1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:06,080 Ambition is a powerful thing. It's what drives people. It's the thing that gets you up in the 2 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:11,840 morning and what allows you to push through the long days. But what if I told you that ambition 3 00:00:11,840 --> 00:00:17,360 can be dangerous? That if you aren't careful, you may find yourself doubting the very thing 4 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:23,360 that you believe in. And on today's episode, I'll be going over the one character who went from 5 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:31,040 unshakable confidence in herself and her purpose to questioning if she was even needed in the world 6 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:36,880 anymore. And I'm talking about the main character of the Legend of Korra, Avatar Korra. 7 00:00:36,880 --> 00:00:55,200 Hey, what's going on guys? My name is Nate and you're listening to the Otaku Liberation, 8 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:59,040 a show where we help you break the chains that hold you back in your life by connecting biblical 9 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:03,840 principles with themes from your favorite anime. Without further ado, let's get right on into it. 10 00:01:03,840 --> 00:01:11,040 So I'm going to start this episode off with understanding Korra's motives. So Korra's motives 11 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:20,320 for being the Avatar were adventure, excitement, and a sense of duty. So as anyone who's seen this 12 00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:26,400 show knows, Korra's whole ambition was being the Avatar. I mean, she was gung-ho about it. She was 13 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:31,520 ready to be the Avatar since the day she was born. Like literally, I mean, she was the Avatar when 14 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:42,000 she was born, but also her personality, right? She was ready for it even though she wasn't. 15 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:48,080 And it's kind of funny because once it was discovered that she was the Avatar, Korra just 16 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:54,080 reveled in the power that it brought. Now I'm not saying that she was power hungry, but she did take 17 00:01:54,080 --> 00:02:01,440 pride in being the Avatar and what it represents. And this is completely unlike Aang's initial reaction 18 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:06,560 when he found out he was the Avatar. I mean, when he found out Aang was born under press, then he 19 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:13,280 ran away because he didn't want to be the Avatar. He didn't want the responsibility of essentially 20 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:18,480 saving the world. But in Korra's case, she was like, yeah, bring it on. I'm ready for this. 21 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:25,120 And she was like, five. She was already fire and earthbending as well as waterbending. So she was 22 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:33,200 really ready. And this kind of drove her to strive to be the best Avatar that she could be, 23 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:39,680 even though she wasn't entirely sure on what that meant. Because when it comes to Korra, she 24 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:47,280 was excited to be the Avatar, but she didn't really understand what all came with that. 25 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:55,120 I think like I said a lot for a lot of us, we want these goals in mind, or we have these goals in 26 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:02,080 mind, we want these things to happen for us. But we don't truly understand the amount of work it 27 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:08,000 takes to get there and to maintain it and all these different things. We see all the 28 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:13,120 bells and whistles, but we don't understand the amount of work and grind that it takes to 29 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:19,200 get to that level. Or maybe you do, and it's still something that's hard to kind of cope with. 30 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:27,040 And I know I'm guilty of being so on fire for my dreams that I don't exactly think everything 31 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:35,440 through. I just kind of, I'm either one or the other, right? Either I think things 32 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:40,960 to death, like I just never take any action, I'm overthinking, and I'm just paralyzed. Or, 33 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:46,000 for me trying to compensate for that, I don't think about it at all and say, yeah, we're doing 34 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:53,440 this. And then down the road, maybe that wasn't the best idea or decision to make. 35 00:03:55,360 --> 00:04:02,560 But it's something that I initially struggled with. But then I found this verse 36 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:07,600 in the Bible, and it kind of set me straight. And that's Proverbs chapter 19, verse two. 37 00:04:07,600 --> 00:04:13,520 And it says, even zeal is not good without knowledge. And the one who acts hard on hastily 38 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:23,680 sins. So essentially it means slow down, slow down, think things through, don't be so gung-ho 39 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:32,480 about things that you are ignoring your preparations. And I think that's the biggest 40 00:04:32,480 --> 00:04:38,000 thing. And it really comes from having just the proper knowledge in the proper direction. 