Oprah Winfrey. Mitch Albom. Audrey Hepburn. Carrie Bradshaw. These are just a few people who inspire me, people I’ve learned from. Oprah, Mitch Albom, Audrey Hepburn- all real people, making a difference, making an impact. Then there’s Carrie Bradshaw- a character. A figment of someone’s imagination. Can I really put that much influence on her? Maybe, especially after you hear my next one…Yoda.
When I graduated high school, one of my art teachers wrote this in my yearbook, “Do or do not, there is no try.” He knew I was a fan. Most of you, Star Wars fans or not, have probably heard this before. This is the quote that Yoda is most known for. But as I was watching the old Star Wars over the weekend, I was reminded of another Yoda-ism. Although not as well known, it’s definitely just as significant.
When Luke is training to be a Jedi on Dagobah, there’s a moment where Luke shows his doubt about the force. Although Yoda has shown him what he needed to know about being a Jedi, Luke still questions his ability. To make his point, Yoda shows his own Jedi powers- and lifts Luke’s crashed ship out of the swamp. Mesmerized and intimidated, Luke says, “I don’t believe it…”
Yoda simply answers, “That is why you fail.”
You can guess where this is going- believe in yourself, have confidence… etc. etc. But it’s not as simple as that. It’s so easy to say, but so difficult to do. Life constantly presents us with challenging situations. There’s always a reason to doubt yourself. But not believing, allowing yourself to fall victim to negativity and doubt… it’s the first step to failure.
Even when Luke sees his own talents, he doubts himself. I can certainly see this in my own life. I’ve written over 65 blog posts since June. I’ve taken actions to change my life. I’ve moved back to Philadelphia. But still, it is so much easier to doubt myself. It’s easier to give into the negativity, easier to give up, than it is to have faith in my abilities. And that is why I’ve failed.
It’s so easy to imagine greater things. Having dreams is what keeps us going. But you have to make them real. You have to see past the impossible, past the doubt, and not only envision a better life- you have to make it happen. I never used to consider myself a writer. Not because I wasn’t a writer, but because I doubted I was any good. Yet here I am, week after week, writing.
I’m guilty of this in other areas of my life. Instead of having faith, instead of embracing what I knew about myself and what I wanted out of my life, I gave into my own doubts, my own personal “dark side”. I let jealousy, fear, and self-loathing almost destroy me. The only thing that ever did for me was make me unhappy, to the point where I barely recognized myself.
So now, for the past month or so, I’ve taken another route… I’ve searched my feelings, to find what I know to be true (another Star Wars-ism). I’m a good writer. I’m capable of great things. I can be kind. I can be positive. I can change. I just need to stop letting my own negativity and self-doubt influence my actions, and just be confident- even when I can’t lift a spaceship out of a swamp.