Bruce Lee’s 10 Secrets to Success

Legendary martial artist Bruce Lee didn’t just kick ass as a fighter. He also possessed a fine line in punchy philosophy, spitting countless memorable inspirational quips during his incredibly accomplished, too-short life and career as an actor, director, writer and instructor.

Here, we’ve whittled down the immense flow of Lee’s wisdom to 10 key quotes on success and aspiration — brilliant advice for anyone on a path to becoming the big boss... 
 

10. KEEP IT REAL, YOU DO YOU
“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”

9. MESS UP? OWN UP
“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.”

8. THINK POSITIVE
“Never waste energy on worries or negative thoughts, all problems are brought into existence — drop them.”

7. JUST DO IT
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.”

6. AND JUST KEEP DOIN’ IT
“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.”

5. SCHOOL YOURSELF
“Learning is never cumulative, it is a movement of knowing which has no beginning and no end.”

4. BUT BE DISCERNING IN YOUR LEARNING
“Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.”

3. REFUSE TO LOSE
“Defeat is a state of mind; no-one is ever defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality.”

2. TAKE A SHOT
“A goal is not always meant to be reached. It often serves simply as something to aim at.”

1. GO WITH THE FLOW, YO
“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.”