Stubbornness isn't always a bad quality or a even a weakness of a person, it could be the strength of a person too. Sometimes, being stubborn is simply not giving up on your personal goal, chasing what you want to achieve regardless of the threat or danger ahead of you.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, being stubborn can cause damage, making a person blind to reality and the truth. I have experienced both sides. Being stubborn has been my greatest strength when life tests my patience and being stubborn has led to situations that end in regrets and disaster, and these experiences have shaped me to a better person, made me realize when to continue chasing and when to quit and take a bow.
There was a time being stubborn paid off. There was a time that I refused to give up on something and that was because I believed it was worth my chase, time, pursuit, effort and hard-headedness. I can remember people around me telling me to give up, they said it wasn't worth the effort, and I was just convinced that I had to be stubborn about that decision. I kept on saying to myself try again and quitting was never an option.
All I did was to put in more effort. I learned from my mistake each time and never backed up and that was when I decided to go into poultry farming. Many people warned me saying it wasn't profitable due to the high mortality rate and the constant inflation of the country was going to affect me, but I was never scared.
Like they said, I lost a lot of birds during my first stage in the business. After most sales, I made fewer profits, and it even affected my capital most of the time, but I never chose to give up. Was stubborn enough to continue, keep learning, until now, and I can see the progress. I'm getting better at rearing the birds and hardly records mortality.
Whenever an approach failed, all I did was to look for another approach. I learned from different sources and was open to corrections.
My stubbornness produced results, it gave me the knowledge I wanted, made me understand the business better and taught me that to achieve success you have to keep trying and dedicating your time. I learned to be stubborn for the right purpose is really important, not just be stubborn but being determined, patient and resilient. And now I believe in myself that I can do more if given more opportunities.
Also, I have also experienced the bitter side of being stubborn, a situation where I hold tightly to my opinion and belief without listening to any other person. Even when I realized I was wrong,pride made me stick to my own decision and it was an experience that didn't end up good to me.
I can remember being told not to embark on thatv journey that changed me negatively, years ago, I knew it wasn't going to end well, but curiosity and pride made me go ahead. The result of that stubborness was a crazy one and led to some consequences I can't forget. At that moment of regrets I sat and remembered that I was warned not to go with that decision and due to stubbornness I went ahead.
I learnt from that experience, it humbled me and made me understood that being stubborn can also make a person and also cause damages to them.
Now, this experiences has taught me that I should be very intentional and careful on decision I stand my ground on. When a decision truly matters and looks promising, I can be determined about it and also open my mind to listen, learn and change if necessary. True strength is always knowing the right time to let go and take a bow, instead of being stubborn.I now create a balance, knowing when to keep chasing and when to let go. Now I understand the different between being determined and being stubborn.