41 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:47,360 Because without those things, even something good can turn out bad or twisted because we 42 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:52,320 weren't being careful. And I'm sure most of us have had some pretty big visions about the future, 43 00:04:52,320 --> 00:04:58,160 right? Who we're going to be, we're going to make a difference in the world, what kind of impact 44 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:05,840 we're going to have on it, how we're going to leave our mark. And maybe you don't have 45 00:05:05,840 --> 00:05:13,440 any specific ideas, but the grand sense of what am I going to do, what am I doing with my life is, 46 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:21,440 I believe, the same for all of us in various different levels, right? And again, our mentions 47 00:05:21,440 --> 00:05:26,560 may be well and good, but they can easily lead us astray if we're not careful. 48 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:32,480 In the chorus case, she had some genuinely good intentions about being the Avatar. Again, 49 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:38,800 she didn't strive to use her power or position to rule the world or something like that. She just 50 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:45,920 took pride in her role and made sure everyone knew it. I mean, go back to all the way back to Episode 51 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:50,400 One, when she shows up in Republic City, she's like, yeah, I'm the Avatar. And people are like, 52 00:05:50,400 --> 00:06:00,160 oh, okay. And it's interesting seeing her journey from, again, Season One all the way through Season 53 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:06,400 Four. And of course, any good character development, some things are going to change, 54 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,560 some things are going to stay the same, but seeing her attitude about being the Avatar 55 00:06:10,560 --> 00:06:18,560 specifically change and the different ups and downs she goes through, it really humanizes her 56 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:27,440 as a character and honestly makes her just as likable for me as Aang was. And it's funny 57 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:32,160 seeing the parallel between the two, right? Because again, Aang initially didn't want to be 58 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:37,040 the Avatar. He wanted nothing to do with it. He even ran away from his duty. But through his 59 00:06:37,520 --> 00:06:44,800 trials and adventures and stuff with his teen Avatar, he not only accepted his role, but he 60 00:06:44,800 --> 00:06:53,360 grew into it. And he took responsibility for it. And of course, it goes from being so excited to 61 00:06:53,360 --> 00:07:02,160 be the Avatar to, like I said in the intro, to doubting if the Avatar is even needed. And then 62 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:07,920 eventually coming full circle to understanding what the title really means and what she needs to do to 63 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:16,880 uphold it. So now we know Cora's motivation. Again, her motivation for being the Avatar was 64 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:23,680 pretty innocent, but her impulsiveness and headstrong nature got her into situations she 65 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:28,720 didn't need to be in. And unfortunately, that was her method for being the Avatar, right? She was 66 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:36,080 just impulsive and hotheaded and just ready to charge into things head first. And she was 67 00:07:36,080 --> 00:07:42,320 a very timid person who wanted to avoid conflict at all times, right? That's that airbender, 68 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:50,720 air nomad in him. Of course, like, no, we're just, she's not about that. And I like it. But 69 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,960 again, that does get her into a lot of trouble and a lot of 70 00:07:54,960 --> 00:08:01,680 unnecessary conflict that she either she didn't need to get into at all, or it could have been 71 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:08,720 handled differently. One example was her first showdown with Amon, the main villain from season 72 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:17,040 one. Now Cora feared Amon because of his ability to remove big, big, big, big, big, big, big, 73 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:24,640 big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, 74 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:30,160 big, big, big, big, big, big move bending from a person. And that was an ability initially thought 75 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:36,560 to only belong to the Avatar. Because before that, Avatar Aang was the only person known to be able 76 00:08:36,560 --> 00:08:42,400 to take away someone's bending. But here we are with Amon doing these, the exact same thing. 77 00:08:43,360 --> 00:08:50,480 And instead of sharing those fears that she had with those around her, like Mako, Bolin or Tenzin, 78 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,040 they had chose to hide from her feelings 79 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,960 and even lashed out against them by challenging them on. 80 00:08:56,960 --> 00:09:00,480 And that kind of, well, one, we are, 81 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:02,700 those who've seen it know that, of course, 82 00:09:02,700 --> 00:09:03,960 that backfired, right? 83 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,080 But it really highlights the fact that 84 00:09:06,080 --> 00:09:09,800 when we're unsure or afraid of something, 85 00:09:09,800 --> 00:09:12,000 our judgment can become impaired. 