neelkanth Drugs Pvt. Ltd (NDPL) had to also make the critical decision as to what approach to use. The possibilities were many and varied and deciding what is the best way to deal with the issue was not an easy decision for ht managers. They had to decide to use a cloud according approach to the technology or they could use the licensed software to

Third paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Third paper - Essay Example This is followed by a request, which shows that the speaker is down and ready to prostrate to her girlfriend as he asks â€Å"Shall I go down and bow, baby?† As a romantic song, the speaker goes on to praise his loved one, using romantic terms, descriptions and repetitions. This is a blues song, which doubles the traditional three lines to six lines in every stanza. The last line is a form of a question and the response is provided at the end of the song in a series of derivative three lines answer. The question repeated is ‘Shall I go down and bow, baby?† and at the end of the song, the speaker appears to have reached the end and resolves to answer his question because the referred and revered ‘baby’ seems to have answered in her acceptance and he derives; Shall I go down and bow, baby? I shall go down and bow, baby I am down and bowing baby Oh baby baby make you stay Baby ah baby oh baby I’m done! The pattern of this song is AbcdeB, AfghiBâ₠¬ ¦ and so on, with the first line and the last lines repeated. This pattern is regular and the blues lyrics have concentrated on the theme of love as the speaker tries to show his affection to his goddess, the valentine. The description of the ‘baby’ by the speaker is marked by repetitions. These repetitions are regular, and they make the rhythm of the song regular. In most of the stanzas, the first line and the last lines are repeated in a regular manner. This harmonizes the regular rhythm of the song. The last two stanzas are the conclusion of the song and the speaker consummates his dream of being granted a favour by his girlfriend as thus: Oh ah oh ah baby baby Baby oh baby stay baby My goddess baby, leave not baby oh baby baby Shall I go down and bow, baby? †¦ Shall I go down and bow, baby? I shall go down and bow, baby I am down and bowing baby Oh baby baby make you stay Baby ah baby oh baby I’m done! In this case, the song is conclusive and the clima x is reached when the instruments adopt the rhythm of the song in a unified manner. At the same time, the speaker is able to express his last passions and emotions for his girlfriend who has accepted his request. This song has a regular sound considering its regular rhythm. Being a romantic blues song, it will require soft beats and a mix of melodies. Therefore, the studio producing the song must refine and produce a soft symphony for the song at the start and at the end. The singer or the lead vocalist must be a man and should have a romantic, soft or mildly broken voice so as to exploit the overall theme of the song. This song should be started by a combination of a violin and a keyboard string tunes. Immediately the lead vocalist picks the first line, other instruments should pick and harmonize but should pause whenever the vocalist is picking the first line in every stanza. Moreover, instrumentation should also be toned down whenever the speaker is picking on the descriptive par ts so that the lead vocalist is above all the instruments. This will ensure the message is passed and the song is entertaining and moving as well. When the song is read in the lyrics, the reader is able to pick musical elements such as the tone of the song, the rhythm of the song and possible beat and meter of the lyrics. For example, the lyrics of this song requires a quadruple beat and regular dynamics in the loudness, volume and softness. On the other hand, if one listens to the song, he or she will notice by hearing, not

Sterilization by Saturated Steam Experiment

Sterilization by Saturated Steam Experiment Nurul Aisha Zainal Abidin Introduction Microorganisms are tiny living cells that inhabit our environment. Most of these microorganisms are harmless, where they do not cause any diseases, hence they are known as non-pathogens (Benowit-West et al., 2009). However, there are some that can cause infections which are termed pathogenic. Certain environments make them necessary that the population of these microorganisms are controlled especially health care facilities, laboratories, food industries, pharmaceutical industries, and more (Hoffman et al., 2004). Sterilisation is an important method to control the microbial population, where it is the process of removing or killing viable microorganisms from equipment or substances. Sterilisation process can be done via several means including heat sterilisation, filtration, chemical sterilisation and radiation sterilisation (Schlegel and Zaborosch, 1993). Among these methods, the most commonly used is heat sterilisation in moist (steam) and dry form as others each have their own disadvantages such as toxic residues, risk of radiation, high cost, and capability of causing physical damage to equipment (Rogers, 2005). Other than heat being used as physical agents for sterilisation, ionising radiation and filtration can also be used. Moist heat (steam) sterilisation uses liquid, heat and pressure to form steam which will kill the microorganisms. This process is recognised for its speed of operation, effectiveness, low risk and cost because steam is only pressurised water in gas phase (Block, 1983). It is known that vegetative cells of most bacteria can be killed within 5-10 minutes at a temperature of 60oC however bacterial spores are thermoduric, where they can survive long exposure to high temperature (Bonewit-West et al., 