June 10, 2025 • 18 mins
Grit separates surviving from thriving. It's not glamorous or trending, but it's the backbone of how we keep moving forward – especially when no one's watching.
What does real grit look like? Sometimes it's celebrating a milestone nobody thought possible. My dad, diagnosed with multiple myeloma cancer in 2015 with a three-year prognosis, just marked his 10th year post-diagnosis. Through grueling stem cell and T-cell transplants, two brushes with 50-50 survival odds, and countless challenging days, he chose to fight. His remission today isn't just science – it's a testament to endurance, faith, and refusing to give up.
Grit also appears in unexpected places. When our newly adopted shelter dog was diagnosed with rare, terminal cancer, my children showed what grit truly means. Instead of pulling away from inevitable heartbreak, they've leaned into love – giving extra cuddles, special treats, and making every remaining day count. That's grit in its purest form: choosing to show up with compassion when your heart is breaking.
Research backs up what we intuitively know. Angela Duckworth's groundbreaking studies revealed that grit – defined as passion and perseverance for long-term goals – predicts success better than intelligence, talent, or background. In studies of West Point cadets, successful salespeople, and high achievers across fields, the common thread wasn't natural ability but consistent determination. The good news? Grit can be cultivated through discipline, mindset, and faith.
Where do you need grit today? Maybe it's showing up for a struggling loved one, persisting through a career setback, praying when your faith feels dry, or serving your community without recognition. Whatever challenges you're facing, remember – you've got more grit in you than you realize. Don't give up. You're stronger than you know, and your perseverance today is building the foundation for tomorrow's victory.
Ready to develop more grit in your life? Subscribe to Holly's Highlights and join our monthly email at www.hollycurby.com for practical worksheets to help you cultivate resilience through life's toughest moments.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hi, friend, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast
designed to encourage, inspireand equip you to intentionally
live your life full of purpose.
I'm your host, holly Kirby,motivational speaker, leadership
cultivator, marketingstrategist and personal
cheerleader.
Let's check out today'shighlights.
If you're looking to level upyour skincare routine, you have
(00:24):
got to try Image Skincare.
Their products are professionalgrade, super effective and
leave your skin feeling amazing.
My fabulous esthetician is theone who introduced me to it, so
shout out to Carly there.
I have been loving the resultsand I know you will too.
Even better, when you use mycode at checkout, we both get a
discount.
It's a win-win for your skinand your wallet.
(00:44):
So why not treat yourself andglow up with me?
Head on over to the show notesand grab my code today and let's
glow together.
Hello, friends, and welcomeback.
If you're new here, I'm so gladyou found this space, and if
you've been walking with me fora while, I am truly grateful.
You're part of a community thatbelieves in showing up for the
hard stuff, staying honest andholding on to hope as we all
(01:09):
strive to encourage and inspireand equip each other and
intentionally living life fullof purpose.
Now I recently had a newlistener, reach out and share
with me that he was listening toone of the most recent episodes
when suddenly, one word stoppedhim grit.
He continued to share with methat that word really hits home
for him.
Now that interaction has stayedwith me.
(01:31):
Grit, real grit.
It's what separates survivingfrom thriving.
But it's something most of usdon't talk about.
It's not glamorous, it's nottrending, but it's a part of the
backbone of how we keep movingforward.
It isn't just something we talkabout in motivational speeches
or self-help books.
It's something we actually liveevery day, often in the shadows
(01:55):
and often when no one even sees.
Now, over the weekend, ourfamily celebrated a milestone
that, honestly, we weren't surewe'd ever see.
My dad, who was diagnosed withmultiple myeloma cancer back in
2015, marked 10 years since thatdiagnosis 10 years.
I remember when the doctor saidthe prognosis was maybe three
(02:19):
years.
I remember that quiet shock,the held back tears, the way the
room just suddenly felt smaller.
Twice we faced terrifying 50-50survival odds and twice we
nearly lost him.
