What’s Your Secret Ingredient?

I’m an early riser. I’ve never been one of those people who can sleep in until 10 or 11 or *gasp* noon o’clock. I’m usually up and ready to go around 7ish – sometimes earlier. One of the things I like to do when I wake up well before my husband and dog is to catch up on any movies or TV that the hubby won’t watch with me. This weekend I got around to watching ‘Kung Fu Panda.’

Kung Fu Panda is about a tubby young Panda named Po who works in his father’s noodle shop but idolizes the Kung Fu heroes in his village. A contest is held to choose the Dragon Master who will protect the village from intruders and Po is “accidentally” chosen as the new Dragon Master. I won’t ruin the plot for those of you who still want to see it but basically hilarity ensues as this clumsy Panda trains to show people he is worthy of being called the new Dragon Master. I was particularly struck by one line in the movie when Po’s father who, in an attempt to console him, reveals that the long-withheld secret ingredient to his famous “secret ingredient soup” is absolutely nothing. His father explains:

“Things become special if people believe them to be.”

Isn’t that brilliant? How often do you scratch your head searching for that missing ingredient that is going to make your life better, faster or easier. You look at others and wish you were as outgoing or as well-spoken or as charismatic as them. You long to possess that special something that is going to put you over the top. But the truth is, there is no super secret ingredient, there is just YOU. The secret ingredient is that you believe – no, rather – you know that something is there. Think about it. What is your secret ingredient? What do you already possess that makes you incredible? What could you accomplish if you used your secret ingredient to its full potential? Who would you inspire if you tapped into your own personal power? And finally, what’s stopping you from doing so?

Channel your secret ingredient and live in it.