Watch Ya Mouth!

Grace Under Pressure: Choosing Words That Lift

"I refuse to claim overwhelm."

That’s what I told myself this morning, right before that old familiar feeling of pressure tried to sneak in. You know that feeling—it’s the press that comes with showing up and expanding, with every part of you working toward a dream bigger than what you’ve ever dared to hold.

Now, here’s the thing: life is asking me for more right now. More knowledge, more consistency, more of me. And, as much as I’d love to hit pause on the world, let everything freeze so I could assemble all these moving pieces, life is moving right along. Bills roll in with every sunrise and sunset, supplies need restocking, I need restocking. It’s a delicate dance of building while maintaining, pushing forward while patching up.

But here’s where I catch myself, and maybe this is where you’ll catch yourself, too. Words have power. Our words are like seeds, and when we’re not careful, those seeds can grow into realities we didn’t ask for. I used to say, “This is hard.” But now? I realize—it’s not always hard. Sometimes I’m just tired. There’s a difference.

Words like “hard” and “overwhelm”—they’ve got a way of sticking, attaching themselves to our energy until they become the very filter through which we see the world. So I ask myself:

What would it feel like to choose grace instead? To look at this whole journey as an exercise in strengthening, not straining?

And that’s where I find it: grace with continued action. It’s a simple mantra, but it shifts the whole weight of things. When the inner conversation starts to lean negative, I remember that grace isn’t about making things easy; it’s about choosing words and actions that give you strength. It’s about taking those “almost-negative” thoughts and asking: How is this thought helping me? Is this feeding my spirit or draining it?

So now, when I feel that “press,” I pause, and I reframe. I take words that feel heavy and swap them out for words that feel light but grounded. “I’m building resilience,” I tell myself, instead of “I’m drained.” I start my day with, “I’m expanding,” not “I’m overwhelmed.” And these words, they become like breath—easing the load, lifting me just enough to keep moving forward.

Here’s what I want you to know: when life asks you for more, answer with words that lift, not words that weigh. Choose thoughts that nourish your spirit instead of sapping your strength. Because in this journey, your words are the foundation. Let them remind you of your strength, of the resilience you’re cultivating, one step at a time.

Grace under pressure isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about making space for the words, the thoughts, and the actions that help you keep going. So today, let’s choose words that honor where we are and fuel where we’re going.