The Art of Balance 🤹🏽‍♀️

The first dominant feeling that quickly follows elation after a desirable change at work is overwhelm.

When you are undergoing a major change, like a dream job or a promotion or relocation to another country, overwhelm could be the emotional state you spend most of the time in the first few weeks while you come to terms with the change.

In Kung Fu Panda, after Po is identified as the dragon warrior, he finds himself exhausted and overwhelmed. As the Dragon Warrior, Po undergoes intense Kung Fu training with Shifu. This is alongside his job at the Noodle Shop. He finds himself losing focus in the training when he is practising with a dummy and is hit. He is exhausted at the Noodle Shop and wakes up with his face in a bowl of noodles to the dismay of his customer.

Kung Fu Panda: The Art of Balance by Matt Anderson

Po struggles to balance his new role as a Dragon Warrior alongside his duties at the Noodle Shop. Shifu then tells him of his experience of trying to balance responsibilities as a new Master. Shifu introduces Po to “hing kung”, a discipline of balance and weightlessness.

Shifu then sets him off training in “hing kung” by making Po walk over vases and delicate sticks without breaking them.

Shifu says, “You can do this. Nothing can stop you. You are the Dragon Warrior. You can be weightless, no matter how big your first or second lunches were.”

Of course, when our big Panda first walks over vases and delicate sticks, he breaks them. Then he learns to concentrate on just the present moment and trains himself to be weightless and walk over the vases, sticks and leaves without breaking them, with a lot of ease.

This Art of Balance is something Po is able to use as he fights his opponents, being flexible about his strategies and working from the present moment – not the past or the future.

Overwhelm comes from fear. Fear of what could happen in the future if we fail to do whatever it is that needs doing according to a certain standard. Fear could also come from our past experiences, which could create doubt, anxiety and worry. Being in the present moment helps us to put some distance from the fear and examine it.

When we understand the message of the fear, we can examine it to see if it is real. We can learn from the message and use it in our actions consciously. We can take the controllable aspects of the fear and work with it. For the ones that are not controllable, we can wisely learn to let go.

What is the nature of this fear? Where is it coming from – the past or the future?

Is it real? What is it that it is trying to tell me? What can I learn from it?

What do I want to do now?

P.S. If you are ready to level up, work with me for 1:1 career coaching. Hit reply, and I’d love to share more.

💌 Siri