[JediNickD] Level 22: "You Cannot Escape Your Destiny"

[JediNickD]

Welcome to the exciting Adventures of JediNickD!  It seems like forever ago that I joined this site and started my first challenge. Judging by my level, you might say I'm right!  But level and experience mean nothing unless lessons learned are applied in your life.  This website has given me practical knowledge in goal setting and planning.  Throughout my life, I have been applying that knowledge.  In my career, in my job, in my home life, in my Toastmasters training, in the gym, in my Jedi training, and even in my video games!

Throughout the next few challenges, I plan to focus my Jedi lessons around this passage from Return of the Jedi where Obi-Wan says that quote:
 

Luke: [approaching R2-D2] I can't do it, R2. I can't go on alone.
Obi-Wan: [from out of sight] Yoda and I will always be with you.
Luke: Obi-Wan.
[Obi-Wan's spirit approaches Luke]
Luke: Ben! Why didn't you tell me? You told me that Darth Vader betrayed and murdered my father.
Obi-Wan: Your father... was seduced by the Dark Side of the Force. He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker and "became" Darth Vader. When that happened, the good man who was your father was destroyed. So what I told you was true... from a certain point of view.
Luke: A certain point of view?
Obi-Wan: Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view. Anakin was a good friend. When I first met him, your father was already a great pilot. But I was amazed how strongly the Force was with him. I took it upon myself to train him as a Jedi. I thought that I could instruct him just as well as Yoda. I was wrong.
Luke: There is still good in him.
Obi-Wan: He's more machine now than man. His mind is twisted and evil.
Luke: I can't do it, Ben.
Obi-Wan: You cannot escape your destiny. You must face Darth Vader again.
Luke: I can't kill my own father.
Obi-Wan: Then the Emperor has already won. You were our only hope.
Luke: Yoda spoke of another.
Obi-Wan: The other he spoke of is your twin sister.
Luke: But I have no sister.
Obi-Wan: Hmm. To protect you both from the Emperor, you were hidden from your father when you were born. The Emperor knew, as I did, if Anakin were to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him. That is the reason why your sister remained safely anonymous.
Luke: Leia! Leia is my sister.
Obi-Wan: Your insight serves you well. Bury your feelings deep down, Luke. They do you credit, but they could be made to serve the Emperor.

This challenge, I'll focus on the quote in bold by Obi-Wan Kenobi. In this part of the conversation, Obi-Wan plainly states that Luke cannot escape his "destiny".  That word destiny implies a predetermined path laid out for Luke.  That predetermined path is the ultimate struggle of good versus evil (light versus dark sides of the Force) in the Star Wars galaxy by being the son of Anakin Skywalker and being powerful in the Force.   Being a Jedi and weilder of the light side of the Force, Luke cannot avoid his confrontation with the dark side, because it will hunt him down to either recruit him or destroy him.  Since Luke cannot kill his own father, he decides there must be another way.  He confronts Vader and the Emperor on his own terms by surrendering, then we all remember what happens. 

 

The lesson to take away from this quote is to confront your problems on your own terms.  Do not let your problems chase you down or haunt your dreams.  The dark side will find you.  For Jedi, confronting the dark side is their destiny.  It can be defeated with intitative, accountability, and honesty by taking ownership and being confident that a solution will be found.  Doing so will give you an advantage over the obstacle and sometimes force the solution to appear one its own.  That is what confronting something on your own terms means.

 

Now, on to the CHALLENGE!

My mission is to be the best Jedi I can be. My main quest is always to enhance my overall health, fitness, and knowledge to be prepared for whatever challenges life could throw at me. As a Jedi, I need to be able to help people, whether that is a life threatening situation or just a charitable one. There is no boss level in Jedi training, there is only tomorrow.

I'm changing things up for this challenge by eliminating all the Side Quest Goals.  I'll still use the Excel spreadsheet and Battle Log, but I will not set any specific weight or rep goals.  I am adding a new training technique and incorporating what I learn from the MAX Workouts eBooks I bought recently.  The new training technique is a Complex workout where you move through a series of excerises without putting the weight down.  MAX Workouts stresses power and intensity while working the whole body in one workout to achieve maximum fat burn and build lean muscle.  I'm taking both concepts and combining them to something I call Combo Complexes.  An example is Deadlift into a Bent-Over Row then a Squat into a Overhead Press, 10 reps each with the same weight.  My plan is to eliminate the time consuming and boring cardio from my workout routine.  I loathe running more than a mile.  I'll do it on occassion, but I don't want to rely on it to keep my weight in check. 

 

 

My main quest with attribute points is below:

• FITNESS: Build STA +2, STR +2 and DEX +1 by conducting powerful and intense Weight Training for 20 minutes or more, three times a week.  Schedule is Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday (optional). 
   
• FITNESS: Build STA +1, STR +1 and DEX +2 by conducting muscle recovery Training for 20 minutes or more, two times a week.  Schedule is Wednesday, Friday, Saturday (optional), Sunday (optional).

