Kung Fu Panda 3

To prepare for the upcoming Kung Fu Panda 4, I have been catching up on the franchise. Yesterday I finished off the trilogy with the third installment of the franchise. On this episode of his adventures, Po struggles with the next step in his journey: teaching. After becoming a great warrior, one must pass their wisdom on to others. While struggling with this, Po faces an ancient warrior named Kai who steals the power of everyone he touches. To develop the power to defeat Kai, Po must journey to a hidden village of pandas and learn their ways. 

Honestly, the movie felt a little lacking to me. Maybe it was because I accidentally missed the first ten minutes (I thought the movie ticket said 12:55, when it said 12:25. But because of ads, I only missed the introduction, but I went back and watched it immediately after.) To me, it felt like a lot of the distinct quality was skipped over in the name of more plot. Much like most other franchises that make it big, it got what I like to call “sloppy sequel syndrome.” The fights felt a little less epic, the punchlines were spread a lot thinner, and the whole thing simply felt blander. But apparently that was just me, as its rotten tomato score was on-par with its two earlier films. I still don’t understand audiences. 

But what got me thinking was the moral of the story. To tread on some potentially spoiler-y grounds, Po learns that the best way to teach is to show people how to be better versions of themselves. This nipped at me a little. Although self-improvement has its merits, I’m not so sure that I agree with this sentiment. The point of learning and growing is to become something more than you already are. It would seem to me that looking to yourself for guidance would be like plugging a power strip into itself and expecting it to give you power! You can’t be your own teacher and your own student, it simply doesn’t work like that! I believe we need accountability and growth to come from outside ourselves in order to be effective. We need guidance if we are to grow, and we need to grow in areas that we are not yet developed in. 

What, then, of creativity and originality? Are these things that need to be cast aside and ostracized from our lives? I don’t think so. I think they are concepts to be explored after you are capable of doing everything. One of my philosophy professors used to tell us that if we couldn’t explain a concept in our most basic, everyday language, we didn’t yet know what we were talking about. The funny part was that he had more than enough vocabulary to talk like, and understand, the other professors. He didn’t respect the hoity-toity language native to college professors, but was capable of using it if need be. I think that’s the point we should reach in life. We should be willing and able to be anything that we need to be. After we have mastered everything, we can stick with what we naturally flock towards. 

We also hold ourselves captive if we don’t take this “master everything” approach. We leave ourselves with gaping weaknesses that grow ever-bigger because we refuse to tend to them. This mentality of “become the best you” holds us down because, at best, we just become a little better at the things we already do. As frustrating and aggravating as it can be, I always strive to be more than I already am. I am always seeking out blind spots and ways that I need to grow where I may not want to. I don’t seek to be a better me, I seek to be a whole new me altogether! From time to time, people will tell me that I’m practically a whole new man. I always take this as the highest compliment, because it means I have grown a whole lot! If I was still the same ol’ me, I might be a little better at what I do, but I’d still be awful at what I don’t. Eventually, those weaknesses will come around to bite me in the butt. 

It’s always easy to be who you are. It’s always more comfortable to dig your heels in and to become stuck in your ways. That’s why we all do it. We become more of a certain thing even when the situation might call for something else. We do what’s easiest. I’ll admit, there are times when I know a situation calls for something I’m not good at, and it eats me alive inside. I’m not good at being gentle. I am more of a “tell it like it is” type of guy, even at the risk of making people feel uncomfortable or upset. I see this mindset as valuable. I moan and groan when people want me to sugarcoat things a little more. It kills me inside to try to be nice when I would rather bluntly speak the truth. I feel like sometimes feelings need to be bruised a little.

“This is not fair, why does everyone else get to be themselves and I can’t?” I shout as I pound my fists angrily against the nearest wall. “Because they insist on staying as they are. I’m making something much more out of you!” Is the King’s reply. Having an answer doesn’t make it easier, I would rather a week in an icy shower than a few pillow-soft conversations. They irk me that much. But I’m also reminded of a quote that I heard once. Although I’m not sure who originally said it, I heard it attributed to the spartans, so I will go with that. They were known for saying “if you bleed during training, you will sweat during war.” In other words, if you push yourself to grow when it doesn’t matter, you will be ready when you need to be. I know I’m supposed to live up to my reputation and quote the bible on everything, but this quote has been too perfect not to use. I would encourage you to seek out those things you would rather die than try. Maybe being nice to that mean co-worker sounds like biting into a freshly-picked lemon. Maybe it’s high time you part ways with that bad-influence friend. Maybe you’ve never tried basketball because you always figured you weren’t good enough at it. Whatever it may be for you, the stronger the “no,” the more likely you should go. 

We need that accountability to be able to develop ourselves. If we want to grow, we must grow by means of something bigger than us. There’s no other way to truly develop as a person. It may not be fun, it definitely won’t be easy, but one day you will thank yourself for putting in the work to be able to be who you need to be. You will keep your world from falling to ruin because you have what it takes to strengthen the pillars.

I pray this challenges you to grow to new heights. I pray you find those things that you need to grow in and that you have the strength and the discipline to buckle down and grow where you need to. It’s not an easy course and if the task is big enough, you will fail it once or twice. Just promise yourself you’ll never give up. Keep getting back on the horse and eventually you will get it. You’ve got this!

Until next time

May Peace be your guide.