Some of you might remember that “Oola” was “a green Twi’lek dancer in Jabba the Hutt’s palace” in the movie, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. So, you might be saying to yourself, “I don’t need Oola. I don’t need dance instruction.” But there is another meaning to “Oola.”
Oo-la (noun): (Derived from “oo-la-la.”) That state of awesomeness. It is when your life is balanced and in the seven key areas of life – the 7 F’s of Oola: fitness, finance, family, field (career), faith, friends and fun.
Who couldn’t use some more “Oola?” Oola is being physically healthy, having enough money, enjoying the blessings of a good family, making a contribution to the world through a satisfying career, having a deep, fulfilling relationship with God, laughing (and crying) with good friends, and having a good time doing things that make you smile. It’s pretty safe to say that all of us would like some more Oola. But an Oola-life rarely happens by accident.
In our hectic world, one needs to have a plan to balance the seven “Fs” of an Oola-life. Dave Braun and Troy Amdahl have developed a system and written a book to help others balance and grow in the seven areas of life that they have identified as crucial for Oola. They have been working their system for years and gotten results. Thousands of others have done the same and increased their Oola. A balanced life doesn’t mean devoting one seventh of your time to each of the seven Fs of Oola. It means expending the right amount of effort in each area to keep them all healthy. This doesn’t happen without goals and a plan. Most people also can’t do this alone.
There are several people at Trinity who are interested in the Oola-life. They’ve read Braun and Amdahl’s book, Oola: Find Balance in an Unbalanced World, and are planning a retreat at Camp Calumet in February to dive deeper into what Oola looks like and begin to craft OolaPlans. At the hub of the Oola-Life is faith. As Kurt Warner (professional football player) says in the introduction to the Oola book: “It is my hope that after reading this book, you will discover what I know, that TRUE OOLA can only be achieved, in its purest form, with God at the center.” The good life does not just happen, even if we regularly pray, read the Bible, and nurture our relationship with God. That’s a great start, but we need more intentionality to thrive in all the areas of life. Oola is an opportunity for developing that intentionality.
If you are interested in Oola, please talk with me, and I will connect you with others on the path to Oola.