one liner: let’s talk about dealing with bossy people

     Bossy people are usually perceived as people who are always giving orders - as if they have some unlimited power of giving orders to just about anyone, no matter how reasonable it is or not. We’ve all had encounters with these bossy people and we have different ways with dealing with them; so I’ll be sharing some of mine.

     First of all, try to understand that person. Bossy is just an adjective used to describe that person at a certain point in time. She/he could be more than that: she/he could be a perfectionist who doesn’t settle for less or she/he could simply have a lot going on and the only way they can cope with that is by trying to control everything around them. There can be a lot of reasons as to why they have a domineering attitude and the first step for a healthier relationship with them is to attempt to understand why they are the way they are by observing them or by asking the right questions.

     Second, try to find peace, calm the f*** down, and simply don’t let the overflowing demands get to you. There are just some orders that you can’t reason out with, and for situations like these, try to sort out what that person wants and simply accomplish it without complaining so that you won't be able to give yourself additional unnecessary stress.

     Third, if you think and feel like the demand is too unreasonable, stand up for what you believe in or try to share your ideas with that person. They might just consider it and it is always better to be pushed to do something you are actually willing to do rather than be forced to do something you don't like.

     Fourth, when you stand up for yourself, do not fear the bossy person. Just like you, they’re humans too, but if you wake up every day terrified of that person, it will only make that person’s manipulation over you stronger. Never let that happen.

     Lastly, you are your own person. Always remember that. That bossy person who has control over you can only do that for a day, or during a specific project, but not for the rest of your life. You can speak up, you can say no, and you can share your ideas. Don’t let these bossy people take over your lives, they’re just temporary fixtures after all.

- Therese Goudin
click the photo for its source

     I think there is not one person who hasn’t watched at least one superhero movie in her/his life and not wished of acquiring superpowers too. Since this month is all about power, I’ll be listing some superpowers, that if bestowed upon us or if magically acquired the next day, will make college just like a piece of cake. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? Yeah, somehow impossible, but come on. Just imagine yourself with these superpowers and wouldn’t it make waking up in the morning just a little bit brighter and nicer (even with that big test coming)?

Flying (Peter-Pan or Hawkgirl style)
     Who doesn’t want to avoid the traffic jam when you’re already late for school? Or be able to fly instantly to the bookstore when you’re in need of a whole new sketchpad to finish sketching your ideas for finals? It makes transportation easier plus you’ll also get to enjoy the view.

Predicting the future
     Just like Raven Baxter in That’s so Raven, we will be able to foresee the results of our laziness and bad decision-making, which can lead to the prospect of our prophecies scaring us to do the right thing. No more sitting at home and contemplating whether to go out or not because you will able to see what will happen tomorrow morning if you do decide to go out tonight without even starting on your 5-page paper on Philosophy. Common sense is also applicable in this situation, but this can be useful too.

Hawkeye's  eyes
     No, not for cheating. This is useful if there are too many words on the board and you're seated at the back of the large lecture hall or if you're too tired to function properly but you need to focus and not miss out on any important detail during class.

Ability to duplicate yourself
     There are some months wherein school works are given one after the other and they think that one person can do all those things at once and being able to duplicate ourselves seems like the only answer. This will definitely make our academic and social lives easier! One of you will be at home working on school requirements while the other is attending to other social obligations. Multitasking 2.0 done well.

Telepathic powers
     Wouldn’t it be fun to have Professor X’s abilities, in terms of reading your professors mind for the deadline announcement, having the ability to control someone’s thoughts on whether to say yes to the take-home exams or not, or having that ability to alter the mind of someone to forget that the deadline for the final project is due today *wink*. You can read more about telepathic powers here.

     All these superpowers are extremely useful especially if it's used well; but unfortunately, we live in a universe where these things don't really exist. But it is possible to successfully get through college even though we don't have these! We just have to to make sure that we have the drive, the passion, and the patience to deal with all of the demands of getting that diploma or toga and eventually we will all make it, sometimes even earlier than we expected.

- Therese Goudin
click the photos for their sources