By Shazad
There is a scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back that I really love. It’s the one with Luke meeting Yoda for the first time and he starts training to be a Jedi. When he's done for the day, Luke notices a mysterious cave and he asks Yoda, "What's in there?"
Yoda replies, "Only what you take with you."
To achieve a better 2021 and beyond, you need to take only those tools, habits, and thoughts that can help you. Like Luke Skywalker, you must face yourself in the present and go forward with the best of your being. Take the lessons from the struggle and shortcomings of 2020 but don’t repeat the same mistakes. There’s no need to pack all of the sadness, worry, or sense of failure with you. This will weigh you down and result in destructive patterns making you reckless. and afraid.
Whenever you face a crisis, remember these wise words of Master Yoda:
“Fear is the path to the dark side…fear leads to anger… anger leads to hate… hate leads to suffering.”
Bring just the minimum amount, but the most important things with you. Your love, your courage, your wisdom, some patience, and a sense of moderation about people and events that will unfold. Don’t allow external events to blast you off into space with excessive joy or let negative people and news make you want to crawl deep into the earth due to sorrow and fear. Don’t lash out at everything that comes your way trying to deny or discredit it. Do not be the first one to take an offensive position on some information or event. You should develop your critical thinking skills more and confirm what is true versus opinion. Watch, listen, and try to understand what’s happening. Look for meaning and make it a habit to get a better perspective. Sometimes you will need to zoom in to focus on something. Other times you will need to zoom far out to get clarity and see the big picture.
Whatever happens, know that you can figure it out and manage the situation to the best of your abilities. Here comes 2021!
May the Force Be With You all!
Please share this article with anyone who could benefit from the message as we begin the new year. Here is the direct link for this post https://www.awesomelifebook.com/motivation/2020/12/30/2021-only-what-you-take-with-you