5 Short Lessons To Bring Into The New Year (2014)

1) Bystander effect

The first harsh reality we must all face is that little to nobody in this lifetime will ever really have our best interests at heart.

Not when doing so puts their own in danger, anyway. 

It's perfectly reasonable, so regret nothing but only graciously accept this golden nugget of wisdom. Believe me, it would do us all a little good to start depending on ourselves.

If you see a project falling to pieces yet you don't see any of your members raring to step up to the plate, get off your amazing ass and give it a swing! Put your whole effort into it. Your own results are a part of the fray too, aren't they? Don't sit about expecting anybody to get things done for you.

If you want something done, do it yourself. Don't be a bystander because you'd only really be shortchanging yourself. Family loyalty and lifelong friends aside, everybody has their own story to worry about, after all. 

Trust me, you'll do okay on your own. :)

2) Cherish the ones you have when you're down

We've all been through pretty rough spots throughout the past year. Friends have come and gone like the wind, projects have gone horribly haywire and the worst of decisions have been made.

Acknowledge your own pain. It says nothing about your own character. But don't let these opportunities pass you by. 

Realize this - you might jolly well be the most popular person at a party, but it's only when you're really down do you know who have always been there for you.

Identify these people and never let them go. Never stop being grateful, no matter how much time has passed. Weed out the leechers and try your best to be there for the next buddy that needs you. They won't forget it, and everything'll feel better.

But never forgo your family. Ever. Don't be pulled into any kind of social stigma. You won't regret this, believe you me.

3) Stop hating yourself

Honestly, we all happen to be our own biggest critics. It's painfully easy to find yourself awake some nights hating yourself. It's even easier to be caught in a situation where you simply don't feel adequate enough for anything.

Take a deep breath, breathe, and really look at the people around you. Look past the glow. Everybody has their own flaws. 

So what if that guy seems louder than you, funnier than you or simply cooler than you? He might be sucky at graded work, or he might have a fear of heights.

Not really great examples there, but I hope you get my point. We're all good at certain things and sometimes the only people that don't actually notice them are ourselves.

4) Happiness is a choice

Sad moments are inevitable. Still, with that in mind, nothing really restricts us from having the time of our lives anyway. You could choose to sit at home and feel bad for yourself or you could get up, call up a couple of friends and actually give the outside world a chance. Not all of it is bad.

Stop living in the past. Don't dig up things you might not actually want to know. Just put your curiosity aside and live in the now. Stop letting yourself become such a masochist.

Lose your comfort zone and do things that inspire you. Take your own desires into consideration and forget what critics say. This is your life and not theirs.

5) Be your own Person

You don't have to compare yourself to anybody. Sometimes a person's success or allure might really be nothing but an overly-exaggerated illusion. We always tend to maximize somebody else's good points while completely overlooking our own.

Focus on yourself and try to be better than you were the day before, and the day before that. It's really all that matters, because it's not like you can pay your rent by  enjoying another person's downfall.

Take your time, stop feeling pressurized and cut yourself some slack. You'll get there eventually, and you're the only one that'll benefit from it.

With all this in mind, 2014 is going to be a year with a lot of ups and downs. Nothing is going to be totally different. You might get older, and a little more experienced, but the world is not going to suddenly make sense to anybody.

Just know that you have it in you to be something great. The fact that you're reading this proves it.

Have yourself another great year. :)

Credits: atlanticbt.com, thejobsearchadviser.com, inc.com, commentskart.com, babygaga.com, thethingswesay.com, stokemyfire.com, spoilersguide.com

Who Are You When Stress Hits?

Ever felt like you were being stretched too thin during Finals week? Ever noticed how somebody's personality seems to change 180% the minute they're exposed to some pressure?

Here are a couple of personalities people tend to take on in times of stress. Spot similarities amongst your friends, family members, or even yourself. Enjoy!

1. The Saiyan Last-Minute Mugger

"Caffeine"? "Redbull"? "Brain-booster Pills"?

Chances are these people have already adopted such terms in as their legitimate spouses. 

Their empty tutorials are filled up in the span of the day. All and any papers available to man have been downloaded and were already completed during the time it took you to blink.

The best thing you can do for such people is to offer them a brief show of support and then get the hell out of their way. 

Don't bother them when they're reading up, don't bother them when they're caught staring at the wall and don't, absolutely don't, tell them to chill out. Ever. 'Cause their lives genuinely depend on this, and yours does too.

