Lifelong Learning: Journey to Decolonize: Inviting Grit, Passion, and Perseverance

Kimberlee Bow, Ph.D.
May 27
4 min read

Let’s face it, walking a decolonizing journey can be challenging. Have you ever seen those memes where someone is walking or riding a bicycle and the road in front of them has hills, valleys, rocks, tight turns, and many other obstacles? Some days the journey feels like that for me. I feel like I continue to fall on my face, make mistakes, and miss the nuances of unlearning and relearning. I never expected the journey to be easy and never will. I am setting us up for a quick moment to acknowledge the grit this journey entails. I will speak from a place of “I” and hope that others relate. I started - and continue - this journey because it is something that means something to me, and I have committed to it, no matter the twists and turns that the journey may take. That brings us back to grit, passion, and perseverance.

Grass sprouts through cracks in pavement at sunrise, with a soft-focus background. Warm, tranquil mood.

Grit

Grit is the combination of passion and perseverance that we use to reach a long-term goal (Duckworth, 2016). The key distinction that Duckworth (2016) makes is that grit is not talent, luck, or a moment of intensity for something we want; rather it’s the focus we have towards a goal that, even when we fall down, mess up, or progress is slow, we continue to stay directed towards a goal that gives us meaning.

Psychological Assets of Grit

Duckworth (2016) provided us with four psychological assets for consideration about what helps define grit.

Interest

First comes interest, which is born out of our intrinsic enjoyment of what we do—in other words, passion.

Practice

Next, we come to our ability to practice, or where perseverance is introduced—our capacity to continue to improve via devotion to whole-hearted and challenging practice that leads to improvement.

Purpose

The power of purpose is what develops passion. It reminds us that our work matters.

Hope

Hope is integrated into the above three. When things get difficult or there are doubts, we learn to keep going

Young green seedling growing from dark soil, with sunlight streaming in the background, symbolizing growth and new beginnings.

Time to Get Gritty

It’s time to get gritty! A decolonization journey requires grit, at least for me. I cannot pinpoint the exact moment that I committed myself to my decolonization journey. It was probably a combination of several experiences, people, and moments that solidified my interest and commitment. I can say that I am practicing with the support and help of my community and the CRESTSprogram team, especially Dr. West-Olatunji and Dr. West. There are not enough words that I could write that would even begin to convey the gratitude for the support, feedback, and encouragement. One knows someone cares when they are willing to give you tough feedback as well as words of encouragement. When it comes to purpose, I know that the work of decolonizing my thinking and counseling practice matters! It matters to my clients, my supervisees, and the community! The work of CRESTSprogram matters around the world. Yes, the world! CRESTSprogram has a community of people from several different countries. The work of decolonizing is meaningful, impactful, and necessary to change the paradigms that lead to many of the systemic issues that directly impact Black and Brown youth. Through this, all lives hope! In this case, I would argue that I have hope for myself in my journey and hope for a changed society that values cultural differences and ends systemic oppression.

Final Thoughts

Grit, tenacity, and determination are all characteristics needed to go on a decolonization journey. Why? The systematic nature of oppression actively works to bring people back into a Eurocentric frame, which means we need to be actively engaging in our journeys. That brings us back to the model of grit discussed above - interest, practice, purpose, and hope. While all of these psychological assets are essential, hope shines the brightest. Hope guides us in dark times and reminds us that all we put into our journeys is stronger than any external system that attempts to push us back. Together, as a community, we can show the true meaning of grit and forever change the course of our lives and those of others.

What’s Next?

Grab a piece of paper and write down interest, practice, purpose, and hope. Devise a clear statement of interest as to why you are on your decolonizing journey. Under practice, reflect, and write down how you practice on your journey. Consider other ways that you can bring more intentional practice into your life. For this purpose, come up with words or images that show how a decolonization journey impacts the world. Finally, for hope, using words or pictures shows how hope lives for you. If you are feeling adventurous, see if you can find where hope lives in your body.

Practical Tips and Suggestions

Remember, being gritty does not mean working 24/7. Rather, we should remember the value of rest as part of the journey. Take those rest breaks and honor yourself.

Find a mentor or mentors who are actively engaged in the work and can provide support. This person or people can help with wisdom, support, and even hold you accountable when accountability is needed.