You know that famous line from Rocky about being able to get back up after getting hit? Rocky Balboa is talking to his son when he gives us one of the most inspirational speeches ever delivered by a fictional movie:
It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!
Ah! I can’t hear that line without getting amped up! And I’m not even a movie person (seriously…the last time I went to the movies was when World War Z came out).
The truth in those lines resonates so deeply. Life is an endurance sport. We’re all gonna get tired, bruised, and beat down on occasion. The magic of life emerges when we learn how to push forward when we’re tired, and withstand stuff that’s uncomfortable (or even painful).
Success in life requires resilience. It requires grit. The victim mentality that seems to be all the rage in today’s society is not it. We should always be aiming to become stronger, better, more capable versions of ourselves.
Humans are remarkably adaptable, growth-oriented creatures, but somewhere along the way in our (very recent) evolution, we seem to have forgotten that.
I started Operation GRIT as a response to the growing problem of apathy, depression, anxiety, and hopelessness (and on and on) that’s become startlingly normal. Yes, we’re facing some wild times as humanity, but rather than dwell on the external stuff we can’t control, we need to turn inward.
Now is the time to roll up our sleeves and work on ourselves, because that’s where our true power lies.
I believe in doing hard things. I think fears must be faced. I think anxiety is often a consequence of becoming stagnant in life. Stagnancy breeds a sense of powerlessness, and powerlessness breeds anxiety. Instead of cowering to the external world or hiding from the gremlins of our minds, we have to boldly stride in and take control of our lives.
This isn’t the time to settle, make excuses, whine about our own limitations, or cry about how unfair life is. This is a time to ACT.
This is the time to get out of our cushy little bubbles, stop pumping garbage into our bodies and minds, and learn to hit back. I get it, it’s hard, but a life well-lived isn’t easy.
Life is the ultimate training ground. It’s an incredible opportunity to grow and experience things — to test yourself. But rather than play the game of life, most people are sitting it out. And they’ve chosen to sit it out.
People are benching themselves in their own freaking lives!
I remember reading a passage by Thoreau when I was in college. I wasn’t even an adventurer at that time (like, at all) – but these words struck a chord with me (I wouldn’t come to really appreciate their meaning for many years, though).
Talking about his decision to go live in a cabin by Walden pond for two years, Thoreau explained, “I wanted to live deep and suck out the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms.”
This is how I’ve chosen to live my life: sturdy and spartan-like, absorbing all the good stuff I can, and finding ways to overcome the bad stuff when it happens.
Everyone struggles or feels lost at times. We all go through periods when we feel stuck or confused, but it’s up to us to find our way out. The world, with all its confusion and unknowns right now, is making it increasingly difficult for people to snap out of that funk.
I created the GRIT programs to guide people into their next chapters… the ones where they show up as the best versions of themselves. Operation GRIT is about getting uncomfortable, facing fears, and polishing yourself into the 2.0 version.
Stop settling. Stop just “going through the motions.” This is your one precious shot. If you’re struggling with feeling stuck, Operation GRIT could be the giant jolt that your system needs.
Now, that’s my life philosophy in a nutshell. If you’d like to learn more about how I got here, feel free to check out the following pages where I share the three key life chapters that had an indelible influence on who I am…
