Staying on the ride.
Do you remember carnival rides as a kid? Maybe it was your first real memory of teacups, so you did not have anything to think back on as the cups spun faster and faster and you were sure they would fly right out of the park. What did you do as the speed increased? Did you put your hands up and scream? Or did you grip the center wheel harder and harder until your knuckles were white and your face devoid of all color?
The human instinct, when losing control or in an unfamiliar situation, is most certainly the second reaction. When we do not know what is happening around us, we reach for control and safety as quickly as possible. Grit is the determination we develop to stay in the teacup as its speed increases- getting comfortable with the discomfort. Immink talks about instances when adults feel this, especially so in the post-modern age of technology.
“Dislocation is when the whole environment is being altered so quickly that everyone starts to feel they can’t keep up. That is what is happening now. Indeed, there is a mismatch between the change in the pace of change and our ability to develop the learning systems, training systems, management systems, social safety nets, and government regulations that would enable citizens to get the most out of these accelerations and cushion their worst impacts. ”
Gritty culture is supported by an inquisitive, supportive team who is open to questions and failure. In fact, failure is not the correct word to use. Carol Dweck, esteemed researcher and psychologist, shared about the power of yet. She noted that ‘if you get the grade “not yet,” you understand that you’re on a learning curve. It gives you a path into the future’ (Dweck, 2014, 0:23). The Breakfast Bunch’s gritty culture will be supported by my refusal to give up in the face of adversity and, at times, annoying overt positivity. I will cheer until I have no more voice for our team to succeed. I believe wholeheartedly that each of us has something important to offer this learning experience, and I will be relentless in reminding my fellow classmates that growth and grit come from that moment when the teacups are about to leave the Earth’s surface.
References:
Dweck, C. (17 December 2014). Carol Dweck: The power of believing that you can improve. [Video]. Ted Conferences. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/carol_dweck_the_power_of_believing_that_you_can_improve/transcript?language=en.
Immink, R. (2018). Resilience. Oak Tree Press.