Qui-Gon Jinn Tried to Warn Us All

Star Wars' vital Stoic lesson on choice and agency in a mad world

My friends, we’re quite proud of this one. Over at Geeky Stoics’ YouTube, there’s a new video debuting right now about the most foundational principle of this newsletter: Your Focus Determines Your Reality.

In this video, Riley Blanton breaks down the Stoic connection to Anakin Skywalker’s fall and how that lesson applies to all of us in the real world. This is part one of a three-part series from Riley about Star Wars and Stoicism, based on the live talk he gave at Atlanta Comicon to an audience there about Star Wars philosophy. Check it out today, boop that Like button, and Share!

Apologies for the radio silence this past week. I got the chance to travel abroad to Dubai, very near the part of the United Arab Emirates where desert scenes of Dune were filmed. It was a great experience. Upon returning home the other day, I was reminded of a little life lesson when I unpacked my bag….

Stephen visits Dubai

Broken Anyway

In Buddism, there is a proverb and poem I learned a few months ago that became more real thanks to my trip. It goes something like this…

“You see this goblet?” asks Achaan Chaa, the Thai meditation master. “For me this glass is already broken. I enjoy it; I drink out of it. It holds my water admirably, sometimes even reflecting the sun in beautiful patterns. If I should tap it, it has a lovely ring to it. But when I put this glass on the shelf and the wind knocks it over or my elbow brushes it off the table and it falls to the ground and shatters, I say, ‘Of course.’ When I understand that the glass is already broken, every moment with it is precious.”

What a beautiful idea. The glass was always broken. So when tragedy strikes and it is in a dozen pieces on the ground, you process it less like a loss and more like an inevitability. You let go of the cup long ago.

Here’s my “cup”. One I purchased from a Souk (market) in old Dubai. It was beautiful. When I unpacked my bag and undid the bubble wrap around it, the bowl was no more.

It was broken anyways.

I am not one to react lightly to this kind of loss. I hate “wasting” money. I’m a bit of a bean counter, though I wish I wasn’t. But I can’t help but feel like my learning this proverb a few months ago helped me to react in a more level-headed way. I immediately remembered it upon seeing the bowl in pieces.

Today I am going to get some pottery glue and see if I can put it back together for fun. Then if I succeed, I’m going to put it on a shelf, instead of the kitchen cabinet, to remind myself of this.

The things we think we own we’re just borrowing.

People are not ours. Possessions are just in our care while we’re fortunate enough to have them. Our good health is limited. Our pets, children, or best friends could leave us tomorrow. “The cup was already broken” is not a nihilistic detachment to avoid being hurt when you lose something or someone.

I think of it as hopeful and giving up the desire for control. Which is exactly what our new video is about today. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

In conclusion, you know what they say about if you love someone…let them go. Hold on loosely. I’m glad I had that beautiful bowl for a few hours. Maybe some glue and gentle hands will be able to bring it back for a second shot at life in the Kent household. Maybe not. It was broken anyway.

What a coincidence….that’s what my favorite Ryan Adams song is about.

Thanks for reading Geeky Stoics. We’ll be back later this week with more pop culture-inspired wisdom to deploy in your daily life.