The Number One Truth About Grit

Hearing these voices of doubt make me the saddest.

The people who doubt themselves.

Those who hear my story of overcoming challenges with dwarfism, having 20+ surgeries before I was 18, all sa similar things.

“Your story is so inspiring, but I’m not that strong.”
“There’s no way I could do that.”
“I don’t know how you do it.”

As if I possessed some special power or God-given skill to overcome things that they don’t.

For years, I wasn’t sure how to respond. So I said nothing, silently agreeing with the lie that they chose to believe.

Some people have grit, and other’s down. Simple as that.

People are either gifted and excelled at overcoming things naturally or were doomed for a life of self pity and victim mentality.

Then my wife and I had our 3rd child.

He was born with breathing complications due to dwarfism, which kept him in the NICU for 10 months. His journey during that time was filled with ups and downs. His prognosis seemed to shift by the hour and there were days we weren’t sure if he would make it.

There were days when I would wonder if I could push through it. We were gripped with fear that we would become parents of a child who tragically passed away.

But there was a turning point where my wife and I realized that regardless of the outcome, we had a calling to fill. A calling to be by his side and fight along side him regardless of the end result.

That shift changed the narrative for us. It turned a stressful roller coaster we wanted off of into a moment of presence, faith and resiliency.

Our grit grew.

You are not stuck with what you start with.

You might feel ill-equipped to deal with life’s challenges or believe that you could never overcome what others have.

That’s not true.

And it’s the basis for the work I do. It’s why I started this newsletter. Why I show up to write. The message I hope to inspire the world with.

No matter where you are.
No matter what you are facing.
No matter how hard it might get.

You can grow your grit.