Building Teen Esteem - Be Your Teen"s Kung Fu Master - Part 2: I Believe
I hope you enjoyed watching Kung Fu Panda for your homework.
If you haven't seen it yet, well, here's a synopsis courtesy of IMDB.
com
Space Jam...
you know, the really inspiring ones -- the coaches always express their belief in the players' potential.
Just like Kung Fu Masters, these great coaches see a greater potential in their players than the players see in themselves.
This is how great coaches, mold great athletes.
In the movie Kung Fu Panda, Master Shifu, the Kung Fu Master tasked with training Po the Panda, has yet to learn this lesson.
Even though he's a Master, Shifu actually has a lot to learn.
Shifu had to go through several transformations to enable him to guide Po to realize his true potential as the Dragon Warrior.
First Transformation: Believe Po the Panda dreamed of becoming a Kung Fu warrior.
It's all he could think about as he worked in his dad's noodle shop.
But that's all it was: a dream.
Shifu has spent years training an elite team of warriors.
This big, fat panda could not possibly be the one to fulfill the prophecy.
He doesn't fit the part.
As soon as Shifu is alone with Po, he lets his disbelief known:
We're human.
We all have prejudices.
We all judge based on stereotypes and labels in one form or another, even if we don't want to admit it.
We also judge based on our own experience.
A person who has achieved their dream is more likely to be supportive, whereas someone who gave up on their dream is more likely to be bitter and less encouraging.
When a young person opens up to us and tells us their dreams, their goals, or their challenges, our first reaction may be to think like Shifu.
We may laugh internally, humor them, pity them, project our own failures on them, feel bad for them BUT rarely do we believe in them.
"What we think, we manifest.
" Our feelings show:
When real danger comes to Po's village, Po turns to run.
Shifu goes after him.
but it actually did.
Shifu exhibited two very essential qualities: First -- Humility.
Shifu had to humble himself and change his way of thinking.
He had to truly force himself to believe more in Po's potential than Po did.
Second -- Honesty.
Honesty builds trust.
Even though Shifu had no idea how to help Po turn into the Dragon Warrior, he didn't pretend to know all the answers.
We must be honest with ourselves and with our child or student...
...
And we must believe in them more than they believe in themselves.
In Part 3 we'll see how Shifu adapts to Po's learning style.
If you haven't seen it yet, well, here's a synopsis courtesy of IMDB.
com
"In the Valley of Peace, Po the Panda finds himself chosen as the Dragon Warrior despite the fact that he is obese and a complete novice at martial arts.Now, not unlike martial arts movies, the great sports movies of our time -- Hoosiers, Remember the Titans...
"
Space Jam...
you know, the really inspiring ones -- the coaches always express their belief in the players' potential.
Just like Kung Fu Masters, these great coaches see a greater potential in their players than the players see in themselves.
This is how great coaches, mold great athletes.
In the movie Kung Fu Panda, Master Shifu, the Kung Fu Master tasked with training Po the Panda, has yet to learn this lesson.
Even though he's a Master, Shifu actually has a lot to learn.
Shifu had to go through several transformations to enable him to guide Po to realize his true potential as the Dragon Warrior.
First Transformation: Believe Po the Panda dreamed of becoming a Kung Fu warrior.
It's all he could think about as he worked in his dad's noodle shop.
But that's all it was: a dream.
How many of our young people are like Po? Kids who have dreams but don't believe they can ever reach them?When Master Oogway chooses Po as the Dragon Warrior -- a warrior prophesied to save their village and be their ultimate protector -- Master Shifu is left in disbelief.
Shifu has spent years training an elite team of warriors.
This big, fat panda could not possibly be the one to fulfill the prophecy.
He doesn't fit the part.
As soon as Shifu is alone with Po, he lets his disbelief known:
Shifu:[To be the Dragon Warrior] One must first master the highest level of kung fu, and that is clearly impossible if that one is someone like you.Even though most of us would never speak like this to one of our youth, our disbelieving attitude will still show through.
Po: Someone like me? Shifu: Yes! Look at you! This fat butt...
Flabby arms...
And this ridiculous belly! Po: Hey! Shifu: And your utter disregard for personal hygiene! Po: Now wait a minute, that was a little uncalled for...
Shifu: Don't stand that close, I can smell your breath.
We're human.
We all have prejudices.
We all judge based on stereotypes and labels in one form or another, even if we don't want to admit it.
We also judge based on our own experience.
A person who has achieved their dream is more likely to be supportive, whereas someone who gave up on their dream is more likely to be bitter and less encouraging.
When a young person opens up to us and tells us their dreams, their goals, or their challenges, our first reaction may be to think like Shifu.
We may laugh internally, humor them, pity them, project our own failures on them, feel bad for them BUT rarely do we believe in them.
- The geeky kid who wants to take the cheer-leading captain to the dance
- the jock who wants to be a dancer
- the student who struggles with reading comprehension who dreams of being a novelist
- the "at-risk" teen who dreams of being an astronaut
"What we think, we manifest.
" Our feelings show:
- in our tone of voice
- in our discouraging them with reasons why they shouldn't try (even if the intent is to protect them from disappointment)
- when we avoid or change the subject
- when we distract them with goals we think are better fitted to our perception of their ability
When real danger comes to Po's village, Po turns to run.
Shifu goes after him.
Shifu: You cannot leave! A real warrior never quits! Po: Come on! How am I supposed to beat Tai Lung? Shifu: You will beat him because you are the Dragon Warrior! Po: You don't believe that! You never believed that! From the first moment I got here, you've been trying to get rid of me! Shifu: Yes! I was! But now I ask you to trust in your master as I have come to trust in mine (Oogway).Now, this scene may not appear to have ended well...
Po: You're not my master.
And I'm not the Dragon Warrior.
Shifu: Then why didn't you quit? You knew I was trying to get rid of you, yet you stayed! Po: Yeah, I stayed.
I stayed because every time you threw a brick at my head or said I smelled; it hurt, but it could never hurt more than everyday of my life just being me.
I stayed because I thought if anyone can change me, can make me not me, it was you! The greatest kung fu teacher in all of China! Shifu: I can change you! I can turn you into the DragonWarrior! And I will! Po: Come on! Tai Lung is on his way here right now! And even if it takes him a hundred years to get here, how are you gonna change this into the Dragon Warrior? Huh? How? How? How! Shifu: I don't know! I don't know.
Po: That's what I thought.
but it actually did.
Shifu exhibited two very essential qualities: First -- Humility.
Shifu had to humble himself and change his way of thinking.
He had to truly force himself to believe more in Po's potential than Po did.
Second -- Honesty.
Honesty builds trust.
Even though Shifu had no idea how to help Po turn into the Dragon Warrior, he didn't pretend to know all the answers.
Teens don't want someone perfect.Just like Shifu, we must first humble ourselves by shedding all prejudice and preconceived stereotypes.
They want someone who cares.
Someone who they can trust.
Someone who can lead.
Someone who cares enough to believe in them.
We must be honest with ourselves and with our child or student...
...
And we must believe in them more than they believe in themselves.
In Part 3 we'll see how Shifu adapts to Po's learning style.