But my dad, he chose to fight.
He chose hope.
(02:39):
He went through a grueling stemcell transplant in 2015.
And then, just last year, hewent through a T-cell transplant
, which is a cutting edgeprocedure that came with big
risks and yet no guarantees.
Well, today, with all glory toGod, my dad is in remission.
That's not luck, that's notscience or just science.
(03:00):
That is both a miracle of Godand grit.
It's waking up on the worstdays and choosing to keep going.
It's putting your trust insomething greater.
It's staying in the fight evenwhen you're tired and you're
scared and everything hurts.
Every hospital visit, everysleepless night, every hard
(03:22):
decision, my dad kept showing up.
So let's talk about what gritactually is.
Well, I shared a few episodesago about Angela Duckworth,
who's a psychologist and authorof the bestselling book Grit,
and she defines the word as apassion and perseverance for
long-term goals.
(03:43):
See, grit isn't talent.
It's not how smart you are orhow fast you can learn or even
how lucky you get Although, backin high school, I had a friend
who was so lucky.
Anything she entered she won.
But I digress.
One study that Duckworth lookedat had over 2,800 cadets at
West Point in it, and she foundthat grit predicted success
(04:06):
better than SAT scores, classrank or even physical fitness.
Then, in 2014, a meta-analysisof 88 studies with over 66,000
people showed that grit was tocorrelate strongly with academic
achievement, retention and evenjob performance, especially
when paired with self-discipline.
(04:26):
So if you feel like you're notgifted enough, well, take heart,
because grit matters more.
Grit is consistent, it'senduring, it's your refusal to
quit, it's showing up especiallywhen it's hard.
Think about that.
It's not about intensity, it'sabout consistency over time.
(04:49):
And research backs it up too.
In long-term studies, grit wasthe most reliable predictor of
success, more than intelligence,more than income, even more
than educational level.
Now let me share a few quotesthat I think might capture the
spirit of grit that we're tryingto convey.
One of them, of course, is byAngela Duckworth, where she says
grit is living life like it's amarathon, not a sprint.
(05:13):
And then, of course, everyone'sfavorite, vince Lombardi, where
he says the difference betweena successful person and others
is not a lack of strength, not alack of knowledge, but rather a
lack of will.
There's a Japanese Proverbsthat says fall seven times,
stand up eight.
And, of course, cs Lewishardships often prepare ordinary
(05:37):
people for extraordinarydestinies.
Now I have sayings all over thehouse, and one of my children
has a friend who likes torandomly cite such sayings.
I think I may be being mocked,but these four sayings, if you
will, that we just shared aren'tjust cute sayings.
They are road signs for peoplewalking through deep valleys,
(06:00):
which is actually what my intentof my sayings around the house
are intended to do, which isactually what my intent of my
sayings around the house areintended to do.
But anyhow, grit isn't for thefaint of heart.
Now let me bring you tosomething that we're walking
through right now.
A few months ago, we adopted asweet little dog from the local
pet shelter.
I shared the surprise to uswith you not too long ago here
(06:20):
on season six, episode seven.
I'd highly encourage you tocheck that one out.
It was quite a miracle.
It's really, really interesting.
But especially to date, it seemsto get even a little bit more
interesting, because one morningrecently I woke up in the wee
hours to the doggie hopping onmy chest and I just thought he
(06:41):
needed to go to the bathroom.
Not a big deal.
But once we got to thethreshold of the door, he seemed
to collapse as if he was havinga seizure.
Now I hollered up for mydaughter, who came down to help
comfort him, as I called the vetER, and surprisingly enough,
they shared with me that mostdogs actually have a seizure in
their lifetime, it's just thatwe often don't see it.
So they just told me to watchhim for a bit and if he didn't
(07:04):
have any other issues then itwas probably a fluke.
