Welcome to one of the more dangerous aspects of Jedi Training. Getting to know you. Dun dun dunnnnnn. :0
This set of lessons is designed to simply reflect on you, your path, and the direction you are looking to go. It is an important aspect of Jedi training that you have a core idea of the why. So we will be going over some basic questions and exercises which will dig into the self.
One of the tougher parts about this is confronting what I label as the Dark Side. I don't mean in the Star Wars sense, but as a metaphor for ignorance. Our willingness to ignore some of the more rougher areas within ourselves. Our willingness to look past some of our motivations and triggers. Now this does not apply to everyone, but it can apply to many beginning the Jedi Path. And this can save one a whole lot hassle and time on the Jedi Path. Many Jedi have waited way too long to address this topic and often themselves leaving the Path (or worse degrading it) because they were asked important questions in the beginning.
It is important to note that in this section there is no right or wrong answer. This doesn't mean we won't explore certain answers, but this is really meant for you. It is an exploration of the self for the self. To shine the light of awareness in the darkness of ignorance. The intention is to ensure a strong foundation before you continue on with your training. All the training in the world won't help if you ignore the most important equation in becoming a Jedi Knight - You.
The Self: (2016)
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture One =-
Lets just jump right into this and be absolutely clear about something - no one is making/forcing you to walk this path. It is something you have chosen. And as such you are expected to follow the Path as it is laid before you, not seek to carve out your own path. And even if you do, it will not be as new as you think; from Forest Jedi, to Red Jedi, to Zen Jedi, to Sherbert Jedi, it has been done. Either one is a Jedi or they are not, it is truly that simple, but simple does not mean easy. The point: Many feel they will lose themselves, their identity, to the mold of Jedi. A faceless Clone in the army of Jedi. Thus why many seek to create these "Jedi off-shoots." They wish to stand out. They seek to be Grey Jedi because they somehow feel they are different, but still Jedi. It shows a complete lack of understanding and growth of and within the Jedi Path. Listen....
You will always be you, you will always retain your sense of identity. Your choice of music, clothes, style, do you like surfing, football, cheesecake. So many things make up you - your own likes, dislikes. Sure these may change with time and growth. It has for me, but not so much because of the Jedi. Simply because as we grow in age and mentality our ideas, likes, and dislikes change too. But in the end, they are your likes, your dislikes, your enjoyments, your disagreements.
There are things I like that other Jedi do not. There are views I hold that other Jedi do not share. Religion, Politics, these are all personal choices which the Jedi do not directly have any effect. Do you like Disneyland, the Jedi Path cannot answer that for you. Even with advise on nutrition and physical fitness, the Jedi Path cannot tell you if you like or dislike a cheeseburger. You need not label yourself a Red Jedi because you handle situations more with Tough Love than a Compassionate Hand. How you express the Jedi Ideals in your life will not be the same to every Jedi.
The Jedi Path is defined, it requires certain changes. You will display changes that people in your world will notice (generally, at least). You will be expected to live and thus act/react as a Jedi. Yet even that is generalized. The Jedi Path is a box we all must from within, but it is a very big box.
Example, you enter a hostile situation, the Jedi response is diplomacy. Now how you achieve that diplomacy often varies. Do you use humor, something shocking and distracting, or do you seek to identify with the people involved? Many options, many choices, more often colored by your own personality than of any Jedi training or line of thought.
So for our first Assignment we will be looking at the most important part of being a Jedi - You. Who you are as a person and individual. Yes, Jedi, awesome, cool, but who are you? So introduction.
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:: The Self Assignment One ::
Answer the following questions as best you can. Take your time and really consider them. I want you to really just consider your own honest answers. There are no judgments here, no one cares if you hate coffee. This is a discovery of you - so use it as such. Due at the end of the two weeks.
Take a few minutes. Close you eyes and just breathe. Just relax and let your mind wander, relax, drift, even clear. After a few moments Answer the Following Questions:
1.) What are you Passionate About? (Girlfriend? Kids? Mountain Climbing? Know everything possible about microorganisms? What are your passions in life?)
2.) What was the last thing you got upset about? (Upset, Angry, Infuriated, etc.)
3.) What is your favorite food/dishes?
4.) What are some foods you can't stand?
5.) Favorite treat/guilty pleasure?
6.) Dream Job? (remove all barriers - Astronaut? Director for the London Philharmonic? Superhero?)
7.) Career Goal? Current Job? (Student counts) And what are you doing to obtain that career goal?
8.) What Hobbies do you have? What do you do in your free time?
9.) Religious views?
10.) Political views?
11.) Fears? (Spiders? Heights?)
12.) Personal Strengths?
13.) Personal Weaknesses?
14.) Favorite Color(s)?
15.) Music? What are some of the groups you listen to? Preferred genre?
16.) Movies or Books? What is your preference?
17.) What is your dream vacation?
18.) What is your preferred stress relief method?
19.) If you could travel to any fictional universe and live there and blend in, where would it be?
20.) Coffee (your choice of flavor, caff or decaf etc.), Tea (of your choice, green, chai, orange, etc.). or Hot Cocoa? Be specific if you can, milk, half and half, sugar?
21.) Preferred style of dress? (Goth, Punk, Steampunk, Latest Fashion Trends, Business Causal, Formal, Corporate Business, Saturday Just Woke-up, etc.)
