Are You Using "The Force" To Your Advantage?

Do you recall the original "Star Wars" trilogy? The third movie in that series was titled "The Empire Strikes Back." There's a wonderful scene in that movie that conveys the struggle many of us face when it comes to believing in our ability to accomplish our goals and dreams.

In case you've never seen the movie, or don't recall the scene, let me briefly set it up for you. One of the main characters (Luke Skywalker) crash lands on an eerie planet while in search of the famous Jedi Master, Yoda (I like to think of Yoda as a modern day "mentor" or "coach"). ;-)

Luke's ship ends up stuck in a bog, but he manages to make it to shore to begin looking for Yoda.

Once he finds the "Master," he begins training with him to become a Jedi. Part of the training consists of learning to use something known as "the Force."

The Force is described by another character in the movie (Obi-Wan Kenobi) as "an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and binds the galaxy together."

One day while training with Yoda, Luke notices his ship (still out in the bog) beginning to sink. Here's how the scene plays out...

Luke: We'll never get it out now.

Yoda: So certain are you? Always with you it cannot be done. Hear you nothing that I say?

Luke: Master, moving stones around is one thing, but this is totally different.

Yoda: No! No different! Only different in your mind. You must unlearn what you have learned!

Luke: Oh, all right. I'll give it a try.

Yoda: No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.

(Luke attempts to raise the sinking ship, but fails)

Luke: I can't. It's too big.

Yoda: Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you? Hmm, and well you should not. For my ally is the force. And a powerful ally it is. Life creates it. Makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us, and binds us. Luminous beings, not this crude matter. You must feel the force around you. Here. Between you, me. The tree. The rock, everywhere. Yes and even between the land and the ship.

Luke: You want the impossible.

(Yoda raises the ship)

Luke: I don't...I don't believe it.

Yoda: That is why you fail.

(Note: to get the real effect of the scene you really should rent the movie).

Anyway, have you figured out where I'm going with all this yet?

Quite often our "limitations" in life stem from our beliefs about what we think is "possible."

Part of Luke's failure lay in his inability to believe that what he wanted was possible.

We all possess the ability to manifest many "unbelievable" things in our lives. It all starts with our thinking. As Henry Ford once said, "If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right."

So, the question I have for you to ponder is simply this - "Where are YOU limiting yourself by believing that what you want cannot be achieved?"