Welcome to the Buddhist Boot Camp Podcast. Our intention is to awaken, enlighten, enrich, and inspire a simple and uncomplicated life. Discover the benefits of mindful living with your host, Timber Hawkeye. As soon as I looked up the dictionary's definition of stubborn, I not only realized there are more stubborn people in the world than I initially thought, but I had to admit that I've been really stubborn myself about something specific for many years.
Stubborn is defined as having or showing persistent determination not to change one's attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so. It seems as if as soon as we make up our minds about something, it's really difficult for most of us to ever change it because our egos don't particularly like admitting being wrong about anything. In fact, even when proven wrong, many would strengthen their resolve rather than loosen
their grip. Silly as this may sound, I've been really stubborn in my refusal to own warm clothes. For years, I've insisted there is no reason to own anything other than some board shorts, t-shirts, and a pair of flip flops, which is true in Hawaii, mind you, but that hasn't been the case on the mainland. Yet, I've remained stubborn in my resistance to get winter gear. Who was I hurting by doing that? Myself. And why? Who was I protecting? My ego, I guess.
I have no idea; it makes no rational sense. Why is it that once we make up our mind, it's so difficult to change it? The other day, I bit into a strawberry that was off for some reason. A worm inside, contaminated by something... who knows? The point is, it was horrible! But what if that was someone's very first strawberry? Would they make up their minds that they don't like strawberries
and never eat one again? Or brussel sprouts, sunflower seeds, or anything else, because of one or two bad experiences? We can either spend our lives in a constant back-and-forth battle with the ego, or... what if we simply refrain from ever making our minds up about anything? That sounds so much easier just thinking about it! Never making our minds up about anything; just staying open-minded, unrestricted, experimental, inquisitive,
and willing to see everything from multiple angles. Because this isn't about food anymore; we form rigid and uncompromising points of view about people, ideas and beliefs, and then it becomes really hard for us to change our minds even when we come across proof that we were wrong. In fact, a friend of mine, who still hates her ex, told me,
"Timber, people don't change." But it's more accurate to say that her opinion of him didn't change, whereas he is honestly a very different person than the man she introduced me to a dozen years ago. She will never see it, though. We can rationalize whatever our minds conjure, so I just never assume I'm right about anything. I just add the words "right now" to the end of my statements. Like, trying cauliflower, for example, and saying, "I'm not into this RIGHT NOW." Because who knows? Maybe
it's really good with Buffalo Sauce? Which, by the way, it is! See how this keeps the option open for us to change our minds and perspective at a later time? And to that end, I now have a fleece jacket, gloves, and a beanie, and I can even camp in below-freezing temperatures without complaining. Okay... with LESS complaining. But, hey, it's a step in the right direction! What are some of the things your mind was firmly set on in the past that has changed
over the years? Maybe even to the exact opposite? Think of foods, music, technology, you get the idea. And to what opinion are you too firmly attached right now? What narrative can you benefit from changing to reduce rigidity and increase fluidity? How are you creating obstacles that aren't even there? And how can you remove them to liberate yourself from your own prison? Timber Hawkeye is the bestselling author of Faithfully Religionless and Buddhist Boot Camp.
For additional information, please visit BuddhistBootCamp.com, where you can order autographed books to support the Prison Library Project, watch Timber's inspiring TED Talk, and join our monthly mailing list. We hope you have enjoyed this episode, and invite you to subscribe for more thought-provoking discussions. Thank you for being a Soldier of Peace in the Army of Love. 🙏🏼