“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.” – Bruce Lee
Sure you know Bruce Lee the martial artist and movie star.
But do you know Bruce Lee the philosopher, comedian or master of personal development?
Bruce was one of my early inspirations.
He continuously pushed his mind and body to new levels and his physical prowess inspired and influenced body builders and martial artists alike.
As far as heroes go, Bruce Lee truly set an example of what it means to be YOUR best.
Bruce was all about making the most of what you’ve got, seeking truth knowledge, and applying what you know.
If you’ve seen him in movies or you know some of his quotes, you know exactly what I mean.
Who is Bruce Lee?
Bruce Lee was not just a legendary martial artist and actor, but also an inspiring cultural icon who transcended boundaries of race and nationality.
He was a true master of his craft, blending elements of various fighting styles to create his own unique philosophy known as Jeet Kune Do.
But beyond his physical prowess, Bruce Lee was also a deep thinker and philosopher, offering wisdom on topics such as self-improvement, personal growth, and the power of the mind.
His legacy continues to inspire millions of people around the world to pursue their passions and strive for greatness.
10 Great Lessons Learned from Bruce Lee to Transform Yourself
These are my top 10 life lessons from Bruce Lee:
1. Be YOUR best.
It’s not about following in someone else’s footsteps or trying to be somebody you’re not. It’s about unleashing your best version of yourself. According to Bruce, “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”
2. Absorb what is useful.
It’s not about blindly adopting patterns and practices. It’s about taking the best of the best and tailoring it.
It’s also about throwing away what doesn’t work.
Bruce borrowed concepts and techniques from everybody and every art in a relentless pursuit of the best of the best.
According to Bruce, “Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own.”
3. Keep an open mind.
You have to be willing to throw out what you already know and have a curiosity to explore new paths.
If you’re cup is already full, you can’t learn new things.
According to Bruce, “First empty your cup.”
4. Aim past your target.
Aim past your target, so when you fall short, you still land in the ballpark of success.
Bruce Lee was famous for his one-inch punch, but in reality he was aiming past the one-inch.
According to Bruce, “Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is glorious even to fail.”
5. Stay flexible.
Be flexible in your approach. Learn from everybody and everything and don’t get locked into a particular style.
According to Bruce, “Expose yourself to various conditions and learn.”
6. Focus on growth.
Push past your limits.
According to Bruce, “There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
7. Know yourself.
Your blind spots and ignorance can be your biggest weakness.
According to Bruce, “After all, all knowledge simply means self-knowledge.”
8. Master your mind and body.
It’s not enough just to be smart. It’s not enough just to master your body.
Your body and mind support each other.
Your body helps turn what you think or dream up into results.
According to Bruce, “As you think, so shall you become.”
9. Apply what you know.
Life is not about watching from the sidelines. Use what you know and put knowledge into practice.
Test yourself.
According to Bruce, “Knowing is not enough, we must do. Willing is not enough, we must apply.”
10. Make things happen.
When there is no wave, make one.
According to Bruce, “To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
I think it really boils down to making the most of what you’ve got, including your mind and body, pushing past your limits and following a path of continuous learning and growth.
Bruce Lee’s Physical Feats
While we don’t know whether the following stretch the truth, we do know you don’t look the way Bruce did by default.
It was by design and he pushed his physical limits.
These are some of the physical feats attributed to Bruce based on various demonstrations, his friends and associates, and interviews:
- Bruce performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index finger.
- Bruce performed 50 reps of one-arm chin-ups.
- Bruce performed a sidekick while training with James Coburn and broke a 150 lb (68 kg) punching bag.
- Bruce could cause a 200-lb bag to fly towards and thump the ceiling with a sidekick.
- Bruce could snatch a dime off a person’s open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind.
- Bruce’s striking speed from three feet with his hands down by his side reached five hundredths of a second.
Inspiring Bruce Lee Quotes
Here are some of my favorite Bruce Lee quotes that give you an idea of Bruce Lee’s thinking and philosophy and approach to life:
“Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not,
Add what is uniquely your own.”
— Bruce Lee
“It’s not the daily increase but daily decrease.
Hack away at the unessential.”
— Bruce Lee
“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.”
— Bruce Lee
“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
— Bruce Lee
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
— Bruce Lee
“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.”
— Bruce Lee
“Simplicity is the key to brilliance.”
— Bruce Lee
“A goal is not always meant to be reached; it often serves simply as something to aim at.”
— Bruce Lee
“Obey the principles without being bound by them.”
— Bruce Lee
For a more comprehensive collection, see Great Bruce Lee Quotes.
Where to Go for More Bruce Lee?
While there are countless resources on the Web, and you can always check out his movies, my favorite book on Bruce Lee, is by Bruce Lee.
It’s Tao of Jeet Kune Do.
Aside from the fact that it’s written by the master himself, I like the fact that Bruce wrote it while he was bedridden for six months.
You can just imagine how Bruce, the warrior, put everything he could into sharing the best of what he knew, while dealing with a pretty traumatic point in his life.
I also like the simple sketches throughout the book which show how he borrowed the best of the best, such as the boxer’s hands or a wrestler’s grappling moves.
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