A close sister of Sisu is Grit, a term popularized by Angela Duckworth and one of the corporate world’s buzzwords already, for good. Put simply, Grit is the power of passion and perseverance. Our passions define our life goals, which in turn might require us to go through huge sacrifices. But since we are following our passion, it all pays off when we achieve our goal.

From the courage shown by a man standing in front of a tank at the Tiananmen Square of China, to the years of resilient actions by Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi to stand against their oppressors, and even an entrepreneur sacrificing sleep and social life for months to bring their next idea to reality, Grit can exhibit itself in many ways. But how does it differ from Sisu?

Passion! Grit is driven by passion, something that might make the suffering worth it, like how we seek “views which are worth the climb.” But Sisu is all about duty, a relentless mindset. Whether there is a trophy waiting for you at the end or not, Sisu does not care.

Why are we learning this? The difference matters because we want you to cultivate the mindset of Sisu. Not to undervalue Grit, because passion can make the experience enjoyable for sure, but life is random, and randomness does not care. As Buddha put it, “All life is suffering.” Sometimes life will offer you hell without any promise for a better tomorrow and in such scenarios, if you are used to looking for hope, the journey might break you. But if you do not hold any expectations, to begin with, you are already operating the Kosmik way and what might seem a struggle to the outsiders will be a walk in the Garden for you.

But what if your struggle is because of a passion you are chasing? Well, you just got some brownie points 😊 Angela’s research on Grit shows that how it is one of the best predictors of success:

• Cadets at West Point, United States Military Academy, who scored highest on the Grit Test were 60% more likely to succeed than their peers (Psst… It was these cadets that Admiral McRaven referred to in his speech on the importance of making the bed in the morning)

• Ivy League undergraduate students with more grit had higher GPAs than their peers, even if they had lower SAT scores (considered less “smart”) in the past

• Competitors in the National Spelling Bee outperform their peers not because of IQ, but because of their grit and commitment to more consistent practice.

Lots of words, right? So here is one thing we want you to take away for sure: Do what is needed with all you’ve got. And remember that you must sweat in the practice if you do not want to bleed in the war, so always give your all, even if the stakes are low. Only then you can increase your chances of bearing life’s burdens graciously when the real challenge arises.