There Is No Secret Ingredient

Kung Fu Panda, DreamWorks

I love convoluted solutions. I might not say so, but the way I live my life reveals it. I think part of the reason for this is to have an excuse for not attempting things. After all, it’s easier not to accept the blame if the answer is too difficult to make sense of. Why bother? Why try?

Maybe another reason is a desire to undergo some kind of journey of the mind—a quest to unlock the very secrets of human existence, the mysteries that underpin my being. So, I must travel or take time away from life to meditate and reflect upon my experiences, and while I do so, the answer will spring upon me suddenly, like a sneeze. However, reality doesn’t work that way.

The answer is often quite simple and hidden in plain sight. Po found this to be the case in the first Kung Fu Panda movie. Though he had been chosen by Master Oogway to be the Dragon Warrior and had undergone extensive training to fit the mantle, there was still a sense in his mind that something was missing—a final piece of the puzzle.

Upon opening the Dragon Scroll and discovering that there was only his own reflection, not a secret message, all hope was lost. The Dragon Scroll was supposed to hold the key, possibly even grant Po some mind-bendingly awesome powers and insight. But it was empty.

Master Shifu, accepting the situation, chooses to take on the ferocious Tai Lung by himself. He advises Po to evacuate with the other villagers before Tai Lung arrives. At this point, Po faces a crisis. He was supposed to save everyone, but it seems all his training has been for nothing. It is around this time that his father reveals the secret ingredient to his famed Secret Ingredient Soup: nothing. Po is shocked. Surely his dad used a special sauce or something along those lines? But the truth is, there was no secret ingredient—just plain old noodle soup.

Sometimes, the answer is simply living a humdrum life and doing a humdrum job. No skydiving, no entrepreneurship, no movie-star career—just the same old 9-to-5. Other times, the answer might be saying no to a problematic relationship or exercising self-control when it comes to eating and drinking habits. Sometimes, it’s about taking the Nike approach and just doing what needs to be done.

There is no secret ingredient—just a steaming bowl of plain old noodle soup. I can accept that this is the case, or I can waste time and energy trying to manufacture a solution that doesn’t exist.

I’ll take the plain old noodle soup. It’s simpler.