Grit is not about having all the answers, but a desire to do something and be part of something larger than yourself. I had no idea I was going to end up in anything like TED. The different pieces of the journey kind of came along as surprises. For me, it was like I had a craving after 10 years of doing lots of different things. It goes back to you don't have to know what the other thing is. You have to find a life of what a value of meaning, of interest, of passion at some point.
What does it take to persevere and succeed, not just in our careers but in all aspects of our lives? For psychologist Angela Duckworth, the answer can be summed up in one concept: grit. She explains the ingredients in grit and the experiences that make one person persist where another gives up — and offers concrete steps to instill grit early in life and sustain it.
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