Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Pressure's Letter To Me...

I recently found a letter that Pressure wrote to me as I was learning the power I had over stressful situations. I wanted to share it with you. 




Dear Dayne,

My name is Pressure, and I make my living torturing the vulnerable and weak minded. Little do these people know -- I actually don't have any power whatsoever. I've done much soul searching as of late, and I've come to realize that I need to come clean. I attack athletes, personal relationships, grades in school, job productivity, and much more. There's no one I don't touch... but the ones I love to attack most are those who give in to my perceived power. Many people feel me, yet still choose to feed me.

I'm going to tell you a little secret, but you have to promise not to tell anyone, ok? I know, I know... I said I wanted to come clean, but I'm having a difficult time with that still. (shhh - I'm going to whisper it to you just in case more are listening). If this secret gets out to public, I'll be completely useless and won't have anyone to pick on. My secret: I'm really not something you should be afraid of, and I'm definitely not your enemy. You should embrace me ~ I'm your most powerful weapon, and if used properly, I can make you stronger than you've ever imagined.

The key to unlocking your potential is deciding how to view me. If, when you look at me, see opportunities for failure and embarrassment, I'll destroy you. I'll make you think twice and constantly doubt yourself... selfishly speaking, thank goodness many view me this way. If they didn't, I would cease to exist as a fear-based weapon against them. 

On the other hand, if you look at me, Pressure, as a motivating tool ~ a way to become more focused, using me to push yourself further and harder, I'll take you to levels you've only dreamed of... hopefully, you won't choose this option.

When you see me walking your way, invite me to walk with you... become my friend and learn everything there is to know about me. Figure out what makes me tick, and you'll quickly find that I can be your biggest supporter and contributor to personal success. The only thing you should fear when I come around... is the fear you feel when I come around. Fear creates doubt, which will always make me stronger, eventually stealing all of your potential. Instead, put your arm around me and invite all of my friends to join us ~ understand that the more Pressure you feel, the more success you can potentially acquire. Again, it's all about how you choose to use me.

Example time:

If you're attempting to lose weight, and feel me tapping you on the shoulder, wanting you to eat that forbidden food... use my power against me, turning it into an opportunity to grow your confidence by NOT eating that specific food. Use my nagging as motivation to become more discipline, taking one more step towards your goals.

When you're competing as an athlete, and find me in your head giving  you negative messages, tell me NO... turn me on myself. Take my negativity and switch it to opportunity ~ an opportunity to grow and turn the situation into a confidence builder. Every time you switch pressure into opportunity, you build confidence... simultaneously destroying mine. 

If you're having difficulty with test anxiety, because I'm always there reminding you of the negative consequences  of poor grades... use me to turn your fears into clarity. Use me, Pressure, to intensify your focus, concentrating on answering that one question at a time. All you ever have is one question to answer, one problem to solve. Don't allow me to keep feeding your mind full of what-ifs... instead, use me to fuel your concentration levels, resulting in pure clarity and peace within.

My name is Pressure, and I'm your best friend.

Please don't tell anyone!

8 comments:

plainolebob said...

no problem. no pressure here, just taking my time making good friends.
you always have the best advice,my friend, no pressure intended. lol

lifechick said...

More great advice!

I am fortunate in that I have always loved pressure. Not sure why. Maybe it adds excitement to things that could otherwise be mundane.

spldbch said...

You're right -- Be aware of the feeling, embrace it, listen to what it has to tell you. With that awareness form a plan of action -- one that will be effective because it is based on the insight gained from nonjudgmental attention. You are right about deciding how to view pressure (or any other emotion for that matter). Nothing is good or bad -- thinking makes it so:-)

spldbch said...

BTW, I love how you've taken the "problem" and externalized it. This is a technique frequently used in narrative therapy.

Midnight Whisperer said...

Great post Dayne. I love how you personified 'pressure'. Like several of your other posts, you take the negative aspect and create it into an entity that speaks to you/us. Brilliant.

Unknown said...

I like your mindset bro. I'll be following along for more good advice.

Erica Cano said...

Question: where in the world do you find these pictures?

unfortunately i have to agree with the prevalent "great post dayne." I hate being a crowd follower, but as a freshman tennis player trying to make a D1 team in the big west conference I could say a million things about pressure. Pressure truly does come in all places. There's the obvious pressure of certain points, there's pressure from the team, there's pressure in the classroom, there's an emphasis on winning, pressure is quite copious on a college campus. I was struggling severely the other day with pressure and the distinct fear that i was feeling. But after your brilliance, I see that really there is no pressure on me. Well, there is- but not even close to what I make it out to be sometimes. Even online you sooth my anxiety.

Life Arts Trainer said...

Dear Dayne,
I love the way you are presenting the ideas.
The wery word pressure brings some stress!
Though situations themselves are not stressful and it is the way we react to the situations which causes stress,the simple reality is learn to cope with strtess!
Please followme at www.lifeartstrainer.blogsspot.com