Have you ever wanted to be something so badly that you constantly felt like you had to prove it to others?
That unless they knew you were the smartest, strongest, bravest, or funniest person in the world,
they may start to see the flaws that you were trying to hide?
Well rest assured you're not alone.
And today's character has a similar mindset in that he was always trying to prove himself as a leader and a warrior,
sometimes to his detriment and that is Captain Boomerang himself, Sokka.
What's going on guys? My name is Nate and you're listening to the Otaku Liberation.
A show where we help you break the chains that hold you back in your life by connecting some biblical principles with themes from your favorite anime.
And without further ado, let's get right on into it.
In today's verse that kind of covers this whole episode is Romans chapter 12 verses 6 through 8.
And it says, according to the grace given to us, we have different gifts.
If prophecy, use it according to the proportion of one's faith.
If service, use it in service.
If teaching, in teaching.
If exhorting, in exhortation.
Giving with generosity, leading with diligence, showing mercy with cheerfulness.
And all that, all that is saying is that, hey, all of us have different gifts.
It is up to us to use those gifts in the matter designed.
And in other other words, stay in your lane.
But no, seriously, it's about figuring out what you're good at and how to use it for people.
That's the long and the short of it.
And for someone like Saka, he was really trying to figure that out for the majority of the series.
And like I said earlier, I was in a way that he felt like he had something to prove,
which is my first point for today's episode is him proving himself.
So Saka always dreamt of being a great warrior and sought multiple ways to prove himself as a leader.
From training the young boys from his tribe after his father and the other adult men left to be warriors.
And to eventually being the, like really the de facto leader of Team Avatar.
Because honestly, without Saka, they probably wouldn't have gotten out of a lot of the situations they were in.
Or would have even known where to go or have gotten back on track after they went off on some side quests.
Because again, they're still kids, right?
They get distracted.
But it's just an old idea of having to prove yourself, to kind of prove your worth.
And you know, I know for me as a young man, and I'm sure a lot of young men who are around my age and even older,
it's something that you just come to realize that you have to prove yourself.
You have to earn your worth, you know.
And that can be a very heavy work on your conscience that you may not even be aware of.
You just feel like you have to do something, that there's something that you need to do in the world to kind of leave your mark on the world.
And just one, it's okay.
You know, hey, it's okay.
You know, when you're not alone in this, a lot of us feel that way.
And it's actually something good.
It's good that you want to do something, that you want to make yourself better or leave something behind.
To leave, like I said, leave your mark on the world.
That's a good thing.
And hold on to that.
But don't let it be kind of all-consuming like it was for Sokka.
Because even though he had some of his strengths where, you know, his intelligence, his funny wit, and his problem-solving skills,
it was just that throughout the entire series, he always felt like he was trying to prove himself.
And when you try to prove yourself to others or to yourself or whatever the case may be, oftentimes it can leave you feeling insecure.
In Sokka's case, he felt insecure about his place in the team because he was the only non-vendor for the longest time.
You know, really, I'm going to tell you, his girlfriend, Tsuki, joined towards the end of the series.
But for the vast majority of it, Sokka was the only non-vendor there.
And he started being kind of okay with it.
But then towards the end, he started really feeling like, okay, I'm not really contributing much to the team.
Kind of overlooking all the other aspects of himself that the team needs.
He just felt kind of useless.
And animals ever felt useless? No, that's not a good feeling. It's not a good feeling at all.
So I just want to ask you this. What is it that you feel insecure about?
What is it that you feel like you have to prove? And who are you trying to prove it to?
I know I can sit up here and say, you know, you shouldn't worry about what other people think.
And to only be concerned with what God says about you and what you ultimately say about yourself.
But I also know that's easier said than done. And as humans, we're tribal creatures.
We want to kind of fit in and be with community.
And part of that means taking into account what other people think, what other people say, because we want to be a part of the tribe.
So it's just these dueling mindsets that kind of go into this whole thing.
And it's part of the reason why we strive so hard to push ourselves to prove that we are of value to other people.
But so we have to balance trying to prove ourselves to other people with not really taking too much stock in what they think.
And man, is that a thing to really understand and do? Yeah, I don't care what anyone says.
People haven't mastered it. And it's a daily battle that you have to go through.
But ultimately, you have to realize that it just comes down to what God says about you and as to why he puts you on this earth and what your purpose is in that sense.
And, you know, your purpose is people. We can't always take what people say at face value or what they think at face value.
Because, again, people are emotional and they change their opinions, you know, ten times in a minute.
So, you know, do with that as you will. But the key thing is don't try so hard to prove yourself to the fact to the point that you're feeling insecure, you know, trust in God and trust in why he puts you here.
So the next point is about soccer being flexible. So understand this.
A part of every journey is learning when to adapt and to be flexible because life's going to throw you curveballs and you just understand everything is on God's timing.
