Yoda, the funny little green humanoid alien from the Star Wars movies, spouts off gems of wisdom in each of the films. He is a famous jedi master and teacher, the best in the galaxy. So vast is his wisdom that his advice is relevant to financial literacy. Whether you’re a young Padawan, or a seasoned Jedi master, Yoda offers important lessons from which we can all learn.
Here are three valuable lessons in financial literacy that you can learn from Yoda in the Star Wars movies.. Read them you should:
In an important lesson that Yoda is giving to Luke, Yoda tells Luke to do something. Luke responds that he’ll “give it a try”. Yoda cryptically responds “Do or do not… there is no try.”
As Yoda sagely points out, in life, there are some things you can’t just try and then see how it goes. If you just “try” something, your attitude is likely to be only half-heartedly behind the endeavor.
Finances are one of those areas in life that require full commitment. For example, if you don’t make savings a regular habit, your bank account won’t grow. Or, if you don’t commit to a budget, your spending will always be out of control. Investment is another long-term game that requires you to stick to it. So, don’t try with your finances. Do!
Yoda encourages lots of introspection. In one moment, he encourages his Padawan, or student, to look within himself for answers. Wisely, Yoda said, “Already know you, that which you need.”
Often, we spend our time looking for solutions outside ourselves because we’re afraid of change. This is also true in the world of finance. Think about your finances. Where are you failing? Where could you improve?
You probably already know where you should cut back on spending, that you could save more, or that you should look into investment options. Or maybe you know that you’d like to have a bigger impact on your community through giving. Or perhaps you know that you need to bring an expert on board to help you reach your goals. All that’s left is for you to take action and create new, good financial habits!
In Star Wars, big dreams are a recurring theme. From fighting to save whole planets from destruction to novices training to become powerful Jedi masters and believing that good will overcome the dark side, big dreams are the heart and soul of these movies.
Yoda continued to offer his infinite wisdom when he said, “You fail because you don’t believe.” He encourages belief in these big dreams, because a poor outlook is destined to lead to failure. If you don’t believe your dreams are possible, you’ll never even start to work toward them.
Having big dreams is essential for your finances! You must dream big if you have any hope of getting anywhere. Dream big about building robust savings for retirement. Aim to make a big difference with your investments and charitable giving. Imagine paying off the last penny of your debt. These big dreams will give you a high target to reach for. Make sure your dream is specific, clear, and has a deadline for the best chance to succeed. Slowly, but surely, you can make your dreams come true.
Yoda’s commentary and conversations with characters in Star Wars are truly a great source for advice on your financial life. Have you seen this series of movies? What financial lessons did you learn from it?
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