Dark Side

The alliance... will die. As will your friends. Good, I can feel your anger. I am unarmed. Take your weapon. Strike me down with all of your hatred and your journey towards the dark side will be complete.
-The Emperor, Return of the Jedi-


Little by little I have let my heart be shadowed by feelings of anger, of pride, of vanity.

It has been a mix of Buddhist philosophy, western filmography, and personal integrity that has brought these thoughts into clarity. I have allowed myself to be consumed by those around me. I may have entered this place weakened but it has always been my responsibility to remain true to myself, and I have stumbled. It has become clear to me that I have become but a shadow of my former self; going through motions without intent, and in so doing I have dishonored them and me. I have also come to see that this descent did not start with recent events but rather has been a long time coming and that I must choose a different course if I am going to fulfill my true destiny and not merely that which has been forseen by another.

I am a man, a strong and capable man. I am also a gentle and kind hearted man. I can be vulnerable and strong, I can be capable and humble. Complexity can be a virtue, and contradiction a reality. I have found the power of my own capabilities and now I must learn to wield them with dexterity and virtue. And I need companions on my journey who are themselves capable and with vision. For I can no longer work in solitude, and my goals are too big for one man to accomplish alone.

I am Me, and no one can take that away.




Remember, a Jedi's strength flows from the Force. But beware. Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Once you start down the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
-Yoda, Return of the Jedi-

Hahahaha, I am such a dork!