Here’s a little known fact about what it takes to run your own business: You must be willing to master your lightsaber.
A lightsaber is crafted when a Jedi is young and in training. The process of building the lightsaber is complex – a rite of passage, really, in which the young Jedi travels to the Crystal Caves and intuitively connects with the Crystal that will become part of their own lightsaber.
This Crystal is attuned to the Force. As the Jedi trains to become a master of his lightsaber, he works with the Force of the Universe that flows between him, his weapon, and the Universe beyond.
It takes time, patience, concentration, and dedication to become proficient in its use. Mistakes will happen. Things will get wrecked. The Jedi may get hurt. But it is in the mastery of its use that magical things happen: The Jedi begins to recognize her own strengths, her own skills, her own weaknesses, and her own will.
The Jedi also learns to use this weapon as a way of connecting to the Force, to find balance no matter what is happening around him, and to stay grounded in the Light. It is a talisman, a reminder, a tool of connectivity that keeps the Jedi focused on her own self and the Universe at large.
The lightsaber is a powerful weapon. It can cut through obstacles (and, let’s be honest, there are often a few of those encountered along the way of building a business), deflect crap that gets thrown at you,and the sight of it on your belt is a sign to others that you’ve mastered its use, and ultimately, your self.
And so it is that you, too, need to master the lightsaber, whatever it is for you.
It could be that your lightsaber is your ability to hone in on the problem that another business is facing and see, within moments, exactly what needs to be done to fix it.
It could be that your lightsaber is your skill at assessing the stress responses in the body and that you can restore balance in the bodies of your clients with your own unique blend of therapies.
It may be that your lightsaber is your pen, that your ability to use words and write with grace and ease to inspire others is a skill unique to you.
My point is simply this: we are all connected to the Universe through our unique gifts, just as the Jedi is connected to the Force through her lightsaber.
And when we work hard, with patience, commitment, and diligence, to master our unique gifts, as the Jedi works to master his lightsaber, we discover our own strengths, our own weaknesses, and our own iron will.
And in using our gifts, we, like the Jedi, become more deeply connected to the Universal Life Force, and as such we become more balanced, more grounded, and more ready to face anything that life brings our way.
And then?
And then, then we carry that lightsaber everywhere we go – we show that bad-boy off to all that we meet – people see our gifts, and know that we have mastered them, and thus, ourselves.
And in sharing our strengths, our gifts, our abilities, we help others to hone and strengthen their own. (Lest we forget the countless hours Yoda spent hangin’ in the swamp, guiding young Luke as he worked his butt off to get the hang of things!)
Because you see, I didn’t get into business just to make money.
And I am willing to bet that you didn’t either.
I’m willing to bet you got into this so that you could use your talents and your gifts, those things that you’ve mastered, and inspire others to do the same.
So go on, then. Grab your lightsaber, whatever it may be, and let’s do this.
XO,
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Rebecca Liston helps her clients predict, pivot, and compete in an increasingly complex global marketplace. Her clients quickly uncover the root of their challenges and know the actions to take to overcome them. A six-time nominee for the RBC Canadian Woman Entrepreneur Award, Rebecca combines business strategy with intuition, giving her clients the edge on forward-thinking, elegant answers to their most complicated problems. Her clients are entrepreneurs with CEO-mindsets and executives with entrepreneurial instincts. She is based in London, Ontario. What if you could get the answer to your biggest business challenge, in one sitting? Visit rebeccaliston.com to find out more.
