“True Grit is making a decision and standing by it, doing what must be done. No moral man can have peace of mind if he leaves undone what he knows he should have done.” ~John Wayne
The movie: True Grit (the original starring John Wayne).
The scene: John Wayne, on his horse in a meadow, 50 yards across from Lucky Ned Pepper and his gang. It’s the climactic scene that the entire movie is built on. The epitome of true grit.
The lines:
John Wayne: (paraphrased) “Ned, I’m gonna kill you or see you hanged”
Ned Pepper: “That’s bold talk for a one – eyed fat man!”
John Wayne: “Fill your hands you ***-** -*- *****” (as he places the reins between his teeth and charges head on into the fight with guns a blazing.”
Defining Grit
Grit can be defined as: Courage, resolve, strength of character, determination, never giving up, or that one last push when you think you’ve got nothing left, and yet, you still push forward.
Which begs the question: Is there a place for grit in today’s society?
A society that is steeped in freebies, entitlements, and blaming others for their shortfalls and unhappiness? A society where we stopped raising men and women and now raise grown up little boys and girls who think they are the center of the universe? Who crumble at the first sign of adversity?
Is there a place for grit in an education system where you don’t fail, you can turn in assignments late without consequences, and you can’t rid the system of ineffective teachers because of tenure?
Is there a place for grit in our political system where politicians run away from tough decisions because they fear not being re-elected, so they avoid the truth and making the tough decisions?
I believe we need True Grit now more than ever!
What Do You Stand For?
Question: For what idea, value, principle, purpose, or cause, would you place the reins in your teeth and charge head first into that same fight I described above?
If you don’t know the answer to that question , it’s possible you might not be living the purpose-filled life that you want. You might be living a life without grit.
And that’s okay…if that’s what you want.
But maybe you want something different…if so, I have an idea for you.
Each morning when you wake up and evening before you fall asleep, ask yourself the question above…
Until you get your answer.
Who knows…it just might be the grittiest thing you’ve ever done?
And for those of you who’ve never experienced this movie or this scene, here’s a link, it is a classic: True Grit
