Member-only story
how swimming helped me develop grit
it was painful, brutal, and wonderful—a story of determination
“Grit is passion and perseverance for long-term goals. Grit isn’t talent. Grit isn’t luck. Grit isn’t how intensely, for the moment, you want something.” — Angela Duckworth
If you’re a TED Talk person, or even if you’re not, you’ve probably heard Angela Duckworth’s talk on grit.
As someone who was deemed “gifted” at an early age (though the question is — was I talented, or is that just how far my Asian parents were able to push me?), I realized I was able to put in less effort than many of my schoolmates and achieve the same (or arguably better) results.
I realized this, yet I still worked harder than most.
It was how I practiced piano for hours on end, until the sharp edge of the piano seat made a semi-permanent indenture on the back of my legs.
It was how I sat through hours crying at the kitchen table; both my father and I frustrated at my 8-year-old mind’s inability to comprehend algebra.
