Grit Baby, GRIT!

The last two posts looked at dreaming as well as habits.  The whole idea is that we want to make shifts in life but how?  That is why I have looked at dreaming as the source.  On the other hand it seems like connecting dreams with hard goals and driving towards them have created a world that is in danger of falling apart.
That is also why habits can serve as a method of making a shift by focusing on the moment and intrinsic value.  From here the challenge is to stick to one thing.  Identify an area of passion that can be sustained over a period of time.  It means that you have to combine perseverance with sustained passion in order to get things right.  Not just an interest or curiosity but a burning passion for something over a long period and whenever something becomes too challenging you have the ability to persevere through the difficult times.  This is what is called grit and you can watch this video to understand it better.  I guess the words of Mister Han in the latest Karate Kid rings true: "Your focus needs more focus."

The challenge however is that you could be sticking to the wrong stuff.  Perhaps you have learned perseverance from your parents or you're that kind of person that never gives up.  You know that you have to do this thing no matter what and no-one can talk you out of it.  But what if it is not really a passion and what you are doing is in fact leading you in the wrong direction - not grit, just perseverance.  Ever hear that old saying that you climb the corporate ladder to the top only to find out that it is leaning up against the wrong wall.

On the other hand you could be too impatient because you are over-passionate.  Perhaps you are pushing too hard to get somewhere.  This is also not grit.  It is truly a delicate yet powerful combination that can propel you forward.  It is a way that you don't have to drive towards change but where you are internally transformed and change occurs around you.

This is truly a rare combination of sustained passion and perseverance that results in true grit.  I meet few people that display this but also find great challenges not to get distracted and rather isolate a passion.  One passion that will give my focus more focus and then... Persevere.