Day 13 of 100 Days of Hope
The Gift of Grit: What Falling on the Ice Taught Me About Resilience
This past weekend, I had the rare gift of spending one-on-one time with my daughter, Anna. My husband and son were away on a trip, and Anna had one request: “Let’s go ice skating.”
Now, skating happens to be one of my favorite things to do. So off we went.
At first, Anna was a little nervous. She clung to the side of the rink, arms flailing for balance. But with each lap, she found her rhythm. Soon, she was letting go, skating faster, even trying to turn backward because I showed her how.
And then—it happened. She fell. Hard. Her glasses broke, her wrist ached, and her confidence wavered. We took breaks. She thought about quitting. But then—something beautiful—she chose to get back out there. Again and again.
By the end of the night, after more falls and more tries, Anna sat down to take her skates off and said:
“I want to go skating more often. I really want to do this more.”
I couldn’t have been prouder. Not because she was suddenly an expert skater, but because she embodied something far more valuable: grit.
What Grit Really Means
Angela Duckworth, in her book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, describes grit as the combination of passion and persistence. It’s what keeps us going when life gets hard. She identifies four key elements of grit:
Interest – finding joy in what you do.
Practice – showing up consistently to get better.
Purpose – believing that what you’re doing truly matters.
Hope – staying optimistic and persistent, even after setbacks.
Watching Anna fall, get back up, and still want more was a living example of these four elements. She enjoyed skating. She practiced—even after the stumbles. She had purpose—she wanted to learn. And she carried hope—that if she kept trying, she would improve.
Why Grit Matters for All of Us
Here’s the truth: life is a lot like the ice rink. We start unsteady, arms flailing, hoping we don’t fall. And then—we do. We fall. Sometimes we break things (glasses, plans, expectations). Sometimes it hurts. And sometimes it feels easier to just walk away.
But resilience—our ability to rise again—is where transformation happens. Without grit, setbacks define us. With grit, setbacks refine us.
And grit isn’t just about pushing harder. It’s about:
Taking breaks when needed, but not quitting for good.
Seeing failure as part of the process, not the end of the story.
Finding purpose that keeps us motivated beyond comfort.
Choosing hope even when circumstances tell us otherwise.
Building Grit in Your Own Life
So where do you need grit right now?
Maybe it’s in your marriage, where conversations feel stuck but you long for closeness again.
Maybe it’s in your work, where projects feel overwhelming but you know they matter.
Maybe it’s in your health, where you’ve tried before and stumbled, but the desire to grow remains.
Wherever your “ice rink” is, remember this: falling is part of the journey. Success isn’t measured by never falling—it’s measured by choosing to get back up.
Here are a few ways to build more grit:
Reframe failure. Instead of asking, “Why did I fall?” ask, “What did this fall teach me?”
Set small goals. Improvement comes in laps around the rink, not in one giant leap.
Connect to purpose. Remind yourself why this matters to you.
Stay hopeful. Hope fuels persistence. It’s the belief that tomorrow can be better if you keep going today.
A Final Word of Hope
As I watched Anna that night, I saw not just my daughter learning to skate, but a reminder for all of us: grit is what carries us through life’s challenges. It’s not about avoiding the falls—it’s about finding the courage to get back up and say, “I want to do this more.”
So where in your life are you being called to rise again?
Where could you invite more grit and resilience?
Remember: every fall is an opportunity to grow. And every time you get back up, you’re not just skating—you’re becoming stronger, braver, and more hopeful.
With hope,
Julie Burningham
Your Hope CoachWatch this video about it here!