#132 Limitless
“Using no way as way; having no limitation as limitation.”
The idea of being limitless was a core tenet of Bruce Lee’s approach to his art and his life. He lived the philosophy of being limitless and took action.
The idea of being limitless is a mindset and a sense of freedom within one’s own life; it does not mean that you have no boundaries or that you are negligible of your environment or others around you.
Being limitless is the ability to make the decision to be and do anything that is centered in your heart and in harmony with you and the world. You do not have to ask for permission or get approval from any outside institution, person, or society.
Most of our excuses or rationalizations for why we cannot do something is us giving voice to a fear we have about it.
Sometimes we limit ourselves because we fear criticism. It is inevitable that we will receive criticism when we follow our hearts, and that can be really hard, but it is important to stay true to our hearts.
“Limitless means infinite mobility.”
When Bruce says, “Having no limitation as limitation,” he is talking about the limitations that we put on ourselves. When we do not put ourselves in a box then we can move in any direction.
Being limitless is to have infinite mobility, not that you have no path or direction. Being limitless means you have the freedom to pursue any direction to create your life in the way that is the best and most enjoyable for you.
We do not have to limit ourselves to one pursuit in life. If we follow Bruce Lee’s example then we can pursue many different interests and be an Artist of Life.
"The mind must be wide open in order to function freely in thought. For a limited mind cannot think freely."
Being limitless is to never feel trapped.
“Be a practical dreamer backed by action.”
Dream something that is achievable, and then go for it.
In order to be limitless you have to be present. You have to be present in your thoughts, feelings, and environment so that you can be infinitely mobile and take action.
“If you are in the now, you are creative. If you are in the now, you are inventive.”
“Unlimited living is turned into something dead for the sake of security. Pattern = limit. One ought to throw away all ideals, patterns, styles and throw away any concepts about what is ideal. Can you look at a situation without naming it? Naming it causes fear.”
We must be willing to examine things in the present moment. If the path is not working for you give yourself permission to turnaround from it and find a different route.
Being limitless is skillfully and thoughtfully following your enthusiasm in your life.
“The great mistake is to anticipate the outcome of the engagement. To spend your time sitting in what might be.”
You do not learn anything in the avoidance of difficult situations or choices.
“It is indeed difficult to see a situation simply. Our minds are very complex.”
We want to complicate everything. We want to think of every possible way and outcome and this can carry us away from the center of what we want to do.
When living limitless, we have to be present, and not judge with our preconceived notions, so that we have the freedom to consider that there might be a path to take we would not normally consider.
“To bring the mind into sharp focus and to make it alert so that it can immediately intuit truth, which is everywhere, the mind must be emancipated from old habits, prejudices, restrictive thought process, and even ordinary thought itself.”
“To realize freedom requires an alert mind, a mind that is deep with energy, a mind that is capable of immediate perception without the process of graduation, without the idea of an end to be slowly achieved. Preformations simply lack the flexibility to adapt to the ever-changing. At this point, many would ask, “how then do we gain this unlimited freedom?” I cannot tell you because it will then become an approach. Although I can tell you what it is not, I cannot tell you what it is. That, my friend, you have to find out all by yourself.”
“Create immediately and atmosphere of freedom so that you can live and find out for yourself what is true, so that you are able to face the world with the ability to understand it, not just conform to it. One can tell for oneself whether the water is warm or cold. In the same way, a man must convince himself about these experiences, only then are they real.”
“A mind that has no dwelling continues to flow ceaselessly and ignores our limitations and our distinctions. Do not localize the mind anywhere but let it fill up the whole body; let if low freely throughout the totality of your being.”
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