Signs that you happen to be one:

- More caffeine has been consumed over past few days than you would have consumed throughout the entire term.

- Your attendance for the last week of school indicates a dramatic shift in your social habits (in a good way)

- Your teacher actually commands some of your respect now. Who knew it wasn't all just hot air she was spouting?

- You never quite know what to study because you weren't paying attention when the required chapters were stated.

- You hate yourself for losing out on any helpful tips back when you weren't on Super Saiyan mode. Goddamn it, extra work for you.

- Your smarter classmates are your new best friends. You might even assign their numbers to speed dial for the time being.

- Sleep has suddenly become a foreign concept to you. On the other hand, HM120 Panda Eyes was obtained!

2. The Mugger That Always Was

     Mugging

Other than the multiple existing meanings of this word, it can also be used to describe someone stuffing a great deal of information from the textbook into his head, meaning tons of mere studying for long periods of time. This word is very common in countries like Singapore.

Related words are 'mugger' and 'mug', meaning 'someone who studies a ton/a very hardworking person' and 'studying' respectively.

Stop mugging or i'll ignore you! 

These people could have always mugged loud and proud, but chances are that they've always studied in the dark of the night, far away from any prying eyes that might judge them for being too smart. 

They also happen to be the ones that usually reply every stupid question with "oh man, I don't know the answer to that either".

They have every tutorial answer and 'fill-in-the-blanks' answer known to man. They have their teacher's personal number under their contact list and usually go AWOL a week prior to the big exam.

The best way to deal with such people is to avoid talking about studies with them at all times. 

Acting like you've got it all down pat will freak them out and turn them into Extreme Muggers. Acting stupider than they are will only serve to annoy them greatly.

Extra Note: Such friends are extremely useful if you belong to the first category. Don't ask for too much though, or you'll catch them side-stepping you the second the next semester begins. 

Signs that you happen to be one:

- You feel the urge to study more chapters than required 'just in case'

- Your textbook is worn-out (or wrapped up extremely, extremely neatly).

- "Friends? Sleep? What are those? Can they get me good grades?" plays on a loop in your head a bulk of the time. Not all the time, though. Thank god.

- Your textbook is so well-decorated (with highlighter ink) that you could probably get it put up in your local museum. And your mum told you you'd fail art class. Hah.

- "So-and-so has probably prepared a lot more than I have. Time to hit my notes for the fifteenth time today" has crossed your mind at least, well, 15 times.

3. Everybody's supporter

Feeling down? Raging on social media? Looking down at school?

This is the friend that will always have your back. It's almost like they never run out of positive energy to give you. Sure, they might not always reply you immediately, but you know that they'll be there when you need them the most.

Appreciate their random texts or love notes. Respond by putting aside whatever angst you might have to offer them your own support. These people are too rare and too precious to be lost.

Note: If you happen to be one yourself - remember not to stretch yourself too thin! We love you and we'd hate it even more if you wore yourself out! But be there for us. At all times.

Signs that you might be one:

- You reply almost every sad tweet or facebook status with words of concern. Words cost you nothing, after all.

- You're never too far from your whatsapp, or kik, or whatever you use to spread the love out there.

- You always appear calm. You might break down sometimes, far away from where they might see you, but your needs always seem less pressing than the ones of the people around you.

4.  Hakuna Matata

What is stress? 

These people walk on the bright side of life. Chances are, they come in late for almost every class and have little to zilch to contribute during every class discussion. Yet they never seem to worry about a thing.

They leave the test area half-an-hour before the scheduled time. Their instagram accounts are one of the more active ones (or they don't bother with social media at all). They'd probably be voted as the most laid-back people in class hands-down (until they're made to repeat a small handful of modules).

It's always fun chilling with them, but don't be too influenced. Recreation is important, but so is passing your modules (at least).

Signs you might be one:

- You wouldn't actually attend any classes at all if some attendance wasn't compulsory

- You'd easily miss a 'epic tips' exam session put up by your module head for a day out with the guys/girls

- It doesn't bother you in the slightest that all your notes or tutorials are blank. You'll copy somebody else's work someday. One day.

- You only contribute to group projects because your friends are depending on you, not because you actually want to do well.

5. Phantom Stress (on social media but actually fine)

Come exam period, this small handful of people can be found on social media at all times of the day. Raging, cursing, whining their heads off. It isn't pretty, but it's a lot better than what'd they do if they had to share their woes with you in person.

