It occurs to me that I’ve always liked characters who, no matter how bad things seem to be, always figure that there was a way out or a way forward. Ever since I was a little kid, I always loved Han Solo from the Star Wars movies and I never even really thought all that much about why. But it’s starting to make a little bit more sense to me now.
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There’s one scene in particular in the second original film, The Empire Strikes Back. They’re getting chased through space by the bad guys and as their ship, the Millennium Falcon, is flying along, and something runs into it. Han Solo runs up to the cockpit to find out that they’re entering an asteroid field: gigantic space rocks flying all around. It’s a bad deal, right?
He sits down at the controls getting ready to engage and Princess Leia starts to panic and she says, “You’re not actually flying into an asteroid field, are you?”
And Han Solo says, “They’d be crazy to follow us, wouldn’t they?”
Then C3PO, the robot, starts having an anxiety attack: “But sir, the odds of successfully navigating an asteroid field are approximately 3,720 to one!”
And Han Solo says, “Never tell me the odds.”
And on he goes (into the asteroid field).
If you want to move forward in life and do things that you’ve never done before and enjoy things that you’ve never had before, you are gonna have to fly into a few asteroid fields. Treat all the naysayers like C3PO. Shut him up or shut him off, but never tell me the odds.
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I always liked Han’s cockiness because he backs it up with action. Sometimes it gets a little old but it is very easy to get on board with people who contribute more positive actions than they cost in annoying behaviors. We all have to travel through our own asteroid belts occasionally, so why not just do it!
Thanks Warren. I appreciate the visit.
Never tell me the odds,
Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Very interesting and eye opening read. The lesson I got out of this post was one I never would have expected. Great way to break things down to a level that even a small child could understand. The problem is that it really leaves me with no question to ask aside from I am interested in what other scenes from the series you may have applied this to? Great idea thanks.
Hi Lance,
Thanks for the visit and the comments.
Here’s another one for you, from a more recent movie. Han Solo & the “good guys” are trying to get away fast. He decides he’s going to leave the docking bay at light speed. One of the other characters, scared, asks, “Will that work?”
Han Solo says: “I never ask that until after I’ve done it.”
That, too, is great advice for those of us who sit on the sidelines, watching life go by.
Best wishes,
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
I love this. You are exactly right. Sometimes you just go for it and don’t look back. Without writing a whole book on the topic, I’ve heard this comes from the basic instinct to preserve. Our minds want to preserve what we have and avoid venturing out beyond our comfort zone. That’s what stops most people from trying new things. That’s why I tell people to try it and if it doesn’t work out, THEN you can say it won’t work for you. But don’t give up just on the thought of it.
Hi Juan,
Thanks for taking the time to visit and for leaving those kind words. I agree with you: beyond the comfort zone is where the fun is!
Best wishes,
Kevin