You know, we may have our plans. You know, I could say, you know, in five years, I'm going to be a millionaire because of whatever reason.
But, you know, that could just say, no, that's not what I want you to do. I need you to go do this instead.
And, you know, just a weird example, but it's the same thing.
Kind of we, I say we, I'm using myself as an example. I make all these plans on a day to day basis of what I want to get done for the day.
Oftentimes it's involving this podcast or the YouTube videos from either recording, editing, researching, all these different things.
The truth is, you know, one, I'm not guaranteed tomorrow, right? I could just not wake up one day and be standing in front of the Lord, ready for my judgment at that point.
And, you know, hey, if that's what he wants and that's what's going to happen.
But in a more realistic sense, in terms of your everyday life, you know, things happen, you know, work may be a little more busy than normal.
So I can't get to what I what I want to get to in that day or maybe something happening with a family that needs my attention.
So I can't work on the things I've already set aside. You know, life happens.
Life tends to get in the way of your goals. But the important part is to be flexible and not be so so rigid and not just in your routines, but also in your mindset.
So Saka in the beginning, he was very close minded.
Like, is this this man is like almost talking to a brick wall with him because he was skeptical of everything.
He oozed sarcasm and he resist.
If anyone remembers his first meeting with the Kyoshi Warriors, then you know, Saka, he he wasn't very experienced in the world yet.
And he's like 50 years, 15 at this point. So or 60. I think he was 60. No, he's 50.
So he was 15 at this point. So it was. Yeah. He's a 15 year old boy.
No, we were all dumb at that age. But all of these things began to change as he traveled with Aang and the rest of the group as became more more worldly in his experiences and try to the different parts outside of it.
So it kind of a side note, you know, try to be more be more open.
And part of that is kind of get out there and explore places outside of just your home or where you grew up.
Because that's something I have something of value. I've come to realize more now is that traveling and trying to understand different people's cultures.
And when I say culture, that doesn't mean you have to leave the country. You can really go to a different part of your city and experience a wholly totally different culture there and experiencing that will help kind of soften the rigidness in your mind and in your perspective, the things like that.
It help you be more flexible in your thinking because you're exposed to different things. And then that's exactly what happened to Saqqa. And he said during his journey around the world, he experienced different people, different cultures, different mindsets and ideas that ultimately made him a more effective leader because he's able to think in different ways than just what he was taught and what he's known.
He's able to encompass a lot of these things into his strategy and strategic planning and things like that.
And kind of going back to what I said about, you know, life on curveballs when it comes to figuring out a purpose, you know, sometimes not just life, it's God.
God's throwing curveballs at us and these aren't meant to take us out or to discourage us, but to challenge us in a way that encourages us to let go of control and to trust him, to trust in his timing and to trust in his planning.
And you can't do that without being flexible. You have to be willing to be molded and guided and directed in the way that God wants you to.
And it's not easy. You know, I'll admit I'm a little bit of a control freak when it comes to especially my life and that's why I like having routines and getting things done in a certain way and things like that, because it just, I don't know, it just gives me a dopamine rush in my mind or something.
I don't know. I really don't. But I've learned that.
I was like, hey, you know, you can have your plans, but ultimately my will is going to be done. I'm like, okay, man, you know, don't beat me up about it. But seriously, when it comes to, you know, your routines, your plans, your the things that you have said that you want to get done, that you want to do.
Just know that even if they don't have it in the time that you want them to, it doesn't mean that they won't get done. It just means you got to pivot. Then life's all about being and just rolling with the punches.
So that's about soccer being flexible.
And the last point I want to go over is growing past his weaknesses, which I think is something that one, 15 year old, right, for him to be able to recognize his weaknesses and not only recognize them, but actively try to prove upon them through at least not make them as prominent.
It's something I greatly admire in soccer. I mean, I was thinking about this the other day. I think he probably is my favorite character out of the series because one, I'm always attracted to characters who typically don't have the same power and whatever power systems, you know, it may be.
So he's soccer's case bender, but he's still able to kind of hang with some of the vendors, maybe not so much in straight up fighting, but it's just his mentality and strategy in the way he creatively solves some of his problems.
And in after his initial kind of bout of insecurity, but not being a mentor once he learned, you know, once he learned how to get past that, then hey, soccer was soccer was all right with by me.
And so one of his one of his initials and it's kind of funny to me because even though he was the idea guy, a lot of soccer's plans actually blew up in his face. The first go around latest man was, you know, he came with all these crazy schemes and ideas that he wanted to try.
But oftentimes they just, they just didn't pan out. But the most notable notable of his plans was actually the invasion of the fire nation during the day of black sun.
And for those who haven't seen the show the data black sun is essentially a solar eclipse. It was solar eclipse where they knew the exact date and time it was going to happen.
