*Day 1: The Anatomy of Stubbornness*
We live in a culture that highly prizes grit, determination, and a refusal to back down. In the professional world, we call it tenacity; in national governance, we call it resolve. But there is a dangerous line where a healthy resolve degenerates into a structural flaw of the soul. We must learn to distinguish between a strong back and a stiff neck.
Through five decades of observing human behaviour in both spiritual ministry and complex engineering projects, I have come to realize a profound truth: _stubbornness is rarely a display of strength. It is almost always fear dressed as conviction._
When a structure is entirely rigid, unable to give or take an inch under changing environmental pressures, it does not survive—it fractures. True strength does not lie in an inability to bend; true strength is having the internal security and courage to bend under the undeniable weight of truth. The stubborn person clings desperately to their position, not because they are certain they are right, but because they are terrified of what it means for their identity if they are wrong.
When we refuse to yield, we are not displaying fortitude. We are simply letting our fears dictate our posture.
*Reflection*
Locate a recent moment where you dug your heels in. In honest self-examination, ask yourself: *Were you anchoring your soul to an eternal truth of God, or were you merely reinforcing a wall to protect your own ego?*
What is the quiet fear you are trying to shield by refusing to bend?
*Call to Action*
*The 10-Second Pause:* Today, in your very next meeting, family conversation, or disagreement, notice the exact moment your chest tightens and you prepare to defend your position. Instead of pushing back, intentionally pause for ten seconds. Take a breath, lower your guard, and ask the other person: _“Help me understand your perspective better.”_ Let us actively practise the strength of a yielding heart today.
Rev. Samuel Arowosafe’s
Reflections from a Fifty-Year Vantage Point of Faith, Engineering, and National Development
A 7-day journey. Share with someone walking the path of faith with you.
