Ambition is a powerful thing. It's what drives people. It's the thing that gets you up in the
morning and what allows you to push through the long days. But what if I told you that ambition
can be dangerous? That if you aren't careful, you may find yourself doubting the very thing
that you believe in. And on today's episode, I'll be going over the one character who went from
unshakable confidence in herself and her purpose to questioning if she was even needed in the world
anymore. And I'm talking about the main character of the Legend of Korra, Avatar Korra.
Hey, 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 biblical
principles with themes from your favorite anime. Without further ado, let's get right on into it.
So I'm going to start this episode off with understanding Korra's motives. So Korra's motives
for being the Avatar were adventure, excitement, and a sense of duty. So as anyone who's seen this
show knows, Korra's whole ambition was being the Avatar. I mean, she was gung-ho about it. She was
ready to be the Avatar since the day she was born. Like literally, I mean, she was the Avatar when
she was born, but also her personality, right? She was ready for it even though she wasn't.
And it's kind of funny because once it was discovered that she was the Avatar, Korra just
reveled in the power that it brought. Now I'm not saying that she was power hungry, but she did take
pride in being the Avatar and what it represents. And this is completely unlike Aang's initial reaction
when he found out he was the Avatar. I mean, when he found out Aang was born under press, then he
ran away because he didn't want to be the Avatar. He didn't want the responsibility of essentially
saving the world. But in Korra's case, she was like, yeah, bring it on. I'm ready for this.
And she was like, five. She was already fire and earthbending as well as waterbending. So she was
really ready. And this kind of drove her to strive to be the best Avatar that she could be,
even though she wasn't entirely sure on what that meant. Because when it comes to Korra, she
was excited to be the Avatar, but she didn't really understand what all came with that.
I think like I said a lot for a lot of us, we want these goals in mind, or we have these goals in
mind, we want these things to happen for us. But we don't truly understand the amount of work it
takes to get there and to maintain it and all these different things. We see all the
bells and whistles, but we don't understand the amount of work and grind that it takes to
get to that level. Or maybe you do, and it's still something that's hard to kind of cope with.
And I know I'm guilty of being so on fire for my dreams that I don't exactly think everything
through. I just kind of, I'm either one or the other, right? Either I think things
to death, like I just never take any action, I'm overthinking, and I'm just paralyzed. Or,
for me trying to compensate for that, I don't think about it at all and say, yeah, we're doing
this. And then down the road, maybe that wasn't the best idea or decision to make.
But it's something that I initially struggled with. But then I found this verse
in the Bible, and it kind of set me straight. And that's Proverbs chapter 19, verse two.
And it says, even zeal is not good without knowledge. And the one who acts hard on hastily
sins. So essentially it means slow down, slow down, think things through, don't be so gung-ho
about things that you are ignoring your preparations. And I think that's the biggest
thing. And it really comes from having just the proper knowledge in the proper direction.
Because without those things, even something good can turn out bad or twisted because we
weren't being careful. And I'm sure most of us have had some pretty big visions about the future,
right? Who we're going to be, we're going to make a difference in the world, what kind of impact
we're going to have on it, how we're going to leave our mark. And maybe you don't have
any specific ideas, but the grand sense of what am I going to do, what am I doing with my life is,
I believe, the same for all of us in various different levels, right? And again, our mentions
may be well and good, but they can easily lead us astray if we're not careful.
