Let’s be real - being a Jedi would be way easier if it came with a lightsaber and a cinematic two minute body building battle ready training montage… some wind-blown robes and a wise old master on standby… and just the right theme music playing in the background when we do something noble and cool like take out the trash or finally respond to that difficult email. Really - it would be way cooler. But that's just not quite how it works, is it?
Being a Jedi in this day and age isn’t about looking the part or knowing all the cool quotes from Yoda - though I suppose that does help a little. At least for me, I think - it's about showing up. It's about looking at the world - the world directly around you in this present moment, and asking: “What the heck can I do?”
A few months ago I was tuned in to the news, YouTube, social media - all the sources of most current news I had access to and I felt something. Like - REALLY felt a calling. I needed to do something. I COULD do something.
I didn't set out to be a hero - I didn't even set out to be particularly impressive… I just knew that there were people out there that needed help and that I could do something about it. Hurricane Helen had knocked out power, closed roads and left entire communities stranded. There was no grand announcement. No script. Just… mud and tension and the quiet truth that someone needed to act.
So I did what Jedi do. I left the comfort of home for weeks at a time. I cooked meals - a lot of them. We fed over fifty people at a time with whatever donated food we could piece together. I've worked in many fancy kitchens but I can tell you - that food I cooked during those few weeks with some of the worst ingredients and with literally the worst setup ever… It fed my soul - our souls… that food kept us in the game - the first responders, and those that came to us for supplies and aid. Man was it good. Like - that's what they mean when they say soul food, y'all.
During that time we got a call that there were elderly stuck up on the mountain without food or medical supplies and we hiked miles. Actual muddy, blisters and backaches miles - to get those supplies to them. It was exhausting and it was humbling. It was, in a way… peaceful. Not because anything was fine but because for once I wasn't stuck in my head about it - it wasn't about me. I was being given the chance to let go - to serve, to listen and to respond.
I think this is when the Code really stopped just being poetry to me and it really hit home…
There is no emotion, there is peace.
There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
There is no passion, there is serenity.
There is no chaos, there is harmony.
There is no death, there is the Force.
This isn't just a thing we study during our daily reflections or whenever we finally sit down and “have the time” to meditate. These are the words of survivors and of warriors. They are grounding lines when the rest of the world gets messy. In these moments, I was reminded to breathe, to listen, to focus. Not to deny the emotions that I was feeling but to move through them with awareness… with clarity and gratitude. I couldn't deny the chaos around me, so… I became the harmony within it.
When the work was done - or at least when that chapter of my life was, what stuck with me was this simple truth: You don't need to be in a crisis to serve.
Being a Jedi doesn't require a natural disaster to take action. Everyday, we pass by people that could use a steady hand, a patient ear or just some snacks. (Jedi snacks, by the way, are always made with mindfulness and probably too much cheese… but hey, the more you know.)
During my apprenticeship, I was given a lesson called “Leaders Eat Last.” (The video that went along with it was “What ‘Leaders Eat Last’ Means” by Simon Sinek and I highly recommend checking it out for yourself.) This saying originated in the military and from the officers that would literally wait till all their soldiers had eaten before taking their own plates. But this isn't just about food - it's bigger than that. It's about showing your people that THEY MATTER MORE than your status or comfort. It's about looking after your team/community/students needs first - then our own. This is servant leadership. The doctrine urges us to serve, to protect, to uplift those beside us.
This is Jedi leadership. I believe that this is who we are meant to be.
Our doctrine isn't just some words - it's a map. To service, to awareness, mindfulness and compassion. These things aren't meant to just be read or studied - they're meant to be put into practice. To be put into action in our libraries, food banks, schools, shelters, neighborhoods, homes and every bit of the world that we find ourselves in. Everytime you give up your time and comfort or routine, whatever form it takes… even the simplest forms of serving - You are walking the path.
Some days the path is frustrating and it feels like you are the only one trying to bring peace to a world full of chaos. (Congratulations… you've reached the “Obi-Wan on Mustafar” part of your journey…) But that's where our true strength lies. Not in perfection. In practice.
We train and we reflect - we work to become the best versions of ourselves that we can be. But we train in reflection so that we can respond in reality. Jediism isn't just about self growth or a personal practice - it's a community commitment. It's about becoming someone others can count on when the power goes out - literally or metaphorically.
So don't wait. Don't wait for permission or “the right time.” Don't wait until you feel ready or wise enough or “zen” enough. Start now. Pick one small way to serve. Reach out to someone. Volunteer. Offer support. Make that call. Ask the question. Just SHOW UP.
You might not get that theme music or the robe or anything as dramatic as that - but you will get something better. You will find connection and meaning - the quiet knowledge that you are living the path, not just talking about it.
We are the Force in the flesh and the Force moves through each and every one of us in all that we do.
May the Force be with you.
- Tavi
