Grit is an elusive term, you can grasp at what it is, but it is hard to put it into words.   I guess, if you really think about it, it is a bit like defining a complex feeling such as love.  You can begin to define it, but it looks so different across a spectrum of scenarios, that you end up with convoluted explanations and that fleeing sensation that you don’t really understand what it truly entails to have grit.   

My first encounter with the idea of grit came during my masters year at the Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP).  I was sitting in my “Teaching Young Children Literacy” class during my master’s year when Rachel Lotan, our class lecturer, stated in no uncertain terms, that the two truths she holds irrefutable in education are:

1.  One can not start reading too soon to a child; she started reading to her grand kids during gestation.

2. The biggest predictor for student success is the student’s level of resilience.

My interest in the subject peaked.  At that moment, I felt as if she was about to answer a nagging question that had consistently led me to doubt my place at Stanford.  Was I really good enough to have earned a coveted admission spot at this renowned institution?   After hearing her explanation of resilience, I realized that I was good enough to have earned my place among my peers.   However, what made me good enough was the exact opposite of what had made my peers earn their place at Stanford.  I earned my place because I had proven beyond a doubt that I had the sufficient grit to overcome the adversity I would encounter throughout my Stanford years.  In a nutshell, resilient people are tough, they face adversity as a challenge to be overcome and never surrender their hopes and dreams to momentary setbacks despite their magnitude.     

I came to learn that I was resilient.  I also found that resilience is one of the five characteristics of grit; these will be covered in later posts.  There are many dreamers out there caught in bad circumstances, fighting to rise above them, and often feeling alone in the world.  In this legacyofgrit blog I want to be a companion to the person fighting to overcome obstacles and reach impossibly big dreams.   The posts found here will speak to those who need a little motivation, a little advice from someone who has been there, and cover the importance of developing consistent healthy habits to help us move past struggles into wins.   Will you join me in this gritty adventure?