Working hard towards a larger purpose

By Tom Johnson, Elevate Rapid City

As much as I wanted to lead this issue pointing out there is an AC/DC cover band playing on Main Street Square August 6th, something even more important comes to mind. Grit. It is something you hear a lot about these days. There is even a bestselling book out by the psychology professor Angela Duckworth that outlines research on the topic and gives tips on how we can be more resilient ourselves and raise more resilient kids. No surprise—the title of the book is Grit.

I’ll save you the cash and give you the book’s most important lesson right now: Talent alone is not enough. Passion and perseverance matter twice as much. This doesn’t mean just working hard, but working towards a higher purpose, a calling, a personal mission if you will. Working hard towards a larger purpose turns talent into skill.

Welcome to this issue of Elevate, where we are putting some of the area’s grit on display. There’s a piece on the grit shown by the community and the Ellsworth Development Authority in bringing the B-21 to town that we think you’ll enjoy, if nothing else for the up-to-the-minute facts on where the Air Force is in the process. Then there’s two stories of businesses following their passions in two different areas—one for LEGO and the other for healthcare. And then there’s our cover story, a story that actually made my heart swell with happiness over the power of grit when I first heard about it. Cody McNaught, born on the Rosebud Reservation, put his dreams on hold for several decades to raise a family but has finally turned his passion for restoring cars into a full-time gig.

During the last year, stories like these remind us of our own grit and determination. To keep moving forward. To keep working hard. To keep facing the challenge. To keep leading the change we want to see in this world. AC/DC covers will still be there when we get back. Stay safe and Godspeed,

Tom Johnson, President & CEO