When I hear this word, that old Billy Joel song plays in my head…anyone else?
Everyone I know, and I mean everyone, is under some kind of pressure. Some from outside sources but we also put SO much undo pressure on ourselves.
- Are we raising our kids the right way?
- Are we performing well at work?
- Are we eating the right foods and getting enough exercise?
- Are our friends and family OK – do they need help?
- Are we doing enough in school to get the right grades?
- Are we good enough…or just enough?
The list could go on forever because it is US – WE are our own worst enemy. WE are putting all of this pressure on ourselves. And guess what – WE ARE ENOUGH and we don’t need validation from anyone else but us! I have a friend that said to me one time, ‘I’m not doing the best I can, I’m doing the best that I can do’. It took me a minute for that to sink in. The majority of the time, we are giving it our all and doing our absolute best. But, why do we put so much dang pressure on ourselves to always be the best. Sometimes, it is OK to just do the best that you can in that moment. Sometimes that is all we have to give…and THAT IS OK!
Now, I understand there are outside pressures in life that we just simply cannot control. However, you can control how you react to those pressures – how you take it on, how you present yourself to others and to YOURSELF…how your show up. How do you handle pressure? Really ask yourself that question. Some folks are dealing with life threatening pressures. I read about some of those people (know some of those people) and take a page out of their book. They are choosing to respond to these incredibly tough situations with grace and understanding and still finding gratitude. Once again, GRATITUDE is our key…it is always the answer! Where is the opportunity in your struggle – there is one, if you take the time to dive into it. I’m not taking away the suck factor, as pressure, struggles are tough as heck, but being sad, angry and frustrated isn’t helping anyone – especially you!
Let’s work together and normalize the fact that in this exact moment, what you are doing personally, professionally, as a parent, as a student, as a human being is perfection! We are flooded with way too much information that quite honestly can be a detriment. I just blogged about comparison (Click HERE to read). Comparison, Stress, Overwhelm, Pressure – it all steals your joy. Take back your power and don’t let the pressures of life get the better of you. Flip that script and find the lesson and attack with gratitude!
I encourage you to read this a second time and let it sink in. You don’t need to succumb to the pressure. Take a breather and peel back the layers of what is important to YOU. You are the most important project you could possibly work on. Go grab yourself some flowers and enjoy their beauty, as you should enjoy your own beauty. As always, thank you for being on this journey with me – together we can make a difference in our own lives and in the lives of others. Cheers!
