Bruce Lee died 43 years ago but his legacy lives beyond his movies. Shannon Lee writes in Wired how her father continues to inspire her and others from all over the world.
A man of many skills, Bruce Lee is a cultural icon that continues to transcend barriers. His relentless commitment to self-actualization speaks to a universal audience through his writings and now a podcast.
Shannon shares 7 of her favorite lessons quoted from her father:
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"The medicine for my suffering I had within me from the very beginning, but I did not take it. My ailment came from within myself, but I did not observe it until this moment. Now I see that I will never find the light unless, like the candle, I am my own fuel." This taught Shannon that we hold the key to overcoming whatever struggles we are facing"
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"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend." This teaches us to be flexible in dealing with problems. Fluidity will help us work our way around obstacles."
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"Walk on." Have a personal mantra that will motivate you to take action and move forward.
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"My Definite Chief Aim" Have a clear vision of yourself for yourself. Writing down your goals, no matter how ambitious they are can help guide your actions."
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"Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is essentially your own." Self-actualization will allow you to learn, grow and evolve. This means taking a different path and creating new roads instead of following paths paved by someone else.
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"Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation." Cultivating who you are doesn't mean you have to be contained by a particular passion or skill, allow yourself to actualize and pursue other interests and don't limit yourself to convention.
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"Under the sky, under the heavens there is but one family." Bruce Lee never competed with anyone, he was committed to being the best person he can be, that was his mission. He saw past beyond age, race and gender.
