I’ve always been a massive Bruce Lee fan, not just of his movies and martial arts but also his deep philosophy on life and living. I’ve found his content very useful in life and business so wanted to share this post with you. Apply it where you can, online or offline in your business or life. When you read it, whatever part of your life it resonates with, apply it to that.
Once you hear the story of the man, Bruce Lee, you’ll be left wondering how much more would have been learned had he lived past age 32. This is one of the most respected individuals in martial arts and undefeated legend in his time. Appearing in films like Enter the Dragon, he allowed Hollywood production to take martial arts into new popularity levels that helped audiences enjoy the fight like never before. A series of books that recount his personal philosophies were published posthumously under the title The Tao of Jeet Kune Do.
Bruce Lee is more of an icon than just a martial artist. His talents went far beyond motion pictures. He was a brilliant writer, philosopher, teacher, and of course martial artist and way ahead in emotional intelligence. Bruce Lee was the original action hero of the big screen, setting the standard of what was to come in Hollywood for decades to come after him. Join us as we pay tribute to this great man.
Bruce Lee once said, “I fear not the man who has practised 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practised one kick 10,000 times.” This quote shows what was most important to Bruce Lee: not doing something one time for a single moment of glory, but practising until you’ve mastered your craft and it’s part of you. The will and determination to become the best at whatever it is that you set out to do can help you be successful at getting it done.
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Here are 7 top life lessons from Bruce Lee
1. Get up and do it.
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do.”
This is solid advice. Possessing the knowledge of something is a good starting point, but in order to actually achieve anything in this world you must apply that knowledge to your actions. Even if you want to do something it isn’t enough to simply wish it was so. Life is about having the courage to actually do the things you conjure in your head. There are those who dream and then there are those who make dreams reality. When you commit to taking action in your life you can do great things. The first step to greatness may be just putting one foot in front of the other.
2. Thoughts are important.
“As you think, so shall you become.”
A person’s thoughts determine so much about them. What you go around thinking about others, the world around you and especially about yourself helps to mold your perception of the world. The way you perceive things affects you in such a way so as to guide your actions. As such a confident individual who believes in his abilities and has thoughts in his head that affirm his capability is more likely to succeed in life. Do not mistake confidence with overconfidence though. A man who also thinks clearly enough to understand his own faults and wish to better them over time is truly wise.
3. Blind anger will get you nowhere.
“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.”
Being quick to anger is not a good trait to possess. When you let your temper control who you are, you become a reckless person who doesn’t think straight and winds up making many mistakes. It is true when they say that cooler heads prevail. When you look at something from a calm standpoint and try to think in terms of logic and what is best for you, the results you get will be better. Even when there are those who seek to anger you out of spite or hatred you should not them play you for a fool. Being in control of your emotions will allow you to come out the better man or woman.
4. Live for yourself.
“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you’re not in this world to live up to mine.”
In life you should strive to live by your own standards. There are so many people in the world that worry about what others think of them and the legacy they will leave behind. Whether it is something simple like wishing to please one’s parents, or if it is to impress a certain social group, what purpose does that really serve?
If you live your life just to impress others or try to meet their expectations of what you should be then you are ignoring your own individuality. Humans are individual creatures. We possess unique abilities, thoughts and feelings. Life should be explored thoroughly in the pursuit of happiness for the self. Oftentimes personal happiness includes the happiness of those close to you, but ultimately you should be your biggest critic and judge, not others.
5. Time is finite.
“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
Time moves forward at the same pace for all. It will slow down for no man, and no man can truly know how much time he has. Because of this time is a very precious thing, just like life itself. Life is an incredible experience full of emotions, perceptions and wonders of all kinds. Live in the moment and don’t take things for granted. Everything that you do should be enjoyed, because you never when your time is up. When you waste time doing nothing or pleasing others when you really want to do other things, you are cheating yourself out of precious time. Make sure that your time is being spent wisely towards your own ends.
6. Be flexible in life.
“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending in the wind.”
When you hold fast to certain plans or old ways, you can be doing yourself a disservice. The world is ever changing and presents many new challenges that you will have to face in a lifetime. When these challenges present themselves, sometimes being rigid and sticking to your old ways will not allow you to come through unscathed.
If you can be flexible like the bamboo bending in the wind, you will not crack from all of the pressure. Your mind needs to be able to adapt in life. When new problems arise be ready to meet them. This is a great quote to think about for business strategy as well, because as has been shown in recent years, rigid business models are the most susceptible to sudden failure. Flexibility is formidability.
7. Simplify your life.
“It’s not the daily increase but the daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential.”
In life it can be easy to get wrapped up in so many different things. When you take a step back and truly look at your life, you might be surprised to find that there are many unessential elements that could be cut out so as to save time for that which is truly important to you.
By streamlining your life in ways you can increase your quality of life. This is an incredible thing and should be undertaken by everyone. When you can live your life with a conviction to focus on the things that matter to you, you can get so much accomplished. Cut the frivolous out of your life if at all possible.
There we have it. As you can see Bruce Lee was quite the philosopher. He had many great ideas for how to better live life, and through the examination of some of his theories people can be inspired to make changes in their own lives. A lot of this advice is so effective because at its core it is very practical. The best advice often is. Take heed to these words if the meaning behind them touches you. You might find that you can glean some new happiness in life because of it.
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