Pressure

Pressure, the meaning says it all. Oppression, stress, constraining or compelling force or influence. This term comes when you are working in a private firm and you have to work against the time. When a dead line is given to complete your work, pressure will start to form. Some scrum because of this pressure, while others keep their cool and do it. I have seen managers and leads getting so pressurized that they have end up losing their position. While some have kept the cool and made their subordinates feel that cool and give certain small deadlines and completes the work.

Same thing happens in all sorts of life. It happens more in the field of sports. When you are playing for your country, it comes to you in your daily life. Sachin Tendulkar carried this throughout his cricketing career, but he overcame it and became the legend. Same is the case of all the legends you have seen. But when age shoots up, obviously you will feel it more. Tennis legend, Roger Federer, in the past years have come to the finals and semis of grand slams, but could not make it with the cup, simply because of the pressure.

We saw it happen in the World Cup football in Brazil, the semi-finals. When Brazil faced the Germans, pressure was on Brazil as they were the host nation and couple of their players were not playing. They scrum to it as soon as the play started. When I was watching, I felt in my school days, my school house team used to play far better than how the host team played. So the result, in 30 minutes, 5 goals, and in the end it was 7 to 1. Usually I have seen, if a foul happens the opposition teams will give hands and then take the foul kick. But this changed for Brazilian players because of pressure and the number of goals they conceded; they started arguing with the opposition players and referee. But on the other end, the Germans were cooler from the beginning and they played in an organized way, so wonderful to see how they passed and attacked, and demolished the opposition.

I am not a regular viewer of football, but I like to watch the South American teams play. The first time I saw a final was in 1990 when Argentina met West Germany. The pressure was on Maradona’s team as they were the champions, and finally, same way West Germany took the cup through a penalty kick. Same happened in the next World cup also as Brazil took on Italy in the finals. There were big names in the teams – Romario, Bebeto, Baggio etc. When no result came after the extra time and when the penalty shoot out started, the Italians scrum to pressure and the big name Roberto Baggio himself kicked the ball long over the post, giving Brazil the win.

In the Bible we see how Moses was scrum to pressure and got the punishment from God. When the Israelites reached the Desert of Zin, they did not have water to drink and they came against Moses. He prayed to God and God told him to speak to the rock, whereas Moses, under pressure from the people hit the rock two times with his staff which God was not pleased and punished Moses by not giving him the chance to enter into the Promised Land. (Number 20: 8-11).

Every one scrum to pressure, but the ones who keep their cool and concentration have overcome it. Have a Plan A, Plan B and Plan C. I urge and pray we should keep the cool and vision in front of us and overcome it, by prayer and an organized life style.