The Art of Dying

By learning to fight, he was able to better understand who he was — he could force himself out of his comfort zone, test his limits, and confront his fears. 

Bruce Lee saw life as being in constant change.

Unless we learn to adapt to it, we’re bound to experience tremendous resistance that will entrap us in a constant state of suffering.

While trying to diffuse his anger, Bruce Lee once started punching in the sea and had a profound realization.

Water, he understood, is of a neutral nature, having no form or shape of its own. He realized that to be invincible, he had to be as formless as water.

The continued fascination with Bruce Lee and the never-ending need to capitalize on the man and the myth is the opposite of what he really intended.

His insights of being like water showcase his philosophy of having no philosophy at all. The formless structure that has to be assumed to live one’s life is destroyed the very moment anyone is influenced or tries to emulate Bruce Lee.

• He wasn't a master of any standard form of martial arts. He was closest in mastering Wing Chun.
• He invented his own style of martial arts. He based his style on the teaching of Man and what he learned of Wing Chun. He called his style Jeet Kune Do "the style of no style"
• He starred in 20 films in Hong Kong before the age of 18.
• He popularized the "1 Inch Punch" as seen in Kill Bill Vol. 2
• He was a prolific poet and philosopher. He studied poetry and philosophy in school and was even published several times.
• He was so fast, his moves were often too fast for a camera to catch.
• He only made 5 feature films in the US, his last released posthumously.

Being proficient at anything at full speed takes the willingness and patience to first go slowly, literally and figuratively.

 Any professional athlete will tell you that the ritualistic nature of slowing down your craft is the key to success in that craft. You have to walk before you can run.

Words inspire, words inform, and words can destroy - if we let them.

The martial arts will teach you not to react to other’s problems, but to pay attention to your own. Learn not to react to words that are meant for harm.

“Courage is not the absence of fear; it is the ability to act in the presence of fear.”

To be successful, your mind and body should have the ability to flow and adapt to any situation. 

There should be less rigidity and structure in strategy and more flexibility and mobility. 

Bruce Lee rivaled many great thinkers and philosophers with his new-age insights on life and his convictions on martial arts, family and love.

A collection of his notes, private letters, and poems are now published in the book **Bruce Lee: Artist Of Life.

Nothing is weaker than water, and in that weakness, there is immense strength. Water is fine and impossible to grasp. It does not suffer any hurt, and cannot be stabbed, or cut. It has no shape of its own but molds according to where it is placed. It can be hard as a rock and also invisible as vapor.

Being like water, humble, adaptive, resilient and ever-changing, we become masters of our surroundings.

This is a stoic lesson, to visualize failure in advance.

It helps because if you imagine failure you start seeing all the ways that have led to that result. And you can start actively working on addressing and mitigating them in advance.

Before he would jump into an idea and go full steam, take a reflective period to step back ask yourself: "What do I really have here? Do I actually have something? What am I hoping to accomplish?”

Like almost everything else in life, there are different variations to certain techniques, which ultimately lead to the same outcome. 

Understand that everyone has his or her own way of achieving a similar goal or outcome.

... as you might initially think.

You will also find yourself in situations where you basically get overcome by others – even when you initially felt like you had the upper hand.

No one is truly invincible, so it helps to always be humble and learn from everyone you train with.

A business, like a fight, will push you beyond your comfort zone. You will eventually venture into unfamiliar territory.

Understand that it’s possible nothing will go your way, and you’ll have to take a vicious beating. But prepare for a fight and swing to win anyway.

Although MMA fighters are in a cage by themselves, a team of highly specialized professionals -- from massage therapists to sparring partners -- is essential for them to succeed in the ring.

In business, you need a team similar to an MMA outfit -- one comprised of people who can see things you can’t and make you strong where you are weak.

• Get your face out of your phone and focus your attention.
• Be willing to receive information.
• Be willing to engage in the conversation and to listen with the intent to understand.
• Be willing to stay the course and not let your mind wander.
• Bring the conversation to a close with takeaways and next steps.
• Respect the existence of emotions and their roles and be aware of the body language also.
• Keep your ego out of the conversation.

• Listening is the basis for growth and advancement. You can’t advance your skills and knowledge without understanding others.
• Listening is also important because we all want love and respect; we want to spend time with people who listen.