Grit-Power of Passion and Perseverence by Angela Duckwood

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Talent might bring you a one time achievement but the willingness to put an effort brings you a life long achievement. Grit is not just “falling in love but staying in love” despite the hurdles. It is “rising the eighth time even after the seventh fall” and not giving up one one’s goal. It is also doing the work of one’s interest so that one can really take pleasure in doing the work and hence, positively contribute to the community and even give hope to some people. 

Willingness to stay in tough situations even without seeing the result will take you through a long journey but the result is always better in fact the best. Example: as cited in the book, challenging oneself to stay a bit longer on the treadmill while some of us are happy with the first record. Often, we tend to be satisfied with the small achievements and we don't even try to see bigger things which might have been better than the small achievements. So, we can’t rest up for the small achievements in life because the view is much more beautiful if viewed from the hill top rather than from the base. People wanting to lose weight can be one similar example where some give up even before trying, some reach half way and only a few stay committed and consistent till the end. 

On the theory that American adults were the gritties in their sixties and least in their twenties I feel it is just the opposite in the society I come from. What happens is young adults who join their service always come with a lot of passion to make a difference in the society. However, when one ages they lose those passions and do not even try to change. They just do what's in front of them and avoid unnecessary work. However, this is directly related to the work environment and the leader plays a critical role in the performance at work. Even if the job isn’t one’s actual dream but one gets to like it when there is a good surrounding led by a supportive leader and the same can also happen otherwise.

As a child we come with big ambitions and dreams to be a doctor or engineer or a pilot but as you grow up situations do not help us pursue our dreams. Dreams get shattered and we start making practical decisions especially when you have the younger siblings looking up to you. Situations demand us to make sacrifices and that's how dreams fade as you enter the real world. In situations like this even grit cannot hold on from giving up. Therefore, there surely are “real constraints on the choices we make on how to make a living.”However, it is true that when one ends up doing work which he/she is not passionate about then it is more likely that he/she will resign or look out for better opportunities. One thing that can save our dreams from being shattered is a miracle that can be done only by hope. I resonate with the author that giving hope at the right time can be one turning point of choosing the path of grit and giving up. 

The thing about fixed mindset and growth mindset is discussed in every subject and is preached to others even over a casual dinner but little do we reflect on ourselves. Growing up in a stereotypical society it is even difficult to grow out of one's house. Nevertheless, people with a growth mindset always outweigh the weaknesses and obstacles and shine in their lives.

Oftentimes we do not know how to acknowledge ourselves and are drowned in our pessimistic talks. At the same time, we are so affected when the third person talks down on us but we don’t realise when we do it ourselves. So, if we want the world to acknowledge our self worth it should start with optimistic self talk like the author has mentioned. This optimistic self-talk can be a very powerful tool especially for people like me who still get stage fright despite getting on stage a thousand times, still getting nervous to give a simple presentation although I have practised that for more than 15 years. At such moments, I have this little chant to encourage myself. It's simple. I repeat ‘I can do this’ 21 times and my nervousness breaks down. Here, the author's theory of repeating things can also be resonated.

Positive feedback sometimes makes us complacent and feel like we are the best and we do not try to improve. However, the feedback that might sound a bit harsh challenges us to improve on our weakness and later when a difficult situation comes along we deal with it better than those who have always been receiving positive feedback all the time. It is very similar to the situations we grow up in. Some of my friends worked during their school breaks to make the expense for the school while we would be just wasting our time playing. Later, when we had to live on our own I noticed that those friends who had a demanding childhood situation fit in the real world better than us. 

Teaching is one profession which requires a lot of passion so like the author I also feel that a gritty teacher can definitely make a change in a student's life. In the class there will be students of different learning capacity which might require the teacher to come up with different teaching methods and most importantly never give up on a student. Hence, deciding to be a teacher should not be just a random job option but should come with the passion, grit and most importantly purpose to touch the lives of others. 

Ultimately, grit boils down to finding one’s interest and while doing so it is even okay to give up things if it does not capture your interest but to find out the activity of your interest the activities has to be carried out repeatedly for more than a year. Once you discover your interest it has to be pursued with passion, determination and commitment. It will then lead you to the path of happiness and contentment whereby you will not only be helping yourself but also the people around. You are making a positive change in society and even influencing or giving hope to younger generations to look up to you. Therefore, if one is feeling lost and not able to assess your own interest or even looking for hope then I recommend this book.