This morning I was thinking about the pressure associated with being a hopeful one. I’ve been following the Olympic Gold hopeful in Men's figure skating, Illia Malinin, for the last 3 months on YouTube. I was excited to see him win Gold, reinforcing his title duly earned as “The Quad God”. I fully expected him to come through, to skate flawlessly under pressure as I had seen him do so in all the other competitions. Like many, I was shocked and disappointed after he fell twice, popped three jumps, including his signature quadruple Axel. When I initially saw the Olympic headlines, I didn't even want to watch him fall. It was evidence that he was only human, not a robot, or a "god" as in his ubiquitous reference by the media.
In response to his Olympic skating performance, Illia Malinin stated, "All of this pressure, all of the media, and just being the Olympic gold hopeful was a lot. It was too much to handle.” He continued, "especially going into that starting pose, I just felt like all the traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head.."
I certainly don't understand the pressure of being on the Olympic stage. However, some people really do understand and deal with the crushing pressure of high expectations. They can handle the hype of being the favorite, or the hopeful, or the chosen one.
Last Sunday, I looked forward to seeing a Tom Brady, or the Manning brothers level of quarterback response to the crushing pressure of the defense. Instead, I witnessed a bunch of incomplete passes and a boring game characterized by the skilled defensive line. Bring back the dazzling days when the the QB was able to rifle a perfectly executed pass even when a blitz was on. Expectations and hopes couldn't be higher, but these athletes find a way to handle the pressure.
So how do I deal with high expectations? Pressure at times comes from judgment of my sub-par performance. Sometimes, I lower my expectations. That seems to alleviate some of the pressure. Take an easier path so I can feel good about myself. But at what cost? The Olympics or any high-stakes activity is a good reminder that "going for the gold" is a worthy endeavor.
D. Todd Christopherson reminds us,
"Our Heavenly Father is a God of high expectations. His expectations for us are expressed by His Son, Jesus Christ, in these words: “I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect” (3 Nephi 12:48). He proposes to make us holy so that we may “abide a celestial glory” (D&C 88:22) and “dwell in his presence” (Moses 6:57). He knows what is required, and so, to make our transformation possible, He provides His commandments and covenants, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and most important, the Atonement and Resurrection of His Beloved Son."
Much more than an Olympic or Superbowl hopeful, Jesus Christ is the HOPE of Israel. Think of the crushing weight of expectations from all the people seen and unseen who absolutely knew he was GOD. Think of the "traumatic moments" and "negative thoughts" that surely "flooded his head." As Mark records, Jesus began to be sore amazed and be very heavy."
I added to the pressure Jesus felt. Not only the weight of my own sins and imperfections but I believe I was also part of that collective spiritual audience of fellow brothers and sisters who fully expected Jesus to come through with his promise to be the Savior of the World. I expected him to perform flawlessly-to do the "hardest thing that ever was done." The highest expectations and hopes of the universe hung in the balance...and He did it! He won! A whole lot more than than a "gold medal." He earned the title of being the God of Hope- of all our hopes.
The song, Gethsemane puts it in perspective:
The hardest thing that ever was done
The greatest pain that ever was known
The greatest battle that ever was won
This was done by JESUS!
The fight was won by JESUS!"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxjQeqbzVq4
,
O
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