I was thinking about stubbornness today. The different sides of it and the effects it has on people.

I’ve always been stubborn. I don’t think there was a time I wasn’t. Even as a child, I stood my ground on what I believed, whether I was right or wrong. I could change my mind on something but usually I didn’t make it up in the first place until I knew what was right. Good luck if you tried to change my mind. I think bringing water out of a rock again would have been more successful.

I don’t know what brought my thoughts to this subject but I chased the rabbit trail. Have you ever been stubborn about something, unmoving, unchanging about an idea, a person, a belief or a thought? To the point where you are just caught up in it and don’t realize how far you’ve gone? You may be fighting it just for the sake of a fight. You may be standing your ground because your conviction or stubbornness hasn’t changed on it. Who knows? Today, I was thinking about where some of my stubbornness has led me.

Sometimes I can be set in my ways, unwilling to change. It’s not that I may not want to change or don’t see the need in it; just that I don’t. Stubbornness. I’m comfortable where I am. No changes, please. I also don’t like to come across as flighty or blown about by the changing winds. Character traits such as steadiness, grounded, unwavering beliefs, loyalty, consistency and stability are all attractive to me. I want to be that person and seek that in other people.

As stubborn as I may seem in response to something/someone, I still expect the same outcome from them. Even though I may reject something, the reason may only be because it’s out of my comfort zone. I take awhile to adjust to new thoughts and ideas. Give me awhile and afford me time. I think this can be the same with children and other adults (if you may call me that). They reject a new idea, revert to their comfort zone and remain stubborn about it. This is where my thoughts brought me to today. Something finally gave in response to my stubbornness and it was not the outcome I had come to expect.

I just wanted to yell at them, “Don’t give up! You don’t see the change you are producing yet but it’s there!” All this time, my actions were projecting stubbornness but my heart was changing. I was slowly adjusting to the new idea.  My public presentation of myself is always last to change though. I have to understand it inside in order for me to change my ways. This time, my stubbornness unfortunately won the battle. (Of course, here is where pride has the opportunity to step in and make the battle its own).

Have you ever wondered why you shouldn’t give up? Why even in the dark days where you think it could never happen, you shouldn’t give an inch? Why cheating yourself and others of excellence might look like the easy way out? Why, even when you think no one is looking, you should still be honorable and a person of integrity? It’s because of me. I may be acting stubborn and set in my ways, but I’m watching your example. I’m seeing if you are living out a life of conviction and it does affect me. My heart and actions take awhile, but don’t loose heart. Those times that you are faithful are an example to me.

kp

Picture: My nephew holding his hand up to the camera. To me this picture looks like he is refusing the shot. Just another example of the stubbornness in my family. (He’s actually holding up his fingers showing his age but we’ll just pretend here.)