This week I heard about Michael Novogratz on the Tim Ferriss podcast. He used to be a partner at Goldman Sachs before he left in disgrace. He went on to be president and partner at Fortress Investment Group some years later. He, like all of us, has had his rock bottoms. Job loss, rehab and more. Continue reading
Tag: J.K. Rowling
I just read a study entitled: Grit: Perseverance and Passion for Long-Term Goals by Angela L. Duckworth University of Pennsylvania, Christopher Peterson University of Michigan, Michael D. Matthews and Dennis R. Kelly United States Military Academy, West Point.
In it, they share, “In a qualitative study of the development of world-class pianists, neurologists, swimmers, chess players, mathematicians, and sculptors, Bloom (1985) noted that “only a few of [the 120 talented individuals in the sample] were regarded as prodigies by teachers, parents, or experts” (p. 533). Rather, accomplished individuals worked day after day, for at least 10 or 15 years, to reach the top of their fields. Bloom observed that in every studied field, the general qualities possessed by high achievers included a strong interest in the particular field, a desire to reach “a high level of attainment” in that field, and a “willingness to put in great amounts of time and effort” (p. 544). Similarly, in her study of prodigies who later made significant contributions to their field, Winner (1996) concluded, “Creators must be able to persist in the face of difficulty and overcome the many obstacles in the way of creative discovery… Drive and energy in childhood are more predictive of success, if not creativity, than is IQ or some other more domain-specific ability” (p. 293).
Grit. I saw it in Michael Jordan on the basketball court. In J.K. Rowling as she wheeled her baby stroller into cafes to sit and write because the heat had been turned off in her apartment. In Oprah as she blazed a trail as a talk show host. In Barack Obama as he made history becoming president of the United States. In Edison as he failed 10,000 times while discovering the electric light bulb. In Terry Fox as he ran across Canada. In Malala as she spoke her truth.
It’s the effort. It’s the perseverance. It’s the passion. It’s the getting up when we fall.
We all have it inside. But we must choose to use it. The one thing all success stories have is grit.
What story will we write with ours?
I just read this story in the book Real Artists Don’t Starve by Jeff Goins. In 1971, Led Zeppelin was one of the most popular bands in the world. Some critics accused them of being all hype and no substance. So they decided to take a massive chance. They released their fourth album anonymously. Without the band’s name or any of the singers or musicians listed on the cover. Continue reading
In honour of Bell Let’s Talk Day, here is an excerpt from my book, The Treasure You Seek.
January 27, 2016
“There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.”
One in five Canadians suffers from mental illness. Although the topic is being discussed more and more, there is still a stigma attached to it whether it is at work, as a parent, or among friends. Continue reading
Irish writer George Bernard Shaw said, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” Continue reading
In honour of #BellLetsTalk Day 2018, here’s an excerpt from my book, The Treasure You Seek, available at Indigo, Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
January 27, 2016
“There is a crack in everything; that’s how the light gets in.” Continue reading
This week I had the pleasure of speaking to a grade ten careers class. I spoke to the students about finding your passion, having grit, famous failures and doing what you love. Continue reading