Grit in action

My 11-year-old boy lost his balance yet again - for the 300th time - and plunged into the lagoon waters of Singapore's East Coast Park. He'd been grappling with wakeboarding for the past 2-3 months, and let me tell you, the journey was slower than a snail's race 🐌.

Now, what's wakeboarding, you ask?

It's a water sport. More like a wild mashup of water skiing, snowboarding, and surfing. The rider rides a board (called the 'wakeboard') over water while being pulled by a cable skiing-style rope.

Since forever, during our family walks to our neighborhood East Coast Park, we'd watch in awe - the pro riders swaying gracefully in these waters, jumping mid-air and performing stunts.

Both my kids were so fascinated that we finally booked them for lessons. They soon realized - it ain't as easy as it looks 😅. Imagine my tiny fellow, all determination and swimsuit, trying to conquer this watery monster!

Splash after splash, he tumbled like a tumbleweed in a windstorm. Most of his falls happened at the far end of the lagoon. And oh, the agony of it all! Each fall meant a swim to the shore, a walk back carrying that bulky wakeboard, and then another attempt only to tumble again.

Now, this wakeboarding gig comes in tiers. We're talking System A for beginners, like training wheels for water fun, guided by instructors. Then comes B, a trickier roundabout, and finally, C, where they practically soar over the water like superheroes.

Guess where our young champ got stuck? Yep, good ol' System A. While his sister swiftly moved through B and on to C, he was grappling with the art of making a U-turn on System A.

What a journey it's been! Weeks upon weeks of trying and failing to perfect that elusive U-turn. My husband even offered the parachute option - quitting. But our boy declined. He was determined to soldier on.

And then, one magical day, it happened. He nailed the U-turn and never looked back. He ascended from System A to B, then soared to C in no time. While he's not quite ready for wakeboarding stunts worthy of a Hollywood movie, his grit has left me awestruck!

Curious, I asked him what kept him from quitting. His reply? He lovvved it! Even in the midst of mishaps and spills, he enjoyed every second of it.

His passion refused to let him quit.

This got me thinking - Can passion alone be the driving force behind grit?

Remember the 3-C Model of Motivation we talked about in a previous post:

• Heart (passion)

• Head (logic)

• Hand (skills)

For our young wakeboarding adventurer, his passion was like an enormous heart-shaped balloon ❤️, while logic and skills were tiny balloons floating around ❣️❣️.

The magic was in the mix: his passion breathed life into the other balloons. It was like his heart led the parade, and the other balloons merrily followed 🎈.

Who knew passion could wield such power?

His journey resonates with a remarkable book by Angela Duckworth, "Grit." It's like a treasure map to persistence and success. The book and our young explorer's story offer some gleaming pearls of wisdom:

1. Genuine Passion Fuels Grit: Passion acts like a rocket booster for dreams. When you're thrilled about something, you'll chase it even if it's as elusive as a bar of soap in the bathtub.

2. Practice Leads to Progress: His routine was a dance of falling, getting up, and repeating. It's what Duckworth calls "deliberate practice."

3. Passion is a Resilience Elixir: When you adore what you're doing, obstacles feel like stepping stones.

4. Effort: The Super Secret Ingredient: Passion isn't a magic spell; it needs sweat and toil. Our young knight's tenacity was like a determined ant hauling a sugar cube twice its size.

5. Tiny Steps Create Big Ripples: Greatness isn't a giant leap; it's small steps that pave the way for grand outcomes.

There you have it - a profound life lesson from a young heart. Passion can triumph over a lack of talent or skill. Enjoy it, pour in the effort, and success will be yours.