A series on resilience and GRIT

When it comes to the pressures that we are under with the COVID-19, and hell in general from the world. There is one key factor that determines success. Whether called resilience or perseverance or grit, it amounts to the ability to get back up on the horse and keep riding.

"Knocked down seven times, get up eight." -Samurai axiom

What makes grit an imporant factor is the nature of success and failure. 'Failure' as the world has come to know it is NOT the opposite of what we have concluded is SUCCESS. For that matter success is often made out to be some sort of static goalpost we can tactically arrive at. Both of these premises are false.

"Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge

I will be promoting my book soon about GRIT and the ways and means to cultivate it in your life. But given the circumstances I wanted to go ahead and offer bits and pieces of what I have learned over my life time of struggles to assist others in this time of need. Please pass it on to all you think need this message.

Failure is NOT the opposite of success, but the cobblestones we use to pave the road to success. We are all on a journey that does not end with one particular success or another we pass through mutiple successes in life and to get there we must work past our failures and learn as much as we can from them. About the challenge, about the obstacles, and about ourselves.

To that end let me talk about the grit your have. Yes you. You have it. You know why I know you have it. You woke up today. You got up... you are reading this article. You have it. You did not give up, you have not succumbed to the multitude of pressures that told you to give up. You made it this far and you have succeeded. Yes success is yours.

It is easy in our yardstick of measuring we do on a daily if not minute by minute level to think that this is some small accomplishment. I rest assure you it is not. As thousands right now are dying from an invisible threat we are reminded rather poignantly of the threats we face every day.

Challenges that we overcome everyday. Every damn day. And we are still here!

No matter your struggles now. No matter the pressures you face this moment or how dire it seems. You made it. You are here right now. And if you focus on now, compartimentalize each moment you will make it to the next.

Musashi's lesson to us is simple and profound. He says that nothing outside of ourselves is going to take us where we need to go. It is only through what we bring that we can get to our destination. It is not that we cannot be a support or find a support in others. That is unbelievably important in our overall resilience. But what is going to get you through in the end is what you bring to the table.

A major part of knowing what it takes to survive regardless of what has been thrown at you is to know that you have already survived so much. Do not compare with the struggles of others... you have had your own mountain to climb, your obstacles, your successes. Own them.

And know that you are still here. You have grit. You can face each and every challenge for we are the descendants of warrior kings. You have within you the successful accumulation of thousands of generations of successes before you in your blood.

And you are still here.

Please give a shout out to any and all on the front lines of the pandemic and lets all support them in any way we can.

Keep you chin up out there and believe in yourself. I do.

Larry Clements Sensei

Director of Leadership Development Cypress Resources