There is one thing Americans need now more than ever if we are to survive the current times. It’s a characteristic long admired in our country. It was demonstrated time and again by Hollywood legend John Wayne who embodies this word. Every action film is based on this quality. It is familiar to us all, but we may not believe we have it.
Grit.
The good news is you don’t need to limp, full of bullet holes, through the gauntlet to get the bad guy. You only need follow your heart, your questions, and find persistence. There is a formula for how to do this.
Angela Lee Duckworth, a teacher turned psychologist, has a TED talk and book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, which details what factors determine whether a student, or people in general, will succeed or fail. Grit, as it turns out, is more important than talent and IQ.
Let’s use this model to see how we might change our political circumstances. Each of us has a part to play in putting America right again. It may be an outer action or a more internal process but it’s important we each find our way. Many hands make light work and we need all hands on deck. Think about what is most troublesome to you about this new administration as you go through the four steps. It goes like this…
- Look at what fascinates you. There are questions that bounce around your brain, that may leave for a time, but always return. They will generally be ‘what’, ‘how’, and ‘why’ questions. Why do people do that? What makes this work? How does a person… ? There are many Americans wondering about how we got into this current political climate. What are the civic questions that pull at you?
- Decide on a question to answer and keep it a daily focus. Every day apply the skills and ideas you have to uncovering the reasons for what fascinates you. Continue to expand your skills, find answers and improve your personal best from one day to the next.
- Make a connection between your question and how it fits with the greater good. If, for example, your burning question is to understand the ‘other guy’ you could do it for yourself and leave it there or you could also help others around you understand the ‘other guy’. When our passions have a greater purpose, we tend to have more grit.
- Remember your brain is able to grow and change no matter your age. Recent science shows the brain is not fixed but always able to improve. Take heart your passions are something you can develop and build on. You are capable of your hearts desire and your abilities will improve over time with consistent effort.
Learning to stick with something is the One Thing that signals success in children and adults. It does not mean you have to stay with something if you lose passion, but do stick with something even if it seems too hard to accomplish. I know today’s America seems impossible and so scary, but we do have the capability to create the country we want to live in.
For me, ideas are my strong suit, writing is the passion I am developing and working on every day to get those ideas out in an effort to make the world a better place for everyone, specifically at this time, the America I hold so dear to my heart. I’m hoping to persist, to hold true to my fascinations and my faith, that I can achieve my goal.
Breathe deeply, focus on your passions, take time and energy to find the answers. This is the key to getting America back on track. I have faith in you.
Here is a short explanation of Duckworth’s findings.
Here is a longer interview from Google –