22.) What is your dream car?
23.) Mac or PC?
24.) iPhone or Android?
25.) Jedi or Sith?
Lets just jump right into this and be absolutely clear about something - no one is making/forcing you to walk this path. It is something you have chosen. And as such you are expected to follow the Path as it is laid before you, not seek to carve out your own path. And even if you do, it will not be as new as you think; from Forest Jedi, to Red Jedi, to Zen Jedi, to Sherbert Jedi, it has been done. Either one is a Jedi or they are not, it is truly that simple, but simple does not mean easy. The point: Many feel they will lose themselves, their identity, to the mold of Jedi. A faceless Clone in the army of Jedi. Thus why many seek to create these "Jedi off-shoots." They wish to stand out. They seek to be Grey Jedi because they somehow feel they are different, but still Jedi. It shows a complete lack of understanding and growth of and within the Jedi Path. Listen....
You will always be you, you will always retain your sense of identity. Your choice of music, clothes, style, do you like surfing, football, cheesecake. So many things make up you - your own likes, dislikes. Sure these may change with time and growth. It has for me, but not so much because of the Jedi. Simply because as we grow in age and mentality our ideas, likes, and dislikes change too. But in the end, they are your likes, your dislikes, your enjoyments, your disagreements.
There are things I like that other Jedi do not. There are views I hold that other Jedi do not share. Religion, Politics, these are all personal choices which the Jedi do not directly have any effect. Do you like Disneyland, the Jedi Path cannot answer that for you. Even with advise on nutrition and physical fitness, the Jedi Path cannot tell you if you like or dislike a cheeseburger. You need not label yourself a Red Jedi because you handle situations more with Tough Love than a Compassionate Hand. How you express the Jedi Ideals in your life will not be the same to every Jedi.
The Jedi Path is defined, it requires certain changes. You will display changes that people in your world will notice (generally, at least). You will be expected to live and thus act/react as a Jedi. Yet even that is generalized. The Jedi Path is a box we all must from within, but it is a very big box.
Example, you enter a hostile situation, the Jedi response is diplomacy. Now how you achieve that diplomacy often varies. Do you use humor, something shocking and distracting, or do you seek to identify with the people involved? Many options, many choices, more often colored by your own personality than of any Jedi training or line of thought.
So for our first Assignment we will be looking at the most important part of being a Jedi - You. Who you are as a person and individual. Yes, Jedi, awesome, cool, but who are you? So introduction.
#####
:: The Self Assignment One ::
Answer the following questions as best you can. Take your time and really consider them. I want you to really just consider your own honest answers. There are no judgments here, no one cares if you hate coffee. This is a discovery of you - so use it as such. Due at the end of the two weeks.
Take a few minutes. Close you eyes and just breathe. Just relax and let your mind wander, relax, drift, even clear. After a few moments Answer the Following Questions:
1.) What are you Passionate About? (Girlfriend? Kids? Mountain Climbing? Know everything possible about microorganisms? What are your passions in life?)
2.) What was the last thing you got upset about? (Upset, Angry, Infuriated, etc.)
3.) What is your favorite food/dishes?
4.) What are some foods you can't stand?
5.) Favorite treat/guilty pleasure?
6.) Dream Job? (remove all barriers - Astronaut? Director for the London Philharmonic? Superhero?)
7.) Career Goal? Current Job? (Student counts) And what are you doing to obtain that career goal?
8.) What Hobbies do you have? What do you do in your free time?
9.) Religious views?
10.) Political views?
11.) Fears? (Spiders? Heights?)
12.) Personal Strengths?
13.) Personal Weaknesses?
14.) Favorite Color(s)?
15.) Music? What are some of the groups you listen to? Preferred genre?
16.) Movies or Books? What is your preference?
17.) What is your dream vacation?
18.) What is your preferred stress relief method?
19.) If you could travel to any fictional universe and live there and blend in, where would it be?
20.) Coffee (your choice of flavor, caff or decaf etc.), Tea (of your choice, green, chai, orange, etc.). or Hot Cocoa? Be specific if you can, milk, half and half, sugar?
21.) Preferred style of dress? (Goth, Punk, Steampunk, Latest Fashion Trends, Business Causal, Formal, Corporate Business, Saturday Just Woke-up, etc.)
22.) What is your dream car?
23.) Mac or PC?
24.) iPhone or Android?
25.) Jedi or Sith?
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Two =-
Well, it seems you know you; or at least your coffee preference. A good start. But lets dig into something directly related to your time here. The ever-important (and should be visited on more than one occasion) question of Why Jedi. This can be tricky. Sometimes we get overly complex in that answer. Sometimes we skirt around it never realizing we aren't addressing the actual question. Sometimes we think we know the simple answer and it is really something much deeper.
Example - I use to say the why was a direct result of a childhood trauma in which I sought to become the hero. So I became a Jedi to fulfill that, but that doesn't actually address why Jedi. It denotes a starting place for when I began to seek out a path of self-empowerment, but there are many paths for that. Many roads and labels to take. So why Jedi specifically? This is the line of questioning I was faced with back in 2001 and it forced me to look deeper at my reasoning for wanting to specifically become a Jedi Knight.
I now pass this fun exercise onto you.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Two ::
1.) How did you find the Jedi Community?
2.) Where were you in your life when you found it?
3.) What made you decide to stick with the Community with it?
