"Do or Do not, there is no try"

Master Jedi Yoda wisely told young Luke Skywalker that in Return of the Jedi of the Star Wars movies. I was young at the time. I did not get it. I had always believe that trying was a good thing. We should try. Right?

It is not for lack of trying that has kept me off my horses. I tried a lot. I tried ground work and tried getting ready for a ride. Heck, I even got on Abby and tried to ride her. I was trying my heart out. Same could be said for weight loss. I know all about different diets and why so many of them don't work. I understand the role that exercise plays in weight loss. In fact a lot of my goals in life go unmet, even though I try so hard. I didn't understand Yoda.

Then thanks again to Jane Savoie, I learned that I should not try. Just as Master Yoda says, I should do it. If you tell yourself that you will try, what you are really doing is giving yourself an excuse to fail. "Well I tried and I couldn't." "Well at least you tried." Perfect, I tried and I'm off the hook now. My conscience is free because I did my best. . . well at least I tried to do my best.

Luke: I can't believe it.
Yoda: That is why you fail.

Why did I try? Because I didn't think I could succeed. I don't say I am going to try to drive to work. I know the way and I know how to drive a car. I don't have to try and drive to work, I just do it. A few weeks ago was a different story though, we got a lot of snow. The roads were bad. As I was leaving I was asked, "Are you going to work?" I replied, "I'm going to try." I did not know what the roads were going to be like or if I would succeed in getting to work or end up in a ditch.

All this goes back to positive thinking. If I try I am admitting I might fail but if I just do it, I am assuming I will succeed.
I am not going to try and see Kinsey this week. Nope. I am going to see her.
I am not going to try and trot on CJ this month. Nope. I am going to trot CJ this month.

Even saying, "I am going to trot CJ," my stomach gave a little lurch. I didn't feel anything when I said I would try. "I am going to trot CJ," is a much more powerful a statement. I don't have the out of saying, "Well I tried." It is assumed that if I say I am going to do it that I will. Even my brain realizes this and frankly the more I say and write, "I will trot CJ." The less my stomach lurches and the more confident I feel that I can.

"Try" has been put on my naughty word list from now on and we learned that Yoda really was wise.

May the force be with you.