For hours, the cursor stayed frozen in place, while the time for submission crept closer and closer. Blankly, I stared at the screen knowing I needed to fill the page with meaningful words as soon as possible — words that were able to create laughs and motivation, but yet the page remained empty and the cursor remained in place. 

Slowly, I lowered my head as a signal to the vacant page, I was admitting defeat. I needed an absolutely Earth shattering, mountain moving idea I could turn into a masterpiece. Yet, I had absolutely nothing. Eventually, I closed my computer and began to shift my focus somewhere else. Suddenly, I had it! The epiphany I was needing finally happened. 

Quickly, I hopped back onto my vacant document, filling it with the words I had so desperately needed. Within no time, my blog was completed, allowing me to realize something. All of the pressure I put on myself to create an “Earth shattering masterpiece”, had stopped me from creating anything at all. My own pressure had prevented my progress. 

Today, it is extremely difficult for all of us to not put pressure on ourselves. Whether it be to take a test, complete a writing assignment, compete in a sporting event, or perform in a competition, our own pressure can cause us to create obstacles. As we move forward, I encourage all of you to step back, take a break, take a breath, and let the ideas form their own.