“You Must Unlearn What You Have Learned. Try Not. Do or Do Not. There Is No Try”
What you thought you knew may not be true. Do or do not. Never give yourself an excuse to fail.
An off schedule post
This is an off-schedule post. That means something different or interesting is going on that warrants paying attention to. So, my friends, read on to find out more!
Introduction to the movies
Do you like to go to the movies? In a theater? The first movies came out in the 1890s and were short novelties shown in halls and were, of course, silent. Growth surged in the 1920s, and interestingly, moviegoing was often based upon class, with luxurious cinemas in downtown locations and more modest halls in neighborhoods. The 1930s and 1940s marked the beginning of the golden age of movies with the introduction of sound. The peak moviegoing years were 1946 and 1947.
The introduction of television led to a 78% drop in movie attendance from 1947 to 1964. 1970 saw the lowest movie attendance in history. Home video further challenged movies in the 1980s and attendance, which had climbed from the 1970s trough, again declined in the 1980s. Movie-going has somewhat recovered since then. Digital and streaming continued to challenge movie houses, but they did reach a peak in the early 2000s with the highest attendance since 1947. The pandemic forced the closure of movie theaters, and they continue to face challenges to this day.
Introductions of innovations such as sound, air conditioning, color, and 3D/MAX have helped improve attendance over the years. Remember when movie theaters began serving food and even alcoholic drinks? All in the name of enhancing the experience. Ah, yes, the experience. Something we’ve discussed before.
What were the highest-grossing movies of all time in terms of pure dollar amounts? Can you name them? Let’s see if you were right (Note 1):
Rank, Title, Worldwide gross, Year
Avatar $2,923,710,708 2009
2. Avengers: Endgame $2,797,501,328 2019
3. Avatar: The Way of Water $2,343,477,301 2022
4. Titanic $2,257,906,828 1997
5. Ne Zha 2 $2,215,690,000 2025
6. Star Wars: The Force Awakens $2,068,223,624 2015
7. Avengers: Infinity War $2,048,359,754 2018
8. Spider-Man: No Way Home $1,922,598,800 2021
9. Inside Out 2 $1,698,863,816 2024
10. Jurassic World $1,671,537,444 2015
11. The Lion King $1,656,943,394 2019
12. The Avengers $1,518,815,515 2012
13. Furious 7 $1,515,341,399 2015
14. Top Gun: Maverick $1,495,696,292 2022
15. Frozen 2 $1,450,026,933 2019
16. Barbie $1,447,138,421 2023
17. Avengers: Age of Ultron $1,402,809,540 2015
18. The Super Mario Bros. Movie $1,360,879,735 2023
19. Black Panther $1,347,280,838 2018
20. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 $1,342,139,727 2011
It’s not surprising that the highest-grossing films came in the 2000s strictly because of inflation. However, if we ask the question a bit differently, if we adjust for inflation, we see a whole new picture (Note 1). Isn’t this true in life, we have to be careful how we ask the question to be sure we get the answer we want:
Highest-grossing films adjusted for inflation
Rank, Title, 2024 Gross, (Billions), Year
Gone with the Wind 4.4 1939
2. Avatar 4.05 2009
3. Titanic 3.76 1997
4. Star Wars 3.65 1977
5. Avengers: Endgame 3.35 2019
6. The Sound of Music 3.05 1965
7. ET the Extra Terrestrial 2.99 1982
8. The Ten Commandments 2.82 1956
9. Doctor Zhivago 2.68 1965
10. Star Wars: The Force Awakens 2.64 2015
Here’s a thought, and it’s just mine, but perhaps you share it. We used to go to movies regularly, but have hardly been since the pandemic. We did see Top Gun: Maverick, but that’s about it. I like the movie experience and would like to go more often. So here is my suggestion for the two major players in this business:
Hollywood-Produce better movies that the majority of the people want to see. Good wholesome film that makes us feel good. Like the ones in the lists above. If you produce them, we will go to them and reward you.
Theaters-Quit selling us outrageously expensive food so that taking the family to a good, wholesome movie does not break the bank.
These are simple requests, don’t you think? And I believe it would lead to a resurgence for the industry.
Impact of movies and TV shows
Movies have had a big impact on people over the years. I remember when we visited Scotland, people (children, actually) were dressed as Harry Potter and being taken on tours because Harry Potter was filmed extensively in Scotland. Ever heard of Comic-Con (Comic Book Convention)? Basically, it’s a convention (many held in many cities) that focuses on comics, books, movies, and TV shows related to pop culture (Note 2). When you see news about a Comic-Con convention coming to a city near you, you always see people dressed up like characters from movies, comics, etc. They are quite big.
I remember when the first Top Gun movie came out. I was in the Air Force working on F-15’s, and while Top Gun focused on Naval aviation, it was close enough to what we were doing to make it real for us. The movie drove a huge recruiting boom, especially in Naval aviation (Note 3).
When the movie Alien came out in June 1979, I was in basic training. After basic, later that summer, I was assigned to technical school for aircraft maintenance training at Sheppard AFB, TX. One weekend, a bunch of us wanted to go out, and the crowd wanted to go see this movie. Well, let me tell you, I’ve never enjoyed or watched horror movies, but because I was with the crowd, I went along with them. It was horrible, and I really disliked it. I think my dislike of horror shows goes back to watching black-and-white TV shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Note 4) and The Twilight Zone (Note 5). When the movie A Nightmare on Elm Street came out in 1984, it was the same thing. I used to think to myself, “Who would go watch these awful movies and TV shows?” Well, the answer, as you may know, is a lot of people.
