Becoming Water

Why we can all benefit from the philosophy of Bruce Lee

“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in 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

I have always loved this quote by the late, great Bruce Lee as it really speaks to the power of adaptability. Or so I thought.

Encapsulated within this one quote, I realised, is his entire formula for self-mastery.

Having just finished the book ‘Be Water, my Friend’ by his daughter, Shannon Lee, it was profound to see how deep this philosophy actually goes.

The context: When Bruce Lee was young, he’d walk to the local lake to practice his martial arts. One day, he punched the water as hard as he could. The water simply gave way, then reformed. It absorbed his energy, no matter what he did. He deeply reflected on this — and applied it to his entire outlook on life.

He realised water has all the aspects needed for humans to echo and apply to their life. Water…