In case you are one of the three people who has not yet gotten around to seeing the latest Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, no worries. This post does not contain spoilers, just some Yoda wisdom from episode 5.

I have had the Star Wars theme song in my head for a week.

In preparation for the latest Star Wars film the Handsome Sweetheart and I embarked on a Star Wars marathon and binged watched all 6 previous movies. Some of the prequels I think I missed entirely at their debut. (How is that possible?? And I’m not sure if that gives me more or less nerd cred – opinions are mixed.)

However, I saw something that I love in Episode 5, The Empire Strikes back, and that’s what I’m going to bring up here today.

If you have not seen this episode, or if you are not a Star Wars fan (really? “HMMMMM?”, said with Yoda inflection) it won’t really matter. I believe that if you are interested in personal growth, spirituality, magic and becoming a Jedi this is relevant. Relevant to your becoming. Relevant to your ability to consciously create what you desire.

Even if you’ve never seen a Star Wars movie you surely know the characters: Yoda, Luke, Darth Vadar.

In a nutshell: Yoda = The 900 year-old Jedi Master, Luke = the young Jedi in training, Darth Vader = the evil lord who was once a Jedi himself but has turned to the darkside.

There is a scene in episode 5 where Yoda and Luke come upon a hole in the jungle floor on Dagobah. Their conversation goes like this:
Luke: I feel death, cold.
Yoda: That place… is strong with the dark side of the Force. A domain of evil it is. In you must go.
Luke: What’s in there?
Yoda: Only what you take with you.

Luke proceeds to strap on his weapon. Yoda tells him he won’t need his weapons. Luke takes them in anyway and proceeds to battle the evil Darth Vader, ultimately decapitating Vader with his light saber. Luke then removes Darth Vader’s helmet and sees that the face beneath the shield is his own.

This scene holds a valuable message for those of us who are conscious creators. The entire universe is a mirror for us. I’ve talked about The Magic Mirror before, here and here. It’s one of my favorite concepts and I just couldn’t get this amazing example out of my mind. Plus, it seems really timely since we are winding up 2015 and heading into 2016 in just a week.

Yoda tells Luke that the only thing inside that place is whatever he takes with him.

Every day we have opportunities and situations that potentially bring us to a place where we feel fear, or trepidation, or uncomfortable. I’m not even talking about huge life events,  it could be any number of things where we are going to deal with people or things that we would rather just skip out on.

Difficult conversations, potential conflict at work, holiday parties, that meeting you’ve been dreading, you know the thing I’m talking about.

Whatever we get when we walk into that place, is whatever we bring with us.

We can consciously choose to bring love, compassion, understanding.

Luke brought fear, and weapons. He entered that place and saw what he expected to see – an evil enemy armed for battle. He ends up in a huge conflict. He realizes after he has “won” that he was only fighting with himself.

Who would Luke have encountered in that place had he entered without his weapons, and only armed with love, wisdom, curiosity and understanding?

The next time we have an opportunity where we are expecting to encounter conflict and opposition, what would happen if we put down our weapons and fear and decided to see something else?

I imagine a situation where I have to meet with someone who is notorious for being angry, mean, and confrontational. What if instead of “getting ready for battle”, I chose to see something different. What if I decided that I was going to imagine that the person I’m meeting is the most loving, compassionate, generous person on the planet?

“Okay, fine.” you might be thinking,  “And what if I show up bringing love and light and that person still looks angry, mean, and confrontational. What then?”

Here, my friend, is the power of the Jedi; I can choose to not believe what I see.

I can choose to see something different.
I can use my imagination to create something better.

One of my favorite ideas is that our imagination is where we meet the Divine. I learned that from my good friend Kris Oster, and it’s a powerful truth.

Miracles happen when we master the art of believing what is denied by the senses.

Yoda calls it using the Force. Neville calls it prayer. I call it Magic.

Wherever you go today, you only experience what you bring with you. The only mind you need to “trick” is your own. If you can believe when your senses and logic are saying otherwise, you’ve tapped into the divine power of the conscious creator. It takes practice. We all have a myriad of opportunities.

Wherever you’re headed, you will only find over there what you bring with you.

What will you bring into the New Year?

Choose Love, Magic will follow. (<—“Use the Force, Luke.”)

You have the power to create a better reality for yourself.

Love & Magic,

 

 

P.S. Would you like some support in 2016 with developing your Jedi skills? I’ve got a couple new offerings for 2016 – take a look.

 

 

 

Image credit: Official Star Wars website: www.starwars.com