Grit vs. Personal Power

There’s a subtle but powerful difference between grit and personal power—many of us are just starting to notice it.

Grit is often celebrated in our culture. It’s the push-through, nose-to-the-grindstone energy that gets things done. It’s late nights, hard effort, and relentless determination. Grit is what we call on when we’re tired but keep going anyway. It’s courageous and admirable… but it also has its limits.

Grit often comes from the mind—the part of us that says “you have to,” “don’t stop,” and “just one more thing.” And while it can move mountains, it can also become a whip. When grit is the only gear we operate in, it can wear us down, disconnect us from joy, and leave us chasing validation through productivity.

I’ve got grit in spades!  I needed to pull on grit for each of those, but here’s what I’ve come to see with fresh eyes:

Grit and personal power are not the same.

Personal power, on the other hand, flows from the heart. It’s the quiet, rooted strength that knows who we are without needing to prove anything. It’s the presence that says, “I choose this.” It feels less like force and more like inner fire. It doesn’t burn us out—it sustains us.

When we’re in our personal power, we’re connected to our own wisdom. We speak with clarity. We set boundaries from compassion. We are in collaboration with life and the universe, not defense and “I have to do it alone.” We trust ourselves. The world around us may still be busy or chaotic, but inside, we feel anchored.

This distinction has been alive in me lately. Marcia D. (many of you know) gifted me a necklace saying “GRIT.” I wore it like armor during some of my life's most challenging and rewarding seasons—building businesses, hiking hundreds of miles solo, showing up for others when I was exhausted. I still love this necklace; sometimes, I reach for it when I need that old friend, grit to get something done.

But now I wear it differently. It no longer defines me—it reminds me. Grit has a place, but it’s no longer leading. My choices now come more often from personal power… and that feels entirely different.

At a recent retreat I led, I noticed how we talk about our experiences. One woman said something “felt hard,” and of course it did—because that’s what she was telling herself. My friend caught me saying, “I need to get her off my back,” and realized how that language created a sense of pressure and powerlessness. These subtle phrases matter. Our words reflect the energy we’re operating in, shaping how we feel.

So this week, I invite you to pause and notice:

Are you reaching for grit or rooting into personal power?

We are far more powerful than we’ve been led to believe. And when grit meets grace, something beautiful happens.