May the Fourth be with you!

Yoda’s Great Aunt Yogi

(Burn Camp Nah, Nah, Mah)

Did you know that there are 6 life lessons from Star Wars?

By Julian Walker

1. Be open to new possibilities

.. small actions have wide reaching ripples that impact across much bigger areas - so we should never give up.

2. Hope springs eternal

… hope is the common theme uniting all the Star Wars movies.

3. Loyalty matters most

…  we have each other; when you have this, anything can be won.

4.  Just be yourself

… never be afraid of who you are.

5. It’s never too late to change

Yoda so explicitly puts it: “Do. Or do not do. There is no try.”

(This is a very popular statement in my household)

6. Focus creates a sense of perspective

“Don’t fight what you hate, but save what you love.” Removing the what and elevating the sense of why.

Star Wars IV was released in May, 1977. I was a sophomore in High School and getting tickets to see this movie in the theaters was all the rage! I attended the show with my friend Laurie Anderson. (not the singer, but rather my synchronized swimming partner - THIS is another story) 

Anyway, a very long line extended beyond the outside theater doors in Huntington Beach, California. I remember sitting in the middle of the row in the middle of the theater. A prime seating location if you ask Michael. Listening to John Williams Star Wars theme song over the theater’s newly installed Dolby Stereo surround sound (installed in 1975), one would think, 

“Did John Williams wait for this particular decibel moment for his music to impact the public precisely as he
yhad written it?”

Watching this movie was like nothing I had ever seen before! I was blown away from the moment the music began to play. The impact of the music penetrated EVERYTHING from the beginning.

Throughout my High School experience, I was on the drill team at Woodrow Wilson High School. The drill plus band members totaled over 250 people marching onto the football field. Star Wars was played for the first homecoming game in 1977. The energy on the field was electric!

My dad used to always say, “The band is the best part of the football game.” When we played the theme from Star Wars, he was right. 

“Many of the truths that we cling to depend on our point of view.” 

– Yoda

Lesson #5

It’s never too late to change. 

“Yoda so explicitly puts it: “Do. Or do not do. There is no try.”

I had mentioned previously that this is a popular statement in my household. Forever explaining to the kids when they were younger “Just do your best” or inquiring, “Did you do your best?” was often the response we gave them during challenging times in their lives. If and when their response was, “I tried” we often retorted with a Yoda-ism, “Do. Or do not do. There is no try.” (This would often be received with a scowly-face and perhaps, stomping off to their bedroom) The point I’m trying to make (arrr arrr), is one that only Yoda himself can properly define -“The point is that one should not do anything half-heartedly. "I tried" often signals this.

“Difficult to see. Always in motion
is the future.” 

— Yoda

Allowing yourself to let go of everything you fear or worrying about what we can't control and clinging to what we think is ours is wasted time and energy. The only constant in life is change. “Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter,” as Yoda says.

Although Yoda inspires me with all of his Yoda wisdom, I’ve got to admit that my favorite yogi isn’t a yogi after all. There are many yogiisms that ring true within me. For example:

“90% of the game is 

half mental”

-Yogi

(As in Yogi Berra)

Letting go of fear is fearful. But living in fear is worse. As I approach my final third of my life and new phase of my career, facing the unknown is a little frightening. But I have always loved growing older and celebrating each new birthday with a full and joyful heart. (I’m not sure why. Life just gets easier as I grow older - even with several compromised body parts.) 

I turn 63 on May 6 and retire May 30. New beginnings. 

“You will find only what you bring in.” 

– Yoda

Remember to find your inner Yoda (or yogi, whichever suits you best)