And firebenders can't fire been during a solar eclipse because the sun's blocked out. So they're essentially powerless. And even though it was an excellent plan and had it works would have effectively ended the war, because nobody couldn't have done anything to stop the invasion.
But the invasion plan was leaps in the fire nation was actually ready for it, which ultimately led to the defeat and capture of most of the invading army, including soccer guitars, dad.
So once again, they're separated. And since this was soccer's plan, he felt tremendous guilt over the fact he felt like everyone was counting on him because this was his plan he got he gathered all these people together. And he essentially led the charge.
But ultimately it led to to their capture. And if I'm being honest, this wasn't a kid show a they probably wouldn't end ended up dying. It's just I'm just being realistic here in the as ruthless as the fire nation was throughout the throughout the show and the things they were doing.
It wouldn't surprise me they just executed all all the war after that.
But let's just be glad that he didn't write it was actually some some has to be to be filled after that. But even with this huge failure. No, this this didn't stop soccer.
Like many times before he just takes his lumps and goes back to the drawing board in order to come up with a better plan.
And that says a lot because soccer is one of those people who will fall seven times and then get up for the eighth time and say, All right, let me try this again and try from a different angle.
And that's not that's not easy to do. You know, that's not easy to do sometimes getting knocked down once is enough to make people say, Okay, you know, I quit, give up, I'm done. I don't want to do this anymore.
And I was like that too when I was younger. He'll say probably around soccer they may be a little younger things wrong 12 something like that and something like that.
If I didn't get something the first time or if I tried and it just kind of blew up in my face, I'm like, Nope, I'm done underneath this on the distress of my life.
My young life of three years old, you know, I don't need this. And that's something I had to grow past something I had to get get over.
So that started like sports and just different heck even just in school with like the classes and stuff like that these new comp introduced to me.
And I eventually eventually clicked to say, Hey, you know, just because you started something doesn't mean it's gonna be good and out the way you wanted to or expected to.
But it doesn't mean you can't get better at it in a different, you know, different approach. And that's just a lesson to learn is that, hey, things are gonna things are gonna happen fail.
Sometimes you're gonna fail again and again. But eventually something's gonna click and you're gonna get past a little rut and a little, you know, whatever, whatever it is, or, you know, maybe you maybe you maybe you won't.
Maybe just something that, hey, this just isn't for you. But now you know it's really not for you and not just, hey, you know, the first time didn't pan out. So I'm never gonna try again.
Maybe try three, four, five, six different times. Okay, this just isn't for me. Let me pivot to something else, knowing that this isn't for me.
And now, maybe, maybe you can take something from those past experiences and bring it into the future. I mean, you just you just never know.
I'm a now I'm a huge person to say, hey, try it a couple times and see what what comes of it and how great if not what what can you learn from it.
And so here is how to act to failure. How do you how do you feel when you fail at something? Do you quit right away like soccer to get up and try it again?
So another weakness that soccer has is actually one I've touched on most episode. And again, this is inability to bend this and causing him to feel like a liability to his team in that he doesn't contribute enough.
And they went in time there and again, kind of feels useless.
But rather than being depressed and keep moving about it, soccer decides to take matters in hands and actually find themselves to train them.
And he trains them in the in the in the way the soul and soccer actually becomes a really good swordsman.
And then after that, so now he's not just a team's strategist and leader, he's also a capable warrior as well, who played a pivotal part in the end of the war by stopping the Fire Nation Air fleet and not by himself, of course, but he came up with the idea and he shots that ultimately just took out pretty much their almost entire army, honestly, when it came down to it.
The point down with you guys remember in all of this is that as we grow into our purpose, there's been many obstacles that you're in no way are required to help us to clear.
But some are going to require us to face them ahead ourselves. I mean, again, all these are any idea of your purpose purpose is your purpose.
So there's gonna be things that you have to do for yourself. And there's been said, you know, God's gonna send people your way to help you get through. But ultimately, it's your life. It's your journey. It's your perfect thing for you to solve and to fix and help with.
So the last question I will leave you with is this. When you want to change something, do you feel sorry for yourself and say, it is what it is, or soccer, and find a solution to your problem.
But hey, you like what you heard today, you want to take a deeper look into today's episode, head on over to the otakoliberation.net, where you'll find articles that covers today in a little more detail.
And hey, if you want some other content outside of these normal episodic podcasts, head on over to my YouTube channel where I cover bonus content, which kind of different ideas and thoughts that I do.
And come back next week, because we're talking about another one of my favorite characters from the show. And hey, she may be young and blind. But if you think that makes her weak, then you are in for a huge world.
So join us to talk about the greatest earthbender ever, Toph Beifong. And always remember, you are the story and that story doesn't end until he says so. All right, be blessed.