86 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:13,480 We aren't really thinking clearly, 87 00:09:13,480 --> 00:09:17,360 and oftentimes we make decisions based off of our emotions. 88 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:22,360 And that barely really, if at all, ever works out. 89 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:25,960 And it really causes us to, 90 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:27,400 it also takes a couple of steps back 91 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,000 from what we're even trying to accomplish in the first place. 92 00:09:30,000 --> 00:09:33,520 I mean, because Cora wanted to put an end to Amon 93 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,920 and the whole equalist movement, things like that. 94 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:38,400 And she thought she could do that by challenging him 95 00:09:38,400 --> 00:09:42,200 in her own way. 96 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,600 She thought she was actually confronting her fears, 97 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,000 but in reality, she was running away from them. 98 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:51,160 And it, but in the backfire. 99 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:55,360 And I know for me, if I'm acting on my emotions, 100 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:59,640 if I don't take the proper time to think about things 101 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:04,440 and to really think through what I want to say, 102 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:06,480 instead of just saying it, then yeah, 103 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:07,760 there are some repercussions to that. 104 00:10:07,760 --> 00:10:10,480 There's some backlash. 105 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:13,280 It may not always be getting beat up like Cora did 106 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:17,640 with Amon, but some relationships can be hurt. 107 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:21,240 Progress you're making can be taken aback 108 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,120 and all these different things. 109 00:10:23,120 --> 00:10:27,400 And so that kind of brings me to this verse. 110 00:10:27,400 --> 00:10:30,520 That's Proverbs chapter 14, verse 29. 111 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:33,720 It says, a patient person shows great understanding, 112 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:36,720 but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness. 113 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,560 And again, this verse just points out the downsides 114 00:10:39,560 --> 00:10:44,560 of acting too fast or acting without proper guidance. 115 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:49,640 And basically says that, hey, being a hothead 116 00:10:49,640 --> 00:10:52,480 and just going, charging into things 117 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,680 is not really the sign of a wise person, right? 118 00:10:56,680 --> 00:11:01,680 It's a quick way to derail you, 119 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:05,880 and sometimes to put you in even more danger. 120 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:08,240 So if we allow our emotions to control us, 121 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:12,800 then a life of struggle just awaits us, 122 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:14,560 just like it did for Cora. 123 00:11:14,560 --> 00:11:19,560 And man, granted we've only been with two avatars. 124 00:11:21,480 --> 00:11:23,480 I guess the tendency if you've, 125 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:25,680 guess you've looked into the novels about Kyoshi 126 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:29,960 and three avatars, but Cora as an avatar 127 00:11:29,960 --> 00:11:32,800 has suffered countless trauma 128 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:36,760 that no other avatar before her has ever had to deal with. 129 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:41,680 And these things are integral to her as a character, 130 00:11:41,680 --> 00:11:45,200 but also just shows how much she really had to go through. 131 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:49,280 So for starters, she had her bending taken away from Aman, 132 00:11:49,280 --> 00:11:52,320 and then she had her connection to the past avatars 133 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:56,480 severed by Unalok, and then she was poisoned by Zaheer, 134 00:11:56,480 --> 00:12:00,480 which left her unable to enter the avatar state for years. 135 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:05,080 And all of those traumas stayed with her 136 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:06,360 throughout her life. 137 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,480 Like it made her job that much harder to do. 138 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,920 And just when she thinks she's over one hump, 139 00:12:12,920 --> 00:12:17,000 the next one comes, it's just to hit her right in the mouth. 140 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:20,840 And all of these events tainted the initial ideal 141 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:22,880 that Cora sought out. 142 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:25,600 She sought out to be the best avatar, 143 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,600 but crisis after crisis, trauma after trauma, 144 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,360 battle after battle left her filled with doubts, 145 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,080 doubts that the world even needs the avatar. 