“GRIT” by Angela Duckworth

Reading “Grit” by Angela Duckworth, I finally understood that Michael Jordan had grit.

“Grit has two components: passion and perseverance.
Grit isn’t just working incredibly hard.
Grit is about working on something you care about so much that you’re willing to stay loyal to it.”

Not being really interested in basketball, I just assumed that MJ was just a very talented player.
But seeing “The last dance,” I realized how much work and effort was behind MJ’s talent. I was extremely impressed with MJ’s work ethic.

“When we can’t easily see how experience and training got someone to a level of excellence that is so clearly beyond the norm, we default to labelling that person a <<natural>>.”

Angela Duckworth researched the importance of effort versus talent. And she discovered that effort is equally important as talent.

“Focus on talent distracts us from something that is at least as important, and that is effort.”

Here is what Will Smith thinks about talent and effort:
“I’ve never really viewed myself as particularly talented.
Where I excel is ridiculous, sickening work ethic.
The separation of talent and skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things.
Talent you have naturally. 
Skill is only developed by hours and hours of beating on your craft.”

No wonder that one of his best friends is Tom Cruise, who has the same work ethic as Will Smith.

Kindle, 2020