Regardless, Upon Still

“Gas going up on a Wednesday!”

“How does that affect me?”
I said as I stood in my kitchen looking at my phone. My friend on FaceTime was trying to explain to me how the price of gas could be making things difficult for people around the US and the energy crisis in the UK affecting my friends and family.
I can’t relate.
Yes, I know things have gotten more expensive and much is tighter for folks but I truly can’t always relate.
I had to check my privilege.

I know this first hand because about a decade ago or maybe even half a decade ago, I was buying gas on credit and anticipating overdraft fees.
Now, I pull into the gas station without caring about how much it costs.
Not that I still won’t try to buy it where cheaper but the reality for me is that if it is $5.49/gal or $5.99/gal, I will still buy it because I can afford it and it does not make that much of a dent in my pocket.
Truth is, a lot of people care about how much it costs and it does affect more people than it does me.

I appreciated the conversation with my friend because while I believe myself to be self-aware, I still recognize that blind spots are everywhere.
So stay active in checking your privilege and how you move through spaces.
It’s a never-ending part of life and growth.

Pressure is a privilege and a gift

Have you ever been in a place/space where expectations of you were dead on arrival? Like people just did not expect you to amount to anything or be able to do something? Minds already made up for you about things and your capabilities. I recently got to listen to the legendary Billie Jean King and in her talk, there were a few things that jumped out to me.
One was the concept that pressure is a privilege and a gift.
Think of it like this, imagine being on a sports team (maybe the one you were on in high school) that was so bad you lost every game.
Then you face the biggest and best team in the country – all the reports are about how much they will beat you.
On both sides, you can factor in how pressure might be a privilege and a gift – on the side of the “bad team”, no one expects anything of them and that can be a gift because they can go in and enjoy themselves. On the side of the better team, the pressure to win and win convincingly is a privilege.

I don’t want to live a life where no one expects greatness from me.
I demand it.
I like that with the skills I have in life, people expect something from me. 
Now we should all be cautious to ensure that the pressure does not overwhelm or drown us, but the pressure is welcome and should be used as fuel for greater things.

What area of your life are you grateful that people expect a lot of you?

About the Wordsmith

Apologies for missing the post last week – I am learning to prioritize myself a bit more as I shared a few weeks ago.
Last Wednesday I was watching my fave Jacob Banks in San Francisco and boy did we have a night! One day, I’ll gist you all.
But yeah, I was at the concert thinking, I could just pull up the WordPress app and post while standing front row, and then I decided not to.
I know some of you look forward to reading this every week and I apologize but your boy had a great time sha.
And I hope you enjoyed reading this week’s post.
Also, I am making my full foray into completely going bald – I groomed myself and shaved all my hair last week.
I loved it.
Just soft launching my 2023 and beyond look, so get ready for it.

For those wondering, I am doing well. I feel lighter than I have for most of the year but I am still working through things.
We will all figure it out together, so thank you for being here always and for your comments and sharing.
Till next time, we gather dey!

See you all next Wednesday. Please share this piece with your friends and family and on social media – Twitter, IG, Snapchat and so on.
Thanks!

The Wordsmith,
Master of Cliffhangers.

Please comment, retweet and share. Thank you for your continued support.
You are highly appreciated.

WordsOfWednesday

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