#5 Originate and Innovate
How did Bruce Lee interpret the ideas of Originating and Innovating? This week we discuss Bruce’s unique take on these ideas. His definition of these words have nothing to do with the buzzwords of business. Originating is the process of self-actualizing and becoming your true self and innovating is what gets created in the world when you are connected to your authentic energy.
"We tend to have more faith in what we imitate than what we originate. We feel we cannot derive a sense of absolute certitude from anything which has its root in us. The most poignant sense of insecurity comes from standing alone and we are not alone when we imitate.”
Most of us are seeking validation by imitating the path or success of others even if it’s against our true nature. But our mission in life should be to originate by letting our true inner light shine through.
Also, Bruce Lee did not believe in achieving his life's mission by competing with others, he was only in competition with himself.
"You are required only to perform your own mission in life without any thoughts of aggressiveness or competition.”
We also have some action steps you can take towards originating and innovating:
- Break your goals into small parts.
- Pick an accountability partner and commit to meeting or connecting regularly to put your ideas and creations into action.
#AAHA
(Awesome Asians and Hapas)
This week’s shoutout goes to pioneering comedian, actress, singer and activist Margaret Cho. Margaret was the first Asian American lead actress on a network TV show (All-American Girl, 1994) and paved the road for a generation of Asian comedians and actresses. We want to acknowledge Margaret for being brave enough to be her unique self and resist cultural pressures to be a quiet, obedient, demure and powerless Asian woman. Thank you for shining your true inner light.
#BruceLeeMoment
(Bruce Lee’s philosophy in action IRL)
This week’s #BruceLeeMoment comes from Ian Khouv of London, England who wrote in to share his story.
Hi Shannon, Just got done listening to the first episode of your new podcast and can't wait for tomorrow's commute to hear the next one! I can hear the passion, enthusiasm, and fun that shines through.
Your father Bruce and your brother Brandon have been lifelong inspirations to me.
At first, it was mainly through the 'kick-ass Kung Fu' tapes that my own Dad let me watch but as I grew older, it was indeed the philosophy of Bruce that continues to inspire me to this day.
As a Chinese boy growing up in London, England, Bruce showed me that an Asian man could be anything he wanted to be, including the real life superhero that Bruce was. This is a lesson that I will be passing on to my son (also called Brandon).
My #bruceleemoment actually is several small moments scattered through time. I've always found that being a 'Bruce Lee fan' was a way to cut through differences between people and has always been a common thread that I can use to unite people. I've used 'being a Bruce Lee fan' to break up arguments; stop from being bullied when I was young; and to start conversations with people around the topic of being Chinese.
Today this #bruceleemoment transpires in my life mainly from what Bruce said on the interview on Pierre Burton's show:
"You know what I want to think of myself? As a human being. Because, I mean, and I don't wanna sound like 'as Confucius says' but under the sky, under the heaven, man, there is but one family. It just so happens, man, that people are different."
I currently work for a secular human rights charity and no truer words have been spoken with regards to equality than what your father spoke.
Bruce Lee still plays an active role influencing my day-to-day. I've recently enrolled in a Philosophy degree partly due to your father's writings. I feel like Bruce's philosophy is truly accessible to the common man and can be applied so readily to everyday life. Philosophy can be a daunting subject to dip your toes into when the writings of Hegel, Wittgenstein, and Nietszche loom but Bruce is able to encapsulate in an aphorism what many take chapters to illustrate.
Apologies for the long email. The podcast just inspired me to reach out to you and to let you know the impact Bruce had on me and continues to do so.
Keep up the good work!
Kindest regards, Ian
Share your #AAHA and #BruceLeeMoment recommendations with us via social media @BruceLee or email us at hello@brucelee.com
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