"Po" the Loveable Panda....

Wow...would never think of it that I would one day be a fan of animated movies and if anyone has not watched the animated movie: "Kung Fu Panda"...go watch it with your family! What an inspiring movie. We just got back and I must say what an inspiring, moving movie.

There was one quote I won't forget that entire movie and there were many, and I paraphrase:

"We worry about what we were and who we will become. Stop worrying about the past, the past is history. Stop worrying about the future, for that is still a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's a present."

Another great one:

"There is no "secret ingredient"...that secret ingredient is YOU."

The story centers around a Panda named Po...a big cute yet clumsy panda who always dreamed of being a Kung Fu "Master". He "accidentally" gets annointed to be the Dragon Warrior. The only problem is that Po has no real life experience of kung fu, and his real job is serving noodles at his dad's noodles shop. It's a cute yet touching and humbling background Po has and his character really showed alot of low self esteem and humiliation starting on. So Master Shifu (Leader of the great Furious 5 consisting of the MOnkey, the Snake, the Mantis, the Tigress and the Crane) has his hands full with Po as he goes through rigorous tests of physical and mental challenges in preparation for the climactic battle with Tai Lung. He stumbles...yes, "stumbles" on a flight of stairs in the movie (the effects in this movie was top notch btw. Had to put that in there.)...he has no "social support" from the Furious Five...and inspite of picking himself up everytime he gets knocked down -he eventually comes to terms with it and eventually loses all hope that there's nothing left in the tank and decides he wants to call it quits and wishes to go back with his Dad at the noodles shop.

Po apparently is also noted as a stress eater in this movie (wow, how ironic). He eats...eats....and eats more when he's stressed and because of that his focus to become the Dragon warrior becomes suddenly distant (again how ironic).

But Master Shifu does not give up with him and realizes the only way to train him is to give him that one incentive that Po cannot resist: FOOD. But in the process of training with food as the object of his desire - through rigorous training drills - he shows signs of strength, agility, speed and power unheralded. Food was his strength but that wasn't the strength he was looking for all along. It was his WILL to want to be the Dragon Warrior as prophecized. So he trained...hard with purpose and goal. Yet, there were no special powers...for he found the power in himself. When he finally grabs that food in the hand from Master Shifu (which was very funny by the way) - he tosses it in the air to the other side of the cliff and says: "I'm not hungry anymore."

Geez...what a great movie. I had a blast with this movie from beginning to end. If you haven't watched it with your friends or family - this is one movie for the ages if you want a good laugh, be inspired and feel really good in the end as there are so many virtues that can be learned here: Patience, consistency, desire, the passion to succeed...and most of all just believe in one's self. In real life - it doesn't always have to be hardcore, cookie cutter perfect or by the book everytime. If you can laugh at your failures and pick yourself up and do what you feel is right - there's nothing that can stop you from attaining one's dreams while still being yourself.

Yo, it may be an animated movie...but there are more lessons in life that can be learned from this movie than one can learn in a lifetime. I may exaggerate that a little but I'll leave it at that.

"Fight one more round. When your arms are so tired that you can hardly lift your hands to come on guard, fight one more round. When your nose is bleeding and your eyes are black and you are so tired that you wish your opponent would crack you one on the jaw and put you to sleep, fight one more round – remembering that the man who always fights one more round is never whipped."


Find that power in ourselves.....everyday.