{"id":39416,"date":"2024-11-10T07:40:18","date_gmt":"2024-11-10T15:40:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/?p=39416"},"modified":"2024-11-10T07:40:18","modified_gmt":"2024-11-10T15:40:18","slug":"raising-hope-because-grit-dont-quit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/raising-hope-because-grit-dont-quit\/","title":{"rendered":"Raising Hope Because Grit Don\u2019t Quit!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.\u201d<\/strong>
\n— Attributed to Vince Lombardi<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Lombardi\u2019s quote addresses the idea that grit is the will to keep pushing forward, and despite the difficulty, it is often a quality that determines who moves forward in life and who remains stuck in the space where the difficulty occurred.<\/p>\n

I might know a little something about grit. My family has faced significant challenges, including the loss of five loved ones to suicide, one of whom was my father, and an extended period of dealing with a significant case of elder exploitation against my grandfather, which lasted for four years. The crime remains unresolved. It is purely by the will of God that my career is now in the field of prison ministry, while all these experiences \u2013 mine and those shared by others have played a pivotal role in deeply shaping my understanding of resilience, loss, and the importance of getting back up after your fall. It also fueled my passion for learning, teaching, and building meaningful connections with others.<\/p>\n

Psychology expert Angela Duckworth authored the New York Times Bestseller\u00a0Grit: The Power of Passion and\"\"<\/a> Perseverance.<\/em>\u00a0She first recognized the value of grit as a middle school\u00a0math teacher when she noticed something that didn’t fit the traditional model of success.\u00a0Some students with high IQs struggled academically, while others who weren\u2019t the most gifted still managed to excel, driven by their effort and determination. What was the magic formula for their accomplishments? Was it talent or effort?<\/p>\n

According to Duckworth, it wasn\u2019t talent. Instead, four major components of grit together offer insight into how these students persevered. They were interested in a subject, which led to a willingness to practice it, resulting in a sense of purpose and hope.[1]<\/a> These same qualities are affirmed in the book Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life <\/em>by Gwinn and Hellman, which describes the four characteristics as \u201cdeeply interwoven and work together to support a person\u2019s resilience and ability to achieve their goals.\u201d[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

Duckworth goes on to say that \u201cGrit is not just about working hard; it is about working hard consistently.\u201d[3]<\/a> Megachurch Pastor Craig Groeschel from Life Church has frequently quoted that \u201cSuccessful people do consistently what others do occasionally,\u201d[4]<\/a> a statement originating from Darren Hardy\u2019s book The Compound Effect.<\/em> But failure is also a key part of grit.\u00a0In Carol Dweck\u2019s book\u00a0Mindset<\/em>, we learned last week that a growth mindset welcomes the consequences of taking risks, including failure, because there is always something new to be learned from the experience.<\/span>[5]<\/a> Duckworth believes that having a growth mindset is crucial, asserting that abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort rather than being fixed traits. Can people with a closed mindset have grit? Perhaps on a limited scale. Those with a fixed mindset can be passionate about certain topics and can exhibit perseverance in working toward goals; they may never reach their full potential of grit.<\/p>\n

In reading this book, I eventually asked myself how grit might relate to people in prison. The answer, I believe, is that grit plays a unique and powerful role in a prisoner\u2019s ability to overcome adversity. They can actively participate in available courses and programs, which can develop new passions and ultimately transform their lives. Incarcerated people who possess an open mindset are more likely to pursue rehabilitation goals, despite the challenges of their circumstances. However, I am also a believer that addressing spiritual poverty through these courses and programs will help the participants embrace the lessons sooner and make their impact more likely to stick.<\/p>\n

I understand that grit is a learned quality that is essential in helping people overcome challenges. It is what allows people to take risks, recognizing that no matter the outcome, lessons will be learned that will fuel personal growth. Grit helps people reduce negative influences while revealing new passions where purpose can be found. Ultimately, the gift of resilience is rooted in grit, which is the pathway to my favorite characteristic \u2013 hope!<\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> Duckworth, Angela. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance<\/em>. First Scribner hardcover edition. New York: Scribner, 2016.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Gwinn, Casey, and Chan M. Hellman. Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life<\/em>. New York: Morgan James Publishing, 2022.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Ibid.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> Hardy, Darren. The Compound Effect<\/em>. Special. Hachette Go; Special Edition, 2020.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Dweck, Carol. Mindset: How You Can Fulfil Your Potential; Business, Parenting, Scholl, Relationships<\/em>. London: Robinson, 2012.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cThe difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.\u201d — Attributed to Vince Lombardi Lombardi\u2019s quote addresses the idea that grit is the will to keep pushing forward, and despite the difficulty, it is often a quality that determines […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":193,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[3360],"class_list":["post-39416","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-duckworth-dlpg03","cohort-dlgp03"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/193"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39416"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39419,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39416\/revisions\/39419"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39416"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}