Pressure to Pleasure

• “I am under pressure’
• “Aaj kal life mein bahut pressure hain’
• ‘Studies ka pressure, Kaam ka pressure’
• Pressure, pressure pressure….

What exactly is pressure? 

As per the dictionary: it’s the force that is produced when you press on or against something

So the key word is ‘force’ – someone is forcing you to do something, making you feel the ‘pressure’.

The question then is, why are you being ‘forced’ to do it? Can you not do it out of your own free will? what does your will say?

• Not to study? not to study that particular subject? Not to study at that particular time?
• Not to work? Not do that particular work? Not to do it now?

So it boils down to the fact that your own will, against which you are asked to do something, is the real reason why you feel the pressure. The external agent- parents in the first case and the manager/boss in the other, is just doing their job. They want to fulfil their agenda and you are the agent to do it for them. 

So have you expressed your will? Do you know what you want to do instead? Are you sure about the consequences of following your own will ?

For the student, the questions to answer would be:

• If you do not study now and do it later, will you still complete the task in time?
• If you do not want to study subject A, would you instead study subject B now and still do Subject A later?
• Is the real issue of lack of energy?
• Do you think a sandwich or a piece of cake or a glass of juice makes you feel nourished and better at studying? 

For the working professional:

• If not now, would you be able to complete the task at a later time and still meet the deadline?
• If you do not meet the deadline, can you shoulder the responsibility/blame for the consequences?
• Can the manager/organisation provide you with any additional resources to complete the task? Did you ask them for the same?
• If not this task, would you instead do another role in the company?
• If not this company, are you open to moving to another company and have you made attempts at the same?

You get the drift. Its always about ‘applying thought’ and brooding over the situation and building a better situation of it, rather than blaming it on ‘pressure’

We are in this world not to feel pressure but pleasure. We need to look for enjoyment in the tasks on hand, rather than that imaginary state of ‘happiness’. It’s always easier to find happiness in the work on hand, and the situation at a given moment, rather than to build a virtual state that we perceive will make us happy. Don’t let your imagination run wild and have this mystical notion that you are the only one with challenges and would be better off without any. The instances where you feel ‘pressured’ are brief moments of opportunity for you either to absorb the pressure and go through the motion or to stop, think and take action to correct the course. But please, do not cringe and cry and bemoan and feel sorry for yourself, look for pleasure instead!!