Well, a few days later, as mykids and I were having dinner, I
noticed the dog raising his armas he slept on the couch and I
kind of thought this comical atthe moment, kind of like, oh, he
has a question.
But as I went to check on himit was obvious he was having
another episode.
So we rushed him to the afterhours vet hospital.
(07:25):
Now what I thought would beremedied with some anti-seizure
meds or something along thatline.
Well, we shockingly anddevastatingly learned that he
has a very rare and fataladrenal gland cancer.
The vet said at most he has ayear, but probably just a few
months left.
(07:46):
Since those early morning hoursI have watched my kids, their
precious, precious hearts, withso much on their plate.
During all of this they havestepped up.
They hug him every day, theyfeed him treats, they pray over
him, they cuddle him and carryhim.
They don't turn away from thehard part.
They respond not with despairbut with love.
(08:07):
They're not running from theheartbreak.
They're showing up in it Now.
We're soaking up all thesefinal months with joy, not
sorrow.
But that's grit.
It's not loud or flashy, it'squiet, it's deep.
It's love that chooses to staywhen it'd be so much easier to
(08:30):
look away, the kind that lookslike showing up with compassion
when your hearts just want tobreak.
You know, I believe grit andfaith are deeply connected.
Grit is choosing to trust whenyou don't see the outcome.
It's believing that God isdoing something, even when you
don't feel it.
To believe there's a reason toendure.
(08:52):
The Bible speaks this truthover and over In Galatians 6, 9,
.
Let us not grow weary in doinggood, for in due season we will
reap if we do not give up.
Romans 5, 3-4,.
Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and
character, hope.
And Joshua 1, 9,.
(09:21):
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid for the Lord.
Your God is with you whereveryou go.
Grit is not just willpower, it'sspiritual endurance, it's
holding on to God when the stormdoesn't let up.
God doesn't waste pain, myfriends.
He uses it to build endurancein us, to shape us into people
who don't give up and don't givein.
So what are some practicalthings that we can walk away
(09:44):
with today.
I'd suggest four of them.
One grit is learned, not born,as Duckworth's studies show that
grit can be cultivated throughdiscipline, habit and mindset.
She found that grit can grow.
You're not born with it orwithout it.
It's like a muscle.
It strengthens throughchallenge.
(10:07):
Number two faith fuels grit.
When you believe there's apurpose to your pain, you can
press through when faced withadversity.
I think of Jeremiah 29, 11.
For I know the plans I have foryou, declares the Lord.
Plans to prosper you, not toharm you.
Plans to give you hope at afuture, me knowing that God's
(10:28):
plans can't be thwarted and thathe is good for me.
Well, it helps fuel the grit.
And then, of course, I cling toProverbs 3, 5 through 6, trust
in the Lord with all your heart,lean not to your own
understanding, in all your ways,acknowledge him and he will
direct your path.
That's where I grasp on.
(10:49):
I don't have to understand it,but it is an opportunity to walk
by faith.
But it is an opportunity towalk by faith.
Number three grit matters morethan talent.
In a long-term study, grit wasthe best predictor of success,
even more than IQ, family incomeor even test scores.
Now a study in the Journal ofPersonality and Social
(11:11):
Psychology showed that grittierpeople is that a word?
Grittier?
I may have just come up withthat word, but people who have
the most grit tend to staycommitted to their goals over
years, even decades.
Grit matters, and it mattersmore than talent.
(11:31):
And then number four grit showsup in love, in families, in
caregiving, in crisis.
Grit is the choice to stayengaged, to keep loving, to keep
believing.
When hope fills thin, itdoesn't mean we aren't going to
wish we didn't have to gothrough it or that you can't be
honest in how you feel about it.
When Doggie was diagnosed withcancer, I thought are you
(11:54):
kidding me?
So be real with ourselves, myfriends, but then press into
love.
Just as 1 Corinthians 14, 13says, just as 1 Corinthians 13,
13 says these remain faith, hopeand love, but the greatest of
these is love, but the greatestof these is love.
