Bruce Lee on Work Quotes

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

"One should be in harmony with, not in rebellion against, the fundamental laws of the universe."

"Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind."

"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."

"Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against."

"Be a practical dreamer backed by action."

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

"The possession of anything begins in the mind."

"Only the self-sufficient stand alone - most people follow the crowd and imitate."

"The spirit of the individual is determined by his dominant thought habits."

"Research your own experience. Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is essentially your own."

"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."

"Preparation for tomorrow is hard work today."

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

"Patience is not passive, on the contrary, it is concentrated strength."

"Whether or not we can get together, remember well that art “lives” where absolute freedom is. With all the training thrown to nowhere, with a mind (if there is such a verbal substance) perfectly unaware of its own working, with the “self” vanishing nowhere, the art of JKD attains its perfection. p. 156"

"What you habitually think largely determines what you will ultimately become."

"Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it. As quoted in Bruce Lee: Fighting Spirit (1994) by Bruce Thomas (1994), p. 44"

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

"Persistence, persistence, and persistence. The power can be created and maintained through daily practice."

"If you always put limit on everything you do, physical or anything else. It will spread into your work and into your life."

"Simplicity is the key to brilliance."

"The successful warrior is the average man, with laser-like focus."

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

"Long-term consistency trumps short-term intensity."

"Act of doing is the goal, not the result."

"Choose the positive. You have a choice, you are master of your attitude."

"To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities."

"Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself."

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

"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water."

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

"It's not the daily increase but daily decrease. Hack away at the unessential."