Try not.
Do.
Or do not.
There is no try.
– Yoda
I am not sure that I completely agree Jedi Master Yoda’s sentiment. Without trying we would not advance into the liminal space that connects our dreams to reality, however I concur that we are often perceived based on doing or not doing. Our communities judge our causes based on action. Few resumes that highlight how hard we have tried successfully land a dream job placement. Rare is the annual report which successfully reflects on a year of trying as the headline. We celebrate that which we have achieved and can touch, we acknowledge those ideals not fully formed.
I watched David Russell’s The Fighter recently. Without trying there would be less to despair or celebrate at the end of the film. The connection to the characters in the film are deeper because the audiences witnesses each individual’s battle, both literal and figurative. Trying is noble and builds a following of dedicated fans but ultimately we must achieve victory or defeat, acknowledge momentum gained or lost, and demonstrate change.
Like steel work on a skyscraper there is a subtle balance between that which is fixed in place (do or do not) and that which is suspended by wire waiting to be attached (trying). Our progress is measured by the iron that has been secured to the main skeleton. But we cannot overlook that we marvel at the process. Each beams hoisted and tethered in the sky despite the odds steel in this form is a highly unlikely candidate for flight.
If we communicate that which we do or do not we provide a sense of certainty, a monument for celebration or memorial for reflection. It is the narratives behind these tangible structures where the stories take on dimension. It provides us as individuals with an entry-point for alignment and wonderment. We can resonate and empathize with the notion of trying even if the ultimate accomplishment outstretches our individual talents.
What-if-concepts 