Senate ends debate, setting up vote to conclude shutdown, fund government temporarily

The Senate voted Monday to end debate and set up an additional vote to conclude the government shutdown after Republicans provided assurances to Democrats that immigration reform and other items of contention would be addressed in the near future. The vote was 81 to 18.Though the vote to end debate was successful, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer continued his criticism of the negotiation process and demonstrated particular frustration with what he described as a lack of bipartisanship from the White House.

10 Keys to Personal Power

10 Keys To Personal Power

Brian Tracy

Key 1: Clarity

"Have vision. Determine what you want to be, do or have in life.  Have a sense of direction and know where you’re going.  If you do not have clear specific goals in life, you are doomed forever to work for others who do."

Clarity means the quality of being clear. Brian Tracy wants people to have a clear mind and think of what they want to do in life. He wants people to have their goals prepared and be specific in them too. Brian believes not having a clear set of goal will not work in your favor. He believes it will lead you to a unsuccessful life of working for others who had clarity. A example of clear goals would be wanting to become a doctor. Knowing the requirements to become a doctor and knowing each step you will do to become a doctor.

Key 2: Competence

"If you commit to excellence, opportunities will always come your way. The harder you work, the better you get."

Competence means the ability to do something successfully or efficiently. This will benefit those who do it because it will make them get better at what they are doing. As a student this would benefit me because working harder and turning in good assignments means i'll receive better grades. For students getting good grades may open up opportunities to better colleges or other programs. For adults opportunities of jobs with better pay may open up for them. For instance, your boss sees you doing so well at your job. He may decide to promote you.

key 3: Concentration

"Make the best use of your time. Ask yourself "Is this the best use of my time?" before you start anything."

 Concentrating helps you finish things faster. For example, distractions don't help you finish your homework. If the TV is on it's most likely you'll get distracted and won't finish your work as fast as if you were only concentrating on your homework. Asking yourself "Is this the best use of my time?" helps you weigh out whats best for you to do. If you are on social media instead of doing homework that is due tomorrow won't help you become a successful person. But if you realize that you are wasting your time it'll make you start of more important activities.

Key 4: Common Sense

• Train your mind
• think things through
• listen to your intuition
• learn from setbacks

To have common sense is to not think irrationally. You are constantly thinking things through with a clear mind. Not letting your emotions get the better of you. For instance, most people don't have common sense when they're angry and often do stuff they'll later regret. Such as if you are mad at a friend the things you probably want to say will hurt them. So it's better to think rationally  of the things you are about to say because saying something will angry can only make things worse. Learning from set backs is common because not doing the same mistakes over and over again is important.

Key 5: Creativity

"Except the fact that every human being is a genius.  The hallmark of creativity is asking questions.  The people who are most creative ask the most questions."

Creativity is thinking outside of the box,it's also the use of imagination or original ideas. Usually when people think of creativity they think of it artistically. Even though a creative person can also be the person with the most questions. Asking question gives you a better understanding of things. They go beyond the expectations and they think outside of the box. For instance, if you are told to create a project for school. A creative person will ask the teacher questions about how she wants it the project and then try and go above and beyond.

Key 6: Consideration

"The quality of your relationships with other people will determine your success in life."

"Develop the people skills you need to become a better communicator.  Take courses in listening, speaking, etc."

"If you were to learn one new word a day, within 5 years, you’ll be the best educated person in history."

Take into consideration your relationship with other people because it could determine the success in your life. For instance, in any business you have to have good relationships with people so they'll buy from you or even make business with you. Developing the people skills you need to become a better communicator will put you at a advantage. You'll be able to convince people to buy the product you're selling. It doesn't only apply to sells people it applies to everyone because being a people person means that other people like you and they'll  be willing to help help you out when you need it. Taking courses in listening and speaking may sound silly but it's actually a good a opportunity to enhance your skills.

Key 7: Consistency

"Dependable, steady predictable work is always superior to fast spurts of work."

Be consistent in your relationships, your family, friends, your boss, your work.  Be the person that people can depend upon.  That if you say you’ll do something you do it.."

 Consistency is important in life. Being consistent means following through, be someone that people can rely on.For example, if your boss asks you to do something you then you should do it. It's important to have your boss rely on you because then you won't get fired. If you're in school and your teacher asks you to read a book for the next week it's important to be consistent. Read amount of pages a day and take notes when you do. It'll be better then rushing through the assignment the night before it's due and not remembering anything you read. Creativity means thinking outside of the box.

Key 10: Confidence

"You only get confidence by doing things over and over again ."

Confidence comes when you're used to doing something. Such as starting a new sport. At first you won't be confident in your skills but as time passes you will gain the confidence. You'll begin to know your strengths and weaknesses and you'll know how to play at your best.

REFLECTION

Write a final all-encompassing reflection about the 10 Keys to Personal Power. How can they benefit you?  Which keys are you applying now, and what difference are they making in your life? How will you incorporate the other keys into your Life Planning plans?

The 10 keys to personal power will help you achieve anything you want. If you want to become a sales person take into consideration all these keys all you'll become the best salesperson. Clarity means having clear in your mind what you want. Competence means the ability to do something good. Concentration means making the best use out of your time. Common sense means to not think irrationally. Consideration means thinking of the relationships you have with others. Consistency means making up a routine until you are perfect at what you want to do. Commitment means sticking to things even when things get rough. Courage means not being afraid to get out of your comfort zone. Confidence mean being cautious of your abilities.

School Break Days

During winter break I spent a lot of time with my family. We went to the parks, movies and other places together. Although my favorite part was going to Universal Studios with my little sister. Only I and she went because we were the only ones who enjoyed the rides and the rest of my family always got bored going. I also spent a lot of time in bed just watching shows or movies on Netflix or websites where I can watch movies. During this break my older brother decided to buy me a book as one of my presents To Kill a Mockingbird. I read the whole book in about 2 days and I thought it was good. Although I have to admit some parts of it were boring.