Re: Konfu Panda
Edelira Longinotti
Know who you are and be you. In the movie, Po journeys to the secret panda village with his new-found father. The going home experience helps him learn just who he is, which in turn enables him to excel in his work. As a government employee, it is important to know who you are in order to be effective at what you do, too. What are your areas of excellence? Where can you grow and learn? What unique ability or insight do you bring to the team? With this understanding you can bring the value of your individuality to your work and achieve greater results for your organization.
While Kung Fu Panda 3 might not be a movie everyone rushes out to see, I thoroughly enjoyed it from the lens of a government employee seeking to help other employees achieve their best. The lessons are simple are simple and powerful: the energy that connects us is critical; you must be yourself to achieve your best; and help others be their best selves.
Krista J. Roche is part of the GovLoop Featured Blogger program, where we feature blog posts by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Blogger posts, click here.
LinkedIn and 3rd parties use essential and non-essential cookies to provide, secure, analyze and improve our Services, and to show you relevant ads (including professional and job ads) on and off LinkedIn. Learn more in our Cookie Policy.
I recently saw Kung Fu Panda. My expectations were quite low. I mean, a panda that does kung fu? A jackrabbit I could buy... but a panda? Then again I'm a huge Jack Black fan. The biggest and most pleasant surprise though was Master Oogway the turtle (or is it tortoise? I always get those confused). His wisdom was entertaining and enlightening. The best part is, it's also applicable to everyday leadership and life.
There's a scene where Oogway is dropping some knowledge (as a kung fu master is wont to do). The dude is pretty deep for a turtle. He states "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."
I stopped slurping on my white raspberry slushy and thought for a moment "wow, the turtle has a point." The implications of Oogway's statement reverberated throughout the cosmos with a thunderous clap. The dude was talking about how we move through life and, more importantly, how we can show up as leaders. Sure, right now you're thinking that slushy gave me a brain freeze and that's why this whole turtle/kung fu/leadership notion is so confusing so allow me to explain.
As leaders, we sometimes tend to focus on where an individual on our team has been. The errors they've made or the successes they've had come to sum up their existence and worth to the organization. Their past defines them. Some rest on these laurels and ultimately their performance declines. Others are cursed by one or two past mistakes and they are written off despite the potential they might have for future greatness (see the Buying Damaged Goods post for more thoughts on this point).
Oogway correctly points out that all those events are history. They are written and can no longer have an impact on the future. By placing disproportionate emphasis and importance on those events, a leader is living in the past and may miss opportunities to positively impact the future.
The second trap leaders can fall into is looking to the future for new challenges or development opportunities for their people. It's fun to focus on promotions, new roles, new projects, and new challenges. We can dream of big things for our people and obsess about ways to get them those chances to grow. On the downside, we spend hours thinking about those uncomfortable progress reviews where we're going to have to deliver bad news. We fret over the difficult conversations we know we're going to have with an individual who isn't performing well.
Of course, Oogway is right again in that the future is an unknown. The person may up and quit tomorrow. Or their performance might change dramatically. Or they might come to you and say "I know I'm not doing well and here's what I want to change." Oogway's point is we simply don't know how those things will pan out and exerting energy on trying to divine those outcomes is not the best use of our ergs.
All we have is today. What is going on with your people RIGHT NOW? How are they performing in this moment? What are their CURRENT concerns and issues? How can you help them succeed at what they're working on TODAY?
Oogway is simply saying we can learn from the past (but don't obsess over it or let it affect the future) and we can't do anything about the future other than affecting what's happening today. Live in the moment. Lead today. Tomorrow will follow. If you as a leader can get involved with your team on a daily basis and focus solely on the outcomes of those daily interactions, the cumulative effect of such efforts will deliver a bright future and will write a history you can be proud of.
AC Stone Kung Fu Panda has a white base with deep black waves embedded in the stone. Similar to ripples of water in a stream, AC Stone Kung Fu Panda brings an element of calmness and serenity. Paired with black timber, dark or light features, AC Stone Kung Fu Panda makes for a great centre piece in the home.
AC Stone Kung Fu panda is highly durable, non-porous, hygienic, stain-resistant, easy to clean and maintain, making it excellent for indoor living spaces, including kitchen bench tops, splashbacks, bathroom vanities, pantry and laundry areas.
I love any movies that involve martial arts. It does not matter if it an absolute blockbuster, or whether it is a cheesy, clichd movie. I just love watching them. I do not necessarily watch for the martial arts moves, as I (and the rest of our students) practice those moves all of the time. I actually watch more for the philosophy and life lessons that can be drawn from these movies. And the movies that target children, such as Kung Fu Panda / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles / The Karate Kid, actually have some of the best life lessons of all.
This blog will target Kung Fu Panda (or should I say Dragon Warrior). I think this movie is such a clever concept. It relates to every part of the human spirit. I mean, who does not like pandas? Who does not like humour? Who is naturally talented at martial arts from the get-go (not many of us)? Who does not feel clumsy when they first try to do something? We all do. However, if you love something enough, you diligently apply yourself, and you have trusted mentors around you who believe in you, you can achieve anything in life. Here are some lessons that I picked up from the Kung Fu Panda series:
From the first movie on, Po is able to fight his low self-esteem and negative beliefs to discover his true potential. So much so, Po became the Dragon Warrior. We all have the ability to do this. This is why I like martial arts as a canvas for life. Martial arts has gradings along the way, which teaches students the value of aiming for a goal and achieving it. You just have to keep showing up to class and working towards the next goal, and you can achieve anything.
Po was criticised by others throughout the movies. Yet, Po was mentally stronger than them, as he pushed through and did not give up. Never let others tell you what you are capable of. Stand up for yourself and prove to yourself what you are capable of.
Too many people blame external forces on why they have not achieved things in life. Circumstances are never as you wish them to be. It is your inner energy (or Ki) that assists you to turn circumstances to your favour. If you want to discover the true source on how to achieve anything you want to in life, simply look in the mirror.
Be determined to enough to stand for your dream. Then, have the perseverance and patience to do the consistent actions required achieve your dream. At some point in your life, you will feel or be defeated. Even the most intelligent and talented people can be beaten by perseverance and patience. However, determination will get you back off your knees and standing up again. It is your responsibility to you to keep going.
Or, take the next step and enrol in a martial arts schools that teaches life lessons together with self-defence moves. That will help you and your child become a better you, be it physically, mentally and emotionally. We look forward to seeing you in the dojo. Daz and Ben
The flavor capital of China, Sichuan Province is the home of giant pandas and birthplace of Fly By Jing. Take your tastebuds on a flavor adventure with Po to The Valley of Peace, with Fly By Jing and DreamWorks Kung Fu Panda 4 and win big.
And this is Fly By Jing. I founded Fly By Jing in 2018, inspired by the amazing flavors of my hometown Chengdu and its famous fly restaurants - soulful hole-in-the-wall eateries so good they attract diners like flies.
Inciting Event: Although not terrible by any means, I find the structure in this third entry in the series to be the weakest of the lot. Primarily, this is because many of the main structural moments take place apart from the protagonist Po. We see this clearly in the muddy First Act, in which we have three contenders for Inciting Event.
Midpoint: Kai attacks the Jade Palace and takes the chi of Shifu, Monkey, and Viper. Tigress escapes to warn Po that Kai is coming for him. When Po presses Li to teach him about chi, Li admits he lied and has no idea how to control chi. Po comes up with a plan to turn the pandas into an army by teaching them how to take advantage of their own strengths.
59fb9ae87f