In A Museum(1st Yodaism 2025)

Brian Blessed once said, ~You can’t call it an adventure unless it's tinged with danger. The greatest anger in life, though, is not taking the adventure at all. To have the objective of a life of ease is death. I think we’ve all got to go after our own Everest.~ If you think about it, in life it can sometimes feel like you’re living aspects of an Indiana Jones-like original trilogy filled with perilous adventures mixed in with unknown twists and turns, but hopefully without any snakes involved whatsoever. For it’s a thought provoking situation indeed in wearing a brown beat up fedora armed with one’s trusty whip in hand in order to face each day not really knowing who or what difficulties we’ll be encountering. Essentially, life is about not only being able to face difficult challenges, but discovering or rediscovering how mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually determined you truly are to keep moving forward no matter what.

Without a doubt, we all know about or watched the 10 minute opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark where Indy attempted to grab the gold statue and replace it with a sandbag in one quick motion in hopes of not setting off the trap, which he ends up doing. I think it’s safe to say when it comes to the gold statue representing any minor/major decisions it can most definitely feel like we’re metaphorically standing there holding a bag of sand while preparing our next move. Of course, one hopes they’re mentally making the right decisions rather than the wrong ones in hopes of not setting off the trap in which we end up being chased down by the boulder-sized consequences of our regretful mistakes. Thinking about it further, it’s the boulder-sized consequences of our regretful mistakes, you don’t want to for all intents and purposes be always looking back over your shoulder thinking far better choices should have been made.

As I said before, in life it can sometimes feel like you’re living aspects of an Indiana Jones-like original trilogy filled with perilous adventures mixed in with unknown twists and turns, but hopefully without any snakes involved whatsoever. Unfortunately, there comes a point in life when you’ve dated snakes and got bit because of it. In other words, dealing with the pain of past relationships that left you dealing with the venom of anger, fear, hatred, anxiety, doubt, worry, insecurity, sadness, frustration, bitterness, disappointment, utter contempt, etc. For the most part, that unfortunate experience can be somewhat compared to having your heart removed from your chest then burned up in flames after being sacrificed into a volcano for the goddess Kali Ma by the cult leader Mola Rom in Temple of Doom. Granted, it may not necessarily be that extreme but you get the point nonetheless, especially when it pertains to the matters of the heart.

Isaiah 12:2 says ~Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.~ Let me ask this question to those who remembered Indy doing the 3 challenges scene to save his father after being severely wounded by Walter Donovan in the Last Crusade, do you think it helped him rediscover his own faith? True, Indy kneeled down to avoid losing his head, followed the correct path in knowing the name of God, and although he was afraid he trusted in the belief he was going to make the leap of faith. In a sense, our faith can be tested as it’s severely wounded in regard to one’s challenging spiritual walk with God. What it primarily comes down to is knowing you simply have to just fervently kneel in prayer, follow the path of His teaching in God’s word, and despite being afraid you’re faithfully trusting in Him to guide, as well as protect you.

In retrospect, life can most definitely be considered an adventurous journey to where it can take you or has already taken you not just on an incredible high, lows as well mentally emotionally, physically and/or spiritually. Ultimately, we all want to experience searching for and finding an eye opening lost ark type adventure that ends up melting our faces off, so to speak. Hey, it’s not an adventure without our best buds/gal pal in tow who are deemed our own version of Short Round, Sallah, Willie, Marion, etc. by our side who will gladly help in adding to the bad or good decisions. It’s just a matter of our inner old knight voice letting us know if we’ve chosen wisely rather than poorly. In the end, whether those adventures have been negative or positive, the memories shared/made with your circle of friends were so absolutely valuable and priceless they should belong and be forever kept in a museum located in one another's heart and mind.

