This phrase, “grace under pressure”, has been with me pretty well the whole of my life. I first came across it as the title of the first Rush album I bought in high school; fast forward a few decades, and I just read a quote from American writer Ernst Hemingway that said, “…courage is grace under pressure…”

I completely agree, on a couple different ways, at least. I’ll explore two here.

First, grace under pressure to do what’s right, what’s aligned with your values, what’s reasonable, even as the world might seem to be screaming at you to do something otherwise.

Think work and boundries.

Think (so-called?) friends and peer pressure.

Think coping with unexpected (or even expected!) change and maybe overwhelming chaos.

Think thirteen hundred, forty-one unread emails in your Inbox.

The other context of grace I want to briefly explore is based on my sense of the theological definition therein: somehow being more in touch, aligned and empowered with and by the Devine through your actions, efforts, and thoughts.

Rely on that sense, I think that’s the main message. For you, and for me.

Respond to the Devine voice; let it guide you; trust it will guide you. And be free. In that power and preference and belief in what is right,

Find grace under pressure, and be sure in you, and the path, every minute, every day,

Grace Under Pressure, good advice, let it be so.

[This post at least in part inspired by colleagues I work with who live a fair distance from our offices; who manage their work weeks so that they are not on-site every day, but rather set their schedule to balance the many competing tasks and demands on their work hours.]