2009). Thus, steam sterilisation is considered to be effective as it destroys viable microorganisms at 121oC for 15 minutes and prevents them from germinating into bacteria. The high temperature applied denatures the proteins within the bacterial endospores, destroying them (Jha and Ghosha, 2005). Dry heat sterilisation also uses heat to denature the proteins of the bacterial cells. This process involves exposing heat stable solid equipment to a temperature of 160oC for 1-2 hours. However, moist heat is more effective in destroying microorganisms compared to dry heat because water vapour can penetrate into microorganisms more readily than dry air. This heat sterilisation method is done in a metal vessel known as autoclave (Jha and Ghosha, 2005). Another method for sterilisation is tyndallisation which is usually for materials that cannot withstand high temperatures in the autoclave. They are exposed to 100oC heat for 30 minutes to inactivate vegetative cells but not the spores. These spores that survive will germinate to form bacterial cells during incubation at 37oC and then the material being sterilised is again subjected to steam at 100 oC for 30 minutes to kill these bacteria. This cycle is repeated for the next 3 days (Talaro and Talaro, 1993). This experiment was done to determine whether there is a difference between efficacy of heat sterilisation (moist heat and dry) and the requirements necessary for this sterilisation process to be adequate. Aims The aims of this experiment were to understand how a steam sterilizer operates, the role and the importance of having to implement moist heat sterilization process, as well as to identify the basic requirements needed for successful steam sterilization. Materials and Methods As per practical manual from page 56-57 Results Two Thermalog strips were each placed in two Schott bottles; one bottle was tightly capped with no water and the other was loosely capped with water present. Five bottles were prepared and spore strips impregnated with B. Stearothermophilus were placed in bottles 1-4. Some water and paraffin oil was added in bottle 2 and 4 respectively. Schott bottles, bottles 2-4 and a Sterikon plus Bioindicator were sterilised in the autoclave. Thermalog strips were observed after the sterilisation process. 3ml of TSB was added into bottles 1, 2, 3, 5 and the spore strip from bottle 4 was transferred to bottle 5. All the bottles were then incubated. The tables below show the observation made from the experiment. Table 1. The observation of the â€Å"Thermalog† strips in the two Schott bottles with different conditions Table 2. The observation of Sterikon vials with one being sterilized and one without being sterilized Table 3. B. Stearothermophilus spore strips in TSB with different conditions after sterilization and incubation Discussion In the first part of the experiment, steam sterilisation indicator, Thermalog strips are placed in two Schott bottles under different conditions. The tightly capped Schott bottle without any water only had a change of colour within the â€Å"unsafe† zone. This is due to the steam from the steriliser that was not able to enter through the tight cap and reach the Thermalog strip. With no water present in the bottle either, steam could not be produced, giving exposure to dry heat. Hence, complete sterilisation was not achieved as direct contact between the steam and the bottle is needed, alongside its temperature and time parameters (121oC and 15 minutes respectively). In comparison, the loosely capped Schott bottle with added water had a change of colour until the â€Å"safe† zone. Because the Thermalog strip was exposed to moist heat in the form of steam during the sterilisation process, complete sterilisation is achieved. In the second part of the experiment, two Sterikon plus Bioindicator vials are used, which could determine the effectiveness of steam sterilisation. These vials have B. stearothermophilus spores along with a pH indicator in a nutrient-filled broth. Both vials were pink at the beginning of the experiment and incubated for several days. The Bioindicator vial that was put in the steriliser showed no colour change while the vial that was not sterilised turned yellow and only slightly turbid. The sterilised vial had no bacterial growth because the spores did not undergo germination to form bacteria due to successful sterilisation which have completely destroyed all bacterial spores. Therefore, the vial retained its pink colour after incubation. However, the colour change from pink to yellow in the other vial indicates that the spores had germinated into bacteria. This is because the vial was not sterilised, thus the spores were able to grow in a favourable condition, whereby they take up nutrients and produce acid which causes the colour change. These findings show that they are vital for monitoring steam steriliser, ensuring that all spores are properly destroyed. If they are not exposed to its temperature and time parameters, some spores might still survive and germinate. In order to determine that sterilisation process is successful, incubation process is implemented to observe whether these spores could still form new bacteria or whether they really have been destroyed. In the experiment which used strips impregnated with spores of B. stearothermophilus in tryptone soy broth (TSB), bottle 1 appeared to be the most turbid among other bottles, which suggests bacterial growth is sustained. Because bottle 1 was not autoclaved, it did not go through proper sterilisation process prior incubation, thus allowing the spores to germinate from the spore strip. Culturing this unexposed spore strip in bottle 1 therefore acts as a control, as it would not have demonstrated that steam