Whenever a word or phrase keeps coming into my life (in a book title, a YouTube video, a FB post or article or just hearing it on the radio or TV) I try to pay attention and see if I am supposed to do something or learn something. I call this synchronicity but I don't know if this is the right word.
One word that keeps coming to me lately is "grit". Of course I had to Google it and do some research.
Grit - 1. small loose particles of stone or sand
2. courage and resolve; strengths of character
In psychology, "GRIT is passion and perseverance for long term and meaningful goals. It is the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles. "
Here‘s a Ted talk I watched about Grit and success... https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=angela+lee+duckworth+the+key+to+success+grit&mid=8C0E45CE0783B8C8A62F8C0E45CE0783B8C8A62F
If we all think about the things we've been successful with throughout our lives so far, I'm pretty certain we can see that we had some grit. We had goal that we were passionate about and kept working toward it even if it may have seemed impossible at times.( Sure, there are other factors involved as well - seeing and seeking opportunities, motivation. etc)
But how does grit come into place after you’ve had a trauma, such as having a stroke (and like me resulting lifelong communication disorders) or having a major setback? When your whole life changes in a instant. Even if we had grit before, do we still recognize it? Do we even think it's possible to have grit again. How does grit come back? In the video I shared above, Angela Duckworth, a psychologist who studied grit and success , points out we don't really know how grit directly relates to success and how we can teach people to be grittier, but she believes it's possible.
I certainly cannnot claim to know how to make a person who’s had a stroke grittier in order to be more successful in their recovery and to live their best life. But I really believe it's possible. One thing I have discovered since my stroke is that we all have strengths and core values that are still there. It sometimes takes some time to remember these things.
What I can do is reflect on how perseverance of long term goals or grit has enabled me to be where I am today and will help me progress even further.
When I came home from the hospital, I couldn't utter a word or even a sound, I had to have a nurse's aide come to bath me and dress me, I couldn't make decisions about my food, but I could and did have a goal to be able to speak, read and write again and go back to my job. Funny how even though everyone told me that I couldn't go back to being as I was before the stroke, I still thought I could.
I have adjusted or modified my goals throughout the years. I no longer want to return to my old position even if it were open to me now after over 4 years. But I still want to speak more like I did before. I still want to be able to read better and write better in order to share what I've learned and hopefully help someone else's journey easier.
One small example of perseverance is this blog. In order to write my posts, I create draft posts that from time to time I read and write and rewrite and edit, and then finally create a copy good enough to post.
I started this post in May of this year. Some I started even before this. (in fact I have over 90 draft blog posts) Putting my blog on the internet and advertising it is one of my goals. I do this blog in order to document my journey and possibly offer my readers .... hope, awareness....
And today I begin the Ultimate Blog Challenge again. This challenge is offered 4 times per year. It helps bloggers improve their sites, increase readership, and challenges us to blog each day and post comments on our fellow bloggers posts. I have fully completely the challenge two times and have been a part of it many times. My goal for this month is to post a blog each week and to read and comment on my fellow bloggers daily. I think this is the right challenge for me at this time. Doing a daily post would be too much for me at this time. I have other goals which need to be attended to (for example: my video podcast, Aphasia Moments; my three aphasia groups; and some self care). I also think that stretching to do daily posts would not serve my readers.
Until next Sunday.....
Thank you for sharing your journey! I look forward to following you.