But then again, if you did happen to walk by them on the street, you'd only find yourself looking at a really unflattering picture of a moody teenager bent over their phone, Venti Frappe in hand, enjoying the light breeze as their favorite drama OST plays in the background.

Don't be fooled. Play a sympathetic ear (because you're just that good of a person), but don't bother getting your knickers in a knot. All those heavily filtered instagram pics of emo quotes are really not any business of yours.

Signs that you happen to be one:

- You feel the insatiable need to report every emotional swing you have to everybody on your feed

- You'd feel genuinely sucky if you don't get to tell somebody else how much work you'd done that day

- You see other people's depressed statuses and think "Hah, they're nowhere near to my level of pain and suffering".

6. Stress junkie

These people can be the biggest complainers when they're faced with stress, but they also happen to be the biggest complainers even when they're not.

They basically have a lot they want to do besides studying during the exam period. Examples include writing a novel, going for plays, exquisite fine-dining events, important internships etcetera etcetera. 

Yet they also happen to be the ones bumming about the minute the exam periods pass on by.

In other words, these people just hate stress in general. Yet when it's not there, they miss it. Go figure.

Signs that you happen to be one:

- You find yourself planning extravagant bucket lists to be completed during the holidays, but then you stick them on your wall and never touch them 'til the end of the next term, when your next exam period rears its head.

- The 'stress period' seems long to you as it is ongoing, but then too short the minute you're done with the last paper. What are you going to do with your life now?

7.- Donald Trump (might not necessarily like it, but productivity is suddenly sky high)

These people might not like stress a lot, but whatever the case may be, their productivity immediately rockets sky high the minute they're exposed to it.

PS: If you're unaware, this isn't Donald Trump. But Donald Trump is known for his role on "The Apprentice"

Book reports, tutorials, test papers - leave it all to these guys. You'll get them done by the morning. Really, they'll get anything done. You might think it impossible, but then again- you've never seen these busy ants once they're under some pressure. Moses has got nothing on these guys,

Don't pin too much hope on them when they aren't under stress though. Things can still end well, but chances are that they'd fail to surpass all and any expectations.

Signs that you happen to be one:

- Stress is your friend. You hate to admit it, but you need the sucker in your life.

- Imaginary datelines actually get you to work seriously. Like seriously, check-lists are your new best friend.

- You have an inane level of confidence in your own ability. This could make you a serious slacker right up to the point that the shoe drops.

8. The Crash Wreck (Absolute opposite of Donald Trump).

Human support probably needs to be called down to scrape these poor suckers off the floor.

Crashing, breaking down, sobbing in the street. You can try to be there for them, but don't get dragged down into their pit of death and despair. Remember kids, negativity kills you.

Signs that you might be one:

- You hyperventilate whenever anybody brings up anything related to the test whatsoever. "E.g. are calculators required for this test?"

- You crash under pressure. There's no nicer way to put it. Wipe those tears off before you start spurting blood.

- You start to worry that your friends might hate you. They probably don't yet, but things'd probably get there if this goes on too long.

Nothing's really totally accurate, of course. But there you go. I came up with the idea for this article sometime during my semestral tests and finally got around to doing it. Let me know what you think! I hope you've enjoyed this.

Share this if you love it. Thanks for your time!

Credits: Totalfratmove.com, weheartit.com,http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mugging, looneypalace.com, lilwaynehq.com, johnmichaelmorgan.com, amandaabella.com, atestfreestuff.co.uk, northwestmilitary.com

"Inner Demon" - A Short Story by Natasha Katherine Low

The time ticked on. Life hadn't been friendly to me today. I'd been through so much shit that it was beginning to feel like the whole world was currently having a lover's feud with me. 

I picked up a bottle of the finest alcohol I had in stock (the cheap stuff my idiot roommate had got from the drugstore downtown) and parked myself right down onto my vintage leather armchair.

To hell with the goddamn females - I could do without a couple more girlfriends. You know, it was downright pitiful how they actually expected me to care.

Everything was oddly quiet for a couple of heartbeats. My irritation was marred slightly by the novelty of this new situation. Here I was, Jacob Blaine The Quarterback - alone in my dorm room on a bustling Friday night. It was a laughable thought.

I hadn't had a Friday to myself since I'd been living with my father and his second wife. And that was something like, what? Four years ago?

A sudden chill ran down my spine. 

