The DNA of Grit
What My Great-Grandmother Taught Me About Money
We often talk about financial "strategies" as if they are purely mathematical. We look at spreadsheets, interest rates, and debt ratios. But when you are in the thick of a financial crisis, math isn’t what keeps you going.
Tenacity is.
The Evidence of Your Own Resilience
Resiliency isn’t a personality trait you’re born with; it’s a muscle you build. It comes from the "trying" days—the ones where you wake up and commit to just one productive action.
Every time you choose to move forward instead of giving up, you are collecting evidence. You are proving to your future self that you can do hard things, that you are resourceful, and that you are capable of change. But on the days when your own evidence feels thin, it helps to look at the evidence of those who came before you.
The Story of Rosanna
In 1904, my great-grandmother Rosanna found herself at a terrifying crossroads. She had nine children, was pregnant with her tenth, and her husband had just died suddenly. She was uneducated and living in a small Missouri town with almost no options.
She didn't stay stuck. She boarded a train with her children and headed for Utah, fueled by faith and a sheer refusal to break.
My grandfather was that unborn baby.
When I look at my own financial hurdles—the bills that feel too high or the goals that feel too far away—I realize they can never equal what she faced. Yet, her blood runs through my veins. Her strength is a part of my cellular makeup. If she could board that train, I can make this next right choice.
A Glossary for the Hard Days
When "persistence" feels like too heavy a word, I look to its synonyms. Each one offers a different way to stand tall:
Moxie: Keep your heels, head, and standards high.
Regrouping: Remember that nature takes a season to lie dormant to prepare for new growth. It’s okay to pause, as long as you don't stop.
Guts: Remind yourself that, so far, you have survived 100% of your worst days.
Steadfastness: It isn't about giant leaps; it's about the small steps taken every single day.
Your Day One
There is a popular saying: "One day, or Day One—you decide." Today can be just another day of feeling overwhelmed, or it can be "Day One" of your new legacy. You don’t need to see the whole path; you just need the tenacity to put one foot in front of the other.