4.) How do you define Jedi?
5.) What does it mean for you to be a Jedi?
6.) What do you hope to gain from Jedi training?
7.) What challenges do you face as a Jedi?
8.) Why Jedi? Why have you chosen this name/path?
Well, it seems you know you; or at least your coffee preference. A good start. But lets dig into something directly related to your time here. The ever-important (and should be visited on more than one occasion) question of Why Jedi. This can be tricky. Sometimes we get overly complex in that answer. Sometimes we skirt around it never realizing we aren't addressing the actual question. Sometimes we think we know the simple answer and it is really something much deeper.
Example - I use to say the why was a direct result of a childhood trauma in which I sought to become the hero. So I became a Jedi to fulfill that, but that doesn't actually address why Jedi. It denotes a starting place for when I began to seek out a path of self-empowerment, but there are many paths for that. Many roads and labels to take. So why Jedi specifically? This is the line of questioning I was faced with back in 2001 and it forced me to look deeper at my reasoning for wanting to specifically become a Jedi Knight.
I now pass this fun exercise onto you.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Two ::
1.) How did you find the Jedi Community?
2.) Where were you in your life when you found it?
3.) What made you decide to stick with the Community with it?
4.) How do you define Jedi?
5.) What does it mean for you to be a Jedi?
6.) What do you hope to gain from Jedi training?
7.) What challenges do you face as a Jedi?
8.) Why Jedi? Why have you chosen this name/path?
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Three =-
To direct yourself in a direction you want to go, it is important to know where you are at now. It is very hard to navigate a course without knowing where you are. I want you to take a look at where you are right now. And I really want you to make an effort to drop any past and future concepts and ideals from that. I don't want you to focus on where you came from or where you wish you were or where you want to go. For this exercise I simply want you to reflect on exactly where you are. This moment - this day - right now.
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:: The Self Assignment Three ::
Are you where you want to be in life?
Are you happy?
What do you have to be grateful for?
Who are you today?
Why do you do what you do?
How are you feeling?
Are you working toward your future goals?
Are you prepared to face all areas of yourself?
Are you enjoying your Jedi training?
To direct yourself in a direction you want to go, it is important to know where you are at now. It is very hard to navigate a course without knowing where you are. I want you to take a look at where you are right now. And I really want you to make an effort to drop any past and future concepts and ideals from that. I don't want you to focus on where you came from or where you wish you were or where you want to go. For this exercise I simply want you to reflect on exactly where you are. This moment - this day - right now.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Three ::
Are you where you want to be in life?
Are you happy?
What do you have to be grateful for?
Who are you today?
Why do you do what you do?
How are you feeling?
Are you working toward your future goals?
Are you prepared to face all areas of yourself?
Are you enjoying your Jedi training?
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Four =-
Yoda: [points to a cave opening beneath a large tree] 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.
When I was in Fire Camp (training to fight wildland fires in Southern California) part of the training required us to hike up a mountain with a brick in our backpack and whatever tool we were assigned (mine often was a mcleod). This was a timed event and one of the requirements of passing was finishing in a specific time-frame. Anyhow it was all for preparation and all that, but if a person got in trouble they were made to hike the mountain with a cinder block in their backpack rather than the brick. And that has stuck with me for sometime as a metaphor. The idea that due to our past actions we are forced to carry around extra weight on an already difficult journey.
This experience combined with Yoda's words in the Empire Strikes Back really imparted the lesson of not carrying around more than you need to. Life is a journey and we accumulate a lot of things over our time. The wait of our emotional baggage can be a lot more than we sometimes realize. And what we carry tends to be a direct result of our past actions, much like carrying the cinder block.
The first step in shedding some of this weight is taking inventory. Looking at ourselves openly and honestly and understanding who and where we are. A lot of people feel this must be done in some spiritual sense or with a guided meditation or something of that nature. But really we just need to stop, look, and pay attention. The visual signs are there. We can learn a lot from just looking. More than we sometimes realize.
So, as we proceed into the journey into the Dark Side (figuratively speaking), what are you carrying with you? Here is a little assignment to begin with an honest look at the self.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Four ::
Part 1.) Take five to ten minutes and look at yourself in the mirror. I want you to just take some time and really look at yourself. Try to get a body mirror or at least most of you in view. Take the time to just look at you, your body, your face, your eyes, get close, really look at yourself. Feel free to add some extra time and flex, make faces, dances a little, just as long as you keep the attention on you. Your shape, your movement, your height. Certain thoughts will no doubt pop up, things you like, things you don't like, perhaps things you hadn't really noticed before (which could be good or bad in your opinion). Take the time to be honest with yourself. And really be honest, you may not really like your eye color, but does that mean no one else could? Are they still nice eyes, just not the eyes you want? And please feel free to go over the time limit. This is just about you and getting to really know yourself. What do you like? What don't you like? In the end remember that there are things you can change, things you can't, and things you shouldn't. And we will get to that, but for now, just examine you deeply. And tell me - What did you discover?
Part 2.) Take a moment to calm and relax the mind. Maybe a quick meditation and a few deep breaths. Now we are going to make use of an old personality test from Tibet.
First I want you to list the following animals in order from 1 to 5. Calm the mind and just work from intuition. Go with whatever speaks to you. Cow, Tiger, Sheep, Horse, Pig. List them 1 through 5 instinctively.
