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Got Grit?


Over lunch, I try to make time to read about a chapter from an inspirational book, something that prompts me to want to grow and learn. In January, I finished Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes. Only took me 3 MONTHS to complete. Why so long? No, I am not a slow reader. What it came down to is time.

I used to consume books like food. Once when my husband and I were just dating, I asked him to hand me my purse. We were sitting on the couch and he was watching TV. I was not because I can only be entertained by television for so long. When he lifted my purse from the floor he let out an audible groan.

"Why is your purse so heavy?!"

In response, I lifted out a thick, hard cover book. His eyes grew large.

"What is that???"

"A book."

"Why is it so big?"

It was Game of Thrones. (Enough said, to my fellow readers, of course.)

I literally carried books around in my purse. Large ones. And when I was bored, in the grocery line, walking into work, sitting on my parents couch, I read. And read. And read.

I still have a stack of books begging to be opened on my night stand. But I have told myself I don't have the time. I also don't have the time to workout. Or sometimes shower.

The truth? I don't make the time. At the moment, it isn't a priority. What is a priority, is playing with my daughter, cuddling with my daughter, feeding my daughter, bathing my daughter...you get the gist.

Then, there is sleep. Beautiful, elusive sleep. That is most certainly a priority but rarely gets fulfilled.

All this to say that I am making myself read again. Right now, I am working on productive topics that would help me personally and professionally. I am currently reading Grit by Angela Duckworth. The first chapter was a wonderful introduction in what it means to be gritty and how she discovered the difference between grit and talent.

I am a writer. I just am. Like reading, the written word is etched in my veins. It is lovely, it is captivating, it is me. But I haven't made it a priority all the same. But have I abandoned my talent? Perhaps "talent" is subjective but I would say no. I believe that talent typically remains, whether or not we choose to use it or push ourselves to the very limits of our potential.

Grit pushes us, drives us. Tips us over the edge, then helps us soar.

I do not have grit. Somewhere over the years I lost it. Or maybe I never had it. I looked in the table of contents and was relieved to see that the coming chapters teach us to grow grit. I think about the moms who are earning degrees while working a full-time job and I become exhausted. I think about the activists and bloggers and CEO's and I sigh.

How do they do it? Well, they just have more grit than I do. Sleep, perhaps, is not as important and maybe neither is laundry or cooking dinner. Either way, they work hard and pursue their dreams.

The first chapter ended with these words: "Our potential is one thing. What we do with it is quite another."

I am hoping that by the time I finish this book, I have developed grit. So let's talk in another 3 months.


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