I hope non-nerd followers will not abandon me based on this. There truly are a lot of very wise aspects of the fictional Jedi religion, if you will allow me to introduce some specific thoughts.
Still here? Thank you for your trust!
Yoda, specifically, provides the best samples. (I could write a post about misconceptions and poor interpretations of various Jedi characters, too, but that's for another day.)
I have yet to find a book of Jedi Wisdom, and an online search will yield a comprehensive list of Yoda quotes, but not everything he says is a gem, so I recently rewatched Empire to collect my own Life Wisdom from the mouth of Yoda.
1. "Try not! Do. Or do not. There is no try."
If I catch myself saying I'll try to do something, or achieve something, I stop and think: is it possible for me to do this? If so, I will do it. And I commit to it. Saying I'll try to do it is a cop-out.
2. "All his life has he looked away - to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. What he was doing."
Are you waiting for the perfect circumstances to achieve your dreams? "I'll save for retirement when I have a better paying job ." "I'll create a home when I move into the house of my dreams." "I'll be able to focus on my personal work later when I don't have a 9-to-5 job." What are we all waiting for? Focus on the here and now. Do what you can in this time and place. The future isn't guaranteed to any of us.
3. "Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned."
Sometimes life takes us to places or situations that challenge our view of reality. Is your view something that was taught to you? Do you truly view life and the world from an open perspective? Are you willing to have your view challenged and accept a new reality?
I'm trying to keep these A to Z posts short, because I know many of us are blog-hopping and don't want to spend too long on any one blog, so I'll stop here. I have a list of 23 gems that I could use, and that's a lot of writing and reading!
(If you're visiting from A to Z, please include the name of your blog as it is on the Master List so I can return the favor!)
I am a nerd follower :D
ReplyDeleteIt took me a long time to really get the "there is no try" thing in practice. As a performer, I had to learn that even if I am not sure how a story will play out on stage, I just need to fully commit to my approach, and sometimes the commitment itself will carry the rest :D
The Multicolored Diary: Weird Things in Hungarian Folktales
Ah yes. In performance, there can be no halfway, can there?
DeleteHere in China, the kids all say, "let me have a try" when they want a turn at something. It challenges my inner Yoda.
I love you, you big nerd.
ReplyDeleteYou'll never be as wise as Yoda, lover.
DeleteI love a little bit of Yoda speak but I will also thank you for saving us from all 26 of them - 3 was a great start) I thought the first one tied in well with my Just Do It! post today :)
ReplyDeleteLeanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au
J for Just Do It!
I will check it out!
DeleteI love each of these examples of Yoda wisdom. And like Debs, I think perhaps you should do it and write a book.
ReplyDeleteI might just have to!
DeleteDoes it mean I've seen Empire too much that each of those quotes I heard in Yoda's voice?
ReplyDeleteVery good points. There's a reason some people practice Jedi here in our world. And I think you're the one that has to write that book on Jedi wisdom ;)
Liz A. from Laws of Gravity. Master list #510.
I don't think there is such a thing as watching any Star Wars movie too many times. Even the prequels have their place.
DeleteI have considered it. It took doing this challenge for me to actually sit down and write down all the good lines!
ReplyDelete