Things I learned from “Star Wars.”

You’re not the first or the only one to feel like you’re stranded on a desert planet, far away from the fight that matters.

Some people believe there is a Force in the universe that “surrounds us, penetrates us, binds the galaxy together;” you can tap into this Force by paying attention; you can get BETTER at tapping into this Force with practice…and you can use this Force for constructive OR destructive purposes. 

Some people wear masks and armor to protect themselves and keep themselves alive. 

Some people get CONVINCED that we have “destiny” that we cannot escape…and almost always those people are wrong.  

It’s never too late to redeem ourselves.  

Convincing ourselves that we “know” what will DEFINITELY happen in the future can lead us to enormously impulsive or destructive decision making.  

Trauma can twist us into someone we, or the people close to us, can barely recognize. 

No matter how certain we are that we KNOW certain things about how the universe works, the truth is, we only know what we’ve directly experienced— there are ALWAYS things happening outside our worldview.

Everything anyone tells us— including things that trusted mentors or teachers tell us— is from their own point of view. 

The wisest person you know has made mistakes. 

No matter how wise or experienced we become, we WILL lose ourselves sometimes— but it’s never the wrong time to breathe, blink, focus, and bring our focus back to calm, radical acceptance. 

No one’s ever really gone.

Even the bravest warriors get scared. 

You never know what the next act of your life will be. Lifetime scoundrels can become heroes who fall in love with princesses. You are never “stuck” in the identity you once had. 

Debts come due. 

Heroes get discouraged. 

Friends don’t let you die in the cold. 

We risk repeating what we don’t repair. 

Tools are useless and dangerous without skills. 

Philosophy will get you nowhere WITHOUT tools and skills. 

It’s a different ball game returning to where you came from after you’ve done the work to discover who you are and what you’re all about. 

Wherever we’re from, whatever we’ve been through, is not the most important thing about us. 

Often legendary warriors do not look like legendary warriors. Appearances can be deceiving. 

Meet every feeling or instinct with compassion and acceptance. 

It’s never too late. 

It’s never too late. 

It’s never too late.