Second, write one word to describe each of the following: Dog, Cat, Rat, Coffee, Sea. Again, don't overthink it, just go with whatever word comes to your mind to describe each.
At the end of the assignment I'll offer what this test supposedly says about you.
Yoda: [points to a cave opening beneath a large tree] 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.
When I was in Fire Camp (training to fight wildland fires in Southern California) part of the training required us to hike up a mountain with a brick in our backpack and whatever tool we were assigned (mine often was a mcleod). This was a timed event and one of the requirements of passing was finishing in a specific time-frame. Anyhow it was all for preparation and all that, but if a person got in trouble they were made to hike the mountain with a cinder block in their backpack rather than the brick. And that has stuck with me for sometime as a metaphor. The idea that due to our past actions we are forced to carry around extra weight on an already difficult journey.
This experience combined with Yoda's words in the Empire Strikes Back really imparted the lesson of not carrying around more than you need to. Life is a journey and we accumulate a lot of things over our time. The wait of our emotional baggage can be a lot more than we sometimes realize. And what we carry tends to be a direct result of our past actions, much like carrying the cinder block.
The first step in shedding some of this weight is taking inventory. Looking at ourselves openly and honestly and understanding who and where we are. A lot of people feel this must be done in some spiritual sense or with a guided meditation or something of that nature. But really we just need to stop, look, and pay attention. The visual signs are there. We can learn a lot from just looking. More than we sometimes realize.
So, as we proceed into the journey into the Dark Side (figuratively speaking), what are you carrying with you? Here is a little assignment to begin with an honest look at the self.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Four ::
Part 1.) Take five to ten minutes and look at yourself in the mirror. I want you to just take some time and really look at yourself. Try to get a body mirror or at least most of you in view. Take the time to just look at you, your body, your face, your eyes, get close, really look at yourself. Feel free to add some extra time and flex, make faces, dances a little, just as long as you keep the attention on you. Your shape, your movement, your height. Certain thoughts will no doubt pop up, things you like, things you don't like, perhaps things you hadn't really noticed before (which could be good or bad in your opinion). Take the time to be honest with yourself. And really be honest, you may not really like your eye color, but does that mean no one else could? Are they still nice eyes, just not the eyes you want? And please feel free to go over the time limit. This is just about you and getting to really know yourself. What do you like? What don't you like? In the end remember that there are things you can change, things you can't, and things you shouldn't. And we will get to that, but for now, just examine you deeply. And tell me - What did you discover?
Part 2.) Take a moment to calm and relax the mind. Maybe a quick meditation and a few deep breaths. Now we are going to make use of an old personality test from Tibet.
First I want you to list the following animals in order from 1 to 5. Calm the mind and just work from intuition. Go with whatever speaks to you. Cow, Tiger, Sheep, Horse, Pig. List them 1 through 5 instinctively.
Second, write one word to describe each of the following: Dog, Cat, Rat, Coffee, Sea. Again, don't overthink it, just go with whatever word comes to your mind to describe each.
At the end of the assignment I'll offer what this test supposedly says about you.
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Five =-
((IMPORTANT: Please check your journal. The next few lessons can be taxing on the self. Make sure you have instructor permission before continuing on. You may be directed to other lessons first.))
Luke: I won't fail you. I'm not afraid.
Yoda: You will be. You... will... be.
The Dark Side a heavy topic within the Star Wars fiction. Which did not vary much in the early days of the Jedi Community. It was a scary subject, taboo for young students to even consider exploring. We have been given ideas on what the Dark Side is and how one falls to the Dark Side. Fear leads to Anger, et cetera. But is this reality or fiction? As one might guess (as if the title isn't enough), we will be exploring the Dark Side here.
The Dark Side that we are talking about however is not a Path or Label. The Cave is The Self. The Dark is Ignorance. It is an Aspect of the Self. It is the lack of illumination. In otherwords it is the lack of understanding and knowledge. Much like the fiction we can say that the Dark Side blinds us, it dominates our existence, it has a chain effect (one leading to the next). Yet we all have the Darkness within us. There are truths we refuse to face, there are elements of the self we do not confront, there a demons and skeletons left unchecked.
This is the true danger of the Dark Side, our lack of confronting it. We as Jedi feel a plethora of emotions. Some have labelled these emotions positive and negative, but that is a misunderstanding. We feel good when happy, thus we label it positive. And feel bad when sad, thus negative. Yet truly emotions are simply indicators. Just as ignorance on a subject is not negative, it simply indicates we have something new to learn, an opportunity for growth.
Thus to over come the Dark Side we need only confront it. And we tend to find the truth in the allegory of the Cave, only what you take with you. Thus we seek to shed the light of understanding upon it. Why did I react that way? Why am I acting this way? Why do I feel this way? Facing the unpleasant truths along with the beautiful truths. Coming to terms with the self, who we are and what we do. We if find something we might want to change about ourselves, we first have to acknowledge and accept that before we can move forward. We must face our caged demons within and come to understand them, their origins, and what we can do to either make peace with them or remove them.
Once we face the darkness within, the Dark Side loses its power over us. And we are able to move forward assured in our Path. Though do not become complacent. Seek to keep that open understanding of the self, re-evaluate from time to time, the Dark Side is never gone completely and we must keep a watchful eye to keep the light of understanding lit.
