The Beauty of Being A Stubborn Person
Introduction
When you hear the word "stubborn person", what immediately comes to your mind? A child? An elderly person? A person in puberty?
In my past experience, I have associated a stubborn person, a toddler wailing on the floor in the store, refusing to budge or a moody teenager unwilling to have a conversation during a family gathering.
Until recently, I would have not called myself a "stubborn person" in the first place. Curious, open-minded, and generally adaptable, that's me. I have a diverse group of people that I love creating good memories with and my inner close circle has changed throughout my life and keeps evolving.
However, I have come to see that there is another way of being a “stubborn person” about my prior beliefs, and I found myself happily embracing it. This is exactly the focus of this article that I would like to share with you.
Difference Between Stubborn and Rigidness
It is important to not confuse stubbornness with rigidness. According to the Oxford Languages dictionary the term “stubborn” and “rigid” are defined as following:
stubborn: means obstinate, strong-willed, adamant. A stubborn person can demonstrate an unwavering will not to alter one's perspective towards something, even in the face of compelling evidence or arguments to the contrary.
rigid: means is inflexible, severe, harsh and unbending. For example items that aren’t flexible are more likely to break, hence rigidness. A person with mental rigidity is a person with an inability to appreciate another person’s viewpoint or emotions characterised by lack of empathy.
I believe that being stubborn and open-minded can beautifully co-exists.
How Did My Stubbornness Journey Start?
Pandemic. As tragic as it was for many people, it was a game changer for me. And it was the beginning of my stubborn story.
I first heard of blockchain in 2017 but back then it has not sparked any interest in me. However, during the pandemic, I had ample of time and I decided to give blockchain, in particular the Ethereum ecosystem, a second chance. Coming from an economics background I have decided to take up my second masters in Information Systems / Computer Science. Innate curiosity led me in attending numerous ETHGlobal hackathons globally while still studying. My attendances have turned out to be quite successful in the form of winning sponsor prizes and becoming an ETHGlobal finalist.
Fast forward in 2023 I decided to turn my passion for hackathons into organising ETHAccra hackathon. The first in person hackathon in West Africa, and third in Africa overall. As you can see I have made some bold decisions in the past three years. The following are the questions that people have questioned my actions:
WHY the heck did I throw myself into the blockchain world?
WHY organising a hackathon in the first place, despite no prior event management experience?
WHY doing a hackathon in an emerging country like Ghana?
WHY am I doing a hackathon during a bear market?
After reflection and inward looking, unconsciously, I have come to the realisation that I am a “stubborn person”. What I mean is that I have the determination paired with grit in pursuing something that is important to me, while remaining open to new information and also reconsidering alternatives when the situation demands.
Why Does Stubbornness Matter?
Perseverance is another word often used for stubbornness. I once read the book “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth, where she outlines the link between grit, perseverance and overall happiness. The study reveals that an individual’s overall happiness is influenced by the amount of strength and courage the person exhibits in their life. As such an individual may improve their chances of success by learning to maintain the tenacity while still pursuing their passions.
It is this stubborn determination and grit that has fuelled me in bringing the vision of ETHAccra into life. Despite the odds and despite numerous people telling me not to do so. You have seen me standing up for something that I fundamentally and wholeheartedly believe in, namely that hackathons are the best way for any person to enter the Ethereum ecosystem. Because it’s a new way of learning about the technology and community at the same time.
I remained steadfast in my beliefs, especially in the face of following challenges:
societal pressures such as a woman is not qualified in making a blockchain hackathon a great success - which is traditionally a male dominated field.
developers in Ghana aren't prepared for a hackathon, and the ideas they create won't be up to pace with international standards.
I should focus on doing a conference rather than a hackathon.
While I see the value in conferences, I believe hackathons are a better format for developers because it brings together a collective of passionate individuals that come with different questions that often bring up new perspectives.
I was scared many times, but I just kept going and in retrospect ETHAccra exceeded my expectations and I was overwhelmed with the outcome of the success with over 100+ attendees from Ghana, Germany, Nigeria, UK, South Africa and Switzerland. The hackathon was a big deal because it was the first of its type in Ghana and it opened the door for more innovation in this region. Many of the participants were first time builders who were new to blockchain technology and were extremely excited that we have created this opportunity for them to connect, learn, and grow together.
How To Become A Stubborn Person
To be somewhat stubborn about something, you need to ask yourself what is truly important to you. For me it is growth, blockchain technology and impacting those around me with kindness and enthusiasm. I want to continue doing things that make me happy, namely learning, writing, sharing knowledge with others and enabling opportunities for others to connect, learn and grow.
There is no one size fits all but if there is something I can share with you to become a more stubborn person are the following steps:
Be curious in exploring new things, even when uncertain: I encourage you to try new things, fail and try again. Starting now is more important because you will never feel fully prepared.
Be intentional with your goals and time: Find out what you want and how you can achieve your goals. Once you know, commit yourself wholeheartedly and relentlessly to your goal.
Be consistent in pursuing your goals: You need to bet on yourself. Betting on yourself means you are not limited to waiting for the right opportunity to come by. Instead, you create your own opportunity. Be your biggest fan and clap for yourself.
Inclusive and supportive environment. Surround yourself with generous and optimistic people. Those are the ones who will cheer you from the sideline. Find your crowd by surrounding yourself with those who align with your goals and values, because you should be able to work without fear in an atmosphere that is encouraging and accepting of others.
Conclusion
Never expect the road ahead to be smooth and devoid of difficulties. More so, it doesn't really matter your age, gender, money lost, time wasted. Life is more about purpose and so, I want to encourage you to try to be stubborn in pursuing what matters most to you. Obstacles can be surmounted with a little stubbornness, creativity, and flexibility.
Last but not least, consistency is key in pursuing your goals. Keep going, keep pushing and keep being your most authentic self.
There is beauty in being a “stubborn person”
Love 💕🫶🏿