Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee

Lee, Bruce Lee’s daughter, debuts with a practical, Zen-focused guide to living a purposeful life based on lessons from her father. Though Bruce Lee was famous for his martial arts films, his daughter explains that he was also a curious philosopher, and she lays out Bruce Lee’s seven principles of “self-actualization”: defining one’s “definite chief aim” (writing down goals and steps to achieve them); taking action (“be a practical dreamer backed by action”); affirmation (speaking desires into existence); visualizing images that represent the process of moving forward; journaling (“use this time to map out your positive thoughts—what you want, value, believe, wish for”); physical movement (“your body has information for you”); and embrace the “process of becoming.” Being like water requires “heightening our awareness and acquiring and sharpening our tools to encounter life” based on seven core affirmations—memory, subconscious mind, imagination, emotions, reason, conscience, and willpower—the mastery of which allowed for Bruce Lee’s “on-guard position that was both relaxed and active.” This inspired guide will remind any reader that, while one cannot control external circumstance, how one responds is always a choice. (Oct.)