I can feel the fire under my feet. I feel the expectations weighing upon my chest. My head is full of voices telling me how to succeed, how to go about it and when I should have my life all wrapped up!
The pressure almost literally hurts.
Don't get me wrong. I want to be successful. However, I am not sure that my definition of success is the same as everyone else. To me, being a success means waking up, looking in the mirror and being content.
It means spending time with people that you love, eating good food and giving back to your community when you can. I don't believe that I will ever be defined by what I do instead of who I am.
Still, the countdown to graduation is ticking closer and each new day brings new conversations about when I should have a job, where I should work, how much money I should make and what I want to do with the rest of my life.
The pressure builds. It is crippling.
I want to tell everyone that I am capable of dealing with it all on my own terms, in my own time. But that is considered rude of me and so I must just nod and pretend to absorb all the nagging that is constantly telling me that I need to hurry. Hurry. Hurry.
The pressure is constant. I cannot breathe.
What is the hurry? Where is the fire? I am only twenty-two years old. I'll find a job for after my graduation. I'll study for the LSAT and get good scores. I'll get into a great law school and make something of myself. I want to scream, "Just get off my back! Be happy that I'm happy!"
The pressure won't get the best of me! I won't let it!
After all, pressure is what makes diamonds...
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