In the chorus case, she had some genuinely good intentions about being the Avatar. Again,
she didn't strive to use her power or position to rule the world or something like that. She just
took pride in her role and made sure everyone knew it. I mean, go back to all the way back to Episode
One, when she shows up in Republic City, she's like, yeah, I'm the Avatar. And people are like,
oh, okay. And it's interesting seeing her journey from, again, Season One all the way through Season
Four. And of course, any good character development, some things are going to change,
some things are going to stay the same, but seeing her attitude about being the Avatar
specifically change and the different ups and downs she goes through, it really humanizes her
as a character and honestly makes her just as likable for me as Aang was. And it's funny
seeing the parallel between the two, right? Because again, Aang initially didn't want to be
the Avatar. He wanted nothing to do with it. He even ran away from his duty. But through his
trials and adventures and stuff with his teen Avatar, he not only accepted his role, but he
grew into it. And he took responsibility for it. And of course, it goes from being so excited to
be the Avatar to, like I said in the intro, to doubting if the Avatar is even needed. And then
eventually coming full circle to understanding what the title really means and what she needs to do to
uphold it. So now we know Cora's motivation. Again, her motivation for being the Avatar was
pretty innocent, but her impulsiveness and headstrong nature got her into situations she
didn't need to be in. And unfortunately, that was her method for being the Avatar, right? She was
just impulsive and hotheaded and just ready to charge into things head first. And she was
a very timid person who wanted to avoid conflict at all times, right? That's that airbender,
air nomad in him. Of course, like, no, we're just, she's not about that. And I like it. But
again, that does get her into a lot of trouble and a lot of
unnecessary conflict that she either she didn't need to get into at all, or it could have been
handled differently. One example was her first showdown with Amon, the main villain from season
one. Now Cora feared Amon because of his ability to remove big, big, big, big, big, big, big,
big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big, big,
big, big, big, big, big, big move bending from a person. And that was an ability initially thought
to only belong to the Avatar. Because before that, Avatar Aang was the only person known to be able
to take away someone's bending. But here we are with Amon doing these, the exact same thing.
And instead of sharing those fears that she had with those around her, like Mako, Bolin or Tenzin,
they had chose to hide from her feelings
and even lashed out against them by challenging them on.
And that kind of, well, one, we are,
those who've seen it know that, of course,
that backfired, right?
But it really highlights the fact that
when we're unsure or afraid of something,
our judgment can become impaired.
We aren't really thinking clearly,
and oftentimes we make decisions based off of our emotions.
And that barely really, if at all, ever works out.
And it really causes us to,
it also takes a couple of steps back
from what we're even trying to accomplish in the first place.
I mean, because Cora wanted to put an end to Amon
and the whole equalist movement, things like that.
And she thought she could do that by challenging him
in her own way.
She thought she was actually confronting her fears,
but in reality, she was running away from them.
And it, but in the backfire.
And I know for me, if I'm acting on my emotions,
if I don't take the proper time to think about things
and to really think through what I want to say,
instead of just saying it, then yeah,
there are some repercussions to that.
There's some backlash.
It may not always be getting beat up like Cora did
with Amon, but some relationships can be hurt.
Progress you're making can be taken aback
and all these different things.
And so that kind of brings me to this verse.
That's Proverbs chapter 14, verse 29.
It says, a patient person shows great understanding,
but a quick-tempered one promotes foolishness.
And again, this verse just points out the downsides
of acting too fast or acting without proper guidance.
And basically says that, hey, being a hothead
and just going, charging into things
is not really the sign of a wise person, right?
It's a quick way to derail you,
and sometimes to put you in even more danger.
So if we allow our emotions to control us,
then a life of struggle just awaits us,
just like it did for Cora.
And man, granted we've only been with two avatars.
I guess the tendency if you've,
guess you've looked into the novels about Kyoshi
and three avatars, but Cora as an avatar
has suffered countless trauma
that no other avatar before her has ever had to deal with.
And these things are integral to her as a character,
but also just shows how much she really had to go through.
So for starters, she had her bending taken away from Aman,
and then she had her connection to the past avatars
severed by Unalok, and then she was poisoned by Zaheer,
which left her unable to enter the avatar state for years.
And all of those traumas stayed with her
throughout her life.
Like it made her job that much harder to do.
And just when she thinks she's over one hump,
the next one comes, it's just to hit her right in the mouth.
And all of these events tainted the initial ideal
that Cora sought out.
She sought out to be the best avatar,
but crisis after crisis, trauma after trauma,
battle after battle left her filled with doubts,
doubts that the world even needs the avatar.
And a lot of these come to the forefront
after her battle with Zaheer.
She's been poisoned by the metal, she has to recover,
and really just to even try to get back to normal.
She's getting a letter from Mako, Bolin, Asami,
and they're doing these great things of protecting
the city, the world.