(12:21):
So what does this mean for you?
How can you start living withgrit today?
Well, I would have fourchallenges for you this week.
First of all, at home, gritlooks like showing up when your
kids are hard to parent.
It's staying connected.
When your marriage hits a dryseason, it's refusing to shut
down emotionally just becauselife feels overwhelming.
(12:42):
So where are you being calledto endure?
Maybe it's with a strugglingchild, hurting spouse or just a
daily grind.
Maybe it's showing upemotionally when you feel spent.
Don't check out, dig in.
Number two would be at work.
Grit is finishing the job withexcellence, even when no one
(13:04):
sees.
It's starting over afterfailure, and we are all going to
go through it.
I love.
In an interview that I had withChristy Flater back in season
one I want to say episode Idon't know five, eight somewhere
around there but she talkedabout failing forward.
My friends, we're going to fail, but fail forward knowing that
(13:26):
it's giving our best, notbecause it's easy, but because
it's right.
Grit means choosing growth overcomfort.
So where do you need to pushpast frustration and recommit?
Third area would be in yourfaith.
First of all, ask do you haveone?
And if not, I would encourageyou to go back and listen to one
(13:47):
of the episodes in season one.
Think of it's the very lastepisode about hope.
Well, there we can have afoundation in our faith, which
I'll share with you there.
But if you already have faith,then maybe it's praying when you
feel dry.
Well, in that case, I'dencourage you to cling to
(14:07):
Jeremiah 29 and 11 as we spoke,knowing that God has good for
you.
And again, that Proverbs 3, 5through 6, that you don't have
to understand it.
And fourth, in the community,sometimes grit is just saying
I'll be there again and againand again, even when you're
(14:28):
tired.
It's serving without applause.
It's loving your neighbor, evenwhen it costs you time and
comfort.
Whether you're mentoringsomeone, volunteering or just
being present for a neighbor,grit is love and action.
So how can you show that inyour community?
Maybe it's mentoring someone orcaring for someone who can't
repay you.
(14:49):
Don't underestimate the rippleeffect.
I'd encourage you to identifyone of those areas in your life
where you're tempted to give upright now and instead commit to
one act of grit.
It doesn't have to be heroic,it just has to be consistent.
Remember, grit isn't aboutbeing perfect.
(15:11):
It isn't loud or flashy and itrarely makes headlines.
It's not usually on display,but it's what carries you
through the fire.
It's what lets you celebrate 10years after being told you had
three fire.
It's what lets you celebrate 10years after being told you had
three.
It's what allows your kids tolove a dying dog like, every day
(15:32):
counts.
It's about falling and gettingup and trying again.
It's what allows ordinarypeople to live extraordinary
lives.
It's what God builds in us, notin the easy, but in the hard.
Friend, in case no one has toldyou lately, you've got grit in
you too.
Don't give up.
(15:53):
You are stronger than yourealize and God's not done with
you and you don't have to walkyour path alone.
Now, before we sign off, I wantto give a shout out to my dad
for being a living example ofgrit, to me, to my children and
to our entire herd.
Thank you for fighting, dad,and to all who prayed for him
(16:14):
and us or brought meals, sentcards, mowed lawns, even asked
how he was doing through it, oreven checking in on him now.
Thank you.
You were and are a source ofstrength that has helped power,
that muscle of grit for all ofus, and to my children regarding
the path we're walking with ourcute little doggie.
(16:35):
Thank you.
Thank you, babies, for showingup, for helping give this little
guy a loving home for his finaldays, for loving him well and
for exuding grit in such aloving, gracious and selfless
way as you do for Doggie.
I'm so proud of you and I loveyou both more than you'll ever
(16:57):
understand.
My friends, if this episode hasspoke to you, I'd love if you'd
share it with someone who needsencouragement.
You never know who's one momentaway from quitting.
And if you haven't yet subscribeto the show, we've got more
stories coming that will meetyou right where you are.
