Pressure Is A Privilege

This week, it is my pleasure to introduce Nicole Tittmann, a new contributor to The Good Leaven Letter. Nicole is a public speaker and an executive coach. A recent graduate of the Meta Performance Institute, she has worked with lawyers, small business owners, mothers and students.

“Pressure is a privilege.” This famous quote by Billie Jean King seemed to be the theme of Wimbledon this year. It came up so frequently that my husband even used it in his toast at our daughter’s wedding in July. The idea is this: when we feel pressure, it’s because what we are doing has meaning. We’ve gotten to where we are because sacrifices have been made, hard work done, prices paid. And we don’t want these to be in vain. This creates the pressure we feel. As Catholics, we know we are here at a cost. Christ has paid a price for our lives; to waste them is to ignore the gift that He has given to us.

This knowledge can be an impetus to action, or it can create another kind of pressure—the paralyzing fear of failure. How many opportunities have we let slip by because we were afraid of failing? How many times have we rationalized choosing the easier path when the Holy Spirit was inviting us into the greatness of God’s plan? 

A friend recently told me that when she’s inspired to do something, she receives it as a call to action from God. What if we faced our fear boldly and embraced the call? Yes, there will be pressure, but that pressure is also a gift. It means we have been entrusted with something valuable. 

This week, I invite you to ask yourself: 

Where in my life am I experiencing pressure? Where am I choosing the easier path? Am I relating to pressure as paralyzing fear, thinking primarily about how failure might reflect on me? What would change if I viewed pressure as a valuable gift, signaling a unique call to meaningful action?

God bless,
Nicole