Does your credit union have grit?

Grit is essential for survival. Life gives us challenges and we face most of them when we feel the least capable of handling them. I recently joined toastmasters and during the icebreaker of my first speech, I detailed my talent of being a klutz. It was in that moment I recognized that the story I was really telling was about grit.

This tale demonstrates my adventurous outlook on life, my somewhat hazardous manner of barreling through life to get everything done and the desire to experience as much as possible. All these characteristics are driven by grit, and I think they embody the characteristics I love best in the credit unions I work with.

The short version is that I was four years old and growing up in a rural Wisconsin neighborhood and the youngest by about eight years. I entered a bike race with the full intention of beating a large eighth grade boy. There was a somewhat tragic ending where I was left with tire tracks running up and down my body and a fierce desire to finish the race if nothing else. There was much laughter at my ridiculous appearance and my response was less than graceful. I attempted to chase them until I was exhausted.

I felt pride because I did not cry, a little shame because of my angry response and a slight celebration because I went into the race without a second thought to the size difference between our bikes, and well, between us.

 

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