Quit, don’t quit…

Wise words from Master Oogway

Today’s thoughts are inspired by a turtle. A cartoon turtle, from Kung Fu Panda called Master Oogway. I woke up this morning with this quote in my head which is quite random since I haven’t actually watched the movie in a while. There are many lessons to learn from the animated animals in this movie, today we’re focusing on this one:

“Quit, don't quit... Noodles, don't noodles... You are too concerned about what was and what will be. There is a saying: yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.”

We can be so concerned about hypotheticals that it stops us from acting at all. We can get stuck, frozen, on what could be, what should be and what would be. So much so that we ignore our now and the opportunity we have called today. Don’t get me wrong, planning is great - I love a to do list as much as the next guy. But when the fear of the future and the past stops you from living today, that is where the issues begin.

Hakuna Matata is another great quote - you can’t change the past. You can’t get back the time. And the time you spend regretting the past, is also time wasted. Imagine how boring the future would be if we knew exactly how it was going to be. Imagine if when we are born we are presented with a novel of how our life will play out step by step. We’re not supposed to know. We are free to plan, but we should also allow change.

Like my mum says, life is like a GPS sometimes. If you are not sure where to go, make a decision, make a choice, because even if you take a different route, you can still arrive at your destination. Life is full of redirections.

I have spent a lot of time listening to this soundtrack on a one hour loop while studying, journaling, or just drinking a cup of tea. Adding it in if you’d like a moment to reflect on your next steps. You might not know what your whole life will look like or what you should do. Just ask yourself, what can you do today?