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:: The Self Assignment Five ::
Time to dig in. Are you prepared? You'll need to make sure you are. So first, I want you to make some time for yourself. Schedule it. That time is taken for you and no one else. It is going to be alone time. Lock yourself in the bathroom for it if need be. Got your day, time, and schedule all worked out? You may want to read ahead to determine how much time you think best to give yourself.
Second, I want you to have an emergency emotional release kit ready. If this is romantic partner, netflix and chill, a six pack of root beer, and a big bag of gummie worms on stand-by - then make it happen. If this is kickboxing class afterward - good. If it is Zombies, Run! 5k trainer or a marathon of My Little Pony - a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine and love songs playing - excellent. Whatever I want you to be prepared to reboot your system and continue to be a functioning human being (and Jedi). IF you have a Jedi Mentor, have them on stand-by for sure.
So you should have your space and time scheduled. You should have your emotional stability reboot kit on stand-by. I'd also like you to have some sort of recording device. Be it pen and paper to write down your thoughts. A laptop, phone, desktop computer, voice recorder, whatever. Something so you can record and process your thoughts and feelings. Okay. All ready?
I want you to recall a painful event that occurred in your life. To be clear - Not THE worse single event in your life. We are not trying to dive deep into trauma here. Just allow whatever comes to mind first. A bad break-up, a failed basketball try-out, the time you tried a triple helix and broke your leg, or perhaps a time you felt bullied. Just pick a painful experience in your life and work with it. Remember it as much as possible. Allow your memories of the situation to surface. Re-connect with the emotions and pain of the moment.
Now I want you to step back. Feel it. Look at it. But seek to do so without judgment. Don't fight it. Don't deny it. Don't wish it away. Simply look at it from an outside perspective.
Now, seek to understand it. The why of the feelings and emotions. Your reactions. Again, suspend your judgment. Just look at the situation in its totality - as you have no doubt done a few times before now.
When done - Deep Breath. Just a few deep breaths. This happened. It is done and gone. You cannot go back in time. Own the situation, own the emotions and pain. They are a part of your product, a part of who you have come. That moment was also a gift, a life experience.
Okay, now what can be learned from that moment? What lessons can you pull from it (if any)? Now that you have accepted it and taken ownership of it, do you feel that has any effect on the pain? On the memory? Has acknowledging the emotions affected its overall impact? Has accepting the lesson of the event allowed it to stay in the past where it belongs?
Back to some deep breaths. Remembering that this is something you have dealt with or are dealing with. That life is a process and it is okay to struggle with hard and painful events in our lives. Remember that you are a capable person who has already chosen to take control by seeking a path of World-Betterment through Self-Betterment. You are just working on a process of personal awareness.
You may now share your experiences, thoughts, lessons gained from this process. Likewise you do not have to. This is an exercise for you. You can share this privately with your Jedi Mentor or myself. You can share this in your offline journal or online journal. What matters is that you process this lesson and work through your experiences with it.
Now - go enjoy your happy-time. And if you need a break from the site for awhile - that is okay.
((IMPORTANT: Please check your journal. The next few lessons can be taxing on the self. Make sure you have instructor permission before continuing on. You may be directed to other lessons first.))
Luke: I won't fail you. I'm not afraid.
Yoda: You will be. You... will... be.
The Dark Side a heavy topic within the Star Wars fiction. Which did not vary much in the early days of the Jedi Community. It was a scary subject, taboo for young students to even consider exploring. We have been given ideas on what the Dark Side is and how one falls to the Dark Side. Fear leads to Anger, et cetera. But is this reality or fiction? As one might guess (as if the title isn't enough), we will be exploring the Dark Side here.
The Dark Side that we are talking about however is not a Path or Label. The Cave is The Self. The Dark is Ignorance. It is an Aspect of the Self. It is the lack of illumination. In otherwords it is the lack of understanding and knowledge. Much like the fiction we can say that the Dark Side blinds us, it dominates our existence, it has a chain effect (one leading to the next). Yet we all have the Darkness within us. There are truths we refuse to face, there are elements of the self we do not confront, there a demons and skeletons left unchecked.
This is the true danger of the Dark Side, our lack of confronting it. We as Jedi feel a plethora of emotions. Some have labelled these emotions positive and negative, but that is a misunderstanding. We feel good when happy, thus we label it positive. And feel bad when sad, thus negative. Yet truly emotions are simply indicators. Just as ignorance on a subject is not negative, it simply indicates we have something new to learn, an opportunity for growth.
Thus to over come the Dark Side we need only confront it. And we tend to find the truth in the allegory of the Cave, only what you take with you. Thus we seek to shed the light of understanding upon it. Why did I react that way? Why am I acting this way? Why do I feel this way? Facing the unpleasant truths along with the beautiful truths. Coming to terms with the self, who we are and what we do. We if find something we might want to change about ourselves, we first have to acknowledge and accept that before we can move forward. We must face our caged demons within and come to understand them, their origins, and what we can do to either make peace with them or remove them.
Once we face the darkness within, the Dark Side loses its power over us. And we are able to move forward assured in our Path. Though do not become complacent. Seek to keep that open understanding of the self, re-evaluate from time to time, the Dark Side is never gone completely and we must keep a watchful eye to keep the light of understanding lit.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Five ::
Time to dig in. Are you prepared? You'll need to make sure you are. So first, I want you to make some time for yourself. Schedule it. That time is taken for you and no one else. It is going to be alone time. Lock yourself in the bathroom for it if need be. Got your day, time, and schedule all worked out? You may want to read ahead to determine how much time you think best to give yourself.
