But. BUT. I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about this little word: Grit. Four letters that pack a punch. Moral Fiber. Toughness. Resolve. Perseverance. Endurance. Guts, baby.
A few weeks ago, one of my besties sent me an image of a presentation she was watching about grit. She said as she was listening to the presentation, she kept thinking about me and how I had it. And for some crazy reason, that totally turned my day, week, month around. There's something so powerful about someone else believing in you.
So, I started to think back to when my grit was acquired, because as much as I wish it was something I've always possessed, I feel like it didn't really come to me until late in my teenage years. Some kids have it early on - the ones who fight it out on the sports fields or aim to be valedictorian. I was neither - but I worked hard. That grit - that determination - though, didn't come until my junior year of high school when I was diagnosed with Systemic Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis.
That diagnosis was such a game changer for me in so many ways. My childhood subsequently ended as I shuffled, quite literally, back and forth to doctor's appointments. I took a heavy cocktail of prescriptions while filling out my college applications, staying on top of my homework, and having a normal 18-year-old life. I went through college on Methotrexate, a chemotherapy drug, so when most co-eds were fighting hangovers on the weekends, I was mostly just tired from my meds. At the time, I didn't really think anything of it. But looking back, I realize how much that really set me up for success in life. Because grit, baby. Never giving up, not giving in, and continuing to push forward even when it was an uphill battle. GRIT.
So if you've been struggling, in any aspect of your life, dig deep. Find your inner grit. Channel it. Harness it. And push through. Because baby, the other side of this struggle is so, so sweet.
