The Secret Ingredient
One of my favourite movies is Kung Fu Panda. It’s a great movie about overcoming who you think you can’t be to become the person you truly can be.
My favourite scene is when Po’s father shares with him the secret ingredient in his special soup.
Mr. Ping: Po, I think it’s time I told you something I should have told you a long time ago.
Po: Ok.
Mr. Ping: The Secret Ingredient of my Secret Ingredient Soup.
Po: Oh…
Mr. Ping: Come here. The secret ingredient is…nothing. …. To make something special, you just have to believe it’s special.
Po: There is no secret ingredient.
Did you ever watch someone do something you’ve always wanted to do, but thought you couldn’t? They can, because they’re special. They have something you don’t. That’s why they can do it and you can’t. That’s why they’re doing it, and you’re not. They’re special. They’re unique. He has a talent. She has a gift.
Wrong.
I’ve had many moments where I deluded myself into thinking that I couldn’t do something because I didn’t have the innate talent. I didn’t have the secret ingredient. But what I realized is that there is a secret ingredient, but it’s not talent. It’s not genetics. It’s not an innate ability to do something.
Mr. Ping said to make something special, you just have to believe it’s special. Belief. That’s the secret ingredient. To really believe you can do something. And then follow through.
Effort. Determination. Perseverance. These are the secret ingredients. Lots of people have talent and are sitting around doing nothing. But those who do something believe. They are determined. They try and they practice and they fall and they get back up. They have perseverance.
What have you not been doing because you told yourself you couldn’t? Because you told yourself you don’t have what it takes? Stop it. You have everything you need. Try, then try harder, then try again. Work, practice and sharpen your tools, over and over, every day.
Believe. Because that’s the secret ingredient!