True Grit

To share what grit is I will share an example that happened to me. It was my high school year when my parents decided to put me on the swim team. I swam all my life, ever since I was little in Guatemala, swimming has always been one of my strongest sports. However in the swim team in high school, I did not take the sport seriously. The swim team would practice, in the morning around 5:00 am, until 7:00 pm, and then we would have an afternoon class starting at 3:00 pm until 5:00 pm. For me at the time, I was less than exited to wake up extra early in the morning to go swim and then spend the rest of my time at school and then again go to practice for another 2 hours. However I decided to go to the afternoon practice instead, this being my first year in the high school team, I started off being in the first lane where all the new swimmers meet. However I was faster than them, and I would watch them struggle to try to keep up with me. I would often hear the other swimmers talk about, how much they want their time to drop, and how exited they where for competitions against the other schools. But for me, I could honestly care less. My coach would encourage me to come to the morning class from time to time, but I never did. 

It got to the point where I would not socialize fully with the swim team, I would wear my jacket showing I was part of the team, but only for bragging about it. After a couple of weeks, I started to notice something interesting, the other swimmers seemed less tired, and more energetic. After a few months, a lot would pass me, leaving me behind and some even moved up lanes to be with the fastest swimmers in the school. I was angry with them, wondering why they have gotten faster, if I been swimming longer. Eventually I was left in the first lane with only 3 other swimmers, who also would come to practice from time to time. And I saw the other swimmers, be with the fastest ones at school. And after a swim competition, my coach would tell me, he was not even paying attention to how I was swimming. Later on, my mother took me out of the swim team. And I left with the feeling that I never even joined. I was not persistent and because of that I failed being on the swim team. At the end of this I learned that I needed to have more grit in my life. That way I will be able to achieve my goals. 

Later in my life I decided to get a job using my swim skills to become a lifeguard. It was almost summer, and I was turning 16 years old. My father suggested me to become a lifeguard at a water park called, Seven Peaks in Provo Utah. I was super excited. I always wanted to be a lifeguard, and I could imagine myself being one. When I first got interviewed I wore my best clothes, washed my face, practiced, and showed up early. The interview went great, and I got asked to join a class where I would learn how to do CPR and use equipment and do the swim test. I said I would join the class, and about a week later I found out the classes where one week, from 3:15 pm to 7:45 pm. Basically the swimming part of the exam was a peace of cake since I was on the swim team, and I ended up being one of the first to finish it. However the written exam was a struggle for me. We got two chances for each test, and there was three tests in total. I was never good with tests, and unfortunately, I failed all of them in my first try. Me being disappointed in myself, I went on the last day to try to retake them. I studied and studied and marked as much as I could, I prayed and tried to find any way to help me pass those test. I wanted to become a lifeguard, and that was my main focus. I went and took the first exam, and passed! Then I had a small break, and during that break I had other people helping me study for the next one. I took the second one and passed. I was excited, but the third one was the hardest, so I studied even more. I took it and just had enough points to pass. I was proud of myself, I felt accomplish and I took the job proudly. I even worked there the following summer and managed to save a couple of lives.

Let us teach our children to be competitive in appropriate situations. Even when they fail they need to learn that we can always learn from our mistakes. Let us all have more grit in our life. 

References

Michael B (2019). True grit more about passion than personality, study suggests. Retrieved from: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2019-05-true-grit-passion-personality.html

Jill C (2020). “I Will Go and Do …”How (and Why) to Teach Kids to Have More Grit  Retrieved from: https://www.verywellfamily.com/how-parents-can-teach-kids-grit-4126106