"True character is revealed in the choices a human being makes under pressure - the greater the pressure, the bigger the revelation, the truer the choice to the character's essential nature." - Robert McKee
Part of being alive is dealing with the stress and pressures that life throws at us. And pressure comes from everywhere. From our families that expect us to be successful and give them grandchildren, to our friends that expect us to ALWAYS be there for them, to our work with its ridiculous demands and deadlines, and, more importantly, ourselves with all the above(and more), eating us up inside.
The major causes of pressure is procrastination and unreasonable expectations. When we procrastinate, we end up adding the 'to-dos' of yesterday to those of today, creating unnecessary stress for ourselves. Our expectations, and those of others, creates some sort of pressure on us too. Some form of pressure comes from our opinion of how we look. We sometimes concentrate on what we see as our imperfections rather than promoting our strong features. Embrace the fact that your body is not perfect, nobody's is. We all have imperfections, but it is how we deal with them that makes us stronger.
Some people don't enjoy life or take chances in life because of the fear of losing. But all of that comes from the pressure to be perfect. And the truth is, we are all humans. None of us is perfect at everything. We have our strengths and weaknesses. Even the best of us have won some and lost some. But what matters is not winning or losing, it's the feeling of fulfillment that comes with your efforts, having done all you could, that matters most. And, that's what we must focus on.
Some people's pressure stems from their competitiveness, when the real competition is against themselves. Your number one competition is whom ever you see when you look in the mirror. Not the world outside. Only try to be better than you were yesterday, rather than trying to best the world. That can put great pressure on you. Flowing from this is the pressure to keep up with 'the Joneses'. Trends, whether in fashion or technology, comes and goes. Trying to keep up with them because of peer pressure or whatever reason will only make you bitter. If you have real friends, it really wouldn't matter whether or not you are on trend. Your friends will believe in your potential, your enemies will make you live up to it.
Some live with the pressure of being strong for themselves and for others. The pressure of this attitude drives them to the extreme, making them forget that it is okay and natural to take a break, rest a little, maybe, even cry. Crying relives the soul of some pressure. A little 'cry time' in the bathroom can do a lot of wonders as against holding it all in.The pressure to be someone, to mean something to someone maybe the worst kind of self-inflicted pressure. Some never recover from this one. The pressure to get married, have kids, build a house, or even to just be loved falls in this group. Understand that you can only do your best. To mean something to anyone, you must first mean something to yourself. People are attracted to happy people, and true happiness comes from being at peace with who you are, your achievements, your failures, your strengths, your weaknesses, and every little detail in between.
Concentrate on what you want, and what you can do to get it. Where you need help, ask for help. And when you feel the pressure building, takes a break to focus your mind on what is important. You have only got one life, don't let the stress and pressure end it before it gets to the fun part.
Have a great weekend!
- The Lady
“Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.”
Proverbs 17:1
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