What Pressure Do You Feel?

When relationships get strained, the pressure on you can really rise. What are you feeling pressed by as we celebrate holidays? How are you handling it?

I feel pressed too. Life is full of opportunities to be squished and readjusted.

My marriage has not been perfect. If you have perfect relationships, let me know how you did that. Life can seem so hard at times. Kids can get on your nerves. Sometimes your parents seem so in the way of where you want to be.

I remember times when I made my wife so mad that she would no longer speak to me. Those days have passed for both of us. We know that silence prolonged decays a relationship.

Who Set Your Example?

Like most people, I have two grandfathers. One generally crumbled under pressure. The other took strength.

Doyle fell apart when his mother died. He was very emotionally attached to his mother. Perhaps that was an unhealthy relationship, but that is what it was. He already failed to watch out for his first family, and her death led him to fail with his second. He went on to marry two more times. Nothing lasted.

Doyle died alone, unwanted. He was selfish and demanding. Life seemed like too much for him, so he skated. The easiest route was the preferred path. It did not serve him well.

I never met him, but his choices influenced me . What a blessing that has been for me! I didn’t realize it as a youth, but his mistakes, and my need to forgive him made me stronger and more compassionate.

Siegfried on the other hand knew pressure unlike anything Doyle experienced. He fought against the Russians in World War II. He lost his home, his friends, and his way of life. For a couple of years, he lost his family as well.

Reaction Or Action To Pressure?

Tappa, as we called him because my brother mispronounced Opa when he was little, was a strong man. He recovered from a chest wound that almost took his life. He found work. While working in a city far from where he grew up, he reunited with his family. They moved into a new apartment. Things were better.

Then, he chose to raise the strain on the family and move to America. Life changed again, but he persisted. He worked hard and eventually became a business owner. He influenced me more than I could realize while he still lived.

His actions showed me his love for his family. I benefited greatly from his sacrifice and care. He didn’t know quit. As I write this post, I am still learning from him. The love I feel for him is immense because of the pressure he adapted to in difficult circumstances.

How do I act when pressure is applied? Do I choose my action, or do I allow my action to just happen? Am I conscious of my choice? Are you conscious of your choices, or do you just react like you always have? There is power in knowing that answer. It allows you more choice.

Choose an audio for Christmas and start your path to better actions. You will be happy you took a new step.