When does grit serve you?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines grit as “firmness of mind or spirit : unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger.” A lot has been written about why grit is an admirable quality to possess and many try to justify tolerating unpleasant situations—whether it is a bad relationship or toxic environment—as grit. And they try to sound proud about doing so although they are miserable.

Why would anyone do that? Because the status quo, however awful it might be, is preferable to change. We prefer familiar horrors to unfamiliar happiness because we are petrified of change and try to resist it as much as possible. We like to invent a million excuses to justify staying in an awful place rather than opting for change. There’s a name for this—status quo bias.

Grit is a virtue only when you are persevering in circumstances that serve your needs and aspirations; only when it enhances your life and the person you are. Why waste it on environments or people who don’t? You don’t have to ‘grit your teeth’ and tolerate what you don’t need in your life. Get rid of it. Quit it. Let it go. You don’t have to ‘survive’ anywhere and make excuses for doing so. You need to thrive!

When given the choice, always choose the door leading to change. Walk through it without hesitation. You will not only leave fear behind, but also discover that there is more than enough to satisfy you on the other side. You will understand how small your ‘world’ was when you were ruled by fear and what a wonderfully vast, open space of possibilities the world actually is only when you embrace change. And once you do that, you are more than ready to use your grit as it should be used—to improve and enrich your life on your terms without the need to invent excuses to lie to yourself for staying in a miserable place.