The Privilege of Pressure: Rule #4
May 2023: My Master’s Graduation Ceremony
As I sit watching Suki lounge lazily in her usual spot by the balcony door, I can’t help but chuckle at the contrast between us—between her existence, free of obligation, and my own, perpetually pressed by the weight of expectation.
There have been moments, especially in recent months, where I’ve envied her ease—a life free of deadlines, untouched by pressure, where the only requirement is simply being. She stretches, unbothered, shifting only to yawn widely in contentment and slowly blinks at me.
Meanwhile, I sit here, wrestling with the pull of ambition, the weight of responsibility, and the quiet yet insistent demands of legacy. The task of carrying my cross daily.
And yet, as I write this just days before my birthday, I recognize the impossibility of the trade I sometimes long for. To exchange my place for hers would be to deny everything I am, everything I have built, and everything I am working toward.
It would be to reject Rule No. 4 from The Playbook: A Coach’s Rules for Life:
Rule No. 4: PRESSURE IS A PRIVILEGE
“Run toward pressure, expectations, legacy.”
If you’ve followed along thus far, you’ll recall the simple framework we’ve used:
Look up the word and define it.
Read it repeatedly until it sinks in.
Process it with clarity and intention.
Let’s apply it now—to pressure and to privilege.
Redefining Pressure
The dictionary defines pressure as:
The burden of physical or mental distress.
The constraint of circumstance; the weight of social or economic imposition.
Meanwhile, privilege is defined as:
A right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor.
At first glance, pressure and privilege seem incompatible. How can something that weighs heavily on us also be a privilege?
And yet, pressure only exists where there is significance. It does not appear in spaces of irrelevance. The deeper the connection to purpose, the heavier the weight it carries.
It is no surprise that we live in an era increasingly allergic to pressure. We avoid it, resist it, and dress it up in new language to make it more palatable.
Gone are the days when struggle was a rite of passage, perseverance was expected, and challenge was embraced as a sign of growth.
Now, the slightest discomfort is met with an existential reevaluation—Was I meant for this? Is this a sign to quit? Is this worth it?
I say this not from judgment but from recognition. I, too, have retreated into complaints, whispering frustrations as if comfort were the natural currency of existence.
But the truth remains: pressure is not proof of punishment. It is proof that something matters.
The Privilege of Pressure
Fall Semester 2017
Billie Jean King, the tennis legend and Medal of Freedom recipient, once said: “Pressure is a privilege.”
The first time I heard it, I recoiled. Could pressure really be a privilege? Or was this just another polished mantra designed to reframe hardship as something noble?
But now I see it clearly.
I have experienced what it means to be at the mercy of circumstances beyond my control.
I have known moments where life seemed indifferent to my efforts, where uncertainty pressed so hard against my chest I could barely breathe. I’ve had more of them in the last eight years than in all my life before.
And yet, I have also seen the other side. In truth, it is God who has carried me through.
Where I come from, many never get the opportunity to see their dreams unfold in real-time. For some, pressure never arrives—because the doors leading to it were never opened. For others, pressure’s cost is too much to bear, and the fool’s gold of comfort and complacency is considered priceless.
To feel pressure at all is to be in the arena. To feel it the most is to be at the free throw line with the game on the line. It is to be entrusted with something of value. It is to stand at the intersection of opportunity and responsibility.
The Guyanese saying comes to mind: “Pressah does buss pipe, but it does also shape diamond.” To carry pressure is to carry purpose. To bear the weight of expectation is to not only have been deemed capable of carrying it but capable of exceeding it.
Running Toward Legacy
Pressure is not the enemy. Expectation is not a burden to be shed. They serve as guides, forces that keep us focused, reminding us of the stakes.
Legacy is not found in fleeting accomplishments or material gains. It is not in what we accumulate but in what we endure. It is, in the end, about storing treasures where dust and moth cannot reach.
And when time runs its course, the only thing that will matter is whether we ran our races well—whether we gave all we had. Whether we can stand before the weight of our choices and hear the words:
“Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Mr. Haynes and A.H 12-1 Class of 2022
That is why I run toward pressure. Toward expectation. Toward legacy.
Because pressure is not an obstacle. It is an invitation.
So now that we know that pressure is to be embraced, here are the things that have helped me.
Practical Tips for Handling Pressure with Biblical Principles
Reframe Your Perspective: View pressure as an opportunity, not a burden. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2-3). Like an athlete facing a championship game, embrace pressure as proof that you are in a meaningful position.
Break It Down: Overcome overwhelm by taking things one step at a time. “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself” (Matthew 6:34). Set small, manageable goals to avoid feeling paralyzed.
Develop Strong Routines: Establish daily habits that keep you grounded. “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3). Consistency fosters success as success comes in small increments.
Prioritize Rest and Recovery: God commands rest for a reason. “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Without rest, endurance becomes impossible.
Seek Support: Lean on others for strength and encouragement. “Two are better than one... If either of them falls down, one can help the other up” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-10). Community is essential in times of pressure.
Stay Rooted in Your Why: Keep sight of your purpose. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord” (Colossians 3:23). A strong sense of purpose fuels perseverance.
Trust the Process: Growth takes time and effort. “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). Trust that every challenge is part of God’s greater plan.
By embracing pressure, we embrace the privilege of impact. And that, in the end, is the only race worth running.