146 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:37,320 And a lot of these come to the forefront 147 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,360 after her battle with Zaheer. 148 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:42,600 She's been poisoned by the metal, she has to recover, 149 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:47,600 and really just to even try to get back to normal. 150 00:12:48,160 --> 00:12:51,840 She's getting a letter from Mako, Bolin, Asami, 151 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:55,760 and they're doing these great things of protecting 152 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:57,280 the city, the world. 153 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,800 Asami's rebuilding her company and making leaps and bounds 154 00:13:01,800 --> 00:13:03,320 in the industrial field. 155 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:04,920 Mako's back to being a detective 156 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,960 and keeping Republic City safe from gang threats 157 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:09,000 and things like that. 158 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:14,000 Bolin joins, Bolin joins essentially an uprising 159 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:18,200 that he doesn't know about yet, 160 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,920 but they're reuniting the Earth Kingdom 161 00:13:20,920 --> 00:13:23,280 after Zaheer's, his nonsense, right? 162 00:13:23,280 --> 00:13:25,360 So they're all making a difference. 163 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,680 And Cora feels ashamed of that. 164 00:13:27,680 --> 00:13:32,400 She feels ashamed that she's not out there doing it as well. 165 00:13:32,400 --> 00:13:35,160 And because she feels like they are doing the job 166 00:13:35,160 --> 00:13:36,720 that she needs to be doing. 167 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,920 And all of these things just really putting it down 168 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:40,880 in her mind, like, man, 169 00:13:40,880 --> 00:13:44,240 does the world even need me anymore? 170 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:49,240 And I know when it comes from your ideal, 171 00:13:50,080 --> 00:13:51,080 you know, your ambition, 172 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,160 the thing that you're striving so hard for, 173 00:13:53,160 --> 00:13:56,720 but you're taking your loss after loss, 174 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:58,680 you know, hit after hit. 175 00:13:58,680 --> 00:14:02,400 And it's like, why am I even doing this, you know? 176 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,040 Why am I taking the time out to work on these goals 177 00:14:06,040 --> 00:14:10,360 to really grind away? 178 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:13,920 And I just wanna say those questions are normal 179 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:15,440 for I'm sure you can ask anyone 180 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:17,720 who's actually made it out there, right? 181 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:19,640 Really successful, whether it's in your job, 182 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:24,120 a career, their business, things like that. 183 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:25,560 I'm sure you can ask any one of them 184 00:14:25,560 --> 00:14:27,720 and they'll tell you, yeah, those doubts come. 185 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:30,400 Those late nights, early mornings, 186 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:33,240 when you're up before everybody else, 187 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,600 you go to bed later than everybody else, you know, 188 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:38,160 this is after working a full-time job 189 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:39,840 or whatever the case may be. 190 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:43,560 And when you put so much time and effort into something, 191 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,000 but you're not seeing the benefits or the fruits, 192 00:14:46,000 --> 00:14:49,360 I should say, then yeah, those doubts are gonna come. 193 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:51,120 You're like, okay, why am I even doing this? 194 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:52,200 What's the point? 195 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:55,720 Why am I essentially wasting my time? 196 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:59,040 And you don't have to be the avatar 197 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:00,880 to feel that type of pressure 198 00:15:00,880 --> 00:15:05,680 to really doubt why am I even doing this? 199 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,880 But I will say, just like Cora, 200 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:13,120 I mean, we're always gonna bounce back 201 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,800 because we have to get through those different things 202 00:15:17,800 --> 00:15:20,000 and you don't have to do it by yourself. 203 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:23,840 You know, I'm a firm believer in having a strong community, 204 00:15:23,840 --> 00:15:28,840 a strong team, whether it's actual family or friends, 205 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:30,560 Joe down the street, 206 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:32,760 whoever it is that you feel comfortable with 207 00:15:32,760 --> 00:15:34,400 to share these things with 208 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,640 and who can encourage and lift you up, 209 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:40,040 or even just help you get through it, 210 00:15:40,040 --> 00:15:41,400 kind of brainstorm. 