3 lessons about mental toughness that you can learn from Yoda

Every Star Wars fan is familiar with the figure of a little green man scuttling about, hitting everyone with wise statements. If you’re not one of us, then you should know that Star Wars is the best film franchise to have been made, and the little man is Yoda – the wisest Jedi Master, who lived in a galaxy far, far away.

He may be old (almost 900 years), but he’s a complete badass, with a sense of humour that’ll give the best comedians a run for their money. In fact, if he lived in our world today, you’d probably be following him on Instagram for inspirational thoughts and an e-course on how to deal with life. Yoda knows the secret to inner peace and on how to endure life.

Yoda was an expert at maintaining mental toughness (a critical skill that all of us need), and these are the tips he would give us, if he were here.

The positivity mantra

Think positively – it’s one of the many things that gurus have told us time and again. But negativity is a part of life that cannot be ignored. Yoda believed that it’s the negative bits that you have to learn how to deal with. Identify the negative patterns in your past and shut them out completely. If someone wants to sabotage your relationship, just go clear the air. If your manager is being unfair to you, take some action. It’s all about finding the solutions to your problems. Dealing with all of the negativity will only strengthen your mental toughness.

Accept the now

If there was one thing that Yoda focused on, it was to always to live in the present. He says, “Always in motion the future is.” Now, if the future is always in motion, it makes it impossible to predict as to what might happen later. So, to plan your next move and worry about the future is unnecessary. Stop regretting that past relationship and stop thinking about if you’ll have enough money tomorrow. Be in the present. It’s a definite boost to your peace of mind.

No attachment found

That is precisely how you should be living life – without any attachments. Yoda says, “Adventure, heh! Excitement, heh! A Jedi craves not these things.” This doesn’t mean you can’t experience adventure or excitement, but if you depend on them and need them to be fulfilled, you’ll only end up disappointed. So, being too attached to your best friend’s judgement or on your relationship will only lead to problems like jealousy, greed, anger and the like. Only when we’re not attached to the good or the bad can we be at peace.

Feeling enlightened and ready to take on the world? If yes, then you know who to thank. The Yoda effect is very powerful – almost like soul therapy. So, I’m going to just going to watch Star Wars again, think about life, and up my nerd quotient. In the meanwhile, may the force be with you!