My family has been on a bit of a Star Wars kick lately. We’re watching the movies “in order”. Although that means something different to me than it does my son, because to me, being a child of the 1970s, the first Star Wars movie was indeed Star Wars…. Not The Phantom Menace, and it truly was called Star Wars, not A New Hope, but that’s another topic for another day.
Anyway, while watching these movies, I realized a theme throughout. A rather unexpected theme than one might think considering the focus is on galactic battles, but if you stop to listen, there is a recurring theme about mindful living, more specifically, being mindful of your thoughts.
Some may think that mindful living is something new, but obviously they are mistaken, as Star Wars proves, mindful living has been around for eons. No, wait, Star Wars is in the future… or is it? It takes place in a galaxy far, far away, but do they tell us the timeframe? I might need to watch them again, my memory is failing me.
Anyway, regardless of the timeframe, the message is loud and clear. In Attack of the Clones, Anakin Skywalker was getting a bit frustrated and began getting angry. Obi-Wan Kenobi warned Anakin, “You are focusing on the negative Anakin. Be mindful of your thoughts.”
Holy heads up, people! I hate to spoil it for you if you haven’t seen it, but since Star Wars has been around a while I figure I’m safe to say… See what happens! Anakin Skywalker eventually becomes Darth Vader! in other words, if you aren’t living mindfully, being mindful of your thoughts, you switch to the Dark Side! It doesn’t get much worse than that!
So if you’re having a bad day or going through tough times, remember to to be like a Jedi, keep your eyes focused on the good in the world, on what you can do instead of what you can’t, and in the good of others. And if you doubt whether mindful living is the way to go, don’t listen to me, listen to Obi-Wan and use the force because even Jedi Knights live mindfully.
Kate
Walnuts n Pears 