More Than 3 Sizes(Last Yodaism of 2024)

Natasha Lunn once said, ~All of us take so much for granted. Life is beautiful and we don’t have time to realize it. We let silly and petty things rule us and lead into criticism. We find fault with life because we are tired and grump, instead of relishing the fact that we are with other people who are healthy, who love us and want to be with us.~ Let me ask this question for those living the single life, have you ever at a certain point in life felt like you’ve gradually become or already turned into Jim Carrey’s version of The Grinch in regard to one’s grumpy and gradually negative outlook on the dating scene? Granted, you may not exactly look like him sporting the green fur but you’re channeling the attitude. Thinking about it further, we’ve all at some point found ourselves not only standing atop and looking down from one’s metaphorical Mt. Crumpit, but ended up jotting down a to do list involving matters of our own heart as well.

Without a doubt, it can oftentimes be an annoying situation indeed in watching, listening, and/or encountering the noise of excessively positive worthwhile relationships to the point where wallowing in self pity within your own heart is on the top of your to do list. In other words, fully embracing the misery of being a grumpy and grouchy grinch towards all things pertaining to true happiness. I think it’s safe to say every person who is single has gone through their fair share of mental and emotional wallowing regarding a number of terribly unfortunate dating experiences to the point where they’ve gone or are going through a pity party conversation of self evaluation/reflection. Essentially, it’s a type of pity party previously mentioned that’s heavily focused on dumping all the constant negativity of one’s pain and heartbreak that inevitably leads to #2 on your to-do list, which is staring into the abyss.

If you think about it, the funny scene where Jim Carrey’s Grinch yells out into the void of his cave and his echo either responded back or not all is seemingly a perfect comparison of staring/yelling into the void/abyss located within the cave representing your heart. Of course, it’s funny to think about because it’s a Jim Carrey movie based on fun and fantasy created by Theodor Suess Geisel who is otherwise known as Dr. Suess. However, in reality it can most definitely feel like all the yelling you did or have been doing into the gloomy cave/void/abyss of your heart was absolutely pointless. As much as you desperately wanted your concerns pertaining to one’s unanswered relationship questions answered/echoed back you were unfortunately met with utter silence. You see, it’s something within the utter silence you don’t want to find yourself encountering and if you do you’ve reached #3 of one’s to-do list.

For the question can be asked: how many of you, after suffering through some bad dating experiences, talked to yourself to the point where you were wrestling with self loathing, so to speak? Anger, fear, hatred, jealousy, spit, paranoia, envy, disgust, shame, dread, panic, anxiety, doubt, worry, insecurity, sadness, frustration, bitterness, disappointment, utter contempt, etc. True, it can certainly be a struggle for anyone who constantly wrestled with negative thoughts/feelings/emotions and fought a hard battle to not permanently be taken down mentally, emotionally, spiritually and physically to the mat, in a manner of speaking. What it primarily comes down to is having your own version of Max and/or Cindy Lou Who, representing your best buds/gal pals, who you can always rely on knowing they’ll be there for you whenever you need a shoulder to cry on or just someone to vent/talk to.

In retrospect, we all know how the live action/animated movies turned out with The Grinch saving Christmas and his heart growing 3 sizes. As said before, for those living the single life on and standing atop one’s metaphorical Mt. Crumpit, one’s grumpy and grinchy-like outlook towards being in a strong, worthwhile relationship may one day change because someone or something changed/saved your overall perspective, which you hadn’t felt/thought about before. Granted, it may cause you to be puzzled in such a mental and emotional way at first until your puzzler gets painfully sore. Ultimately, take your time in getting a handle on figuring “it” out, then you’ll eventually know what love/true love is finally all about. In the end, when that moment happens you want to play it smart and when you allow it to let it flow smoothly between one another it will genuinely grow more than 3 sizes so much so it truly becomes a gift for your heart.

Hallmark Moment

Adam Grant once said, ~The hallmark of an open mind is not letting your ideas become your identity. If you define yourself by your opinions, questioning them is a threat to your integrity.~ If you see yourself as a curious person or a lifelong learner, changing your mind is a moment of growth~ If you think about it, there are times in life where you feel as if you’re in your own version of a movie that is very Hallmark-esque. A movie in which you’re prioritizing your life in such a way by becoming too focused on building a solid future instead of having a social life completely avoiding any sort of troublesome distractions whatsoever. However, it’s those troublesome distractions that are considered a getaway/detour, so to speak, in helping one spend quality time experiencing life from a totally different perspective thus potentially altering/changing their entire outlook/trajectory of his/her life.

