I listened to a Ted Talk recently on a surprising predictor of success- GRIT i.e. “courage and resolve.” Perseverance and passion for long-term goals seems to be a key characteristic for going farther in school, getting ahead in your career and even in your personal relationships. And boy do I hear that. The only thing more challenging that maintaining a marriage is perhaps parenting, (ahem, mama of 5 over here) so the idea that perseverance is a requirement of marriage makes sense to me. God calls it love, AKA “long-suffering” and reminds us that true love is not self-seeking, not easily provoked (uh-oh woke culture) and even keeps no record of wrongs. Been spending a lot of time turning my attention inward at this interval in time; pausing to take inventory on my own faults and weaknesses so that I can stand more confidently in who I am and who I would like to be. A woman of character- courageous, not fearful or reactive, resolute rather than fickle. Found a good life-coach to help recently and even a few good books along the way. Common themes all around? The work starts with you. Or as a famous musician once put it “If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.” -MJ Photo by the ultra-talented @lightbyiris