Second, I want you to have an emergency emotional release kit ready. If this is romantic partner, netflix and chill, a six pack of root beer, and a big bag of gummie worms on stand-by - then make it happen. If this is kickboxing class afterward - good. If it is Zombies, Run! 5k trainer or a marathon of My Little Pony - a hot bubble bath with a glass of wine and love songs playing - excellent. Whatever I want you to be prepared to reboot your system and continue to be a functioning human being (and Jedi). IF you have a Jedi Mentor, have them on stand-by for sure.
So you should have your space and time scheduled. You should have your emotional stability reboot kit on stand-by. I'd also like you to have some sort of recording device. Be it pen and paper to write down your thoughts. A laptop, phone, desktop computer, voice recorder, whatever. Something so you can record and process your thoughts and feelings. Okay. All ready?
I want you to recall a painful event that occurred in your life. To be clear - Not THE worse single event in your life. We are not trying to dive deep into trauma here. Just allow whatever comes to mind first. A bad break-up, a failed basketball try-out, the time you tried a triple helix and broke your leg, or perhaps a time you felt bullied. Just pick a painful experience in your life and work with it. Remember it as much as possible. Allow your memories of the situation to surface. Re-connect with the emotions and pain of the moment.
Now I want you to step back. Feel it. Look at it. But seek to do so without judgment. Don't fight it. Don't deny it. Don't wish it away. Simply look at it from an outside perspective.
Now, seek to understand it. The why of the feelings and emotions. Your reactions. Again, suspend your judgment. Just look at the situation in its totality - as you have no doubt done a few times before now.
When done - Deep Breath. Just a few deep breaths. This happened. It is done and gone. You cannot go back in time. Own the situation, own the emotions and pain. They are a part of your product, a part of who you have come. That moment was also a gift, a life experience.
Okay, now what can be learned from that moment? What lessons can you pull from it (if any)? Now that you have accepted it and taken ownership of it, do you feel that has any effect on the pain? On the memory? Has acknowledging the emotions affected its overall impact? Has accepting the lesson of the event allowed it to stay in the past where it belongs?
Back to some deep breaths. Remembering that this is something you have dealt with or are dealing with. That life is a process and it is okay to struggle with hard and painful events in our lives. Remember that you are a capable person who has already chosen to take control by seeking a path of World-Betterment through Self-Betterment. You are just working on a process of personal awareness.
You may now share your experiences, thoughts, lessons gained from this process. Likewise you do not have to. This is an exercise for you. You can share this privately with your Jedi Mentor or myself. You can share this in your offline journal or online journal. What matters is that you process this lesson and work through your experiences with it.
Now - go enjoy your happy-time. And if you need a break from the site for awhile - that is okay.
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Six =-
Whew. Fun times huh? Okay Jedi. In our next lesson we are going back into the cave, if we want to be a bit dramatic about it. This week our assignment is much more of an intuitive exercise. Less involved and challenging. Before we get into that though we will talk a bit on strength. It is often a part of the self that many have issues recognizing.
When you are striving and working towards something you can sometimes miss the by-product of all your hard work. You may never realize all the people you inspire and encourage in that time. I know this is true for me - this place is a constant reminder. It was created as a place for me to work through this crazy dream of becoming a Jedi. Just a place I could work on my path and life as a Jedi. Every time someone tells me that this place has somehow helped them? I am humbled, shocked, grateful, amazed, happy, and it affirms that we rarely get to know the impact we have in the lives of others.
You may or may not run a silly website based upon your childhood dream, but you have certainly impacted the lives of those around you. You have inspired someone somewhere. To what? I have no idea, but I do know that someone is always watching ..... Yes... Even right now. :faint:
Okay. Seriously. Your life matters to more people than you may realize. And it may just be in your simple daily grind. The act of just waking up every single day and trudging to work. Someone may be at home one day - in bed - dealing with a rough life, not wanting to go in. Ready to call it a day and quit, but they are like - man, Jedi Monkey (yes that is you in this story) is there every day. They don't complain and even though I know they are dealing with their own issues they never just stay in bed. Okay. One more day. - And soon enough that works through the rough patch and why? Just because your normal don't-even-think-about-it routine inspired them. Perhaps you can even think of someone in your life that inspired you, gave you that lesson without ever telling you a thing. You just saw how they dealt with life and that was enough.
So yeah. I just wanted to offer that reminder. There are those who do look to you. That can be a bit scary. The idea of being a role-model. But it doesn't require you to do anything special. Just keep being you. Keep striving for your dreams and living the life you want to live. Just keep trudging on Jedi - you'll not only cross the finish line, but inspire others to do the same.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Six ::
Time to face inward, examine and write out You. Please take a moment to relax, to center yourself, and be ready to reflect on the self. For this exercise I want you to fill in where I leave off. But I want to stress, two things. One, be completely honest. Two, you are just starting out (presumably) as a Jedi, don't feel you have to have an answer, or even a "Jedi answer". Just be honest. We will look at this later on down the line and see what changes may have taken place during your time and training as a Jedi here. This is for you, not to impress anyone.
