Pressure is a Privilege

I heard this quote from Olympic bobsled champion Elana Meyers Taylor (fellow Libra! ♎ - which felt like a sign) on Top Chef, and it’s been on my mind. It’s one of those phrases that sticks because it reframes things we often dread, like expectations, deadlines, the weight of getting things right, as an opportunity. A gift, even.

Right now, I’m deep in the final stages of a project I’ve been working on. It’s for a community I’ve nurtured for 14 years. The pressure I'm feeling to deliver something valuable and communicating that without overcomplicating it is very real. But that pressure is also a reminder of how lucky I am to care this much and to have had the opportunity to build this network. When you’ve spent over a decade building trust with a group, you don’t take their time or attention for granted. Them giving you their time and attention is a gift. Every detail matters.

I recently reached out to someone whose wisdom I deeply respect to ask how he’d approach this moment. His immediate response (and the validation in it) told me I’m on the right path.

I’ll share more soon with the folks who’ve let me into their inboxes before rolling it out wider. For now, I’m just sitting with this idea that the things we stress over are often the things we’re proudest of later.

What’s something you’ve stressed over that turned out to be worth the effort?

(P.S. No Top Chef spoilers, but if you know, you know. That finale wrecked me in a good way, and I cried happy tears for the winner.)

#CommunityBuilding #PressureIsAPrivilege #TrustTheProcess