As I said before, troublesome distractions are considered a getaway/detour, so to speak, in helping one spend time experiencing life from a totally different perspective thus potentially altering/changing their entire outlook/trajectory of his/her life. For it’s certainly a thought provoking situation indeed to find yourself taking a break from the pressures of a career focused mindset in order to “travel” by tapping into a place you haven’t visited for quite some time, which is your inner child. It’s a place where having fun rather than fully focusing on achieving a professional goal is the much needed destination getaway/detour. Unfortunately, a vast number of individuals have forgotten, outgrown, or simply set aside childish things because they seriously challenged themselves in the pursuit of changing their lack of stability in the following areas of life: friendships, matters of the heart, finances, family, etc.

Without a doubt, due to the challenging pursuit you’re seriously focusing on in regard to the lack of stability in the areas previously mentioned you’ll end up experiencing a face to face encounter, in a manner of speaking, with conflict. Thinking about it further, you can’t help but be either frustrated, annoyed, irritated, and/or maybe even angry when confronting conflict representing issues you find yourself unexpectedly dealing with/facing. Why? Essentially, the aforementioned conflict is a reminder of the reason you were escaping the person you once were and working to reinvent yourself to become someone else. Of course, it’s the quintessential turning point/main catalyst in causing a gradual shift/change in one’s overall outlook on life concerning what matters most. In other words, getting that proverbial gut punch/slap in the face by reality in letting you know to learn from your mistakes in hopes of a peaceful resolution with your past.

Let me ask this question to those who have watched Hallmark movies before: did the happy ending leave you deeply satisfied knowing it usually ended with a romantic kiss for the main character? I think it’s safe to say for a number of people they’re still waiting to experience their version of a happy ending with a deeply satisfied kiss. The question remains though, is it snowing when it happens? Oftentimes, one’s happy ending and deeply satisfied kiss truly represents a different meaning for each one of us and it doesn’t necessarily go with Hallmark’s version of a corny joyful and romantic ending. For the most part, it shouldn’t be an ending at all as we’re the authors of our own script. What it primarily comes down to is all our stories are ongoing, filled with countless detours, mistakes, and strangers/old friends who provide us with fresh insights in not only obtaining positive fulfillment, but a sense of renewed belief as well.

In retrospect, one of the many premises/themes of a Hallmark movie is being given a second chance, especially when things don’t go as planned career wise. You see, there are times when you're unexpectedly taken by life on a much needed detour/getaway that’s good for your mind, body, and soul. Granted, it can be scary but you’re offered/given the opportunity now to cross it off your bucket list without looking back with any regrets or what-ifs later. Ultimately, be grateful and appreciative for the people who you meet along the way going off the beaten path who’ll unknowingly turn your maturely organized world upside down in a chaotically immature way. In the end, every person should make/experience their own Hallmark moment, leaving you thinking or saying out loud with a smile on your face “I did that” instead of “I wish I did that”.

Get Busy Living...

Ernest Benn once said, ~Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedy.~ As I’ve said before in a past Yodaism, I rarely talk about politics due to the fact of how divisive the topic ends up being to the point where hopefully a reasonable discussion between individuals or groups of individuals turns absolutely heated. Of course, Trump won by a landslide taking all the swing states ultimately leading to a red wave that not only took the House, but the Senate as well. In any case, the reality of it all hasn’t really sat well at all with those on the Left, as well as Harris voters who have been going through non stop emotional turmoil and negatively reacted to the election in such a way it's as if their life is over because the world sadly ended.