I am
I share
I express
I build
I change
I comfort
I seek
I accumulate
I feel
I accept
I expand
We are
Whew. Fun times huh? Okay Jedi. In our next lesson we are going back into the cave, if we want to be a bit dramatic about it. This week our assignment is much more of an intuitive exercise. Less involved and challenging. Before we get into that though we will talk a bit on strength. It is often a part of the self that many have issues recognizing.
When you are striving and working towards something you can sometimes miss the by-product of all your hard work. You may never realize all the people you inspire and encourage in that time. I know this is true for me - this place is a constant reminder. It was created as a place for me to work through this crazy dream of becoming a Jedi. Just a place I could work on my path and life as a Jedi. Every time someone tells me that this place has somehow helped them? I am humbled, shocked, grateful, amazed, happy, and it affirms that we rarely get to know the impact we have in the lives of others.
You may or may not run a silly website based upon your childhood dream, but you have certainly impacted the lives of those around you. You have inspired someone somewhere. To what? I have no idea, but I do know that someone is always watching ..... Yes... Even right now. :faint:
Okay. Seriously. Your life matters to more people than you may realize. And it may just be in your simple daily grind. The act of just waking up every single day and trudging to work. Someone may be at home one day - in bed - dealing with a rough life, not wanting to go in. Ready to call it a day and quit, but they are like - man, Jedi Monkey (yes that is you in this story) is there every day. They don't complain and even though I know they are dealing with their own issues they never just stay in bed. Okay. One more day. - And soon enough that works through the rough patch and why? Just because your normal don't-even-think-about-it routine inspired them. Perhaps you can even think of someone in your life that inspired you, gave you that lesson without ever telling you a thing. You just saw how they dealt with life and that was enough.
So yeah. I just wanted to offer that reminder. There are those who do look to you. That can be a bit scary. The idea of being a role-model. But it doesn't require you to do anything special. Just keep being you. Keep striving for your dreams and living the life you want to live. Just keep trudging on Jedi - you'll not only cross the finish line, but inspire others to do the same.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Six ::
Time to face inward, examine and write out You. Please take a moment to relax, to center yourself, and be ready to reflect on the self. For this exercise I want you to fill in where I leave off. But I want to stress, two things. One, be completely honest. Two, you are just starting out (presumably) as a Jedi, don't feel you have to have an answer, or even a "Jedi answer". Just be honest. We will look at this later on down the line and see what changes may have taken place during your time and training as a Jedi here. This is for you, not to impress anyone.
I am
I share
I express
I build
I change
I comfort
I seek
I accumulate
I feel
I accept
I expand
We are
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Seven =-
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.... ((I will give five JediCreds to anyone who can tell where that line comes from without looking it up. Integrity Test Jedi.))
So this assignment will again be an honest look at ourselves and our lives. This can be a tough thing because we are in the process of living the Jedi lifestyle. Not all of us are where we want to be in life, whether as a Jedi or just in general. So we can still have a lot of things that don't sit well with us. What I want to make clear is, that is okay. The Jedi Path is continual. We do this for as long as we determine it to be beneficial in our lives (in otherwords for as long as we want to until death do us part). So this is very much a process and one I feel sort of stays with us.
So while uncomfortable things may come up in this exercise it certainly should not bury you. Remember your training. Remember that you have made it this far. You have a 100% survival rate of all previous Jedi training and life. You are kicking butt and I don't see anything that is going to stop you now. So lets tackle this next assignment and start wrapping up this Tier so you can graduate with style.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Seven ::
Take the week to reflect on your life thus far. Take some time to just reflect on the choices and things in your life, where you are at, where you want to be, etc. Reflect on failures, triumphs, miracles, lucky breaks, unlucky breaks. Through out the week while reflecting on these things write them down (probably best in an offline journal). Perhaps tackle one a day. Monday reflecting on all the mistakes and bad decisions and what you learned from them. Tuesday reflecting on all the events that just seemed to come out of nowhere, those unlucky breaks, those miracles. And when writing them down, see if you can track down any cause and effect to them. See if you can track how some of them came into effect. Wednesday challenges you have overcame, triumphs in your life, successes. What did you learn from those events. And so on for the entire week.
If you'd like to share this lesson's assignments privately you may. Though we do encourage a safe place here and sharing and growing among your fellow Jedi. Still, work from within your comfort zone.
Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more.... ((I will give five JediCreds to anyone who can tell where that line comes from without looking it up. Integrity Test Jedi.))
So this assignment will again be an honest look at ourselves and our lives. This can be a tough thing because we are in the process of living the Jedi lifestyle. Not all of us are where we want to be in life, whether as a Jedi or just in general. So we can still have a lot of things that don't sit well with us. What I want to make clear is, that is okay. The Jedi Path is continual. We do this for as long as we determine it to be beneficial in our lives (in otherwords for as long as we want to until death do us part). So this is very much a process and one I feel sort of stays with us.
So while uncomfortable things may come up in this exercise it certainly should not bury you. Remember your training. Remember that you have made it this far. You have a 100% survival rate of all previous Jedi training and life. You are kicking butt and I don't see anything that is going to stop you now. So lets tackle this next assignment and start wrapping up this Tier so you can graduate with style.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Seven ::
Take the week to reflect on your life thus far. Take some time to just reflect on the choices and things in your life, where you are at, where you want to be, etc. Reflect on failures, triumphs, miracles, lucky breaks, unlucky breaks. Through out the week while reflecting on these things write them down (probably best in an offline journal). Perhaps tackle one a day. Monday reflecting on all the mistakes and bad decisions and what you learned from them. Tuesday reflecting on all the events that just seemed to come out of nowhere, those unlucky breaks, those miracles. And when writing them down, see if you can track down any cause and effect to them. See if you can track how some of them came into effect. Wednesday challenges you have overcame, triumphs in your life, successes. What did you learn from those events. And so on for the entire week.