211 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:42,280 I know that helps me a lot. 212 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:46,880 Sometimes if I have a mental block or something like that, 213 00:15:46,880 --> 00:15:49,400 I'll talk to one of my buddies, 214 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:50,800 not even about this, 215 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:53,560 not even about the podcast or the YouTube channel, 216 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,880 maybe this stuff, just talking to him in general, 217 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,240 see what's going on with him and just chopping it up. 218 00:16:00,240 --> 00:16:02,120 And sometimes like a light bulb will go off 219 00:16:02,120 --> 00:16:04,240 about the thing I'm thinking about, 220 00:16:04,240 --> 00:16:05,080 the doubts I'm having. 221 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,080 I'm like, oh, okay, maybe it's not so bad. 222 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,480 Maybe I should try it this way instead. 223 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:11,920 And that's just what works for me. 224 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:13,680 It can be different for you. 225 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:16,480 But it is important to figure those types of things out 226 00:16:16,480 --> 00:16:21,480 and to really sit down and confront those thoughts, 227 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:25,120 and confront those doubts. 228 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:27,680 Because if we don't, they'll just sit there 229 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:29,240 and it'll get worse. 230 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,440 And then next thing you know, you've given up. 231 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:37,440 And we never know how close we are to really succeeding. 232 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,760 And honestly, for Cora, 233 00:16:41,760 --> 00:16:45,180 watching her kind of go through this whole process, 234 00:16:45,180 --> 00:16:47,120 like in real time, 235 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:51,000 and it's impressive because despite all of these things 236 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:52,000 happening to her, 237 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:57,000 Cora was still able to prove herself as the avatar. 238 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,520 And which is just amazing. 239 00:16:59,520 --> 00:17:01,640 Cause think about all the trauma I just listed all the day 240 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:03,320 that she had to go through. 241 00:17:03,320 --> 00:17:05,480 Because as much trauma as she went through, 242 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:09,080 she always came out on top on the other side, right? 243 00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:10,600 Cause I guess it'd be a pretty bad story 244 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,640 if the hero loses hope and just loses, right? 245 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:19,640 And her journey wasn't easy, but it wasn't for not either. 246 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:22,400 Cause after each trauma, 247 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:27,400 she gained something valuable that actually helped her 248 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,480 become the best avatar that she could be. 249 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:34,380 So for instance, even though Amon took away her bending, 250 00:17:34,380 --> 00:17:37,280 that was the catalyst she needed to unlock airbending 251 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:39,040 and to connect to her past lives. 252 00:17:39,040 --> 00:17:42,460 Cause before then, Cora was super focused 253 00:17:42,460 --> 00:17:45,280 on the physical side of bending. 254 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:47,800 And she was pretty much a master at fire, earth, 255 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:48,640 and water bending, 256 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:51,400 but she couldn't airbend to save her life. 257 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:53,080 Like literally, she just couldn't. 258 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,920 And she couldn't connect to Aang or any of the past avatars. 259 00:17:55,920 --> 00:18:00,840 She couldn't even enter the avatar state at will. 260 00:18:00,840 --> 00:18:04,680 But after Amon took away the rest of her bending, 261 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,860 she finally was, I guess, low enough, 262 00:18:07,860 --> 00:18:10,960 desperate enough to connect to the spiritual side of her 263 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:15,040 to unlock her airbending and be able to connect to Aang 264 00:18:15,040 --> 00:18:16,760 and all the other avatars. 265 00:18:16,760 --> 00:18:20,320 And honestly, just me recording this episode now, 266 00:18:20,320 --> 00:18:24,120 I mean, think about, that's exactly how God works. 267 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:27,120 When we're, sometimes we can get so focused 268 00:18:27,120 --> 00:18:31,400 on the physical, on what's here on earth, what we see, 269 00:18:31,400 --> 00:18:36,400 the things like that, that we can't hear him properly. 