GRIT
This word is plastered on the front of my classroom. I have so many students ask, “What does grit mean?” I very sweetly reply, “Look it up.”
The Webster definition says this:
: very small pieces of sand or stone
: mental toughness and courage
After my students come back to report to me what they researched, I always remind them that grit isn’t something you can look up a definition for. Grit is a character trait deeply embedded in all of us. You can absolutely develop your sense of grit, but those who have internalized it early on will absolutely be the most successful.
I am currently reading Angela Duckworth’s book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance for the first time. The one thing continuing to stick out to me is that people with grit stick it out. Even when times are tough, even when they are hurting, they toughen up, suck it up, show up, show out, and become the master of whatever they’re tackling at the time.
Duckworth describes how passion and perseverance play into grit. On my grit score, my perseverance was a 5.0 (that’s a flawless score), but my passion was a 4.1. It is much easier for me to dust off and bounce back from setbacks than to stay focused on goals over time.
What the world needs now is a little grit assistance. We need some people to not only persevere through unprecedented times, but we need those same people to be passionate and remember the why. You can be the smartest in your class, the best educator in your school or state, the leading financial advisor- but none of that will truly stand the test of time without grit.
Grit isn’t about “putting on your big girl/boy pants and dealing with it”. Grit takes mental toughness to not only deal with the situation at hand, but to come out on the other side victorious. It’s not just about making it through what seems like an impassable journey, it’s about the victory lap when it’s over.
So, today, I hope you take a moment to remember you are fierce. There is so much to you that you haven’t offered the world yet. Writing this blog is the first step for me to spread light and love to more people. Keep progressing, you aren’t finished yet. There is so much more work to be done. Make the world a better place for me, for you, for everyone.
Be passionate in your pursuit of your dreams. Persevere through these crazy times. I can’t wait to see the renaissance of creativity and passion in the years to come- I believe it will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
Light and Love-
Amber
