Grit

Grit

Adult nonfiction
"Why were the highly accomplished so dogged in their pursuits?
For most, there was no realistic expectation of ever catching up to
their ambitions...Each was chasing something of unparalleled interest
and importance, and it was the chase--as much as the capture--that was
gratifying. Even if some of the things they had to do were boring, or
frustrating, or even painful, they wouldn't dream of giving up. Their
passion was enduring."
For some reason Americans are obsessed with innate talents.
Whether someone succeeds in sports or writing or anything else, we
want to believe that (s)he is exceptional or a natural. I was brought
up with a different perspective. My college professor mother saw how
many students seemingly full of potential never lived up to it while
others with serious work ethics achieved way beyond expectations.
Those were the people she taught me to respect. When I became a
mother I tried to teach my kids to focus on the self discipline and
drive rather than the innate traits or external rewards. Instead of
praising for getting an A or saying "of course you did. You're
smart.". I'd say, "You studied hard for that test and skipped going to
the party. I'm proud of you." I also made sure to set an example of
perseverance. When I ran for school committee I went door to door
talking to people even though a lot of nights it was the last thing I
wanted to do. I lost my first two elections. I got the message that
people would understand if I called it quits. I was a long shot,
living on the wrong side of the tracks in a town where people judged
each other on where they lived. I won my third election and served 11
years, rising as high as chair.
Angela Duckworth, author of Grit: The Power of Passion and
Perseverance, would have said I was on the right track. As a teacher,
she initially found herself "distracted by talent." Then she noticed
that a lot of her more talented students were pulling down poor grades
while many students who struggled and asked for help excelled. She
went to grad school to understand this phenomenon and came to
attribute it to a factor she calls grit.
Passion is an important part of grit. But there is much more to
passion than infatuation. There is the aspect of sustained interest
and effort. Passion is the top level goal that stays constant even as
the lower level ones, for example, strategies change.
"Grit is about holding the same top-level goal for a very long
time. Furthermore, this 'life philosophy,' as Pete Carroll might put
it, is so interesting and important that it organizes a great deal of
your waking activity. In very gritty people, most mid-level and low-
level goals are, in some way or another, related to that ultimate
goal. In contrast, a lack of grit can come from having less coherent
goal structures."
An long term goal for me was being a parent. For a quarter of a
century my life focussed on being the best mom possible. My kids grew
up. As they became independent I used volunteering as a means of
discovering my passion for post parenting life. In 2010 I began
volunteering at the UMaine campus. What I love most is helping
students fulfill their potential. Now much of my life is focussed in
this direction and I am doing all I can to get into the degree program
that will enable me to turn passion into vocation.
The only passion I've pursued longer is one you're familiar
with--reading and writing. I can't remember a time before I was a
bookworm and story scribbler. For decades I filled notebooks with
descriptions of the books I read for my own enjoyment. The more I did
the better I got. Then one day I was offered a chance to do book
reviews for The Bangor Daily News back when they had freelance money.
The first book I reviewed for print was And If The Moon Could Talk by
Kate Banks. As I sat down to write it I felt almost electricity flow
through me. I felt like I could soar up to that moon. It felt that
right. The naturalness of the feel and the quality of my work stemmed
from all those hours I had spent writing about books because I liked
doing it.
The good news for many of us is that, although a tendency toward
grit may be innate, this very positive trait can be learned.
Duckworth provides guidance for building grit in oneself and nurturing
it in others. Her voice is reader friendly and she has a good balance
between theory, experimental results, and individual narrative.
If you or anyone around you is in need of nurturing this very
important quality, Grit is a wise investment.
On a personal note, yesterday my Amnesty International Chapter had a
letter writing party. We snacked and wrote to heads of governments
about bad things that are going on in their countries and the need for
change. Amnesty International, in my mind, is the conscience of the
world. They bring to light the evils people in power would rather
keep us in the dark about. My prime example is women being jailed for
decades for having abortions, stillbirths, and miscarriages. When
gazillions of people from all over the world write about an issue and
show that it isn't a dirty little secret, often real change happens.
They have on line petitions too. If you care about what happens in
the world and don't have a lot of time or money AI is a great
organization to link up with.
A great big shout out goes out to the smart, funny, and cool people in
my chapter and everyone else around the world involved in AI.
jules hathaway




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