Pressure Isn’t the Problem, It’s the Point

Prefer to listen? I recorded a full audio version for members inside Invisible World.

Heart

I wanted her to say yes.

Yes to what I’ve asked for. Yes to what I want. And yes to things I haven’t verbalized, yet somehow she knows those too.

Somehow women always know. How do you do that?

Well—I didn’t want this. That’s for sure.

Maybe that’s why the glass dish holding my hummus slipped and shattered on the countertop. The fall was harder than I wanted.

Great. Another thing I didn’t want.

When I cleaned it up and discarded the glass, the garbage was full. Gotta take the trash out now.

Maybe I was just in hurry, maybe it was a low frequency mindset day (I have those Friend). Or maybe I wasn’t doing my full Invisible World practice—just skimming the frosting off the corner cake slice.

I tied the bag and headed to the stairs, as it swung around a glass chard cut through piercing my knee. The blood trickle was both immediate and fast.

Great another thing. I put the bag down and cleaned up my knee.

But 10 seconds later I was back in the bathroom wiping the stream that was already biting at my ankle. I don’t know how blood works, but seconds later it ran down to my ankle again.

It didn’t matter if I was in a hurry or not. What I needed was to stop and put pressure on the cut.

I pressed the wadded-up toilet paper to my knee. High pressure, as hard as I could.

3 minutes was enough to cauterize the flow. I left the bathroom again, when I got to the trash can out back, still no trickle.

The pressure worked.

As I ran off late to my next thing, I wondered how many times I would’ve wiped up the knee-to-ankle stream had I kept avoiding intentional pressure.

Maybe it’s just me, but I constantly criminalize pressure. No jury, no trial. Guilty.

Ooh wait, I can feel the trickle running down my shin still, it shouldn’t be like this (you know I’m now talking about the relationship again right?) It should not be like this. It should not be bleeding out. No matter how I often I wipe it away, it starts again. And I have so much to build, create, do, finish, that I just quickly wipe it away, and hope it’ll be okay. I’m already behind on so much.

Friend, why do I keep avoiding pressure? Like it’s the bad guy. Like it’s coming for me in the night, like it’s going to ransack the drawers, like it’s going to smash both windows and break into my truck again.

Like I have better things to do then simply sit and hold my knee.

When I sat on the bathroom floor pausing my day, I intentionally put pressure on my cut.

I pressed harder.

I realized that pressure could actually be my innocent friend. An Invisible one. It worked for my knee after all.

Is it possible? Let’s say it is. Then question for you → Why do I dodge it, avoid it, delay it, and hide?

Oh I get it, that’s what I need to practice this week. Pressure.

I lifted this from Arthur Ashe stadium in New York City. It’s where they play the US Open, the largest physical stage for tennis:

So your next question Jonz should be, how are you actively applying pressure? (Uh, like besides my knee).

Remember my: should I sell NVDA dilemma? How my best investment is breaking me?

I did it btw. Sold a big chunk 😲 

Now I have more pressure—huzzah 🍷!

Markets are reviving with the big SpaceX IPO, Iran war is coming to (supposed) ending, and all major stocks indexes are hitting record highs.

I have more financial pressure, now NVDA can’t save the day. Only I can. Should’ve kept it??

100? Fine 100.

Ready for the irony? I’m happier now. Strange. It’s like high school algebra, I don’t understand it, but somehow the math works.

What if the Taoist Farmer was here? What would she/he say? I’m not sure this is true, but is it possible → Pressure is my biggest ally?

Hmm.

Back to relationships again. Maybe the pressure of not getting what I want is a setup? Maybe not closing a deal, losing the contract, pushing out retirement, delaying the big trip, not getting the call back, hand to hand combat with debt, not making the team, not getting the yes, not getting the offer . . . maybe all the pressure is gulp good for me? Even a privilege?

IDK . . . IDK.

Whoa whoa let’s slow this train down 😉 

Certainly it’s been the case with selling my NVDA stock. See I thought NVDA was my best investment, need I remind you it was a 2100% return!?!

Yet such a sultry illusion. What I didn’t realize was? You tell me? Come on do your part . . . You’re already there I bet → yes: Betting on myself and welcoming the pressure is my best investment ever.

And that’s what I hope for you. Our Invisible World practice this week: Lean into the pressure, not away.

I’m even going to fool around being grateful for it because:

Pressure is not punishment but a privilege 💫 

Mind 🌞 

Every heartbeat creates a pressure wave.

When your heart contracts (systole), it sends a surge of pressure through your arteries. When it relaxes (diastole), the pressure drops. Arteries recoil like elastic bands to keep blood moving forward.

You already know ‘high blood pressure’ is dangerous. But so is low blood pressure: brain fog, dizziness, organ failure due to depleted oxygen.

Blood pressure is never constant, it fluctuates all day.

Be like your body. Find the flow. Find the balance.

Soul ⚡️ 

🎶 As far as I can see, there ain’t no way to be
somebody if you’re just gon’ quit

So, if you got a fire, don’t lose it
If you got got a do-or-die dream, do it

If you got somethin’ to prove, go on and prove it
Don’t let nobody clip your wings

Keep your head down, keep on the blinders
Tune out the doubters and all the closed minders

If it’s in your blood, fallin’ down
Ain’t enough to change who you were born to be

Gettin’ back up, that’s the only backup plan you need 🎵 

— Backup Plan, song, by Bailey Zimmmerman

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