Sage Advice from Yoda

In a little over a week, Star Wars: Episode VII will be released. As many of you know, the internet is abuzz with everything Star Wars. I recently saw a poster of Yoda with a quote that I loved which prompted me to do some research and see what other sage advice the films have offered over the years. I was mostly drawn to the conversations between Yoda and Luke in The Empire Strikes Back. I've included VII quotes and a brief take on the wisdom they offer us today.

1. All his life as he looked away to the future, to the horizon, never his mind on where he was, what he was doing. - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

Yoda said this as Luke was trying to convince him he was ready for Jedi training. Yoda is reminding us how important it is to be in the present moment. It's o.k. to think and dream about the future, but not when that's all you do. If you live in the future, you're missing out on the now as well as the power to create the future you desire.

These next quotes are from The Empire Strikes Back where Yoda was trying to train Luke by freeing the ship from the bog:

2. You must unlearn what you have learned. - Yoda

Often we learn things that really don't serve us. We learn to be judgmental and critical of ourselves and others. We learn that we must be the very best or we must be perfect. We learn that we are better than others based on our race, religion, wealth status, etc. These are all learned behaviors that must be unlearned if we are to come back to who we truly are.

3. Luke: All right, I'll give it a try.
    Yoda: No. Try not. Do... or do not. There is no try.

Yoda is correct in saying there is either do or don't do. The word 'try' does not allow us to fully commit. We either do something or we don't. Stop using the word 'try' and commit to doing - see how it feels.

4. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

Yoda was trying to explain to Luke how powerful the Force is. It's also a beautiful reminder that we are more than just matter, we are also luminous beings. We are not just our physical body, we are so much more. He notes that energy is everywhere - in all things. Life/creation energy is indeed everywhere in everything. We, as a species, need to come back to that knowledge.

5. Luke: I don’t, I don't believe it.
    Yoda: That is why you fail.

This quote is also from The Empire Strikes Back, spoken after Yoda raised Luke's ship from the water. There is no way we can achieve anything unless we believe in it. If some aspect of ourselves doesn't believe, if we hold doubt, then it's unlikely it will come into fruition. Belief in ourselves is the most powerful, yet perhaps one of the hardest things to do.

6. Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
 -Yoda, from The Phantom Menace.

Most would say that the opposite of love is hate, but it's not - it's fear. Fear is at the root of everything that is not love. Anything that is fear based will lead to suffering. Just look around at what's going on in the world today and tell me that anger and hate do not lead to suffering.

7. Luke: How will I know the good side from the bad?
    Yoda: You will know when you are calm, at peace. Passive. A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and
               defense, never for attack.

This conversation was held during the Jedi training in The Empire Strikes Back. This is great wisdom for our time as most people so readily take sides. People allow their anger, their fear, their resentments to stir them up and they become aggressive either in their words or actions. A lot of people are in attack mode. No matter how justified one may feel, this is participation in "the dark side." It is always better to come from a place of love, a place of peace.

If Yoda was a real person in our reality, I'm guessing he would be one of the top personal coaches of all time. We can still learn a lot from him. His wisdom take lightly not... ;)

 Love, Adrienne :)