Becoming Requires Pressure
We live in a world that tells us to eliminate stress — automate it, delegate it, avoid it. The promise is that once we’ve removed the pressure, we’ll finally find peace.
But what if we’ve misunderstood stress?
What if the goal isn’t a life without pressure… but a life shaped through it?
🌱 A seed pushes through the soil’s resistance to become a tree.
🔥 Raw food transforms only under intense heat.
🚗 A car only moves forward because of the pressure inside its engine.
And we, as human beings, are no different.
Most growth doesn’t happen in the absence of pressure — it happens because of it.
Stress Isn’t Always a Problem — Sometimes, It’s a Path
There’s a kind of stress that wears us down — the kind rooted in fear, disconnection, or burnout. But there’s another kind — the purposeful kind — that invites us to stretch, evolve, and step into something meaningful.
We grow not when life gets easier, but when we engage with difficulty with intention.
The key is to learn how to stay grounded within the pressure — so it becomes fuel, not fire.
Pressure Has Always Been Part of My Journey
Years ago, I left a stable corporate job to step into the unknown world of entrepreneurship. No steady paycheck. A family to support. A lot of uncertainty.
We made tough choices — cut back on expenses, said no to things we used to say yes to, had honest conversations with our kids about what mattered most.
That pressure didn’t break us. It sharpened us.
It made me more resourceful. More intentional. And ultimately, it helped me build a business that grew tenfold and created real impact.
The common thread?
I wasn’t chasing comfort. I was pursuing meaning.
Finding Purpose in the Pressure
Later, during another high-pressure season, I enrolled in the UC Davis Life and Work Coaching Program. It was one of the most stressful periods in my life… and I intentionally added something new.
I’ve never been comfortable in structured learning environments. I’ve always seen myself as someone who didn’t do well with formal programs or exams.
But I knew I had to stop waiting for things to “settle down” before stepping toward what I truly wanted: to help others grow.
That program gave me purpose and focus. And eventually, I sat for — and passed — the ICF credentialing exam. A 3-hour test I never would’ve imagined myself completing at nearly 50.That moment wasn’t just about professional advancement.
It was about proving to myself that I could grow — not in spite of pressure, but because of how I moved through it.
Grounding Myself While Growing Through Pressure
Growth often asks us to step into situations that stretch and challenge us — but if we don’t also find ways to restore ourselves, the same pressure that fuels growth can also wear us down.
That’s why I’ve learned to hold space for grounding activities that give me energy and perspective — even in the busiest, most stressful seasons.
For me, that’s:
🏸 Playing badminton.
🍳 Cooking.
🏠 Doing small things around the house to make my family feel comfortable and cared for.
💬 Spending time with friends who love me unconditionally and expect nothing in return.
These aren’t hobbies — they’re anchors.
They help me show up better. Think more clearly. Lead more patiently.
And they remind me that I am more than the pressure I carry.
The Real Shift
So here’s what I’ve come to believe:
You don’t need to escape stress to grow. You need to engage with it on purpose, and you need practices that help you stay whole along the way.
Whether you’re changing careers, starting something new, or navigating a deeply uncertain season — the pressure you’re feeling might not be the problem. It might be the path.
So no — I don’t aim for a stress-free life. I aim for a meaningful one.
And I invite you to do the same.