Over time, grit is what separates
fruitful lives from aimlessness.
John Ortberg
I decided that potential means naught, unless there is grit to back it up. Ability means little, unless grit is its’ companion. In the poem, The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer there are a number of lines that speak to me of grit,
“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.”
To me this is grit. I like people with grit. I love working with people with grit. Life is full of people with potential and ability but people with grit are rare gems. Give me grit over potential or ability any day.
How do I know someone has grit? They show up, consistently for others, and themselves. They reciprocate. They follow through. They stay the course even when the course gets tough. They don’t give up when obstacles get in the way. People are more important than things. They have passion that comes from a life of personal growth, mastery, and depth of heart and soul.
How about you, where do you need to reach deep, and find the grit within you to create the life you want, to be the person you need to be to achieve it?
GRRRRRRRRRit!