Sharing Resources to Help You Grow Personally, Professionally & Financially

Sometimes it helps to get a little dose of encouragement—along with a good cup of coffee!—to start the day.

Hopefully the message below will help you get off to a good start for the week.  Please feel free to forward the newsletter on to others that you think would benefit from the content.

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Grit

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Do You Have Grit?

In 1975, John Wayne won his first—and only—Academy Award for his role in Rooster Cogburn. The grizzled U.S. Marshal he portrayed had already galloped onto the screen in 1969’s True Grit. And let’s be honest: if John Wayne was in the saddle, the character was guaranteed to have grit in spades.

But what exactly is grit?

We toss the word around often, especially when admiring someone’s determination or toughness. Yet rarely do we pause to define it. To me, grit isn’t just raw toughness—it’s a cocktail of passion, perseverance, self-discipline, delayed gratification, and good old-fashioned resilience. It’s the quiet fire that keeps burning long after the excitement fades. It's the voice that says, “Keep going,” even when it’s easier to quit.

Grit isn’t glamorous. It’s not about quick wins or flashy success. It’s the daily grind. The 5 a.m. alarms. The second (or fifth) try. The willingness to show up and do the work, again and again.

And here’s the kicker: grit can be developed. It’s not a trait reserved for cowboys and movie heroes—it’s something we can all cultivate.

That brings us to this week’s question:

• Do you have grit?

Thanks for sharing a bit of your time with me this Monday morning.  

Have a great week!

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Blog post from this past week:

Monday Morning Motivation - Enough