Perseverance vs. Stubbornness
I am a determined person.
Sometimes I persevere, and sometimes I am just plain stubborn.
And there is a huge difference between the two.
When we persevere we know when to pull back, we know when to regroup and get our energy back, we don’t falter in our desire, but we know our limits and work with them instead of bashing into them.
When we are stubborn we lose all of that perspective, we beat ourselves against the rocks knowing that we can get through, even if it breaks us. Or as Paulo Coelho says, “A prolonged war destroys the victors too.”
In many ways I have let stubbornness be the fuel for my determination. And it has hurt me. Over the last few months I have begun to learn how to persevere instead of relying on the brute force of stubbornness.
It’s a tough lesson.
Because when you have brute forced your way through difficult situations you know it works, even if it hurts. But when you relinquish that control and persevere it feels wrong.
Because stubbornness is about control.
And perseverance is about letting go.
Primarily about letting go of the need to control all the factors.
Letting go of the need to play “puppet master”
Letting go of the need to relentlessly beat yourself against the rocks.
And simply be.
So moving forward my wish is that we let go of stubbornly forcing our way through life, and we instead persevere.
I’ll let you know how it shakes out.
Carry on.