Ref: Page 36 of the text by Robert Olmstead

1. Make a declaration. As in the lesson: I knew what love was about. Challenge yourself to be bold about a dozen of life’s most important bits of knowledge. Write twelve lines.
   I knew comfort.
   I knew I was taking a risk.
   I knew how it felt to lose.
   I knew regret.
   I know what it takes to get back up again.
   I’ve known hunger, once.
   I’ve known fear.
   I know what grit is about.
   I know resilience.
   I know my journey doesn’t end here.
   I know the road ahead is perilous.
   I know it’s now or never.
   I have no idea what I’m doing.
2. Pick one of your dozen declarations and craft the five or six conditions you know about it. “It was about…”
   It was about doing the right thing especially when it’s hard. It’s about seeking the obstacle and taking the fight to it. It was about resting and surging again. It was about late nights and early mornings. It was guts.
3. Now claim this for your own. Start by switching to the present tense. “It’s about…”
   It’s about showing up when you’re tired. It’s about claiming this hour. It’s about flight into freedom. It’s about choosing to act instead of being acted upon.
4. Find a single word to change in your paragraph. For example: “I knew the truth about love. The truth is…”
   I knew this was going to be tough but, the truth is, I’m glad I dove in before I fully understood the details. For had I known then what I know now, I’d still be standing on the shore. Instead I’m adrift of my own doing.

I know what grit is about. It was about doing the right thing, especially when it’s hard. It’s about seeking the obstacle and taking the fight to it. It was about resting and surging again. It was about late nights and early mornings. It was guts.
It’s about showing up when you’re tired. It’s about claiming this hour. It’s about flight into freedom. It’s about choosing to act instead of being acted upon.
I knew this was going to be tough but, the truth is, I’m glad I dove in before I fully understood the details. For had I known then what I know now, I’d still be standing on the shore. Instead, I’m adrift of my own doing.