There is no secret ingredient: A golden nugget from the noodle shop (Real Life Fantasy)
It’s only when you accept yourself as you really are – when you stop the search for the non-existent secret ingredient – that you can truly thrive and see how special you are.
This is a ‘Real Life Fantasy’ post, a monthly blog post feature where lessons from fantasy stories translate into wisdom in real life. Please note: These posts may contain spoilers
I love ‘Kung Fu Panda.’
You might not expect it but there are so many golden nuggets of wisdom in this film.
If you don’t know the story, Po, a panda, dreams of becoming a kung fu legend. His father, a goose, Mr. Ping, runs a noodle shop, and dreams of Po following in his footsteps to become a master chef and the shop’s eventual owner.
Po does, seemingly by accident (although Master Oogway, a wise tortoise and previous senior master of the Jade Palace, opines that “there are no accidents”) enters training in kung fu and is named the Dragon Warrior.
Today, we’re going to explore Mr. Ping’s Secret Ingredient Soup.
Here’s the exchange when Mr. Ping shares the secret ingredient of his Secret Ingredient Soup with Po:
Mr. Ping: The secret ingredient is... nothing!
Po: Huh?
Mr. Ping: You heard me. Nothing! There is no secret ingredient.
Po: Wait, wait... it's just plain old noodle soup? You don't add some kind of special sauce or something?
Mr. Ping: Don't have to. To make something special you just have to believe it's special.
Why this little golden nugget from Mr. Ping is so profound:
The biggest waste of time: comparing ourselves to other people.
How much relevance is there really in what others are doing to your own life?
Your friend has lost 20 pounds, is in the gym all the time, and is feeling confident in her new body; but that has nothing to do with your relationship to your body, your food choices, or your workout regimen. Yet, you beat yourself up for not being where she is.
How much sense does it make to compare yourself, as a beginner, to someone who has been doing what you want to do for a decade?
You’re just learning the play the drums. You listen to John Bonham and Keith Moon and reflect on how badly you plan the drums. The fact that they are legendary drummers is irrelevant to your ability to play the drums.
This is utter nonsense. It makes absolutely no sense. It’s completely irrational.
Which is why it’s so emotional.
Take a step back from the emotion, though, and consider the irrationality of these comparisons. Challenge the content of these thoughts and the feelings that result. If you can challenge the thoughts – using these concepts of relevancy and where you are on your path – you may be less inclined to be self-critical.
You are already who you need to be… without changing a thing.
Master Oogway tells us, “Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me, nor make it bear fruit before its time. No matter what you do that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.”
Stop wishing you were an apple or an orange … and absolutely rock being a peach.
Have the courage to be genuine, to be uniquely yourself.
Don’t try to copy others, but allow your own authenticity to shine.
It’s only when you accept yourself as you really are – when you stop the search for the non-existent secret ingredient – that you can truly thrive and see how special you are.
It’s only when Po realizes that there is no secret ingredient – that “It’s just you” – that he is able to embrace his own goofy, silly, panda version of kung fu awesomeness and save the world.
Skadoosh!