I shifted uncertainly in my seat, barely daring to make a sound, oddly perturbed by the unfamiliar sensation. Again, I was assaulted by the creepily novel feeling. I hadn't felt actual alarm like this in a very long time.

My heart dropped once more as I saw it again. There, out of the corner of my eyes, a figure.

Or, rather, my figure, a familiar figure - my shadow - slinking silently from where it should have been, stacked up high against the adjacent cheery pastel wall. It made no sense for it to detach itself that way, for it to shimmy across the room to where it stood now, but there it was. It preened smugly in my face as it straightened, defying the laws of physics that should have dictated its rightful position.

Of course I'd be the one to have a defiant shadow. It made perfect sense.

"Hey," I called out coolly. This whole thing could really be looked at as a lot more interesting than it was frightening. Since I would never admit to the other, I decided to go along with the first one instead.

"Hey," came the equally languid reply. The shadow seemed to glimmer before my very eyes, smoothly taking on the form of that one handsome devil that I'd been admiring all my life.

I looked into those gorgeous blue eyes with some wonder, smugly acknowledging the mirrored perfection before I allowed my own gaze to flicker quickly to the door. I felt a lick of genuine amusement at the thought of my dick-for-brains roommate plowing through it to find himself looking at two stunningly gorgeous love rivals. Oh, what a pretty scene that would be.

"It's obvious you want me to ask. Who are you?" I started carefully.

My shadow self rolled his eyes like I'd just said the most obvious thing in the world.

“Next question," he replied cockily, one eyebrow raised. I grit my teeth, allowing him his false sense of pride. The night was still young, after all, and all we had was time on our hands.

"Are you supposed to be my conscience?" I asked him calmly. I admit that the notion of it did manage to drive a shiver of amusement down my spine. Now that would be a real cliché scene, wouldn't it?

"You mean to tell me you think you had one?" My shadow snorted maliciously. I grinned at him now, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of approval I felt for him. I suppose he wasn't half-bad.

"What are you then? You're obviously a part of me," I pointed out lightly.

"Obviously," he agreed.

Jesus. I hadn't thought it would be possible for me to meet a bigger prick than I was in this lifetime - I guess surprises come in all different shapes and sizes. Or, in this case, a beautifully similar one.

He sighed suddenly, relenting. The glint in his eyes was largely triumphant. "You could say I'm the larger part of who you are. Your demon of sorts."

I took a couple of moments to take that in. The buzz from the alcohol had already gone to my head. It was a familiar, more than welcome feeling.

"I see," I said pleasantly. He raised an eyebrow knowingly.

"Who do you think stops you from donating to charity? Or randomly taking in a homeless person on the street?" He sounded gleeful – proud, almost. "You know, I've saved you a pretty penny over the past decade or so.”

He gave me a hard look then, clearly having expected some show of gratitude on my part. He frowned when I gave him nothing.

I was really too numb on alcohol to even bother. "I'd gone on to believe that was common sense."

"Do you think other people would have done it if it were?" he paused, frowning slightly. "Or maybe you are right," he murmured in amusement.

"Well, let's assume you're right and this isn't just some kinky hallucination," I said thoughtfully. "What's got your knickers in a knot? I've been in worse situations than I'm in now."

"I assume you refer to your parent's divorce," my shadow self said lightly. I felt a ripple of discomfort as my private wound was abruptly ripped to the surface. I cleared my dry throat unconsciously, reaching down to take another healthy sip of my drink. He obviously took the action as an answer. "All right, I’ll bite, what's biting you?” he asked, raising his hands in amusement.

"You weren't doing your job then, man," I drawled icily. It made me sick to think I could appear weak to anybody. Even myself.

"Seriously?" he sounded vaguely offended. It would have been funny, if I hadn't been so irritated.

"Come on. You say that you’re my demon. You could have manipulated some of my less desirable emotions back then," I stated coldly.

There was no hesitation in my voice, and his moody silence indicated affirmation. I looked squarely at him, taking in that arrogance with a heated heart.

Finally, he chuckled. A low, dirty sound that grated unpleasantly against my ears.

"Well, I could have," he agreed at last. He sounded wistful. It was the underlying patience in his tone that curled my hands into fists. "But then again - I'm your demon, aren't I? I'm not anybody's source of strength. Especially not yours.”

I curled my free hand into a fist. "Are you calling me weak?"

"Yes I am," he laughed easily.

I glared at him. I ground my teeth together.

