Many of us know Bruce Lee as the main character of numerous action movies, a master of martial arts. What you may not know is that he was also a brilliant philosopher who left behind a lot of teachings, teachings and inspiring quotes that I have compiled into these for you to enjoy. 🙂

33 Life Changing Lessons to Learn from Bruce Lee

1. Be soft like water.

“Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind.” ~ Bruce Lee

“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.”

2. If you truly love life, don’t waste time because time is what life is made of.

“To spend time is to pass it in a specified manner. To waste time is to expand it thoughtlessly or carelessly. We all have time to either spend or waste and it is our decision what to do with it. But once passed, it is gone forever.” ~ Bruce Lee

“If you truly love life, don’t waste time because time is what life is made of.”

3. Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” ~ Bruce Lee

4. Life’s battles don’t always go to the strongest or fastest people, but to the ones who thinks they can.

“Life’s battles don’t always go to the stronger or faster man. But sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.” ~ Bruce Lee

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus.” ~ Bruce Lee

5. To specialize in ONE thing is more powerful than to try 10,000 other things.

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who had practiced one kick 10,000 times.” ~ Bruce Lee

6. There are no limits to what you can achieve. There are only plateaus, and you must go beyond them.

“The doubters said, “Man can not fly,” The doers said, “Maybe, but we’ll try,” And finally soared In the morning glow while non-believers watched from below.” ~ Bruce Lee

“If you always put a limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” 

7. Bring the mind into sharp focus and make it alert so that it can immediately intuit truth.

“Bring the mind into sharp focus and make it alert so that it can immediately intuit truth, which is everywhere. The mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought processes and even ordinary thought itself.” ~ Bruce Lee

8. The function and duty of a quality human being are the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.

“Ever since I was a child I have had this instinctive urge for expansion and growth. To me, the function and duty of a quality human being are the sincere and honest development of one’s potential.” ~ Bruce Lee

9. A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” ~ Bruce Lee

10. If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” ~ Bruce Lee

11. Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.

“Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.” ― Bruce Lee

12. A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.

“A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.” ~ Bruce Lee

13. Just be ordinary and nothing special.

“Just be ordinary and nothing special. Eat your food, move your bowels, pass water, and when you’re tired, go and lie down. The ignorant will laugh at me, but the wise will understand.” ~ Bruce Lee

14. Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.

“Showing off is the fool’s idea of glory.” ~ Bruce Lee

15. Do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it. Be yourself!

“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.” ~ Bruce Lee

16. To know yourself takes a lifetime.

“For it is easy to criticize and break down the spirit of others, but to know yourself takes a lifetime.” ~ Bruce Lee

17. There is a huge difference between self-actualization and self-image actualization.

“Many people dedicate their lives to actualizing a concept of what they should be like, rather than actualizing themselves. This difference between self-actualization and self-image actualization is very important. Most people live only for their image” ― Bruce Lee

18. Become devoid to gain totality.

“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” ~ Bruce Lee

“Empty your cup so that it may be filled; become devoid to gain totality.” 

19. Give up all expectations and let nature take its course.

“The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement; you ought not to be thinking of whether it ends in victory or defeat. Let nature take its course, and your tools will strike at the right moment.” ~ Bruce Lee

“In order to control myself, I must first accept myself by going with and not against my nature.”

20. Be self-aware, rather than a repetitious robot.

“Be self-aware, rather than a repetitious robot.” ~ Bruce Lee

21. The meaning of life is that it is to be lived.

“The meaning of life is that it is to be lived, and it is not to be traded and conceptualized and squeezed into a pattern of systems.” ~ Bruce Lee

22. The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.

“The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.” ~ Bruce Lee

23. If you don’t want to slip up tomorrow, speak the truth today.

“If you don’t want to slip up tomorrow, speak the truth today.” ~ Bruce Lee

24. Everything you do, if not in a relaxed state will be done at a lesser level than you are proficient.

“Everything you do, if not in a relaxed state will be done at a lesser level than you are proficient. Thus the tensed expert marksman will aim at a level less than his/her student.” ~ Bruce Lee

“If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves. Moving, be like water. Still, be like a mirror. Respond like an echo. ” 

25. A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.

“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.” ~ Bruce Lee

26. Only when there is stillness in movement does the universal rhythm manifest.

“The stillness in stillness is not the real stillness; only when there is stillness in movement does the universal rhythm manifest.” ~ Bruce Lee

27. All knowledge leads to self-knowledge.

“All knowledge leads to self-knowledge.” ~ Bruce Lee

28. As you think, so shall you become.

“As you think, so shall you become.” ~ Bruce Lee

29. Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.

“Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.” ~ Bruce Lee

30. If there is a God, he is within.

“If there is a God, he is within. You don’t ask God to give you things, you depend on God for your inner theme.” ~ Bruce Lee

31. Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.

“Those who are unaware they are walking in darkness will never seek the light.” ~ Bruce Lee

“Now I see that I will never find the light unless, like the candle, I am my own fuel, Consuming myself.” 

32. Relationships are the mirror in which you discover yourself.

“Self-knowledge involves a relationship. To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person. A relationship is a process of self-evaluation and self-revelation. A relationship is a mirror in which you discover yourself – to be is to be related.” ~ Bruce Lee

33. Love matures with time.

“Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.” ~ Bruce Lee

Do you have a favorite quote from Bruce Lee? If you do, I would love to know what that is. You can share it in the comment section below 🙂

~love, Luminita💫

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