“A diamond is a chunk of coal that did well under pressure,” or so the saying goes. There are many versions of this, but the one that has provided me with a new perspective is: “The right amount of pressure can turn you into a diamond; the wrong amount can turn you into dust.”
The procedure in which a diamond is made requires many specific and infrequent factors. In short, carbon atoms come together under high pressure and heat, and—bam—three million years later, you have a singular diamond. Out of all the factors mentioned, the pressure must be the most accurate. You need enough pressure to keep the process ongoing, but not so much that it will demolish you.
Being in college, with your future so far yet so viably close, you feel pressure from everywhere and everyone. There is pressure from your peers to fit in and have the “college experience” you heard about growing up. This may compromise your judgment; mistakes are made, and the fact that they are permanent freaks us out when all you truly want is to find people to share memories and grow old with. There is pressure from instructors to be the best, to get everything done, and to turn every assignment in—sometimes while being compared to an older relative who left a legacy to follow.
Then, there is pressure from your parents—especially your parents. I am the first generation of an immigrant family with a single mother. I have to set an example of a better life and better opportunities. I am the intended savior, the smart one who will manage to turn our legacy around and make our last name known. Growing up, comments like, “You’re going to be the one that makes these scars worth it,” or, “I’m working all day and night so you get the education I never obtained,” have taunted me for years and still do at night. My mother always insisted my future would only be successful if I were in college—that her sacrifice would only seem successful if I were in college—offering no other alternative because it wasn’t a possibility. This is an obligation, not a suggestion.
This makes it impossible not to feel the pressure while growing up, and at times, it makes it feel impossible to move forward. However, it wasn’t the pressure I felt from others around me that pushed me to my worst, but the pressure I would set on myself to meet their expectations. Sometimes, the pressure we put on ourselves is the kind we can’t get a grip on.Â
Much goes into reaching what you desire. The pressure you put on yourself is key, as it keeps you motivated and your mind set on what you want. Pressure from others can be handled; it all depends on how you channel that energy toward your path to success. With the right amount of pressure, you can become a diamond; with the wrong amount, you can become dust. You choose what you become based on how you act. If you don’t, you simply overthink the alternative. The pressure we put on ourselves is the worst; we are the ones putting ourselves down, overthinking, and preventing ourselves from turning into diamonds.