Grit

I'm a huge fan of TED talks. Many times I spend my lunch hour eating while watching them. It's a nice break because it gets my brain thinking about something else, thus giving it the break it needs mid-day to get back to business feeling invigorated.

One that I really love is a discussion about what makes people successful by Angela Lee Duckworth. It's only about 6 minutes long, so I recommend watching it. Basically results show that "grit" is the key attribute that makes people successful. 

Grit = Passion & perseverance for long term goals

On my trip there have been some moments where grit has come in handy. After all, life can't be all sugar coated rainbows right? Grit is what gets you through to the next stepping stone, and the next one, and the next one even when you fall off or find one that is broken, or are unsure of if there is another stepping stone to step on next.

Some of the grittiest people I encounter are involved with adaptive sports - coaches, volunteers, athletes. They just never seem to take "No" or "Impossible" for being any kind of answer. It's all about having the will to find a way.

So what if the dock is a half mile away from the boathouse.

So what if we don't have a regulation adaptive boat.

So what if we have to roll down a levee or off a ledge to get to the launching area.

So what if I've never transferred to a boat before.

So what if we have to do some temporary jerry-rigged thing to try this.

So what if I'm sitting on a lawn chair over an erg to row.

So what if we use some duct tape.

So what if I get some slalom/obstacle course practice between shore and the water.

So what if we don't have any money...YET!

So what if I have to be carried a portion of the way to the dock. 

So what if the only oars, boat, equipment I have to row with are 30+ years old.

So what if we can only be on land at the moment.

So what if I have to arrange volunteers and coaches for my practices. 

So what if I've never heard of or seen anyone do this before. 

So what if I'm not quite sure how the path to the paralympics works.

Whatever - we'll make it work!

I love it. Seeing how creative people get and how dedicated and motivated people are to get on the water or make sure there are options for people to get on the water is so much fun.

Seeing these folks everywhere I go really encourages me to not be afraid of the unknown - it's just another opportunity to draw out greatness, learn, and get to the next stage. 

The programs and athletes with the most grit are definitely the most successful. Failure is not a permanent condition. Success is not determined by resources, but by resourcefulness. 

I do look forward to seeing these programs over the years not necessarily NEED to be quite so gritty though...

ps. If you're interested in donating towards one of these amazing gritty programs with fantastic gritty leaders to help give them a boost to the next stepping stone let me know and I have a bunch of meaningful suggestions for you :)