If you'd like to share this lesson's assignments privately you may. Though we do encourage a safe place here and sharing and growing among your fellow Jedi. Still, work from within your comfort zone.
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Eight =-
That Dark Side can be something else huh? Well, hopefully it has not been too much of a strain on you. We are going to flip the script a bit here and look at what tends to make us happy. This is usually directly tied to our desires and wants. Which, all things in moderation, don't feel being a Jedi means you must remove all your passions and enjoyment from life. We are not monks who isolate ourselves in some far away temple never to partake in the luxuries of life or our society. I mean, if that makes you happy - cool. If that is what you desire - awesome. But it is not demanded of any Jedi.
So I want you to just take the time to look within and answer some questions. Much less dark, but may be just as elusive to answer. Depends how in touch with your pleasures in life. Just like a couple of our other lessons depended on how in touch with your pain you are. We are just adjusting our focus here. So onto the assignment.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Eight ::
So Five Questions
1.) What do you crave?
2.) How do you know when you are happy?
3.) What does joy fell like?
4.) What makes you come alive?
5.) What do you desire most right now?
Once you have answered those - go enjoy some happy time. Whatever you enjoy doing, maybe fulfilling that desire/craving. It is Jedi homework, so enjoy guilt free.
That Dark Side can be something else huh? Well, hopefully it has not been too much of a strain on you. We are going to flip the script a bit here and look at what tends to make us happy. This is usually directly tied to our desires and wants. Which, all things in moderation, don't feel being a Jedi means you must remove all your passions and enjoyment from life. We are not monks who isolate ourselves in some far away temple never to partake in the luxuries of life or our society. I mean, if that makes you happy - cool. If that is what you desire - awesome. But it is not demanded of any Jedi.
So I want you to just take the time to look within and answer some questions. Much less dark, but may be just as elusive to answer. Depends how in touch with your pleasures in life. Just like a couple of our other lessons depended on how in touch with your pain you are. We are just adjusting our focus here. So onto the assignment.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Eight ::
So Five Questions
1.) What do you crave?
2.) How do you know when you are happy?
3.) What does joy fell like?
4.) What makes you come alive?
5.) What do you desire most right now?
Once you have answered those - go enjoy some happy time. Whatever you enjoy doing, maybe fulfilling that desire/craving. It is Jedi homework, so enjoy guilt free.
Re: The Self: (2016)
-= The Self: Lecture Nine =-
How we view ourselves as a direct impact on how we interact with the world around us. It affects how we view the world and those around us. I am not a fan of self-delusion, of lying to the self, even if it is in a positive way. Acceptance is Peace and in order to accept something we must be honest about it. Acceptance is the first step to change - after-all how can you solve a problem if you refuse to accept there is a problem to begin with. Self-Honesty is a big part of the Jedi Way. With implication int he Jedi Rules of Behavior to it being listed in the Jedi Circle it is important that we practice honesty with ourselves.
For this lesson we are going to look at our self-esteem. If you need the reminder - you are not the end product. You are growing and progressing and that is a wonderful thing. Don't put yourself in a position where you feel you should be the perfect Jedi Master - that is just silly. Strive, sure, but don't hold yourself to the level at this time. So, lets take another look at ourselves.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Nine ::
First I want you to go to this site and take a self-esteem quiz (http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/be ... -quiz.html). Read the little feedback you get. It is the reason I chose this specific site. At the end of the quiz you'll get a result - where did you land?
Second, I want you to write down twenty words that describe yourself. Doesn't matter what they are, as long as you feel it describes you. Patient, Reckless, Hungry, whatever. No explanation required - just twenty individual words which describe you.
How we view ourselves as a direct impact on how we interact with the world around us. It affects how we view the world and those around us. I am not a fan of self-delusion, of lying to the self, even if it is in a positive way. Acceptance is Peace and in order to accept something we must be honest about it. Acceptance is the first step to change - after-all how can you solve a problem if you refuse to accept there is a problem to begin with. Self-Honesty is a big part of the Jedi Way. With implication int he Jedi Rules of Behavior to it being listed in the Jedi Circle it is important that we practice honesty with ourselves.
For this lesson we are going to look at our self-esteem. If you need the reminder - you are not the end product. You are growing and progressing and that is a wonderful thing. Don't put yourself in a position where you feel you should be the perfect Jedi Master - that is just silly. Strive, sure, but don't hold yourself to the level at this time. So, lets take another look at ourselves.
#####
:: The Self Assignment Nine ::
First I want you to go to this site and take a self-esteem quiz (http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/be ... -quiz.html). Read the little feedback you get. It is the reason I chose this specific site. At the end of the quiz you'll get a result - where did you land?
Second, I want you to write down twenty words that describe yourself. Doesn't matter what they are, as long as you feel it describes you. Patient, Reckless, Hungry, whatever. No explanation required - just twenty individual words which describe you.