The Tao of Formlessness
By age nineteen, Bruce Lee had developed his own unique fighting style embodying elements of multiple forms of martial arts, boxing and weaponry. The secret to Lee’s success as a martial artist lies in his personal philosophy, not his fighting style.
Like an endless, roaring river hurdling over a rigid rock face, Lee’s Jeet Kune Do philosophy was free flowing in nature. As Lee described: Water poured into a glass becomes the glass. Water poured into a pitcher becomes the pitcher. Be formless like water.
Where most disciplines consisted of a series of techniques including specific stances, punches, kicks, blocks and combination moves, Lee’s approach didn’t commit to one particular method of action. Instead, he stayed open to the mysteries of each moment and pulled from a vast arsenal of styles as needed.
As one of the world’s greatest martial artists, Bruce Lee’s power stemmed from his ability to instantaneously access an endless stream of movements and ideas—a skill which kept him undefeated through a crowd of film-choreographed and real-life battles. Lee said, “Jeet Kune Do utilizes all ways and is bound by none and, likewise, uses any techniques or means which serve its end.”
Agents of change adopt a similar life philosophy to Bruce Lee. You can’t create the unimaginable if your mind is confined to rigid standards and limiting belief systems.
A few daring souls seek to break the rules that bind our perception. As if through an inner calling, they allow themselves to see things differently, act on intuition, advance with certainty and laugh where others remain fearful. These are the visionaries, pioneers, explorers, inventors, adventurers, innovators and true leaders. This spirit of formlessness lies within each of us.
By staying curious, open and flexible, you can break away from limiting thought patterns and enter the realm of infinite potentiality. The universe of potentiality is like a vast ocean, yet most of us seem content to only swim near the shore. There’s nothing wrong with swimming near the shore, but if you seek nothing else, you miss out on lands of discovery.
If bound by nothing, what adventure will you embark on right now? How can you begin to embrace the way of formlessness in your everyday life?
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