Asami's rebuilding her company and making leaps and bounds
in the industrial field.
Mako's back to being a detective
and keeping Republic City safe from gang threats
and things like that.
Bolin joins, Bolin joins essentially an uprising
that he doesn't know about yet,
but they're reuniting the Earth Kingdom
after Zaheer's, his nonsense, right?
So they're all making a difference.
And Cora feels ashamed of that.
She feels ashamed that she's not out there doing it as well.
And because she feels like they are doing the job
that she needs to be doing.
And all of these things just really putting it down
in her mind, like, man,
does the world even need me anymore?
And I know when it comes from your ideal,
you know, your ambition,
the thing that you're striving so hard for,
but you're taking your loss after loss,
you know, hit after hit.
And it's like, why am I even doing this, you know?
Why am I taking the time out to work on these goals
to really grind away?
And I just wanna say those questions are normal
for I'm sure you can ask anyone
who's actually made it out there, right?
Really successful, whether it's in your job,
a career, their business, things like that.
I'm sure you can ask any one of them
and they'll tell you, yeah, those doubts come.
Those late nights, early mornings,
when you're up before everybody else,
you go to bed later than everybody else, you know,
this is after working a full-time job
or whatever the case may be.
And when you put so much time and effort into something,
but you're not seeing the benefits or the fruits,
I should say, then yeah, those doubts are gonna come.
You're like, okay, why am I even doing this?
What's the point?
Why am I essentially wasting my time?
And you don't have to be the avatar
to feel that type of pressure
to really doubt why am I even doing this?
But I will say, just like Cora,
I mean, we're always gonna bounce back
because we have to get through those different things
and you don't have to do it by yourself.
You know, I'm a firm believer in having a strong community,
a strong team, whether it's actual family or friends,
Joe down the street,
whoever it is that you feel comfortable with
to share these things with
and who can encourage and lift you up,
or even just help you get through it,
kind of brainstorm.
I know that helps me a lot.
Sometimes if I have a mental block or something like that,
I'll talk to one of my buddies,
not even about this,
not even about the podcast or the YouTube channel,
maybe this stuff, just talking to him in general,
see what's going on with him and just chopping it up.
And sometimes like a light bulb will go off
about the thing I'm thinking about,
the doubts I'm having.
I'm like, oh, okay, maybe it's not so bad.
Maybe I should try it this way instead.
And that's just what works for me.
It can be different for you.
But it is important to figure those types of things out
and to really sit down and confront those thoughts,
and confront those doubts.
Because if we don't, they'll just sit there
and it'll get worse.
And then next thing you know, you've given up.
And we never know how close we are to really succeeding.
And honestly, for Cora,
watching her kind of go through this whole process,
like in real time,
and it's impressive because despite all of these things
happening to her,
Cora was still able to prove herself as the avatar.
And which is just amazing.
Cause think about all the trauma I just listed all the day
that she had to go through.
Because as much trauma as she went through,
she always came out on top on the other side, right?
Cause I guess it'd be a pretty bad story
if the hero loses hope and just loses, right?
And her journey wasn't easy, but it wasn't for not either.
Cause after each trauma,
she gained something valuable that actually helped her
become the best avatar that she could be.
So for instance, even though Amon took away her bending,
that was the catalyst she needed to unlock airbending
and to connect to her past lives.
Cause before then, Cora was super focused
on the physical side of bending.
And she was pretty much a master at fire, earth,
and water bending,
but she couldn't airbend to save her life.
Like literally, she just couldn't.
And she couldn't connect to Aang or any of the past avatars.
She couldn't even enter the avatar state at will.
But after Amon took away the rest of her bending,
she finally was, I guess, low enough,
desperate enough to connect to the spiritual side of her
to unlock her airbending and be able to connect to Aang
and all the other avatars.
And honestly, just me recording this episode now,
I mean, think about, that's exactly how God works.
When we're, sometimes we can get so focused
on the physical, on what's here on earth, what we see,
the things like that, that we can't hear him properly.
And sometimes it does take us being at the lowest
of the low, to our breaking point,
to where everything else is taken away from us.