Without a doubt, one of the most unbelievable and not to mention entertaining aspects of Trump’s Presidential victory were the countless meltdowns that ranged from subdued to over the top nuclear. For it was and still is a baffling situation indeed as a majority of the meltdown has been coming from left leaning women who have clung to the belief that not only their lives are in incredible danger, but the lives of their daughter(s) as well. In other words, feeling like they're being victimized and living in fear that their rights as a woman in regard to voting, reproductive, abortion, etc. are supposedly going to be taken away from them, which is far from the case. Essentially, it’s a total contradiction on their part because they’ve enjoyed their basic rights and freedoms of doing anything they wanted until Trump ran for re-election/was re-elected.

If you think about it, the amount of meltdowns that resulted from the 2024 President election is absolutely staggering. What’s even more staggering is that many left leaning women have joined a movement that started in South Korea, which is referred to as the 4B Movement. Essentially, the movement consists of the following 4 things: No sex, dating, marriage, and no children. For the most part, it’s considered a type of protest in which they’re acting out absolute defiance against men. A type of protest where women have also shaved their heads, broken up/divorced their husbands/boyfriends, cut themselves off from family, and even going so far as to sterilize themselves because they feel like they're being forced to. The question remains though, have those same women made a mistake and end up regretting their decision later down the road?

Let me ask this question to those who have voted in past Presidential elections, what did you do the following day when your Presidential candidate didn’t end up winning the office of the President of the United States? I think it’s safe to safe for any normal/sane person like myself, we went back to work if our preferred candidate wasn’t voted to either be re-elected or become our newest Commander-In-Chief. Hey, the final choice wasn't what many of us wanted but we shrugged our shoulders and went back to our responsibilities as grown adults by going back to work. However, this year’s results of the 2024 Presidential Election proved how big of an emotional tempertum scores of adults can be embarrassingly thrown so much so they’ve actually recorded and posted it on social media, which lives on the internet forever.

In retrospect, we often find ourselves busy with our own individual lives and during those times we have a tendency to forget we have a President until we’re reminded about it, especially when election time rolls around. In any case, there are those holding on to the death mentality and see January 20, 2025 as the end of the humanity/world while others will view it as a much needed new beginning in getting the nation as whole back on track. Ultimately, let’s all get back to enjoying our lives instead of feeling like it’s going to constantly be a neverending "prison" of gloom and doom because of this past 2024 election. In the end, I leave you with the immortal words of Tim Robbins/Morgan who portrayed the characters of Andy/Red from the movie Shawshank Redemption: Get busy living or get busy dying.

Skipped A Step

Brent Allen once said, ~Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual. The best times are the times we almost get it right.~ Let me ask you this question, do you think life would be so much easier if the moment each one of us were born we’re automatically provided with an instructional manual to not only help us figure out life, but understand it as well. For it’s certainly a thought provoking situation indeed that once the moment we’re born we been given a book of instructions in being able to possibly help deal with and/or figure out the do’s/don’ts of life without having to experience any of the unfortunate mishaps/mistakes that are considered painful, disappointing, embarrassing, humiliating, etc. Thinking about it further, you can’t help but imagine what sort of instructions, standards/guidelines, troubleshooting ideas/tips, etc. are in there in regard to the following 3 areas: friends, matters of the heart, and spiritual life.

Without a doubt, having an instruction manual at your disposal from the time we’re born is deemed an interesting concept. True, on paper, it may be seemingly plausible to have in our hands a manual in which we’re instructed to follow step by step in order to make/establish a friendship, especially one that ends up becoming lifelong. Of course, reading a manual such as this growing up to avoid/remove the don’ts and follow the do’s would have been very handy during our childhood. In reality though, actually applying and following those same step by step instructions of making a friend can most definitely be thrown out the window, in a manner of speaking. Why? It’s an absolute wildcard to the point where you’ll always feel like you’ve somehow missed reading a step. Essentially, there are in actuality no specific guidelines/steps to adhere to and it’s one of the main reasons how friendships are so unpredictably made.

