The Pressure

Rich or poor, White, Black, Hispanic, Asian or Middle Eastern we all grapple with pressure in one form or another. The principle of pressure makes no distinction. Pressure comes from many sources. It can come from the self, work, relationships, our culture, value and belief systems, spiritual and religious beliefs, circumstance and countless locations within those broad categories. It's the pressure of these things that can propel us like sail-boats across a vast ocean.

The question is what do we allow ourselves to be propelled towards? Is it crisis and chaos or hope and unification? I think about this on a regular basis. I will sometimes ask myself, "Is the pressure of the situation influencing me so strongly that I am no longer responding as my hopeful and true self or am I responding as a person feeling victimized?"

If I'm responding in what I feel is "helpful" or in a "healthy" way, I attempt to build on it, by maintaining and sustaining my practice. If I am "frustrated, depressed, angry" or go into what I call "procrastination mode," I do whatever it takes to get back to my center. And I do mean whatever it takes. Why? Because when I feel beat-up and bruised by the pressure, I'm miserable. It's as simple as that. I really don't believe that's supposed to be the permanent state we are to live in.

Having the ability to see and understand how various pressures is influencing and moving us at any given moment is invaluable. But awareness is only the beginning. We have to develop and define useful ways of moving through the pressure. We have to have a strong internal atmosphere inside of us to offset what appears to be coming from the outside. Taking massive action in our life is deeply important.

May Your Life Go Well,

Jaye Morris, Curator
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