STUBBORNNESS
Stubbornness is a defense against Changes to/Changing your identity, perspectives, comfort or investments.
Depending on personal choices, this can show in either "digging your heels in" to avoid change- or changing so much and keeping busy to distract from & avoid what's really feared is changing.
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NEGATIVE SPECTRUM
In -Obstinacy, you refuse to grow, budge from your stance or take risks, even if there's a clear desire/necessity to: others always must work around you.
This means you resist, lack compromise, refuse to be bothered or inconvenienced, and turn away from anything new- or against your already-set opinions, ideas and environment- that poses a threat to your stability/peace in life.
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SLIDING
Being Neutral, Stubbornness will use any Defense to Entrench or Transform this Fear of Change.
Self-Deprecation would use inadequacy as an excuse not to change- OR change with a sense of modesty and humility.
Arrogance would use vulnerability and righteousness as an excuse not to change- OR point to how changing makes you better than something/someone.
Self-Destruction would feel change is worthless/it's worthless to even try changing- OR help you give up something in exchange for a sense of worth for changing.
Greed would fear change would make you lack/lose something you have- OR point to how changing helps you to have something you desperately crave.
Martyrdom would fear changing would mean losing control of your space/health- OR point to how changing helps you stay on top and in control of your space/health.
Impatience would fear changing would mean losing control of time- OR point to how changing makes big strides against time controlling you.
POSITIVE SPECTRUM
In -Determination, you continue to “move” in the direction you're going.
So you stand strong against the repeated impositions and challenges of life+others that seem to say you're wrong, try to be smarter, push you, tell you what to do etc.- working around & enduring those.
CONTEXTS OF FEAR
When Stubbornness protects the GOAL, you repeat patterns to avoid changes to your routines & resist knowing more about the scary world beyond you.
So this can show as a motivation to push on, keep up, rise above any pain+challenge with determination and aim for something out of reach to distract yourself from your fears. Or it can create so much complacency that you completely shut out, shut down or avoid everything if too much change happens for your comfort.
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When it protects the MODE, there is a sense that you just need to focus on what needs to be done and what you want to do in your close relationships- so that you can avoid the unknown factors you can't anticipate that you deeply fear could ruin, destroy, change or take away those relationships.
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When Stubbornness is ingrained in your BODY, it shows up most obviously as a sense of tension, a "weight on your shoulders" about the responsibilities you have or the experiences you're processing, and/or a strong discomfort with death and mortality.
These may move down into issues that manifest especially in your spine and back- reminding you of your inflexibility.
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When it protects you from the PAST, you're paralyzed by or resistant against remembering the hard changes you had to make/face to get to where you are now.
Protecting you from the FUTURE, Stubbornness distrusts and prevents you from exploring the unknown uncertainties that you imagine could exist in the future, or the great changes that you fear would complete change you, others, the world and even life as a whole by then.
When Stubbornness protects you from being PRESENT, then you're always preoccupied with resisting or enduring your fear of change/evolution that you're never grateful for the current moment. You likely resist being present because in doing so you'd change your sense of momentum/comfort.
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If Stubbornness is your CORE DEFENSE, then you feel you can't heal, evolve and be whole until change, discomfort and disruptions stop happening. You will not move on until you protect yourself from the unknown, knowing you're safe & everyone/thing leaves you alone as they see you're fine staying as you are.
KEY TO HEALING
If you catch yourself in the defenses of Stubbornness and wish to change this, the key to healing is in evolving your capacity for ADAPTABILITY and GRATITUDE.
Adaptability helps you draw tools+resources from your experiences so that you can move into the next moment and create the changes you do want & Gratitude helps you appreciate the value/meaning of any experience.
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When you reach a point of confidence+certainty, allow for the invitation+curiosity to MOVE JUST A LITTLE MORE. Go as slowly as necessary, create a plan for moving forward and take BABY STEPS if you're scared. (1)
And when you wish to say "NO", instead say "NO, NOT YET" to allow for some breathing space and footing for trusting life, trusting yourself and getting to that point of saying YES. (2)
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When authority/input seems to be difficult, and is invading or challenging your comfort levels & peace of mind-
remember to SHARE AUTHORITY. You can still listen to, learn from and allow any authority from others to guide you- but they do not have to dictate your choices. (3)
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Remember that CHANGE DOES NOT REPLACE your identity. Who you are is always built from you- and who you grow to become will still be built by you, but that is not who you are now.
So rather than block all new input/experience/information that encourages you to change+expand, choose to TRUST YOURSELF and your ability to move into the next moment with confidence. Differentiate the past and future from the present, because right now is where you get to choose what you want to be, do, have and know. (4)
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Stubbornness often creates excuses and evasive language for why you avoid change, the unknown or uncertainty- leading you to hide from everything. Therefore it can help to just TELL THE TRUTH- to speak up about what you do & don't want/need, and express and share your fears with others.
You do not have to carry and endure it all alone. (5)
Live every day as if you DIED THE LAST, rather than as if life is a perpetual circle looping again and again.
Wake up to something new, different or surprising each day that you love: such as a perfect temperature, gentle breeze, nostalgic memory, sudden inspiration, moment of laughter+camaraderie etc. (6)
Finally, be willing to BE WRONG, not know, embrace your mistakes or embrace a challenge. Stubbornness can be so insistent against these things that you convince yourself you MUST NOT MOVE.
Maybe you are right & someone else decides you're wrong- but sometimes that has to be OK. (7)