sterilisation was actually successful if bacterial growth was not observed because they could have not been able to germinate at all. Bottle 2, however, shows that steam sterilisation was done successfully as the TSB media does not show any turbidity, thus bacterial spore activity was not there. As mentioned, water was added to bottle 2 before it was tightly capped and put into the autoclave, which evaporated into steam (or moist heat) at a 121oC within the steriliser. The steam formed will then kill the spores directly. Apart from that, bottle 3 was tightly capped and had no water added before it was placed in the autoclave. As a consequence, the moist heat could not possibly have direct contact with the spores to be able to kill them. This meant that the spores were only subjected to dry heat sterilization within the bottle, which clearly showed to be a less effective of a method compared to moist heat sterilisation. Because these spores survived the dry heat sterilisation process, they were able to germinate and form bacterial growth under the favourable conditions during incubation, making the TSB media turbid. If dry heat sterilisation was to be implemented to eradicate spores, a higher temperature would suffice. Furthermore, bottle 5 also showed turbidity to almost the same degree as bottle 3. The spore strip in bottle 5 was initially immersed in paraffin oil in bottle 4, before it was transferred into bottle 5. Other than the tightly capped bottle preventing the moist heat from entering, the o il somewhat acts as a protective barrier for the spores, not even allowing dry heat to have direct contact with the spore strip. Based on these findings, it demonstrates to a certain extent to how the biocidal action of moist and dry heat is different and can be compared. Most importantly, the role and the significance of the requirements needed for each sterilisation method. For moist heat sterilisation, a holding time of 121oC for 15 minutes under a pressure of 101kPa is required. In contrast, dry heat sterilisation needs a holding time of 1-2 hours at a temperature of 160oC (Arora, 2003). Therefore, it can be said that moist heat (steam) can perform faster sterilisation, with higher penetrating power as compared to dry heat (Vasanthakumari, 2007). Furthermore, sterilisation using moist heat is more efficient as it uses a lower temperature for the denaturation of protein and the heat in water is also transferred to substances easily (Greenwood et al., 2007). Hence, it is important to note that for steam to be an ideal sterilant, it must be able to have direct contact with the object (external and internal surface) or substance being sterilised. The reason for this is for its stored energy to be transferred to the object through condensation onto all the surfaces which releases its latent heat. As a result, microorganisms are destroyed. Without this direct steam contact, the sterilisation process would be inadequate (Slatter, 1985). Even so, moist heat sterilisation still has a limitation, where it is not capable of destroying prions in the same way as bacteria and spores. Prions, which are stable self-replicating proteins, are highly infective in the central nervous system tissue and they are highly resistant to heat (Hanlon and Hodges, 2013). Therefore, in order to destroy these prions, dry heat sterilisation may be implemented with a temperature of 200oC. Conclusion Successful and complete steam sterilisation can only be achieved if the material being sterilised have physical contact with moist heat (steam) either from the steriliser or from the water inside the material being vaporised. Without the steam, sterilisation process will not be effective because the dry heat cannot destroy the heat-resistant spores. Furthermore, barriers like oils or fats would also prevent the steam from penetrating. Because there are many interruptions or factors that could influence the efficacy of sterilisation, it is necessary to monitor the process. Thermalog strips can be used to determine if the sterilisation process has met its criteria where the material has been exposed to conditions to be safely sterilised. Sterikon plus Bioindicator vials are also used to monitor whether steam sterilisation has occurred. References Arora, D. R. 2003.Textbook of microbiology. New Delhi: CBS Publishers. Block, S. S. 1983.Disinfection, sterilization, and preservation. Philadelphia: Lea Febiger. Bonewit-West, K., Hunt, S. A. and Applegate, E. J. 2009.Todays medical assistant. St. Louis, Mo.: Saunders/Elsevier. Dunn, C. E. and Chennell, S. 2012.Australian master work health and safety guide. North Ryde, N.S.W.: CCH Australia. Greenwood, M., Seymour, R. A. and Meechan, J. G. 2009.Textbook of human disease in dentistry. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley-Blackwell. Hanlon, G. and Hodges, N. A. 2013.Essential microbiology for pharmacy and pharmaceutical science. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: John Wiley Sons. Hoffman, P. N., Bradley, C., Ayliffe, G. A. J. and Ayliffe, G. A. J. 2004.Disinfection in healthcare. Malden, Mass: Blackwell Pub. Jha, T. B. and Ghosha, B. 2005.Plant tissue culture. Hyderabad: Universities Press. Rogers, W. J. 2005.Sterilisation of polymer healthcare products. Shawbury, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, UK: Rapra Technology. Schlegel, H. G. and Zaborosch, C. 1993.General microbiology. Cambridge [England]: Cambridge University Press. Slatter, D. H. 1985.Textbook of small animal surgery. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders. Talaro, K. P. and Talaro, A. 1993.Foundations in microbiology. Dubuque, Iowa: W.C. Brown. Vasanthakumari, R. 2007.Textbook of Microbiology. New Delhi: BI Publications Pvt Ltd.

