Musician Kenny Rogers has a lot of hits, but one of my all time favorites is his 1999 song "The Greatest." The song tells a story of a young boy playing in his yard with a baseball and a bat. He throws the ball up, swings his hardest, and misses. Determined, he tries again and again. He ends up striking himself out and as he walks back to the house for supper, he tells himself, "I am the greatest, that is a fact, but even I didn't know, I could pitch like that." A fantastic example of storytelling, and an even better example of what grit looks like. Angela Duckworth defines grit as "passion and perseverance for long-term goals." If the young boy's dream was to be a baseball player, he wasn't going to let the fact that he couldn't hit stop him from pursuing it.
Resilience in the face of adversity is not something that comes easily. To choose grit means we forgo comfort for the sake of growth.
Gritty people are generally seen as team players because they act based on what is best for the group or whole, rather than themselves.
Gritty people don't let stats or previous performances effect their outlook of the future. They could strike out a thousand times and still believe they'll hit a home run in their next at bat.
Gritty people play the long game because they know that successful people are mostly successful simply because they stuck around longer than everyone else.
This week's message is simple and it boils down to one question: when you strike out, do you choose grit or quit?
Action
Ask your closest friends if they think you're a gritty person. Often, our friends will reveal what we can't see for ourselves.
Question
Does your daily routine include failing at something? If not, consider adding it to your day.
Quote
“Above everything else I’ve done, I’ve always said I’ve had more guts than I’ve got talent.”
- Dolly Parton
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