Being a counselor who works with kids, I stay uniquely tied to memorized quotes from my Star Wars-filled childhood. Kids don’t question quotes from Star Wars. They have faith that somehow the Star Wars reference is helpful in understanding a parallel issue in their own life.Movie Carol (2015)
Of course, the Star Wars character I reference the most is Yoda. There’s a smorgasbord of “Yodaisms”. But my favorite, the one I use most often, is simple and poignant, yet equally demanding. It’s starts with our hero Luke reluctantly saying, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.” Yoda responds:
“No. Try not. Do or do not. There is no try.”
The word TRY allows us to declare action and prepare for failure simultaneously. Read that again: The word TRY allows us to declare action and prepare for failure simultaneously.
TRY allows an attempt with no commitment. After all, who’s going to fault us? We tried! It’s the passive aggressive way of deciding on an action. It’s right in the middle of DO and DO NOT. It’s a convenient way to get people off your back.
Here’s an example:
“Please stop smoking pot. It’s ruining your relationship with your
parents. It’s slashing your motivation. It’s having a negative impact
on who you are.”
Followed by:
“I know, I know. I’ll try”.
Zero commitment.
Make sure those around you know the insidious consequences of using the word TRY. Point it out to them. Life’s difficult enough. Don’t take action using an escape clause as backup.