I have a shocking, public confession to make: I can be stubborn. This probably isn't a new revelation for anyone close to me, but it's something I need to admit. It's not even new information for me as I've known this about myself for most of my life. While it can sometimes be a positive trait as I push forward through adversity, it can also have a negative impact.
I hurt my knee running in a 5K just over three weeks ago. My hamstring had been tight during the week leading up the race, but I felt I could power through it and then take some time off. I was really insistent on placing in the top three in my age group and felt I could make it happen. While I did get the medal I was looking for, I paid the price with a still-lingering injury. My stubborn nature (which pushed me to run when I probably shouldn't have) caused longer lasting effects than I anticipated.
How often is stubbornness an issue in other areas of life for all of us? We can see it in our unwise financial choices, the need to be right to the detriment of our relationships, having to get the last word in and causing irreparable damage, striving to be the funniest person in the room and belittling others, or simply running down unwise paths in pursuit of self-gratification. Sadly, we'll discover our stubborn nature has longer lasting effects than we intended and doesn't only inflict personal damage, but hurts those around us as well.
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