What would Kung Fu Panda do about India’s Covid crisis?

Many of us feel like we are up against an adversary that we are simply not prepared to face — we could not possibly be strong enough to contribute anything to overcome. And yet, it sucks to hear that we should “make noodles” when the fires are literally raging around us.

So, what would Kung Fu Panda do?

1. Be itching to be part of the solution.

Whatever Po was, he wasn’t apathetic. He didn’t expect to be the “chosen one” — he was chosen when his efforts to participate put him in that spot. If you wait until you are chosen, you may never get on your “launch-chair” (remember that?!) and your bodacious journey may never begin.

So, how can you start participating?

• Raising funds is always a great way to get started. GiveIndia.org is driving India’s largest individual giving campaign. Donate and/ or get the word out about it.
• Use this tool created by employees of Sprinklr to help folks in your network learn quickly about available covid resources including not only oxygen and medicines but also essentials like food. Also, tell people about it!
• RaiseToPi is selecting 12 committed young people (age 12–25) to support on a 3 month journey to identify potential solutions to challenges related to the Covid pandemic. Funding will also become available to teams who deliver progress. If you are interested, send us an email at hello@raisetopi.org and tell us how to reach you. If you know someone who might be interested, tell them about this opportunity!

2. Build on what your mind is pulled towards.

For Po, Kung Fu was a playful interest. Actually learning it was such a lot of work — and much less fun. But his interest kept him going until he was able to do something awesome with it.

So, how do you identify your interests? Is there a topic where you enjoy learning about the details (remember Po’s amazing knowledge of Kung Fu history)? Is there an activity which you are getting better and better at doing every day — or one which you would be excited about getting really good at? None of this needs to be your “calling” or your “life’s purpose”. And your interest could be something others consider trivial. No matter what it is, starting with something you find interesting is a great foundation to have!

Once you’ve identified an interest, how do you build on that? Well, by asking questions and learning. For example:

1. You might really be into the animated series Attack on Titan. Does that draw you to questions like “what is the long-term impact of living in bio-bubbles”? (IPL players have been having a hard time with this!)
2. You might be concerned about all the new strains of Covid and vaccine shortages. So, “what can we do to make and distribute vaccines faster?” (A group of Boston-area scientists has a potential solution)
3. You may be disturbed by oxygen shortages. Are you asking “is the shortage in production or in distribution?” or “is there a way to produce oxygen closer to patients?” or “what is the pressure and composition of the gas that patients need?” (Scientists have been working on related questions for over 20 years now!)

“for every pound of oxygen they deliver, they’re also delivering five pounds of steel.” — Steve Visco, Materials Sciences Division, Berkeley Lab.

As you build on your interests in this way, you will be able to identify the specific challenges that are at the heart of addressing Covid. And solving one of these might be within the reach of the Dragon Warrior in you.

3. Play to your strengths.

Remember how Po won as he came up with a way to fight that was his own and that played to his strength? Did you also notice that Po only discovered his super-powers by fighting Tai Lung?

Start with your strengths. For example:

• Are you great at Chemistry? Can you help figure out what is needed to make Rahul’s solution in this video fully and safely workable?
• Are you an organizer and/ or leader of people? Volunteers are stepping up by the thousands but each has their own constraints, other commitments and availability. How do we make this work?
• Do you have a way with words? Or are you an artist? There is much work left to be done to raise awareness about the need for everyone to get vaccinated and to continue to take precautions. Any ideas?
• Are you an athlete or fitness enthusiast? Did you know that fitness levels have been dropping worldwide? How do we make sure that covid-related inactivity does not result in chronic health issues in the future?

Again, these are just examples. No matter where you start, remember to keep experimenting, revising your idea and correcting your direction until you figure out how your strength can become valuable to the world. In the meantime, know this with confidence — every kind of strength has a role to play at a time like this (and every other time ;) ). How will you use your super-power to help and what new super-powers will you discover as you help?

4. Take a moment with your unhappy feelings.

The journey was not easy with Po. There were times when he was sad and disappointed. Not to mention ashamed and guilty. And he took the time to be with those feelings and to take Oogway’s help in dealing with them.

You may also be feeling low and unhappy and this is happening to most of us. The pandemic has created tremendous mental strain and this has been noted by the government as well. A National Taskforce for the finalisation, implementation, and monitoring of the psychosocial action plan for COVID-19 response has been created. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released written and audio-visual guidelines for mental health and you can find the list of these on page 2 of this link.

Whatever we do that could be awesome and bodacious really could not happen if we don’t take the time to take care of ourselves and to relate well with our family members. This in itself would be a significant contribution that each of us can make.

5. Take a moment to share a laugh and to recognize how awesome you and your team are

Just as important as the unhappy feelings, you may also have moments of happiness and joy and at those times, you might feel guilty or tempted to set those feelings aside. Please don’t. Do you remember this scene? Tai Lung is on his way and Po and Shifu know that. Yet they take a moment to laugh and cherish each other. You and your team need this. Of course, we must be sensitive while celebrating or sharing our joy with others but it does not serve us well to deny them altogether. Did you notice how this video of a little joy lifted so many people’s spirits?

Pure awesomeness now

Whatever journey you take, you don’t have to go on it alone. Build a team — it will be more fun, you will achieve more and you will learn more. RaiseToPi can help with building your team and getting guidance on your journey. Get in touch with us at hello@RaiseToPi.org.

And to remind you again, RaiseToPi is selecting 12 committed young people (age 12–25) to support on a 3 month journey to identify potential solutions to challenges related to the Covid pandemic. Funding will also become available to teams who deliver progress. If you are interested, send us an email and tell us how to reach you. If you know someone who might be, do share with them!