If you want to dive deeper,join the monthly email on
(17:21):
wwwhollykirbycom.
If you've noticed, we've beenattaching some worksheets that
help you dive deeper.
So that's always going to be inthe email, but I'll try to put
it in the show notes too.
Until next time, keep showingup, keep pressing in and
remember grit grows in thosehard places, but oh how it
(17:43):
shines in the light.
Thank you for joining me onthis journey of life.
I hope that today's highlighthas been encouraging, inspiring
and equipping so you can go outand live your life full of
purpose.
I'd be honored if you'd take amoment to leave a review or,
better yet, subscribe.
We can also stay in touch byjoining my email list at
(18:05):
hollykirbycom.
That's H-O-L-L-Y, c-u-r-b-y dotcom.
Until next time.
Make it a great day for a greatday.
Hi, friend, welcome to Holly's Highlights, a podcast
designed to encourage, inspireand equip you to intentionally
live your life full of purpose.
I'm your host, holly Kirby,motivational speaker, leadership
cultivator, marketingstrategist and personal
cheerleader.
Let's check out today'shighlights.
If you're looking to level upyour skincare routine, you have
(00:24):
got to try Image Skincare.
Their products are professionalgrade, super effective and
leave your skin feeling amazing.
My fabulous esthetician is theone who introduced me to it, so
shout out to Carly there.
I have been loving the resultsand I know you will too.
Even better, when you use mycode at checkout, we both get a
discount.
It's a win-win for your skinand your wallet.
(00:44):
So why not treat yourself andglow up with me?
Head on over to the show notesand grab my code today and let's
glow together.
Hello, friends, and welcomeback.
If you're new here, I'm so gladyou found this space, and if
you've been walking with me fora while, I am truly grateful.
You're part of a community thatbelieves in showing up for the
hard stuff, staying honest andholding on to hope as we all
(01:09):
strive to encourage and inspireand equip each other and
intentionally living life fullof purpose.
Now I recently had a newlistener, reach out and share
with me that he was listening toone of the most recent episodes
when suddenly, one word stoppedhim grit.
He continued to share with methat that word really hits home
for him.
Now that interaction has stayedwith me.
(01:31):
Grit, real grit.
It's what separates survivingfrom thriving.
But it's something most of usdon't talk about.
It's not glamorous, it's nottrending, but it's a part of the
backbone of how we keep movingforward.
It isn't just something we talkabout in motivational speeches
or self-help books.
It's something we actually liveevery day, often in the shadows
(01:55):
and often when no one even sees.
Now, over the weekend, ourfamily celebrated a milestone
that, honestly, we weren't surewe'd ever see.
My dad, who was diagnosed withmultiple myeloma cancer back in
2015, marked 10 years since thatdiagnosis 10 years.
I remember when the doctor saidthe prognosis was maybe three
(02:19):
years.
I remember that quiet shock,the held back tears, the way the
room just suddenly felt smaller.
Twice we faced terrifying 50-50survival odds and twice we
nearly lost him.
But my dad, he chose to fight.
He chose hope.
(02:39):
He went through a grueling stemcell transplant in 2015.
And then, just last year, hewent through a T-cell transplant
, which is a cutting edgeprocedure that came with big
risks and yet no guarantees.
Well, today, with all glory toGod, my dad is in remission.
That's not luck, that's notscience or just science.
(03:00):
That is both a miracle of Godand grit.
It's waking up on the worstdays and choosing to keep going.
It's putting your trust insomething greater.
It's staying in the fight evenwhen you're tired and you're
scared and everything hurts.
Every hospital visit, everysleepless night, every hard
(03:22):
decision, my dad kept showing up.
So let's talk about what gritactually is.
Well, I shared a few episodesago about Angela Duckworth,
who's a psychologist and authorof the bestselling book Grit,
and she defines the word as apassion and perseverance for
long-term goals.