As I said before, you can’t help but imagine being born and automatically given a book of instructions in order to help deal with and/or figure out the do’s/don’ts of life without having to experience any of the unfortunate mishaps/mistakes that’s considered to be painful, disappointing, embarrassing, humiliating, etc. I think it’s safe to say we all would want/would like to have that quintessential instructional manual pertaining to matters of the heart. Granted, it would be an ideal situation to refer to the love/true section of one’s instruction manual of life and follow the steps in dealing with the failure of utter heartbreak or the success of a strong, worthwhile relationship. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works and you can’t just skip ahead, so to speak, when dealing with the roller coaster of emotions you’re enduring while healing from a broken heart or figuring out if you’re taking the leap of faith with that guy/girl in question.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 says, ~All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.~ If you think about it, when we’re struggling spiritually we have the opportunity to open the instruction manual representing one’s own bible in order to “troubleshoot” problems we oftentimes face and struggle with that leave us absolutely spiritually scratching our heads because we’re feeling lost. Essentially, His advice gives us the determination to honestly challenge us to focus on Him and prove ourselves worthy in our walk with God by taking the necessary steps for a far better spiritual life. What it primarily comes down to is focusing on the most important spiritual manual that has all the right instructions to read and follow rather than the world’s instructional manual.

Annette Christie said, ~No one’s life has an instructional manual. That’s the best damn thing about it. I choose and you choose and everyone makes choices that gave these butterfly effects on everything else - the results are either this exquisite ballet or an avant garde multimedia melee.~ In retrospect, an instructional manual comes with additional parts like screws and nuts that a person may or may not use if any are left over, which is a lot like life. For the most part, those screws/nuts represent individuals in our lives who’ll be there to help keep you stable in case you need it knowing how life can leave us for all intents and purposes either wobbly or uneven to where we’re left leaning off to one side. In the end, we’re all doing our best in figuring out how to put together the life we’re living with the parts that may/may not be useful and whether or not we’ve skipped a step, it’s hopefully a decision we can actually live with.

Light A Spark

Napoleon Hill once said, ~The starting point of all achievement is desire. Keep this constantly in mind. Weak desire brings weak results, just as small fire makes a small amount of heat.~ If you think about it, achieving any type/sort of personal and/or professional success is like creating a flame you’re trying to ignite that was initially sparked by an idea. It’s an idea you hope doesn’t prematurely fizzle out, so to speak, too quickly before it has been given time to burn. For it’s most definitely not an easy process to undertake as you’re, in a sense, doing it the old school surviving in the wilderness way. A way in which you’re metaphorically rubbing two sticks together in hopes of generating enough heat and friction in not only creating one’s own fiery success, but having the desire to constantly stoke the flames so it won’t ever completely die out.

As I said before, when it comes to achieving any type/sort of personal and/or professional success is like metaphorically rubbing two together in hopes of creating a flame you’re trying to ignite that initially sparked an idea or a number of ideas. Of course, it can certainly be a mentally rather than physically exhausting situation indeed as you’re doing your best in creating the friction needed to produce the sparks of potential rough ideas in order to fully ignite the embers of that one main idea. In other words, finding out through the process of elimination of what either works or doesn’t work. Thinking about it further, once you’re able to focus on that one idea that hopefully works the back and forth friction of being able to find a comfortable groove that doesn’t cause you to end up mentally burning yourself out, in a manner of speaking.

Without a doubt, being able to successfully achieve lighting a fire simply by rubbing two sticks together can certainly be a physically daunting task to say the least. However, it’s absolutely worth it when you’re actually able to do it to the point where you feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that you were able to do it all by yourself. Essentially, it’s that same desire in which a person mentally pushes himself/herself into sparking a potentially successful metaphorical flame in hopes of feeling that same heat of pride and accomplishment. Unfortunately, it’s often not the case as every person has at some point or another failed in achieving to create any sparks whatsoever thus leaving us, for all intents and purposes, with a face full of smoke representing anger, annoyed frustration, as well as mental exhaustion.

