Last night, I was watching Ben Shelton walk onto the court from the inner bowels of  Arthur Ashe Stadium @ The U.S.Open. After Shelton had entered the court, the cameraman remained focused on a plaque that every player sees, and probably reads, before entering the largest tennis venue in the world. The plaque is a quote by Billie Jean King and it states, “Pressure is a privilege.”

Tennis aside. Let that quote sink in for you and me. What pressures are you under right now? Is it work, school, or even your family life? Any one of them is a privilege. We have worked hard to get where we are today, so this is what we wanted. And the alternative to pressure, is no pressure, no expectations, no chance to shine, no chance to see what could have been. That’s not what you’re looking for, is it?

Today is simply taking a new look at an already existing situation—one that has caused us to feel pressure, maybe even a lot of pressure. Can you see it now as a privilege? Privilege comes from two Latin words: “privus” meaning private and “lex” meaning law, which together means “private law,” or “advantage granted.” The pressure comes from some advantage we have been given. Can you see it now? I hope so.

Let’s GO! WE GOT THIS!
Beth