(03:43):
See, grit isn't talent.
It's not how smart you are orhow fast you can learn or even
how lucky you get Although, backin high school, I had a friend
who was so lucky.
Anything she entered she won.
But I digress.
One study that Duckworth lookedat had over 2,800 cadets at
West Point in it, and she foundthat grit predicted success
(04:06):
better than SAT scores, classrank or even physical fitness.
Then, in 2014, a meta-analysisof 88 studies with over 66,000
people showed that grit was tocorrelate strongly with academic
achievement, retention and evenjob performance, especially
when paired with self-discipline.
(04:26):
So if you feel like you're notgifted enough, well, take heart,
because grit matters more.
Grit is consistent, it'senduring, it's your refusal to
quit, it's showing up especiallywhen it's hard.
Think about that.
It's not about intensity, it'sabout consistency over time.
(04:49):
And research backs it up too.
In long-term studies, grit wasthe most reliable predictor of
success, more than intelligence,more than income, even more
than educational level.
Now let me share a few quotesthat I think might capture the
spirit of grit that we're tryingto convey.
One of them, of course, is byAngela Duckworth, where she says
grit is living life like it's amarathon, not a sprint.
(05:13):
And then, of course, everyone'sfavorite, vince Lombardi, where
he says the difference betweena successful person and others
is not a lack of strength, not alack of knowledge, but rather a
lack of will.
There's a Japanese Proverbsthat says fall seven times,
stand up eight.
And, of course, cs Lewishardships often prepare ordinary
(05:37):
people for extraordinarydestinies.
Now I have sayings all over thehouse, and one of my children
has a friend who likes torandomly cite such sayings.
I think I may be being mocked,but these four sayings, if you
will, that we just shared aren'tjust cute sayings.
They are road signs for peoplewalking through deep valleys,
(06:00):
which is actually what my intentof my sayings around the house
are intended to do, which isactually what my intent of my
sayings around the house areintended to do.
But anyhow, grit isn't for thefaint of heart.
Now let me bring you tosomething that we're walking
through right now.
A few months ago, we adopted asweet little dog from the local
pet shelter.
I shared the surprise to uswith you not too long ago here
(06:20):
on season six, episode seven.
I'd highly encourage you tocheck that one out.
It was quite a miracle.
It's really, really interesting.
But especially to date, it seemsto get even a little bit more
interesting, because one morningrecently I woke up in the wee
hours to the doggie hopping onmy chest and I just thought he
(06:41):
needed to go to the bathroom.
Not a big deal.
But once we got to thethreshold of the door, he seemed
to collapse as if he was havinga seizure.
Now I hollered up for mydaughter, who came down to help
comfort him, as I called the vetER, and surprisingly enough,
they shared with me that mostdogs actually have a seizure in
their lifetime, it's just thatwe often don't see it.
So they just told me to watchhim for a bit and if he didn't
(07:04):
have any other issues then itwas probably a fluke.
Well, a few days later, as mykids and I were having dinner, I
noticed the dog raising his armas he slept on the couch and I
kind of thought this comical atthe moment, kind of like, oh, he
has a question.
But as I went to check on himit was obvious he was having
another episode.
So we rushed him to the afterhours vet hospital.
(07:25):
Now what I thought would beremedied with some anti-seizure
meds or something along thatline.
Well, we shockingly anddevastatingly learned that he
has a very rare and fataladrenal gland cancer.
The vet said at most he has ayear, but probably just a few
months left.
(07:46):
Since those early morning hoursI have watched my kids, their
precious, precious hearts, withso much on their plate.
During all of this they havestepped up.
They hug him every day, theyfeed him treats, they pray over
him, they cuddle him and carryhim.
They don't turn away from thehard part.
They respond not with despairbut with love.
(08:07):
They're not running from theheartbreak.
They're showing up in it Now.
We're soaking up all thesefinal months with joy, not
sorrow.
