GRIT

Last week we celebrated our first GRIT Week (Growth Resides in Trying) and in reflecting on the themes and activities, I recalled some work from Research Professor and author Brené Brown on courage, vulnerability, shame and empathy. While Professor Brown links these key emotions, I want to mention vulnerability in the context of GRIT Week at Scotch College.

Professor Brown focuses on connection and the ability of people to feel connected and cared for and the neurobiological importance of this to each individual.

We all need to feel we are worthy of love and connection and Professor Brown describes this as "whole-heartedness". She found that people who are strongest in this area have the following things in common:

• A sense of courage – the courage to be imperfect.
• The compassion to be kind to themselves and to others – we all need to be kind to ourselves first so we can also treat others with compassion.
• Connection with others as a result of authenticity – the willingness to let go of who they feel they should be, to be who they are.

The other thing these people have in common and a very important factor is that they fully embrace their vulnerability. These individuals have a willingness to do things where there are no guarantees about outcomes, they are willing to try and to invest in things, which may or may not work. This vulnerability can be seen as essential to creativity, to happiness and to understanding both ourselves and others.

Having worked through a number of different activities during GRIT Week and exposed the students to more situations where they might feel vulnerable but were learning skills including resilience and persistence, we also need to consider our own role in their growth.

Our children are hard-wired for struggle when they are born; it is part of life. Our role is not to make them 'perfect' or to smooth the path for them so they have an easy run as this may lessen their ability to navigate the ups and downs that are life. Our role is to support and guide our children but also to allow them to experience their own success and failure, to help them build their 'GRIT' and to understand that both are part of life.

As Professor Brown noted in her TED talk, The Power of Vulnerability, on June 2010 that "our job is to look at them and say you know what, you are imperfect and you are wired for struggle, but you are worthy of love and belonging".

I would like to acknowledge all those staff and students who contributed to the organisation of GRIT Week and embraced the numerous activities that ran on campus. It was a fantastic week. Thank you.