Here’s why I love Jedi quotes – Since I was a young boy I’ve been in love with Star Wars. Not only did I like the Jedi fighting and all the lasers flying everywhere but I also remember thinking that the way the Jedi carried themselves was something to look up to.
They were almost majestic and untouchable, coming across like they had a good understanding of a balanced life. The ‘force’ itself is a balance good and bad, darkness and light. I’ve grown to learn that the Jedi live by their understanding of balance and rely on it to summon strength in difficult times.
Their understanding of the ‘balance’ is almost a philosophy – a philosophy that is echoed in Buddhism for example.
Without a balanced mind, one cannot train to be a Jedi. They must understand the dangers of the ‘dark side’, whilst appreciating why the ‘light side’ must also exist. If one of these ‘sides’ becomes too powerful, all may become unstable.
I believe that Star Wars is not just a great set of films but also a metaphor for how must live our lives – with a balanced perspective and by growing through increasing our knowledge.
This has been key for me when it comes to depression and anxiety. These strong emotions pull you strongly to one side, warping your perspective until you cannot see any other way of thinking.
Only when we have balance can we truly live a stable life.
View more: Anxiety quotes to live by
Inspirational Jedi Quotes
With that said, here are some of the best Jedi quotes to live your life by, in my opinion.
Jedi quote:
Your eyes can deceive you, don’t trust them.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
We can easily take what we see, hear and feel as fact. Especially when we’re anxious we can think the reality we see in the moment is the only one.
Jedi quote:
Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.
Yoda
Perhaps you could argue that this is a little extreme but I think Yoda is on to something here. Much of our fear is bred from fearing we may lose what we love the most. Maybe we fear people not liking us or maybe we fear to look stupid. Whatever it is, we must train ourselves to let go of the things we cannot control.
When we rid ourselves of the fear that comes with worrying we can gain a sense of freedom.
Jedi quote:
Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.
Yoda
Fear and worrying lead to long-term suffering. The fear we feel through anxiety soon turns into sadness and resentment towards us or others. Soon after that, this cocktail leads to prolonged suffering and we continue to worry even more. That’s why it’s important to control or let go of our fear because the rippling effects spread out quickly.
Jedi quote:
Once you start down the dark path, forever it will dominate your destiny, consume you it will.
Yoda
Once we fall down the path of anxiety or depression we can become angry, sad and lonely very quickly. Once we become these things they are incredibly hard to shake.
A healthier approach is to seek help early on to offset these cognitive distortions. Depression, for example, sucks the life out of you as if it’s all-consuming.
Jedi quote:
You must unlearn all you have learned.
Yoda
Our core beliefs are the things that guide us through life as we make decisions. Sometimes, we must become more open minded and be available and ready to change what we think we know, or at least attempt to.
For example, depression can cause you to feel like you’re worthless. You may start to believe that that’s just who you are. Hever, you must become open to unlearning this belief you have about yourself if you are ever to become better.
Jedi quote:
Your focus determines your reality.
Qui Gon Jinn
What is it you’re doing and thinking about all day? Whatever it is will likely be shaping your mindset and overall reality. If you focus on the world being terrible and harsh towards you, you’ll naturally become pessimistic. On the flip side, if you focus on doing productive things that will help you in the long run, you will no doubt feel better about yourself.
Jedi quote:
In a dark place we find ourselves, and a little more knowledge comes our way.
Yoda
When we’re in a dark place we often find ourselves in solace, wondering who we are and wondering how we get out of it. I have learned more about myself in dark times than in light. Going through something like depression causes you to see the world in a different light when we come out of the other side. The lessons learned can be invaluable and help you grow and gain gratitude.
Jedi quote:
Many of the truths we cling to depend on our own point of view.
Yoda
Again, our core beliefs are what guide us through life. Maybe we learned something one way but we failed to learn it another way. When we do this we neglect a whole lot of other information that could be useful for us. Instead, we must learn to challenge the things we believe to be true.
Jedi quote:
Do or do not, there is no try.
Yoda
There’s not much more powerful and important than committing to something with intention and not much else better than doing it with a focused mind. Anxiety can bring procrastination which clouds our abilities. Saying “I will try” is fine sometimes, but we must learn to commit fully if we really want to get results out of things.
Jedi quote:
Master Yoda says I should be mindful of the future but not at the expense of the present.
Qui Gon Jinn
This could well be the most relevant Jedi quote in regards to anxiety. A mindful brain does not let the fear of the future dictate the state of the present. Only when we are fully present can we feel truly alive. Again, this comes down to commitment.
Jedi quote:
There’s always a bigger fish.
Qui Gon Jinn
There’s always a bigger fish. As in, there’s always someone dealing with something worse. Whatever we’re worrying about, there’s always others having tougher problems than us. Remembering this can only lead to gratitude.
Use these Jedi quotes to inspire and motivate you.
Sean C is a writer, passionate about improving one’s self by maintaining healthy habits and doing the things that make life more meaningful.