The Importance of Balancing Passion and Perseverance to Reach Goals

The book, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, starts the process of having you evaluate your evolving interests and determination to them. I rated myself on the “Grit Scale” and had a score of 43. Overall, this scale is a really good tool to use for self-reflection, as it starts to show the standards to which you hold yourself. I personally don’t think I possessed “grit” from a young age. As a child, I really feared the uncomfortable and tried to stick to activities and situations that were within my comfort zones. I feel as if I have evolved to posses “grit”, and I can really see the change focused around my mother’s breast cancer diagnosis in seventh grade. During my mom’s battle with cancer, I was forced into a situation that I didn’t ask for or wanted to deal with. The first moment I can see myself showing “grit”, is when I shaved my head after my mom lost all of her hair. For me that is the first time I really persevered against what people expected of me, and followed only what I wanted to do.

Having “grit” has allowed me to reach outside my comfort zone, and find my passions in life. In seventh grade I joined the track team for the first time, and though a lot of work, dedication, and passion I have evolved into the runner I am today. I have found my passion for speaking up for those who can’t, through IRun4Micheal. IRun4Micheal also introduced me to another passion of mine, addiction medicine. I grew up wanting to be a veterinarian, or an oncologist. I never saw myself going into psychiatry, or into the controversial topic of addiction. But it’s a passion that has evolved over several years, and it’s a field of medicine that I hope through a lot of perseverance I can make an impact in.

Through my two passions of IRun4 and addiction medicine, I have questioned life’s philosophy. My two passions are on almost complete ends of the spectrum; one is dedicated to helping to people who can’t physically help themselves and the other focuses around people who have the option to change the circumstances they are in. Through the time I’ve dedicated in both fields, I’ve realized that everyone’s life has a different philosophy and a different meaning. What is “grit” to one person may not be “grit” to another person. Everybody has different experiences and everybody is here to make their own impact on the world. Life’s philosophy depends on each individual, and what they are meant to take and give during their life.

Through reading this book, I have been forced to examine my life and what my own standards are in life. I have definitely tried to start being more mindful of the work I am doing when it comes to school. It’s easy to get caught up in just getting through the semester, and in the process you lose the dedication you have to school and to the major you’ve chosen. I’m trying to be more mindful of the time I spend in class, and of what I am learning. I also have started to examine myself more, and have learned that my “Type-A” personality tends to hold me back in situations, especially when I’m not sure if I can excel in a certain activity. This book has shown me that while I have “grit” and passions, I could work on my perseverance and dedication to certain things.