Written by Kevin Trout for Jedi 365
1. Focusing on Your Anxiety.
“Don’t focus on your anxiety Obi-Wan. Keep your concentration here and now where it belongs.” – Qui-Gon Jinn
Look life has plenty of big kick you in the teeth moments waiting and ready to go for you. So don’t “sweat the small stuff.” You have survived worse, you have been down that road. You know in a couple months, let alone a couple years, it will most likely be forgotten.
Worrying about it will only keep it buzzing around your head like a pesky fly. Face your concern directly. Ask, what will matter in ten days? Ten weeks? Ten Years? Determine your way forward and go. Life will challenge you soon enough, focusing on the small stuff and wasting your time on it will leave you unprepared for the bigger challenges ahead.
2. Wishing for a Time Machine.
“Wishing that things were otherwise does nothing to erase memories. Wounds do not heal by ignoring them.” – Luke Skywalker
Most Jedi I know have gone some really tough experiences. Looking at something I think we can all relate too, Heartache alone can be challenging enough. Loss, whether permanent (death) or not (e.g. divorce), often compels emotional ties to the past.
Where we have come from has its place. The journey we have experienced has its place. It is not to be ignored. There are core lessons we have gained from the past. If nothing else we can look back and say, “I survived that. I am here now and I will continue to move forward to the best of my ability.” But fixating and wasting away wishing for a different history won’t help you. There is no time machine; there is only your continued journey forward. Embrace your future.
3. Fearing Change and Growth.
“Fear of that which is new or different can make people act irrationally.” – Mara Jade Skywalker
The Jedi Path is about growth and often brings with it change. But that can challenge our comfort zone. It feels good to be rooted in the things we know and the things we can control. It easier to stay put and follow the set pattern we have created for ourselves. I have even been accused as being a hypocrite because I am not the same Jedi I was ten years ago. When things don’t change we are more confident in our understanding of them.
But don’t allow fear to disguise itself as comfort. Focus on the moment. Look to the little steps and small goals which lead to the bigger ones. Change is a core part of growth. We often have to let go of what we once were so that we can become who we wish to be. Don’t let your potential wither by standing still. Stay focused and take each day as a opportunity to grow.
4. Staying in the Negative and Dramatic.
“A Jedi does not cling to sorrow, young Padawan. We accept it. Sorrow is a part of life as well as joy. There are gifts to be found, even in death and sorrow…strange gifts. We accept this, we learn, and we go on.” – Plo Koon
Oh online world, how you encourage people let loose their inner vindictive twelve year old self. Youtube, 4chan, facebook, and certainly the Jedi Community is not immune. The question is what do you surround yourself with? Social Media bombards people with updates, news, and information. What are bombarding yourself with?
This isn’t solely an online issue. Your environmental well-being is core. Online and offline, you want to cultivate an environment of positive and beneficial growth. Easier said than done, but small steps still move you closer to your goal.
Don’t feel you have to sacrifice your mental, emotional, spiritual, and/or environmental wellness just to be a part of the Jedi community (online or off). Growing as a Jedi should be a challenging, but uplifting experience. Be mindful what you fill your life/time with.
5. Playing the Game.
“Your focus determines your reality.” – Qui-Gon Jinn
All of this can be summed up by the old school Jedi lesson on the Qui-Gon Jinn quote (above). Don’t focus on the negative and petty. When someone bad mouths you, don’t take it personally. Are they being insulting? Yes, recognize, acknowledge, and accept, but doesn’t mean you have to lower yourself.
“Your game, your rules. But I doesn’t mean I have to play.” – Largo. Don’t be drawn into someone else’s schemes. Personal attacks are meant to alter your focus and get you concentrating on the wrong things. People are very wrapped up in their own ideas, so when they lash out don’t take it personally. How often have we seen someone having a really bad day or week? It tends to color their behavior. Not everything revolves around you. Sometimes a person is just struggling internally and expressing it poorly. Doesn’t excuse the action, but certainly something to keep in mind next time you feel attacked. Focus on you and the path you are on and allow others to walk their own path.
Focus is the key. Holding onto anger, resentment, and simply running on auto-pilot tends to skew our outlook and behavior. So be present and enjoy the moment. Work toward living that healthy lifestyle you crave. Add in some healthy goodness to your diet (edamame, macadamia nuts, raspberries, avocado, green tea, pumpkin seeds, blueberries, pomegranate juice, even dark chocolate). Make sure you are getting the most out of your sleep. And remember to get your Jedi meditation on. Allow your focus to carry you along the path you desire.