Grit isn't just Something you put in the Bottom of your Birdcage

I'm pondering perseverance right now. This is partly because I need some, and partly because as I take a closer look at it, this particular commodity has all the earmarks of the legendary "silver bullet"--the one element that can move us toward success, toward our dreams, toward deeper connections in relationship. That's the amazing good news. The not so amazing news is that perseverance is not easy.
Not usually pain-free. And very rarely fast.

What good is a slow silver bullet, for heaven's sake?! Not much, if you want what you want and you want it now. (That would be me a lot of times). But it strikes me that hoping for that magic "suddenly" is not good policy for a couple of reasons. For one, if you don't know how you got somewhere, you won't know how to sustain that position. Think about it: if you "fall" in love, will you know how to stay in love year 5? 15? 25?

For another, human nature seems to assign less value to what we have not worked for. Whether it's a college education or a hamburger, if you have it handed to you on the proverbial silver platter, you may leave it half uneaten because you're unaware that someone, somewhere spent part of their life to put it in your hand.

And that leads me to this thought: in reality, there are very few "suddenlies." Whether it's parenting, personal achievement, or pretty much any other realm, a "suddenly" is but the culmination of a whole lot of time and effort and not giving up. You keep doing that long enough and "suddenly" the cup is full. The degree is in your hand. The relationship is solid and healthy.

Grit isn't just something you put in the bottom of your birdcage. It's that never give up stick-to-it-iveness that we reach for when all we really want to do is call it a day. Yup, I'm thinking that perseverance is worth the price, the closest thing to a silver bullet out there, and ammunition well worth carrying...