270 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:41,360 And sometimes it does take us being at the lowest 271 00:18:41,360 --> 00:18:43,280 of the low, to our breaking point, 272 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:46,620 to where everything else is taken away from us. 273 00:18:46,620 --> 00:18:50,200 And then that's when we can hear God's voice 274 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,240 and follow his direction and guidance, right? 275 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:55,720 And get to that next level. 276 00:18:55,720 --> 00:18:57,600 But sometimes it takes us, 277 00:18:57,600 --> 00:18:59,520 getting our bending taken away, right? 278 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:04,260 And that leads on to what Unuaq did, 279 00:19:04,260 --> 00:19:07,160 even though he severed her connection to Aang 280 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,040 and all the past avatars, 281 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:14,040 Korra was actually able to let go of the illusion 282 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,780 that her self-worth was defined by her position 283 00:19:16,780 --> 00:19:18,520 as the avatar. 284 00:19:18,520 --> 00:19:22,140 And it really understand that her self-worth 285 00:19:22,140 --> 00:19:25,640 really came from who she is as a person. 286 00:19:25,640 --> 00:19:27,800 Because up until that point, 287 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,760 again, her whole identity was being the avatar 288 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,040 and the title and all the different things 289 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:35,200 and what that meant. 290 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:39,940 But after she lost the connection to Aang 291 00:19:39,940 --> 00:19:41,560 and all the other avatars, 292 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:44,480 all the way back to Avatar Wan, the first one, 293 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,080 she was on her own essentially. 294 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:51,440 And she had to figure out how she needed to deal 295 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:53,820 with this situation now by herself. 296 00:19:53,820 --> 00:19:55,280 I mean, of course she had to help from her friends 297 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:59,280 and things like that, but as an avatar, it was up to her. 298 00:19:59,280 --> 00:20:03,640 And from that point onward, it was only up to her. 299 00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:05,280 I mean, the avatar after her 300 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:07,200 is only gonna have Korra to look at, right? 301 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:12,200 So she, it really broke down her sense of self 302 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,080 and she realized, okay, 303 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,000 I may not make the best decisions all the time, 304 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:21,520 but ultimately I'm the avatar 305 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,040 and I'm gonna do what I need to do 306 00:20:24,040 --> 00:20:27,080 and not get wrapped up into how did Aang do it, 307 00:20:27,080 --> 00:20:28,800 how did Roku do it, how did Kyoshi do it, 308 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:31,460 how did Wan do it, all these different things. 309 00:20:31,460 --> 00:20:35,800 And that really shows that we can't compare ourselves 310 00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:39,400 to other people and where they are, 311 00:20:39,400 --> 00:20:42,280 how successful they are in the thing 312 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:43,840 that we wanna be successful in. 313 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:48,520 And really this is just more a message to myself 314 00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:53,200 and honestly is just to not compare myself to other people, 315 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:56,680 the other podcasts or other YouTubers, 316 00:20:56,680 --> 00:21:01,240 to other people in my field and for my day job, right? 317 00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:05,840 And to really stay in my own lane 318 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:10,240 and work on the things that God told me to work on now 319 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:12,320 and let everything else come later 320 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:16,280 and just know that my own self-worth, 321 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,000 my own sense of self isn't tied up 322 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,560 into how successful I am at something. 323 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:25,560 Is my self-worth and who I am is all defined by God, right? 324 00:21:26,720 --> 00:21:29,440 He loves me, he knows who I am, 325 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,080 he's made me for a reason, for a purpose. 326 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:36,440 And that is where my strength needs to come from 327 00:21:36,440 --> 00:21:41,320 and my self-worth, not how many views I get on YouTube, 328 00:21:41,320 --> 00:21:44,720 how many downloads I get for the podcast 329 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:45,920 and things like that. 330 00:21:45,920 --> 00:21:47,600 I know you're me wrong, those things are good. 331 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:50,560 So if you're listening, share it with a friend. 332 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:55,440 But again, it's not what defines me. 333 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,320 And Cora then let the fact that her being the avatar 334 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:00,680 define her from that point on either. 