There Is Such A Thing As Being "Over Confident"

When I was thinking about this blog yesterday, I was actually going to write about "Change" and how changing churches for a few weeks opened up my perspective somewhat. I promise I will write about it soon. It was quite an experience. One that I wouldn't mind repeating and sometime in the future, probably making it a permanent move. Probably. And Only if I ever move close enough.

PS: This will involve abit of Male bashing. Continue with caution.

You've all met them. Those people who seem to walk in a cloud of their own self importance. Everything they touch turns to gold. Or so they believe. Everything they do is pure genius and everything around them improves just by their mere presence. Well if you haven't, let me give you my personal experience: *evil grin*

I thought I had gone through the full spectrum of male egos until....When I first met this chap, he was the friendliest person ever. He looks like he always wants to help. He's ready and willing to supply information. Even almost looked like he was half fun. That is until I started noticing subtle changes in character. Like how he's always saying how he's so overly busy. How he takes credit for everything that has ever gone right. So every conversation we have ever had since has been about his achievements and his goals and oh how fabulous his life has been. He also has a strange habit of acting like he's God's gift to women. You can tell a chap who thinks he has everything a woman wants. But I must give him credit for playing the part well.(If egos didn't annoy me so much I might have just fallen for it!)

You may be deceived by the calmness in his voice or his humble looking demeanor but do not be fooled, this man has an ego and he wants it stroked. Saying morning to him runs into a rendition of all the things he has to do today and how he just needs to carry the whole world on his shoulders and blah blah blah. I smile and nod (hopefully convincingly) and let him finish. It is the roll we have to play as women.

I can almost understand where he is coming from. He's a small town boy who went to an unknown school somewhere by some railway tracks and still managed to pass with flying colours. Got into campus and well was hired in the first job he ever applied to and is now a director of said job. His is a dream story and I am very happy for him. Happy until he tells me his story for the umpteenth time.

He actually thinks he's so great that he makes even the ridiculous things he's done sound awesome. He got his girlfriend (now wife) preggers while they were in campus. According to him it was all part of some big awesome plan he had. I just thank God that things worked out for them. He takes credit for his wife's business which I find despicable since he is already so successful on his own. He even thinks his car is the most awesome car. After the next car he is planning to buy. He drives a Rav4. We had a Rav4 in our family. I did love that car but it did nothing to write home about. We started wanting to sell it barely months after it was parked in the driveway. It is not the best drive around at the same price. (But it had the absolute best Advertising campaign last decade. Check it out. #enough said)

Anyway, so yesterday there I am, open and willing to learn something new and of course I go in search of knowledge. Now, when this guy first started talking about this process, he made it sound like it is the hardest process yet. Like it would take a mind close to genius to catch on. So there I am...rebellious as ever. Bring on the challenge so that I can show you how average minds do it. I swear I sat there for an hour while he did the whole thing; on my machine no less. It was a "word" document. All I wanted was for him to give me the basic format and instructions and let me run with it. Instead I sat there twiddling my thumbs and yawning while he went on about how he shall one day teach me how to do this and that. My head was screaming "The reason I asked now was so that you teach me now"


Guess what his last statement was before he left "I'm sure you have learned something.This is the easiest part." I almost burst a vein. I did learn something though.Considering I had to go through the whole document again to deal with his spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

He's one of those people who make me hate being female in this industry. I feel like I have to beg for every opportunity. Anything I want, I have to go prove that I can do it before he even lets me near it. Its terrible and frustrating. Get some work off your desk and throw it in my direction. I promise even if I can't handle all of it, I will handle at least some of it. Plus he never helps in anything else. He smiles and looks like he's doing something and then runs off and lives you hanging with your problems. He honestly believes his smile will solve all my problems.

But I can tell you one thing I have learned from working with him:

1)With all things said and done, fighting for your rightful position is a must in any organisation. Self development cannot be compromised.
2)When I get to a level where someone will be learning from me (a moment for wistful thinking) I'll allow them to make their own mistakes every once in a while, it is the only way they can make their own mark. It's part of the learning process.
3)You can tell your story to encourage others but you need them to tell their own stories (and to make them too). You might just learn something.
4) Don't fake your personality. If you can't help, don't pretend that you just might. False hope is worse than the truth.
5) Don't patronise. You can only invoke 2 reactions: Self depreciation or rebellion. Rebellion is the most common.
6)There are bigger dreams than driving a Rav4 with great rims (and they are awesome rims by the way)
7) Always have tictacs with you. Whispering with a cold is highly disturbing and probably the reason I have a constant cold.