Written by Kevin Trout for 365Jedi.
Accept It! – You knew this was not going to be easy right? But life has a way of smacking us upside the head with our own expectations. But you know what? That is life. So take a moment for yourself. Put down the study materials and take your dog for a walk. Or go swimming. Or watch an episode of a tv show. Then deep breath and finish up your Jedi assignments for the day.
Don’t Quit! – Yeah, you are going to want to, I promise. The reasons vary. Sometimes it is the online community. Sometimes it is a poor choice in mentors. Sometimes you realize you were holding Jedi to standard that doesn’t exist. Or it may all be internal, not feeling good enough. Not feeling capable. Feeling like you just will never be a Jedi. Forget all of that. Deep breath – remember, you’ve got this. You have survived so much worse. You can handle this and succeed at it. So don’t run away, don’t hide, but continue on and live it.
Learn! – Knowledge is Power, Power is Change. Smart is Sexy. Whatever motto helps you. But enjoy the process. Learn to take pleasure in learning new things. Seek out new information. Don’t shut other people out. Don’t think you already know this. Don’t tune out because you have heard it before. Listen, consider, ask questions, seek for something new, find something to learn.
Focus! – Specifically focus on you. You are not the hero yet. It is not your time to be the mentor, leader, or savior yet okay Jedi? Relax. Don’t worry about what others are doing. Don’t worry about what some other site is doing. Focus on your studies and focus on your growth. You’ll have plenty of time to play Jedi Knight to Rescue later on. For now, get your stuff in order.
Be Kind! – Be considerate and respectful to your fellow humans. Especially your teachers and fellow students on the Jedi Path. It will make a difference I promise. Courtesy and Respect go a long way. So be nice to those within your life.
Ask Everything! – Seriously, ask the most stupidest of questions. Engage. Follow through. If someone replies trolling you? Forget them. Any Jedi worth their salt will treat ALL of your questions with sincerity and respect. They will appreciate and enjoy every single question you present. It is something all Jedi Mentors want to see. So ask absolutely everything that comes to mind. Mentors may give you the answer or may help you find it yourself or may simply pause for a second as you realize the answer as soon as you ask aloud. All of that is find and acceptable, so ask.
Prepare! – Have an understanding of yourself and how your next day is shaped up. Make sure you have time to get things ready. If you don’t get them ready in advance. Clothes, food, homework, make sure everything is squared away or ready to be at the start of your day. Make sure you make time for some sort of breakfast. Don’t starve yourself or hurt yourself because you are “too busy”. That just means you prepared poorly. So get your stuff together – it will ease your Jedi assignments and required practices. You’ll be much more able to juggle them with life properly.
Sleep! – Hey Jedi guess how far you’ll get if you allow sleep to be sacrificed for fitting in training? Not far. You will burn out. Something will give and it won’t be a pretty event. So get your Jedi Robe wearing butt into bed and get a good night’s rest. Do a before bed meditation to ease yourself down. Put on soothing waves or music that helps carry you to snore-zone. Whatever it is, get it done. It will have a direct impact on your energy and how you approach the next day.
Water! – Drink plenty and plenty and plenty of water. Keep a water bottle with you. Stay hydrated at all times. It is important. Water intake is vital and another core aspect which helps your energy. So drink plenty of water throughout the day. Will you have to know where bathrooms are at all times, probably. Consider an exercise in Jedi Mindfulness. But water will help in keeping your head in the game and knock those Jedi assignments out of the park.
Meditation! – Don’t you dare forget the importance of daily meditation. I don’t care what technique you adopt, just take a deep breath. Fine. But it is a vital part of being a Jedi because it helps remind us of an important thing. That is all going to work out. It is going to be okay. You are going to be okay. It helps make sure your vision is clear and you can approach each day at the best you can be within that moment. So breathe, get your meditation on, and remember that you are going to smash this Jedi Training stuff. You are going to be a great Jedi Student and an even better Jedi Knight.