What do you think about when you hear the name Yoda?
Maybe you don’t think of anything. Maybe you just see a wizened old dwarf, with pointy ears that stick out at right angles to his head. You see a scene from Star Wars. You see the Death Star and Luke Skywalker and cool lightsaber battles that you faithfully reenacted with your older brother in the backyard with broom handles and sticks. And your mind goes off on a nostalgic trip to a galaxy “far, far away”.
Or maybe you do think of something. Lots of somethings. Lots of wise somethings, and double-speak wisdoms that have come out of the mouth of this beloved fixture of George Lucas’ fantasy world.
Things like:
“When nine hundred years old you reach, look as good you will not.”
Perhaps an instruction to be careful about judging a matter prematurely. When it’s your turn to be in the same position, you’ll marvel then at the things you scoff at now.
Or perhaps you remember this line from The Phantom Menace.
Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger…anger leads to hate…hate leads to suffering.”
Dance with the fear…use it as a compass for what you should do next…but never let fear be your leader. Because fear leads to anger leads to…(see above).
Or maybe your mind just homes in on the definitive Yoda-ism. 8 words.
Do, or do not. There is no try.
Don’t try to sing. Don’t try to write. Don’t try to dance. Don’t try to start a business. Don’t try to lose weight. Don’t try to quit smoking. Don’t try to eat healthily.
Instead:
Sing. Write. Dance. Start a business. Lose weight. Quit smoking. Eat healthily.
Nike would say: just do it.
But Yoda would probably cut out the emotive word “just” (which may feel as if your specific challenges are being overlooked/unacknowledged/unappreciated)…and simply say:
Do it.
Do it broke. Do it out of tune. Do it with no training. Do it badly. Do it very badly. Do it even if nobody helps you. Do it when everybody opposes you. Do it quietly. Do it loudly. Do it boldly. Do it timidly. Do it even if you know you won’t win. Do it even if they say you shouldn’t.
However you’re able to do it…do it.
What matters is that you do it, not how you do it.
Because it turns out that when you do the things you feel drawn to do, you tap into Basil King’s strange and “mighty forces” that go to work on your behalf, to help you in your quest.
In 2017, decide to do it…whatever ‘it’ is.
This isn’t “new” in the sense of being something you’ve never heard before.
But if you’ll allow it into your heart, these words can replace your old guide of fear…and be the new guide that leads you into the full potential that awaits you next year, and every year you choose to live by it.
*Image by Dr Case