And then that's when we can hear God's voice
and follow his direction and guidance, right?
And get to that next level.
But sometimes it takes us,
getting our bending taken away, right?
And that leads on to what Unuaq did,
even though he severed her connection to Aang
and all the past avatars,
Korra was actually able to let go of the illusion
that her self-worth was defined by her position
as the avatar.
And it really understand that her self-worth
really came from who she is as a person.
Because up until that point,
again, her whole identity was being the avatar
and the title and all the different things
and what that meant.
But after she lost the connection to Aang
and all the other avatars,
all the way back to Avatar Wan, the first one,
she was on her own essentially.
And she had to figure out how she needed to deal
with this situation now by herself.
I mean, of course she had to help from her friends
and things like that, but as an avatar, it was up to her.
And from that point onward, it was only up to her.
I mean, the avatar after her
is only gonna have Korra to look at, right?
So she, it really broke down her sense of self
and she realized, okay,
I may not make the best decisions all the time,
but ultimately I'm the avatar
and I'm gonna do what I need to do
and not get wrapped up into how did Aang do it,
how did Roku do it, how did Kyoshi do it,
how did Wan do it, all these different things.
And that really shows that we can't compare ourselves
to other people and where they are,
how successful they are in the thing
that we wanna be successful in.
And really this is just more a message to myself
and honestly is just to not compare myself to other people,
the other podcasts or other YouTubers,
to other people in my field and for my day job, right?
And to really stay in my own lane
and work on the things that God told me to work on now
and let everything else come later
and just know that my own self-worth,
my own sense of self isn't tied up
into how successful I am at something.
Is my self-worth and who I am is all defined by God, right?
He loves me, he knows who I am,
he's made me for a reason, for a purpose.
And that is where my strength needs to come from
and my self-worth, not how many views I get on YouTube,
how many downloads I get for the podcast
and things like that.
I know you're me wrong, those things are good.
So if you're listening, share it with a friend.
But again, it's not what defines me.
And Cora then let the fact that her being the avatar
define her from that point on either.
And that kind of leads to the last trauma
that she suffered from Zaheer, right?
She was poisoned and unable to answer the avatar state
and was essentially scarred for years after this.
But recovering from that trauma
allowed Cora to become more empathetic
to the point that she was able to forgive Kuvira,
who was a dictator at the time, despite her many, many crimes.
Now, that may not seem like much, but if you know Cora,
especially from the beginning of the series,
she wasn't the most in touch with her feelings
type of person.
She was, like I said, early in the episode,
she was very gung-ho, headstrong,
ready to punch first, ask questions later.
But all of her trials, again,
especially with the one with Zaheer at the end,
she became more, again, just more empathetic,
more understanding of different viewpoints
in different situations,
the different way people were thinking,
and also how she needed to handle these things.
And all of these trials, so difficult,
ultimately helped Cora realize her dream
of being the best avatar she can be.
She became a full-fledged, wise and spiritual avatar,
and ultimately the one that Republic City
and the world needed at that time.
But they didn't need Aang, they didn't need Roku,
they didn't need Kyoshi, they needed Cora.
And whether they knew it or not,
whether Cora knew it or not,
that's what they needed.
They needed a modern avatar who was able to think
progressively while also keeping the roots
of what the job meant.
And so I'll leave you with this.
Your ambition, whatever it may be,
is something that should be cherished and pursued,
but we can't let ourselves be blinded by that ambition.
Remember why you started and how far you've come.
Don't place your self-worth on something
that is only temporary.
And don't compare your journey to others
and just keep moving forward.
So, did you like this episode?
Let me know in the comment or even a review,
and please share with whoever you think
really needs to hear this message.
And next week, I'll be going over someone
who I honestly think can solo the entire Avatar universe.
Okay, maybe except for fully realized avatars,
but even then I think it would be close.
But he is someone who sought equality
and was even willing to destroy
the balance of the world to get it.
Can you guess who it is?
Well, whether you can or not,
I want you to always remember this.
You are the main character of your story,
and that story doesn't end until he says so.
All right, be blessed.
I'll see you next time.