“Be who you claim to be. Claim no more than you are.”

By Destiny Froste

Close your eyes and imagine a group of Jedi from the movies; it doesn’t matter if you see known Jedi like Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, Yoda, Mace, etc; or a nameless Jedi…picture them in your mind.  What do they look like?  What can they do?  What do they practice everyday to maintain their position as Jedi?

Are you willing to do this to be a Jedi?

Can you honestly say that you train, in any semblance of way like they would?
Do you study the history and the texts?
Do you practice diplomacy and approach things with a calm mind?
Do you meditate?
Do you practice combat/self defense?
Do you train your muscles?
Do you work on increasing your endurance?
Do you learn?
Do you do all of these regularly?

If you can honestly answer yes to all of these, great!  Carry on.

If you say no to some, why?  Does the history and knowledge not matter?  Do you think meditation is pointless?  Do you not feel like getting off the couch to be physically fit?  Be honest with yourself, what is the reason you are not doing these things, because these are things the Jedi would be doing.  If you were in the fictional universe, you could not make these excuses and BE a Jedi.

Yes, there are exceptions.  If you are physically disabled, for example, there are limitations.  But those are limitations, not excuses.

And perhaps you said no to some things, but have already recognized the short coming and are working to make changes.  Great!  Carry on.

However, if you are set on excuses, or you do not see some of this as necessary, then you might need to rethink this path.

Yes, I get it.  The Jedi of the fiction are awesome, and it would be incredible to wield a lightsaber, and move things around the room using just the Force, but that is not our reality (not in the ways seen in the movie at least, unless you can move things with your mind, which please, show me you can and I will eat my words).  If it all boils down to the lightsaber and the Force, and running around in Jedi robes, and all the rest is inconsequential to you; then you are not a Jedi, you are a fan.  There is no shame in that.  BE who you claim to be.  Claim no more than you are.

Comments are closed.