The power of your mind is inspiring & terrifying. My mind became my worst enemy during my mental demise. In the past few years, once I leaned into doing the internal work & slowly began healing; I taught my mind how to work for me & not against me. My physical healing is a direct testament to the power of grit & perseverance.
My once broken, depressed mind is what I truly believe saved me physically from a fusion surgery at Mayo Clinic which requires a year of recovery, including 3 months of around the clock care immediately post-surgery, and permanent titanium plates being placed in my lower lumbar.
As Angela Duckworth states in her incredible new book & 2013 TED Talk | “Grit is passion and perseverance for long term goals.”
Grit is a learned behavior that is built over time and through experience. The choice to get up every time we are knocked down fuels determination and perseverance. The more we are knocked down, the easier dusting ourself off and getting back on the proverbial horse becomes. The more we cultivate grit; the faster and stronger we regroup when hurdles arrive. This is part of healing.
Grit is characterized by the below 5 traits |
Courage | “Your ability to manage fear of failure is imperative and a predicator of success. The supremely gritty are not afraid to tank, but rather embrace it as part of a process. They understand that there are valuable lessons in defeat and that the vulnerability of perseverance is requisite for high achievement.” 5 Characteristics Of Grit — How Many Do You Have? (forbes.com)
Teddy Roosevelt summed up courageousness quite eloquently in 1907, “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strived valiantly; who errs, who comes again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly.”
Conscientiousness | Duckworth says this is the most predominant of the 5 personality traits to correlate with grit. Conscientiousness reflects the tendencies of people who are responsible, organized, keenly aware, exhibit high self-control and are diligent individuals that are goal + achievement oriented.
Perseverance | Steadfastness towards our goals despite obstacles, hurdles & setbacks.
Resilience | “Resilience is a dynamic combination of optimism, creativity, and confidence, which together empower one to reappraise situations and regulate emotion – a behavior many social scientists refer to as “hardiness” or “grit.” 5 Characteristics Of Grit — How Many Do You Have? (forbes.com)
Passion | Belief in our sense of purpose.
Grit is a trait that can be found in a person with a growth mindset. Growth mindset is the belief that ability to learn is not finite, but can instead be cultivated through effort. Individuals with a growth mindset are often eager to tackle challenges, fearlessly persist in the face of difficulty, benefit from constructive feedback & creatively problem solve.
“Having a growth mindset involves understanding that taking appropriate risks sometimes leads to failure. The difference, though, is in how a person with a growth mindset defines and rebounds from that failure.”
5+ Ways to Develop a Growth Mindset Using Grit and Resilience (positivepsychology.com)