335 00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:03,520 And that kind of leads to the last trauma 336 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:05,240 that she suffered from Zaheer, right? 337 00:22:05,240 --> 00:22:08,200 She was poisoned and unable to answer the avatar state 338 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:12,660 and was essentially scarred for years after this. 339 00:22:12,660 --> 00:22:15,280 But recovering from that trauma 340 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,780 allowed Cora to become more empathetic 341 00:22:19,780 --> 00:22:22,560 to the point that she was able to forgive Kuvira, 342 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,800 who was a dictator at the time, despite her many, many crimes. 343 00:22:26,800 --> 00:22:30,280 Now, that may not seem like much, but if you know Cora, 344 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:32,160 especially from the beginning of the series, 345 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,280 she wasn't the most in touch with her feelings 346 00:22:36,280 --> 00:22:37,120 type of person. 347 00:22:37,120 --> 00:22:39,320 She was, like I said, early in the episode, 348 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:41,640 she was very gung-ho, headstrong, 349 00:22:41,640 --> 00:22:45,960 ready to punch first, ask questions later. 350 00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:49,240 But all of her trials, again, 351 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:51,540 especially with the one with Zaheer at the end, 352 00:22:51,540 --> 00:22:54,320 she became more, again, just more empathetic, 353 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:58,200 more understanding of different viewpoints 354 00:22:58,200 --> 00:22:59,800 in different situations, 355 00:22:59,800 --> 00:23:01,520 the different way people were thinking, 356 00:23:01,520 --> 00:23:06,520 and also how she needed to handle these things. 357 00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,600 And all of these trials, so difficult, 358 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:11,520 ultimately helped Cora realize her dream 359 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:13,920 of being the best avatar she can be. 360 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:18,840 She became a full-fledged, wise and spiritual avatar, 361 00:23:18,840 --> 00:23:21,280 and ultimately the one that Republic City 362 00:23:21,280 --> 00:23:23,080 and the world needed at that time. 363 00:23:23,080 --> 00:23:25,680 But they didn't need Aang, they didn't need Roku, 364 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:28,200 they didn't need Kyoshi, they needed Cora. 365 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:29,540 And whether they knew it or not, 366 00:23:29,540 --> 00:23:30,940 whether Cora knew it or not, 367 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:33,920 that's what they needed. 368 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:38,920 They needed a modern avatar who was able to think 369 00:23:38,940 --> 00:23:43,480 progressively while also keeping the roots 370 00:23:43,480 --> 00:23:45,280 of what the job meant. 371 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:47,920 And so I'll leave you with this. 372 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:50,480 Your ambition, whatever it may be, 373 00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:53,600 is something that should be cherished and pursued, 374 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:57,720 but we can't let ourselves be blinded by that ambition. 375 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:00,640 Remember why you started and how far you've come. 376 00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:02,480 Don't place your self-worth on something 377 00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:04,640 that is only temporary. 378 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:06,400 And don't compare your journey to others 379 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,060 and just keep moving forward. 380 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,840 So, did you like this episode? 381 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:14,480 Let me know in the comment or even a review, 382 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:16,340 and please share with whoever you think 383 00:24:16,340 --> 00:24:18,260 really needs to hear this message. 384 00:24:18,260 --> 00:24:20,440 And next week, I'll be going over someone 385 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:25,160 who I honestly think can solo the entire Avatar universe. 386 00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:28,920 Okay, maybe except for fully realized avatars, 387 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:31,040 but even then I think it would be close. 388 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:33,880 But he is someone who sought equality 389 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:36,280 and was even willing to destroy 390 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:38,560 the balance of the world to get it. 391 00:24:38,560 --> 00:24:40,520 Can you guess who it is? 392 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:41,880 Well, whether you can or not, 393 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:43,440 I want you to always remember this. 394 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:45,340 You are the main character of your story, 395 00:24:45,340 --> 00:24:48,400 and that story doesn't end until he says so. 396 00:24:48,400 --> 00:24:50,600 All right, be blessed. 397 00:24:50,600 --> 00:25:18,600 I'll see you next time.