He laughed lightly. "Relax. I'm not saying I'm perfect either - heavens no, weakest link, and all that jazz. In fact, we should bond, you and I. We obviously have the same taste in women, after all."

My mind went blank for just a moment too long. I hadn't been expecting that. I stared at him carefully. "What?" I muttered slowly.

His grin was slightly sheepish. "We both know why I'm really here," he told me calmly. "And you're right, you know, I baby you way too much. I always mean to do what's best for both of us, after all, “ a flippant wave of his hand as his smirk resurfaced, “But, in any case, I came here tonight to tell you we've got ourselves a roadblock this time. A serious one – or so it would appear, anyway."

I watched him meaningfully. Words were simply pleasantries in this situation. He gave me a look that suggested that I were an idiot that had failed to comprehend a simple joke.

"Love," he drawled, spitting the word out like it left a bad taste in his mouth. His eyes were exasperated. "Really, Jacob?"

I laughed bitterly at that, feeling an abrupt rush of indignant understanding. I shook my head.

"You're mistaken," I told him loudly. "I'm not in love with any of those girls."

"True," he agreed easily. "Not any that you're thinking of. Those girls, we could get."

A name bubbled to the surface of my consciousness. Or it had always been there. All I recognized was the sting of pain that came with its appearance.

I bent down to take another sip, another swig from the bottle in my hands.

"Yes," he whispered.

Another flash of pain. Another bout of bitterness.

I snorted, averting his gaze with a passion. Suddenly the conversation didn't seem all that interesting anymore. I began to wish that it had ended. I blinked - twice. But I could tell from his smug look that he didn't plan to go anywhere anytime soon.

"You could say it's a nice little slice of karma we're up against. Wouldn't you?" he asked me pleasantly. "The one girl we actually like, and she plays us like a fool," I was surprised to note a similar strain of bitterness in his tone. "Maybe that's why we like her. Now that'd just be sad, wouldn't it?" he theorized darkly.

"I can do without her," I drawled stubbornly. 

"Of course."

He looked at me then, quietly. I saw the truth reflected in those eyes, in that gaze that was suddenly so irritatingly ancient. Full of pity. It stung me to the pit of my stomach. 

"You know what?" I spat. "What's stopping you? End this, why don’t you, or end us. Or maybe is this some sad attempt on your part to make me grow?"

"Believe me, you have enough people trying to do that without me dipping my toes in too," he smirked, only half-sarcastic. "Alright then, let’s do this your way. Let's get you your answers. Now, haven't you ever watched the Hulk?" My shadow self asked me instead, just a glint of mischief in those dark handsome eyes.

"The Hulk?” I repeated dumbly. I narrowed my eyes in my confusion. “And what does that have to do with anything?" I repeated slowly, confused.

"It's got everything to do with anything. You see, you're Banner, and I'm the Hulk," my shadow self explained carefully.

I nodded along. This was simple enough to understand - Redundant, sure, but simple.

"And so?" I prompted, half-impatient.

"And so I'm you - but I don't always feel like you. Not all the time," he paused purposefully, fixing me a heated meaningful look. "But sometimes I do," he repeated.

I couldn't get a word in in time. My mind throbbed painfully, the clock ticked - once, twice. 

And then he smiled at me slowly, sadly, resigned, his eyes sharp and, suddenly, just as broken as mine seemed to be. The sudden change was too abrupt for me to process without a heady sensation of shock.

" - So sometimes, I suppose I'm only human. And I guess we both have our own share of bad luck. But most of all, sometimes, often times - we kind of just like doing the wrong things."

"Hmm."

I forced a chuckle. It was painfully pathetic to the person standing before me. He knew how I really felt, after all.

"Man up, Blaine," he suggested pleasantly.

I felt a rush of surprise, one that was closely accompanied by indignation. Still, it felt weird. Like a weight had just tipped off my chest. It seemed to me that I hadn't had a talk, an ultimatum, like this in a very long time.

I hadn't ever had a friend, after all. Besides the ones I had heard in my head. But they hadn't been around since I'd been forced to down those pills a couple of years ago. Since I'd been told to stay the hell away from any kind of alcohol on the planet.

I watched him go. He didn't take very long - two blinks of the eyes, and there he went. But the smell of him lingered, that heady earthy smell. Like freshly loosened mud after the rain had just hit it.

I picked up my bottle. I took a swig. I cozied myself in my warm leather chair. And I waited for whoever the hell was going to come next. 

I was too done trying to pretend that I wasn't lonely.