grit

I just finished a fantastic book called Grit, written by Angela Duckworth. The book took a scientific look at what causes some humans to achieve astounding accomplishments, while others falter. Now, the typical narrative is that high achievers are inherently smarter, stronger, more creative or more talented; that they're simply built that way. And if you're not one of those fortunate people then you're out of luck. However, Angela's research showed that natural talent, while helpful, actually had very little to do with achieving outrageous success. Grit. Grit is the common denominator amongst highly successful people. The unwavering passion, unyielding perseverance and an absolute unwillingness to give up, even in the face of monumental failure or overwhelming defeat. In addition, it wasn't just that these high achievers refused to quit, it's that they insisted on learning as much as possible from their failures, to grow from their defeats, and to apply what they learned to be even stronger the next time around. And, if necessary, to continue that cycle for as long as it took to achieve their goal. So remember to not overly glamorize the successful. While they may have natural talent, it's much more likely that they simply want it more than you, and worked way, way harder to get it.
​
"For if we think of genius as something magical, we are not obliged to compare ourselves and find ourselves lacking…To call someone “divine” means: here there is no need to compete."
-Nietzche