• DIET: Build CON +2 by eating healthy 35 times or more, eating unhealthy 16 times or less and count their calories, drinking 200 fl oz of Dr Pepper or less, taking care of my skin and lips by applying moisturizer 80 times or more (twice daily), brushing (twice daily) and flossing (once daily) 120 times or more.

• LIFE: Build WIS +2 and CHA +2 by completing two Toastmaster Speeches, completing Lesson 4 of my High Performance Leadership project, and completing 2 IJRS Personal 101 lessons.

I'm three lessons in to my High Performance Leadership manual, but I'm in the bulk of the work now inlesson 4, which I won't complete until May.

I finished my second Competent Leadership manual and have only one speech left in my third Competent Communicator manual. I have 1 speech left for my Advanced Communicator manuals. I plan to do a Speechcraft training session for the 1 hour training session I need to do for my Advanced Communicator Gold, so I can earn my DTM. My Club Coach and Area Governor roles are going very well.

Jedi Training is progressing. I'm hoping to finish the course this spring.

 

 

 

[JediNickD]

These combo complex exercises are awesome!  In 20 minutes I was spent.  I took a break, then work some muscle which weren't exploding yet.  So sweaty, so tired, so good.

[JediNickD]

Ran 2.5 miles today... I'm not in 5k shape.  I need to run more.  I say that, I think that, but it is not something I want.  I wish I could be fast and in shape without the excessive running.  At least I feel good about it when it is over.

[JediNickD]

"Lucy, you've got some explainin' to do!"

 

I'll run through some excuses for my absence from the forum.  If I made this place a priority, then I would be here, but at this point posting on the forum is not necessary for my success in fitness, health, or life.  After my excuses, I'll run through what successes and failures I've had and what I learned along the way.  With the changes I made to my typical goal slate, I may be able to still achieve a lot, but I'm not confident in straight A's. 

[JediNickD]

Now the excuses... I went on work travel starting April 27 through May 8th, then some time off and other offsite work immediately following through today.  I usually do my posts while at work (during a break, of course), as then I do not have to remember to do it at home or remember what I did at the gym before work 8-12 hours later.  Since, I have not been at my regular computer since April 24th, it has been difficult to record my progress and post on the forum.  Also, it has been an afterthought compared to everything else going on.  Mother's Day, my Mom's birthday, Toastmaster Conference, Contest, and Business Meeting, getting elected as Division B Director, tearing down an old deck and building a new deck, Kids, Wife, Pets, yard work, taking a neighbor to the hospital, house and dog sitting for said neighbor, dog sitting for a second neighbor, taxiing a third neighbor family who had their car repoed... I've been busy. 

 

Now the excuses for missing workouts.  On April 23rd, I hurt my back lifting something.  I have a crook in my spine in my lower back which causes the muscles to be unbalanced and spasm when stressed.  As I age, the spasms have been getting worse with longer recovery time.  I am still recovering with plenty of lingering pain, stiffness, and discomfort four weeks later.  Of course, I couldn't take it easy on myself either.  As I listed above, I've been very busy.  What I missed in workouts, I made up for in lifting RF equipment and antennas at work on travel, I made up for lifting scrap wood from the old deck, new wood for the new deck, and bags of concrete, I made up for mixing and pouring concrete, driving hammer drills and saws, and climbing ladders.  I've lost weight.  Not a lot, but I did lose weight.     

 

Now the excuses for delaying my life goals.  I'm burned out on everything and I hadn't made a Toastmasters meeting in four weeks.  Yesterday afternoon, I forced myself to go to a meeting.  Of course, as the newly elected Division B Director, I have plenty of new duties to also take up my time.  Jedi Training will have to wait.  Toastmaster speech writing is always happening in my head, but actually preparing, rehearsing, and delivering speeches is on hold for a bit. 

 

That's a lot of excuses, but my priorities changed mid-challenge in ways I could not totally predict as I thought I could.  These things happen.  What is important is that I kept going and came back here.  My plans to be a Nerd Fitness Rebel for Life have not changed, so I will always return, hopefully, a little stronger, a little wiser, and ready for the next challenge.

[JediNickD]

After a few months away, I have grown quite a bit.  After struggling to maintain a presence here through the first half of 2015, I struck out on my own as I had conquered many obstacles here, learned many lessons, and felt I was ready to implement a new accountability strategy for I had developed a strong supporting cast in real life to keep me accountable. 

 

Alas, a back injury and a "layoff" crumbled all my plans.  I am on the road to recovery for both.  I started a new job only three weeks after my old one ended back in October.  The growing pains are over and now I feel entrenched in my new world.  I started physical therapy to heal my back.  I have occasional flare ups, but for the most part, I have my body functioning like its old self. 

 

It is like I am back at square one, or Level 1 for my character here.  Instead of hitting the reset button, I'll jump to World 2 Level 1 complete with new challenges and obstacles.  Old foes may come back, but they will require new techniques to defeat them.  I'll be starting a new challenge for the January 4th challenge soon, updating my Epic Quest, and handling my training journal in a new way.