“Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.”
“Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and 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
Bruce Lee was a once in a lifetime great. Born November 27th, 1940 in Chinatown, San Francisco he became one of the most well-known figures in martial arts. Lee died way before his time of a swelling in his brain at age 32.
Lee was a sickly child and took up martial arts as a way to protect himself from bullies. As he grew older it was obvious that he possessed an incredible display of skill and athleticism. Most importantly he honed these skills with a tremendous amount of discipline in his training. He developed his own unique style by capturing the best aspects from other disciplines and styles.
At his prime Lee was only 5’7” and weighed 135 pounds, however usually took on men twice his size. His greatest asset was always his speed. His fastest movements on the camera were a blur. He had to learn to slow down so the camera could pick up the moves so we could actually see them on TV.
You would never know while in his early going that Lee, was bedridden for 6 months from wrenching his back and severely damaging his sacral nerve. Doctors told him that he may never walk again without severe pain.
Lee however chose to refuse what doctors said and instead developed a technique to drive out worry. Every time he had a negative thought , he would visualize writing it down on a piece of paper, then see himself crumpling it up and throwing it into the trash.
Lee being a student of the game, felt that it was important not only to train his body but his mind as well.
Greatest line that I personally love is “If you always put limits on yourself and what you can do, physical or anything, you might as well be dead. It will spread over into your work, your morality, your entire being. There are no limits, only plateaus. But you must not stay there; you must go beyond them. If it kills you, it kills you.”
Now go out there into the world of business and remember to “Be like water.”