But that's grit.
It's not loud or flashy, it'squiet, it's deep.
It's love that chooses to staywhen it'd be so much easier to
(08:30):
look away, the kind that lookslike showing up with compassion
when your hearts just want tobreak.
You know, I believe grit andfaith are deeply connected.
Grit is choosing to trust whenyou don't see the outcome.
It's believing that God isdoing something, even when you
don't feel it.
To believe there's a reason toendure.
(08:52):
The Bible speaks this truthover and over In Galatians 6, 9,
.
Let us not grow weary in doinggood, for in due season we will
reap if we do not give up.
Romans 5, 3-4,.
Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and
character, hope.
And Joshua 1, 9,.
(09:21):
Be strong and courageous.
Do not be afraid for the Lord.
Your God is with you whereveryou go.
Grit is not just willpower, it'sspiritual endurance, it's
holding on to God when the stormdoesn't let up.
God doesn't waste pain, myfriends.
He uses it to build endurancein us, to shape us into people
who don't give up and don't givein.
So what are some practicalthings that we can walk away
(09:44):
with today.
I'd suggest four of them.
One grit is learned, not born,as Duckworth's studies show that
grit can be cultivated throughdiscipline, habit and mindset.
She found that grit can grow.
You're not born with it orwithout it.
It's like a muscle.
It strengthens throughchallenge.
(10:07):
Number two faith fuels grit.
When you believe there's apurpose to your pain, you can
press through when faced withadversity.
I think of Jeremiah 29, 11.
For I know the plans I have foryou, declares the Lord.
Plans to prosper you, not toharm you.
Plans to give you hope at afuture, me knowing that God's
(10:28):
plans can't be thwarted and thathe is good for me.
Well, it helps fuel the grit.
And then, of course, I cling toProverbs 3, 5 through 6, trust
in the Lord with all your heart,lean not to your own
understanding, in all your ways,acknowledge him and he will
direct your path.
That's where I grasp on.
(10:49):
I don't have to understand it,but it is an opportunity to walk
by faith.
But it is an opportunity towalk by faith.
Number three grit matters morethan talent.
In a long-term study, grit wasthe best predictor of success,
even more than IQ, family incomeor even test scores.
Now a study in the Journal ofPersonality and Social
(11:11):
Psychology showed that grittierpeople is that a word?
Grittier?
I may have just come up withthat word, but people who have
the most grit tend to staycommitted to their goals over
years, even decades.
Grit matters, and it mattersmore than talent.
(11:31):
And then number four grit showsup in love, in families, in
caregiving, in crisis.
Grit is the choice to stayengaged, to keep loving, to keep
believing.
When hope fills thin, itdoesn't mean we aren't going to
wish we didn't have to gothrough it or that you can't be
honest in how you feel about it.
When Doggie was diagnosed withcancer, I thought are you
(11:54):
kidding me?
So be real with ourselves, myfriends, but then press into
love.
Just as 1 Corinthians 14, 13says, just as 1 Corinthians 13,
13 says these remain faith, hopeand love, but the greatest of
these is love, but the greatestof these is love.
(12:21):
So what does this mean for you?
How can you start living withgrit today?
Well, I would have fourchallenges for you this week.
First of all, at home, gritlooks like showing up when your
kids are hard to parent.
It's staying connected.
When your marriage hits a dryseason, it's refusing to shut
down emotionally just becauselife feels overwhelming.
(12:42):
So where are you being calledto endure?
Maybe it's with a strugglingchild, hurting spouse or just a
daily grind.
Maybe it's showing upemotionally when you feel spent.
Don't check out, dig in.
Number two would be at work.
Grit is finishing the job withexcellence, even when no one
(13:04):
sees.
It's starting over afterfailure, and we are all going to
go through it.
I love.
In an interview that I had withChristy Flater back in season
one I want to say episode Idon't know five, eight somewhere
around there but she talkedabout failing forward.