How about TV shows? Because of my age, I watched TV shows such as Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, The Waltons and The Andy Griffith Show. Most of these were in black and white and I watched them when I was rather young and impressionable. In particular I remember, because I sometimes watch them on reruns today and relearn the lessons of long ago; that Sheriff Taylor (Andy Griffith) always ended the show with a lesson in doing the right thing, often teaching a lesson to Opie. It was the same with the Waltons. They were feel-good shows that were wholesome, and they passed along excellent life lessons to the audience.
Think about it for a second, what movies or TV shows stand out in your mind? Have any of them affected you in either a positive or negative manner?
When Star Wars was released in May 1977, I was just about to graduate from High School in early June. That summer, I went to Ocean City, MD, which was a few-hour drive from my home in Alexandria, VA, for the weekend to enjoy the beach. Well, it rained, so we went to see the movie. Besides being one of the highest-grossing movies of all time at number 4, and being a fantastic movie, two scenes stood out to me, and that I have remembered over all these years:
The first was Princess Leia’s holographic message to Obi-Wan Kenobi (Note 6). To think about the technology to do that just amazed me.
The second was when Jedi Master Yoda, speaking to young Luke Skywalker, who needed to get his X-wing out of the swamp, stated, “Do you not hear what I say? You must unlearn what you have learned.” Remember what Luke’s reply was: “Alright then, I’ll give it a try.” Yoda then replied, somewhat agitated, “No, try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.” (Note 7).
And it’s this scene that I want to talk about today.
The lessons from Jedi Master Yoda
There are several lessons for us as we seek to achieve our dreams and live our best lives in this scene, and I just want to spend a few short minutes going over them. All of them support what we are trying to teach at Afterburner Success Partners. As we review these lessons, think about how you use them in your daily life. It’s not just in big decisions that these concepts are important. It’s our mindset and how we think on a daily basis that’s important. OK, here they are:
We must unlearn what we have learned-Yoda’s first statement is most potent. We must be self-aware enough to analyze what we think is true, what we think is working, and to admit when what we know and what we do are wrong. This takes a big person, but it is necessary if we want to get ahead. For example, I don’t really play golf, but I know that when I hit the ball, I never know where it will go or how far it will travel. What I do does not work, so I must learn the correct way if I want to play well.
We must commit, not doubt-Saying we will try suggests we have doubt about being successful and that we do not have a commitment to success. Saying we will or that we do means we have decided to succeed.
We must believe we can-This is a mindset confident people have. Remember that there is a fine line between confident and being a jerk. Fighter pilots, surgeons, military, and police are high-confidence people. They must be because they must be successful. Find that line and don’t cross it. You know what I mean.
There are no half measures-We are either fully dedicated or we are not. No further conversation needed on this point. Don’t you agree?
There are no options but success-You’ve likely heard the story about the Spanish explorer Hernan Cortes, who came to conquer Mexico. Upon arrival, he ordered his crew to “burn the ships.” When asked how they would return, he answered that they would take the enemy ships. It is this type of determination and total commitment that’s often necessary to win.
Fall forward-I’ve added this one because I love the lesson in it. It means there is no alternative to winning, and if we must fail, we fail forward, not backward. One of my favorite video clips is of Denzel Washington speaking at a college commencement. Nothing in life is worthwhile unless you take risks. Click on the link in Note 8 to watch this moving video.
Take a break and try again-I added this second one from “The world according to Dave” because I have a real-life example that helps to make the point. Because I am trained as a mechanic and have a natural mechanical ability, I believe, that is that I have confidence, that I can fix most anything. I can take a mechanical device, study it to understand its function and how it’s made and then disassemble it; I can almost always figure it out. One time, I needed to change the CV (Constant Velocity) joints on my wife’s Acura MDX. But I’ve learned from experience that it’s easier and not much more expensive to change the entire axle assembly. So I bought both left and right axles and started the job. Well, the left one was easy enough, and I figured I would be done before lunch, no problem. Well, the right side was, due to limited access, much more difficult, and after a long while, a lot of frustration, and some bruises and cuts (auto repair is a blood sport, after all), I decided to take a break, have lunch, and think it through. That was the key. After lunch, with a full belly and a new perspective, I got the axle right in and finished the job. I always knew I could do it; I just needed a break to refresh my body and mind and rethink it through.
Summary
I often talk about the importance of mindset, and today’s lesson from an old movie is an excellent example. Make sure you are learning the proper lessons, believe, commit, and then do. And should you fail, get up and do it again until you accomplish what you set out to do. “Do Not” and “try” are words not in our vocabulary!
That’s all for today!
You Musts Unlearn What You Have Learned
What’s in it for Me
We must always be aware of our knowledge related to what we want to do and ensure what we think we know is true. Then, we must act in a determined manner. Doing so will ensure we get what we want, and that’s what’s in it for me.
Call to Action
Purchase the book by clicking on the link in Note 9. Take the Afterburner Success Partners course.
Recommended Resources
Buy and read Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi (Note 9).
Up Next
Back to regular posting schedule.
Notes
Please note that as an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a small commission on the sale of any of these recommended resources.
List of highest grossing films, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films
What is Comic-Con or Comicon? https://serenacornwall.medium.com/what-is-comic-con-or-comicon-8921a9d21606
1986’s Top Gun Drove a Military Recruiting Boom, CPR News: https://www.cpr.org/2020/08/26/1986s-top-gun-drove-a-military-recruiting-boom-will-the-sequel-do-the-same/
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: https://the.hitchcock.zone/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock_Presents
The Twilight Zone: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/the-twilight-zone-classic/
Star Wars: https://www.starwars.com/video/help-me-obi-wan-kenobi
Star Wars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ4yd2W50No
5 minutes to change your life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwhbt8dWvN4
Achieve Your Dreams: A Complete Guide to Live Your Best Life by David Giustozzi: https://amzn.to/3IxEFgy