"The" Big Panda

I watched Kung Fu Panda last weekend and most of the lines and scenes totally made me laugh and inspired me in so many ways, though it was a very short movie—just about less than an hour and a half. I was the one laughing the most inside the cinema throughout the movie. I consider this movie as an animated film not just for kids but more so for adults, really for the whole family.

I am not going to summarize here the story (I suggest you watch it too!) but I am about to tell you what are the lessons I learned from “the” giant panda and the movie. I find them very meaningful and inspiring… and very timely.

 

The past and future pitfall hole

 

 “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” – Oogway

 

I think it was Oogway’s way of delivering these lines that hit me. He is an old sea turtle which gives you a feeling that he is a guy with full of experiences in life. It is true that most of us are very attached to our successes and failures in the past that we fear the most to commit mistakes again today. We make ourselves trap in these fears and we forget that in order for us to be happy is to appreciate the “gift” that we have –- which is “today”…we just have to make the most out of it. Never trap yourself to be worried all the time. If you succeed, your worrying is wasted, but if you really fail, you only worried twice as much.

 

The mirror after triumph

 

“The secret is … there’s no secret, just YOU” – Mr. Ping

 

Another trap that we tend to get into is our search for victory or success. Like Po and Tai Lung, both dreamed of becoming the Dragon Warrior and getting the Dragon Scroll, but with different goals. Both achieved the Dragon Scroll and found out that it was just an empty mirror-like scroll that has nothing. The scroll is just reflection of the one looking on it.

Po saved the village and Tai Lung died with darkness in his heart.

 

If you look at the mirror after being successful, will you be happy with what do you see? Will you be satisfied with what you have attained? I think the most significant question is that will you be proud of what you have become?

 

When you achieve your goal and become successful out of dishonesty, a lot of cheating, causing pain and hurting others, or even taking for granted of the people that means a lot to you like your friends and loved ones… this will definitely never make you happy.

 

Never ever give up

“You just need to believe. You just need to believe.” - Oogway

Before the giant panda became the Dragon Warrior, no one ever believed that he will become one, except for Oogway. Oogway even told Shifu that “there are no accidents”. In life, ordinary become extraordinary because we don’t give up with our dreams -- but never exchange your value with your dreams. Po became the Dragon Warrior without losing a pound or changing his passion for food but became his advantage to win the battle.

To my readers, I hope I have shared with you some inspiring lessons in life that I have learned from this animated movie. Go watch it and have some good laughs. If you don’t want to pay for the overpriced movie tickets, you can ask my friend because she has a DVD copy. :D

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I also admire Oogway’s death scene. It was very simple as Oogway disappeared inside a thousand flying leaves of a peach tree. I wish death is just as simple as that.

By the way, I really love the kitty version of Tai Lung! Sooooo so so cute.