As a long time educator, I've often used famous quotes from a wide variety of figures in my teachings.
Some quotes in particular have stuck with me a lot. Perhaps having different students analyze them offers me new perspectives and lenses through which I can re-interpret them over and over, finding yet more meanings in their intricate subtleties.
As life throws at us countless challenges, we can never seem to find enough ways to deal with them.
At times, our thoughts and emotions can take control of us rather than the other way around. And we may get stuck in a rut, or just not know how to best handle some situation.
At other times, we may simply be bored with our lives, our existence, and just want to experience something new.
We often get advice from our parents and wise grandparents. But wisdom is timeless and can come from anyone, including children.
So let's take a journey together - hopefully once a week - and see what marks the timeless sages and great minds have bestowed on humankind.
Without further ado, here we go with my first pick of the litter:
"Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless, like water." - Bruce Lee
This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. I've particularly taken to it in recent years, as life has thrust upon me numerous challenges which I have found difficult to deal with.
There are two key parts to the quote. The first is "Empty your mind".
In today's complex world, it is easy for our minds to get clouded with all kinds of stuff - thoughts, worries, emotions, obligations, expectations, etc.
Moreover, we live in an information age and are constantly bombarded with stimuli seeking our attention. It's quite easy to experience "information overload". And so-called "smart phones" have certainly contributed to this infestation.
Our daily lives are so packed and busy. We seldom have to relax or even just to chill out a bit. This is kind of our own doing, but it is prevalent nonetheless.
So, what I think Bruce Lee means by this first part is for us to just forget about everything and also to let it go.
What is "it"? - whatever is bothering, preoccupying, or taking hostage our mind and natural/innate thought processes. Simply put, it means to let it all go and reclaim our mental serenity and ability to be in total control.
The next important part of this quote - "be...like water" is perhaps even more powerful. Here, water can easily be seen as a metaphor for a difficult situation.
In other words, when we encounter a difficult situation or a challenge, we need to adapt. We need to be more flexible (just as water does with its own immediate environment).
For instance, if our boss asks us to do something we are not comfortable with or find stupid or useless, it might be easier just to do it, so as to not attract more trouble. Stated differently, it simply means that we should be more flexible and adaptable, go-with-the-flow, if you will.
This makes a lot of sense as everything in life is in a constant state of flux. Everything is constantly in motion and swimming against the tide, though sometimes necessary and virtuous, is not as easy and peaceful as swimming with it.
It can give us peace of mind which is in complete synchronicity with the first part of this quote ("Empty your mind").
The other part of the quote - "be formless, shapeless," is certainly complementary to being adaptive. Here, of course, he is referring to water.
Water is, after all, highly adaptive and will take whatever shape it needs in its immediate environment. It is arguably the most adaptive substance on earth. Our bodies and brains are actually highly composed of water. So, it makes perfect sense to see this natural element and its related properties equivalent or at least comparable to that of mind and consciousness.
Anyway, that is the first part of our journey together. And I hope you continue with me in the coming weeks and months so as to explore more timeless wisdom through quotes and how they can help improve the way we live our lives.
Fee free to share some of your own favorite quotes in the comments section below.
Peace.