Let me ask this question to those who have tried rubbing two sticks together to get a fire going, how long did it take you before it finally lit up? For the most part, there is a tremendous amount of patience one goes mentally through in trying to metaphorically rub the two sticks together in one’s own mind in hopes of sparking up potential ideas, which takes time to heat up. True, you don’t want to mentally overexert yourself that you unfortunately make the mistake of trying to force those aforementioned sparks of ideas to happen. What it primarily comes down to is simply walking away/taking a step back so you can take the time to mentally regroup so that when you’re refocused you’ll be able to not just get a fresh perspective, but possibly figuring out a whole new angle that positively rather negatively works to your advantage.

In retrospect, my personal desire to achieve a mental journey that started nearly 30 years ago still holds strong as it relates to the Yodaisms I’ve written, which has been a challenging experience. Granted, there are a certain number of them that don’t necessarily have as much heat as the ones that continue to burn hotter and brighter, which I’m profoundly proud of. Ultimately, I’ve kept the friction within my own mind going with the two metaphorical two sticks in hopes of setting ablaze a new achievement I’ve patiently set forth for myself as this Yodaism marks my 900th. In the end, although I consider myself a mere amateur writer I have prided myself in being able to somehow mentally and/or emotionally light a spark with those who have felt and continue to feel the heat as I push forward to reach the next desired benchmark…1,000 Yodaisms.

Be A Goldfish

Marianne Williamson once said, ~ Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It's not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.~ Let me ask you this question, what is your greatest fear and I’m not talking about spiders, heights, or any irrational fears involving something weird like the taste/sight/feel of pickles.

Without a doubt, one of the greatest and deepest fears anyone can ever really experience is being alone, especially if you’re going through any sort of mental, as well as emotional turmoil. I think it’s safe to say we’ve all at some point or another have felt or are possibly feeling that way right now. For it’s truly a tremendously challenging situation indeed for a person to find himself/herself in as you’re left struggling/dealing with your own thoughts, feelings, and emotions, which can most definitely be like internally living an absolute tortuous existence. Thinking about it further, it’s the unfortunate power of one’s neurotically insecure thoughts and stressful emotions that can turn incredibly negative to the point where it ends up potentially triggering either a panic or anxiety attack.

If you think about it, it’s one thing to deal with your own issues of being alone but dealing with someone else’s issues in regards to a dating relationship can be absolutely exhausting. Of course, spending quality time together is what helps establish a strong bond between two people. However, when you’re unable to enjoy the comfortable solitude of one’s own “me time” because he/she wants to constantly be by your side it inevitably becomes problematic. In other words, the guy/girl in question has turned very needy or clingy maybe because of abandonment issues. Essentially, it’s considered a major dating red flag to become highly aware of because if he/she wants to always be in your presence you’ll feel so suffocated it’s like you’ve been tightly wrapped in a human version of a straight jacket, which can drive anyone considerably insane.

For the question can be asked: are you more afraid of the thought of being alone or the feeling of loneliness? What’s the difference? Essentially, when it comes to being by yourself without anyone around you’re simply enjoying the meditative solitude while being given the opportunity to soak in the silence of the surrounding environment while at the same time learning about yourself. Personally, speaking I like to refer to it as going into Jedi master hermit mode. In any case, it’s the total opposite of the feeling of loneliness that is solely based on one’s emotions and feeding the need/want/yearning to fill the void within your own heart, so to speak. Unfortunately, that aforementioned void ends up getting filled with the wrong guy/girl thus causing yourself to be locked and isolated in your own sort of self imposed mental/emotional purgatory.

In retrospect, each one of us is powerful beyond measure as we do our best in facing/conquering one of the greatest/deepest fears in life. What it primarily comes down to is focusing on the light of your own strength instead of the darkness that attempts to swallow you whole into the darkness. Oftentimes, whether we’re alone living a life of solitude or experiencing the emotional tapping of loneliness on our heart you have to be reminded that fear is temporary and can be quickly gone like a memory. Speaking of memory, did you know that the happiest animal with a 10 second memory is the goldfish. Thanks Ted Lasso. In the end, heed the following three words of Ted Lasso by simply taking 10 seconds that ultimately helps you happily move on from and avoid the fear of loneliness leading to another bad past relationship: be a goldfish.