My friends, we're going to fail, but fail forward knowing that
(13:26):
it's giving our best, notbecause it's easy, but because
it's right.
Grit means choosing growth overcomfort.
So where do you need to pushpast frustration and recommit?
Third area would be in yourfaith.
First of all, ask do you haveone?
And if not, I would encourageyou to go back and listen to one
(13:47):
of the episodes in season one.
Think of it's the very lastepisode about hope.
Well, there we can have afoundation in our faith, which
I'll share with you there.
But if you already have faith,then maybe it's praying when you
feel dry.
Well, in that case, I'dencourage you to cling to
(14:07):
Jeremiah 29 and 11 as we spoke,knowing that God has good for
you.
And again, that Proverbs 3, 5through 6, that you don't have
to understand it.
And fourth, in the community,sometimes grit is just saying
I'll be there again and againand again, even when you're
(14:28):
tired.
It's serving without applause.
It's loving your neighbor, evenwhen it costs you time and
comfort.
Whether you're mentoringsomeone, volunteering or just
being present for a neighbor,grit is love and action.
So how can you show that inyour community?
Maybe it's mentoring someone orcaring for someone who can't
repay you.
(14:49):
Don't underestimate the rippleeffect.
I'd encourage you to identifyone of those areas in your life
where you're tempted to give upright now and instead commit to
one act of grit.
It doesn't have to be heroic,it just has to be consistent.
Remember, grit isn't aboutbeing perfect.
(15:11):
It isn't loud or flashy and itrarely makes headlines.
It's not usually on display,but it's what carries you
through the fire.
It's what lets you celebrate 10years after being told you had
three fire.
It's what lets you celebrate 10years after being told you had
three.
It's what allows your kids tolove a dying dog like, every day
(15:32):
counts.
It's about falling and gettingup and trying again.
It's what allows ordinarypeople to live extraordinary
lives.
It's what God builds in us, notin the easy, but in the hard.
Friend, in case no one has toldyou lately, you've got grit in
you too.
Don't give up.
(15:53):
You are stronger than yourealize and God's not done with
you and you don't have to walkyour path alone.
Now, before we sign off, I wantto give a shout out to my dad
for being a living example ofgrit, to me, to my children and
to our entire herd.
Thank you for fighting, dad,and to all who prayed for him
(16:14):
and us or brought meals, sentcards, mowed lawns, even asked
how he was doing through it, oreven checking in on him now.
Thank you.
You were and are a source ofstrength that has helped power,
that muscle of grit for all ofus, and to my children regarding
the path we're walking with ourcute little doggie.
(16:35):
Thank you.
Thank you, babies, for showingup, for helping give this little
guy a loving home for his finaldays, for loving him well and
for exuding grit in such aloving, gracious and selfless
way as you do for Doggie.
I'm so proud of you and I loveyou both more than you'll ever
(16:57):
understand.
My friends, if this episode hasspoke to you, I'd love if you'd
share it with someone who needsencouragement.
You never know who's one momentaway from quitting.
And if you haven't yet subscribeto the show, we've got more
stories coming that will meetyou right where you are.
If you want to dive deeper,join the monthly email on
(17:21):
wwwhollykirbycom.
If you've noticed, we've beenattaching some worksheets that
help you dive deeper.
So that's always going to be inthe email, but I'll try to put
it in the show notes too.
Until next time, keep showingup, keep pressing in and
remember grit grows in thosehard places, but oh how it
(17:43):
shines in the light.
Thank you for joining me onthis journey of life.
I hope that today's highlighthas been encouraging, inspiring
and equipping so you can go outand live your life full of
purpose.
I'd be honored if you'd take amoment to leave a review or,
better yet, subscribe.
We can also stay in touch byjoining my email list at
(18:05):
hollykirbycom.
That's H-O-L-L-Y, c-u-r-b-y dotcom.
Until next time.
Make it a great day for a greatday.
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