My Experience with Domestic Violence Essay -- Personal Narrative Essay

I would shut my eyes because I knew what was coming. And before I shut my eyes, I held my breath, like a swimmer ready to dive into a deep ocean. I could never watch when his hands came toward me; I only patiently waited for the harsh sound of the strike. I would always remember his eyes right before I closed my own: pupils wide with rage, cold, and dark eyebrows clenched with hate. When it finally came, I never knew which fist hit me first, or which blow sent me to my knees because I could not bring myself to open my eyes. They were closed because I didn’t want to see what he had promised he would never do again. In the darkness of my mind, I could escape to a paradise where he would never reach me. I would find again the haven where I kept my hopes, dreams, and childhood memories. His words could not devour me there, and his violence could not poison my soul because I was in my own world, away from this reality. When it was all over, and the only thing left were bruises, tea rs, and bleeding flesh, I felt a relief run through my body. It was so predictable. For there was no more need to recede, only to recover. There was no more reason to be afraid; it was over. He would feel sorry for me, promise that it would never happen again, hold me, and say how much he loved me. This was the end of the pain, not the beginning, and I believed that everything would be all right. Like so many innocent, selfless girls, untouched by the world, I forgave him. The pain dispersing through my body reminded me that I was strong and all I needed to do was heal. I would cry without tears at first, the sadness inside me so intense, that the hollowness in my heart would weigh me down. My heart’s deep hollowness was so immense, that the loudest shrie... ...e helped me overcome the obstacle of domestic violence. My will and motivation was to get an education, better myself, and become a strong and intelligent woman. I choose to view this unfortunate situation as a learning experience because I am stronger now and I will never go backwards. Something that I have learned after overcoming this battle is that life is very unpredictable and it is up to the individual to rise above and choose the right path. This excerpt from the poem â€Å"Recovery† by Maya Angelou has given me encouragement and inspiration to move on with my life and become the best person that I can be: â€Å"A last love, proper in conclusion, should snip the wings forbidding further flight. But I now reft of that confusion, am lifted up and speeding towards the light.† I live by these words everyday because they motivate me to succeed and overcome the impossible. My Experience with Domestic Violence Essay -- Personal Narrative Essay I would shut my eyes because I knew what was coming. And before I shut my eyes, I held my breath, like a swimmer ready to dive into a deep ocean. I could never watch when his hands came toward me; I only patiently waited for the harsh sound of the strike. I would always remember his eyes right before I closed my own: pupils wide with rage, cold, and dark eyebrows clenched with hate. When it finally came, I never knew which fist hit me first, or which blow sent me to my knees because I could not bring myself to open my eyes. They were closed because I didn’t want to see what he had promised he would never do again. In the darkness of my mind, I could escape to a paradise where he would never reach me. I would find again the haven where I kept my hopes, dreams, and childhood memories. His words could not devour me there, and his violence could not poison my soul because I was in my own world, away from this reality. When it was all over, and the only thing left were bruises, tea rs, and bleeding flesh, I felt a relief run through my body. It was so predictable. For there was no more need to recede, only to recover. There was no more reason to be afraid; it was over. He would feel sorry for me, promise that it would never happen again, hold me, and say how much he loved me. This was the end of the pain, not the beginning, and I believed that everything would be all right. Like so many innocent, selfless girls, untouched by the world, I forgave him. The pain dispersing through my body reminded me that I was strong and all I needed to do was heal. I would cry without tears at first, the sadness inside me so intense, that the hollowness in my heart would weigh me down. My heart’s deep hollowness was so immense, that the loudest shrie... ...e helped me overcome the obstacle of domestic violence. My will and motivation was to get an education, better myself, and become a strong and intelligent woman. I choose to view this unfortunate situation as a learning experience because I am stronger now and I will never go backwards. Something that I have learned after overcoming this battle is that life is very unpredictable and it is up to the individual to rise above and choose the right path. This excerpt from the poem â€Å"Recovery† by Maya Angelou has given me encouragement and inspiration to move on with my life and become the best person that I can be: â€Å"A last love, proper in conclusion, should snip the wings forbidding further flight. But I now reft of that confusion, am lifted up and speeding towards the light.† I live by these words everyday because they motivate me to succeed and overcome the impossible.