Happy May the 4th to you fellow Star Wars fans! Today is a day I use to honor the gift that the Star Wars films are to the collective human consciousness.

This is the Solo time Han says this and it is towards the end of Episode IV. To me the force has always been a concept that ties back to presence. We hear the Jedi echo this sentiment a lot. Qui-Gon Jinn says it at the beginning of Episode I when he tells Obi-Wan to “keep your concentration here and now where it belongs.” To feel the force with you, presence is key. If you’re a Jedi. If you’re a Sith, fixation on future goals, ambitions, or past triumphs and mistakes fuel your pursuits. In my life experience, presence is where the most peace is found.

How Yoda Teaches Luke About the Force

Yoda tells Luke that he will know the good side from the bad when he is Calm. At peace. Passive. When we are truly present, these states come with the package of presence. He also warns Luke about the other side, how anger, fear and aggression are always close by. Easy to access and enjoyable in a destructive way. When we look out in the world we can see this. Unfortunately, more than calmness, peace, and passivity. We see impulsive anger, aggression, mistrust, and a seemingly endless supply of fear.

How do we choose the path of presence?

It all begins by going within. Meditation is a great path for this. A focus on breath. As Yoda says, “you must feel the force around you.” It is everywhere. Presence is everywhere and you can fully sense everything around you. One of the most effective ways to meditate is to engage the senses. The shower is a great place. The feel of the water, smell of the soap, and temperature are all great grounding sensations. This is why for Luke, having him exercise while learning about the Force was important. He could feel the sensations of his body, focusing completely on the moment as he took on the landscape of a new planet. Novelty is often good for triggering presence as our minds can not get us through the day on autopilot.

It’s also interesting to note the pulls of the dark side of the Force versus just the Force. The dark side will try to insert itself. Anger, fear, aggression, all “quick to join you in a fight.” A fight being a moment that tests your inner resolve. A traffic jam keeps you on the road longer. Someone unleashes their anger on you. Something didn’t go as planned. The day is one big test in a way, will you choose presence or will you choose reaction? What others do is not up to you, but holding onto your inner peace is. And that gives us more control than we may think.

Don’t wait until a catastrophic event to invite presence into your life. Be fully aware when you’re walking to your car. When you’re washing your hands in the bathroom. When you’re waiting in line. These may seem like mundane things, but awareness tends to compound and these practices will permeate into other areas of your life.

What You Can Do Today, May the 4th

Today, begin your journey to inviting presence into your every day life. Watching Star Wars is much more than just entertainment to me, it is a spiritual practice. For the prequels, I find Episode III to be the most impactful because we see a good man, Anakin Skywalker, fall into a complete fear state and emerge as Darth Vader. We see an entire galaxy fall into darkness, proving that the state of the world does indeed begin and end with you. You are one of many states of consciousness, contributing to the makeup of the totality of consciousness. For the original trilogy, Episode V contains the most lessons, and Yoda, the most enlightened Jedi master has some of his best gems of wisdom.

In practical terms, make it a conscious decision to fully engage with the people you encounter in your day. Whether it’s family, friends, or strangers, be present. See them. Maybe, just maybe, your heightened level of consciousness will spark the same in them.

This blog is just weeks old and my hope is to build an audience of curious, deep, and engaging readers. I love discussing philosophical concepts like this and I hope you find my other content on Star Wars to be enlightening and thought-provoking.

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Before you go, here’s a compilation of all the times “May the Force Be With You” was uttered in the series.