Wellbeing
Can Star Wars help your mental health?
The Star Wars series of movies is one of the most successful franchises in history, touching the lives of adults and children alike for more than four decades. Part of what makes the Star Wars series so special is the abundance of positive mental health advice and philosophies it shared.
Today is Star Wars Day (May the 4th), so let’s take a look at just a few of the best quotes from the series.
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“You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”
— Obi-Wan Kenobi, Return of the Jedi
Uttered by Obi-Wan in a conversation about Luke’s father, Darth Vader, this is another popular quote that relates to our belief systems and how they can shape our reality.
Our experiences in life contribute to our view of the world, but that does not mean that these beliefs are accurate. Our beliefs can become so strong that we deem them to be ‘truth’, but when closely examined they are simply our interpretations of our experiences.
What seems to be true for you may not be so for others. Obi Wan is reminding Luke to keep an open mind, but also explains a core philosophy of positive mental health – our points of view can shape the way we interpret everything in life and thus create our reality, so make an effort to take a positive view!
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“You can’t stop change any more than you can stop the suns from setting.”
– Shmi Skywalker, The Phantom Menace
Anakin Skywalker’s mother, Shmi offers this pearl of wisdom to her young boy who is resisting leaving her for the life of a freed slave.
Change is a constant in our lives and much of it is beyond our direct control, but many of us spend a lot of time fighting against change. While there are certainly changes that are worth fighting against, sometimes the best path for positive mental health is to accept that change is coming and re-position yourself to make the best of the situation rather than fighting the inevitable.
Once you accept change, it can be an empowering opportunity to start things anew.
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“The greatest teacher, failure is.”
– Yoda, The Last Jedi
Yoda counsels Luke with this sage advice when Luke despairs about his failure in losing his disciple to the dark side.
This idea shows us that what we view as our failures can often carry the biggest lessons for us and the biggest opportunities to make long term positive change in our lives. It’s OK to fail, failure is there to help us improve. The key is to learn from it.
Read more about the positive mental health advice contained in Star Wars by clicking here. It might just be the encouragement you or a loved one needs today.