I think it was Coach K, the legendary head basketball coach of Duke University, who once said, “Pressure is a privilege.” The moment I heard that, it really resonated with me.
I don’t think there’s a greater compliment than to be relied upon & depended upon nor is there a greater sense of value placed on fulfilling a task thoroughly and well for someone else. This is the pressure.
And to serve others with a servant’s heart is not only a blessing, but it’s our charge to do so. This is the privilege.
I don’t like to ask for favors and I don’t like to “do” favors per se either. I don’t like the “favors” system, in general. Favors imply some sort of tally-marking of owing each other. I’d rather just rise to the occasion and help.
Beyond the privilege that pressure is, there are legitimate outcomes to the pressure stressors too. We either overcome the pressure or we succumb to the pressure, both of which reveal a glimpse of our character by how we react to either.
Undoubtedly, at different times in our lives, we all face what seem like insurmountable pressures, whether by our own doing or as a result of things outside our control, both of which are big deals and should be addressed head on thoughtfully and rationally. But, regardless, succumbing to pressures by throwing our hands up and falling prey to negative behavior via sedating ourselves with gross wastes of time or neglect should not be an option.
Make no mistake about it: pressure is indeed a privilege. Let’s be privileged.
