“Try not, do, or do not. There is no try.” When one thinks
of Star Wars, or it comes up in conversation, there are always specific
characters, scenes, or lines that seem to be recalled. This line from Yoda is
one of the most famous and in it, we see a very importance lesson that not only
is important for us, but also our children.
As I said in one of the previous posts, The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite
of all the Star Wars movies (although a few new ones are definitely in the
running). Few scenes are more memorable than those with Master Yoda. The humor,
care, and even intensity of these interactions draw those watching deeper into
what it means to be a Jedi, and the seriousness of what Luke was undertaking.
In the previous movie, we were introduced to Luke. While he
did not have an easy life, he had some talent. He is described as the “best
bush pilot” in the outer rim. In his first mission off-planet, he storms the
Death Star, comes up with a plan, and rescues the princess.
Once at the rebel base, he is given a fighter (worth who
knows how much), and is sent on the mission to help destroy the Empire’s pride
and joy. Not only does he fly on the mission, but he manages to be the one who
destroys the space station. Even though there are others with more flight time,
more experience, and more seniority, he is the one who becomes the hero. His
talent and ability shine through, and his success, by some standards, seems to
come pretty easily (not many others could destroy a space station on their
first flight).
Fast forward now to Episode 5. Luke has been sent on a
mission by Obi-wan to find an old, reclusive, hermit of a Jedi named Yoda. When
Luke finds him, he is not at all what Luke expects. This little “muppet of a
man” is the one who will instruct him? After the initial shock, and some
discussion with a dead spirit, Luke begins his training.
From the start, we see that this is not going to be an easy
task. From the physical to the mental, all areas of Luke are pushed to their
limit. There are constant work outs, lessons, and questions, and in it all was
see an intensity that screams, “this is not easy”. Day after day, Luke works
and trains. It seems to go on forever, and there seems to be an impatience in
Luke throughout these sessions.
While training one day, R2 starts to go nuts. Drawn to the
sound, Luke discovers that his ship is sinking into the mud, and he dejectedly
exclaims, “Now we’ll never get it out”. Yoda just sits and shakes his head, “So
certain are you. Always with you it cannot be done.” Luke could not see any
easy way that this problem could be solved, and because of this, he was quick
to quit. In Yoda’s response, we see one of the lessons he was trying to teach
Luke.
As he talks, and then shows Luke it can be done, Yoda is
trying to explain to Luke that things do not always come easy. Sometimes, much
work and diligence are required to accomplish a task. Yoda and Ben were getting
ready to send Luke off on the most difficult mission of his life – destroying
the Empire, confronting his father, and rebuilding a Jedi order lost in the
Emperor’s take-over. None of these would be easy tasks, and Luke had to
understand the work and diligence that would be required.
The more time I spend with my children and students, the
more I see how important this lesson is for them, and how much it is needed in
our society. We live in the “instant age”. Anything you want, you can have
instantly. Want to read that new book, just add it to your Kindle. Want the
latest song, just go to iTunes, Can’t wait for the Blu-Ray, just order it on
pay per view. Missed your favorite show, just check out the DVR or Hulu.
With fast food, instant “everything”, and microwaves, we
don’t even need to wait to long for dinner. Everything is at our fingertips,
how we want it, and when we want it. If we don’t have the money, no worries, we
can get credit. We have trained ourselves to want satisfaction the instant we
realize the desire is present.
Now, don’t get me wrong, these things are wonderful
conveniences, and are helpful in so many ways, but sometimes in these wonders,
a very simple lesson is lost that is essential to life – hard work and
diligence pay off and are important.
Often with students, and even sometimes with us as adults,
hard work is not an easy thing (please excuse the pun). Sometimes, it is easy
to just do enough to get by. It looks good to take the “easy path” and not work
so hard and be stressed”. It seems like “just doing enough to get by” has
become the goal, and that some of our children look at that as their best.
And while this may be enough for a while, at some point in
life, it just will not cut it. For Luke, he did not have to work too hard to
get into the pilot’s chair, but as he trained, he learned that diligence
prepares us for the future. It helps us develop what is needed to succeed in
the future and accomplish the difficult tasks set before us.
Many times, when it does not come easy, our children respond
just as Luke did, “Now we’ll never get it out,” or “You want the impossible”.
As Luke walked away to sulk, Yoda knew the lesson could not end here. He had to
show Luke that training, hard work, diligence, and discipline had its rewards,
and show him he did. As the ship settled onto the firm ground, and Luke stood
and stared in wonder, he began to understand.
Yoda had spend a lifetime training, working, and living as a
Jedi. It was something he invested everything into – even when it was not easy
– and this is what Luke needed to see. He need to see that if this was truly
the path he was going to take, it was not going to be easy. It was going to
require hard work and diligence, and it was going to take time. There would be
no easy way, no quick path, and just doing “enough” would not cut it.
As parents, we need to live out this lesson before our
children, and help them see the importance of always doing their best. They
need to see the benefit of diligence and hard work and the important benefits
these habits form in life. Sometimes, just as Yoda did, we will need to walk
with them through an event, and help them be diligent when they want to quit
and give up. Our children need us to show them that good enough is not enough,
and the easy path will not get them very far. Imagine how different the story
would have been, if Luke had taken the easy way. Our younglings need to see
that the easy way, is not always easy, and that diligence will pave the way for
great things, just as it did with Luke.
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