The following material is excerpted from my book, "LIBERATE YOURSELF - How To Think Like Bruce Lee," which is available through Amazon.com
“Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”
-- Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee had an indelible impact on both martial art world and the world film world. Oftentimes referred to as “the Leonardo da Vinci of martial arts,” Lee broke down centuries of tradition and classicalism and changed the way people viewed martial arts and martial art training. As an actor, writer, producer, director, and stunt action choreographer, he changed the face of action films. In order to achieve such lofty goals, Lee realized that he couldn’t simply follow in the footsteps of another individual or tread a path that had already been established by someone else, but instead had to blaze his own trail and be his own story.
Being your own story is about choosing to follow your own passions and interests rather than the dictates or dreams of anyone else. It’s about living your own life and making your own mark in the world as opposed to walking in someone else’s footsteps or attempting to replicate another person’s experience as your own.
No Clones, Thank You
You are a unique individual, a “one-off” if you will (think ‘You-nique’). There’s no one else quite like you in the world. The idea is not to go out and look around to find a successful personality and then attempt to duplicate their successes or adopt their story as your own. Yet every day you can see people walking around and attempting to emulate someone who has achieved some level of notoriety or celebrity, be it an actor, musical artist, politician or business tycoon. In extreme cases these people literally become “clones” of their chosen celebrity by adopting the ways or mannerisms of the person as their own. They wear the same type of clothes and copy the person’s gestures. They imitate their facial expressions, the way they walk, even the way they talk. Sometimes they even adopt the celebrity’s point of view or opinions about certain things as their own. The problem is that they are not the other person. The persona they create is merely a façade, and they end up becoming a one-dimensional, cardboard cutout - a cartoon-like copy of someone else.
Influence...Yes / Imitation...No
There’s a huge difference between being influenced by someone and imitating someone. I’m sure that everyone reading this book has been influenced in some way by various people they’ve either met or seen or read about throughout their lives. I know I certainly have. Usually these people are individuals we have a great deal of respect or admiration for. My instructor, Dan Inosanto, has been a major influence on my development as a martial artist. So have other notable martial artists such as Bruce Lee and Rickson Gracie. My writing mentor, “Miami Vice” creator Anthony Yerkovich, and my close friend, fitness author and filmmaker John Little have both influenced me with regard to my writing. However, while each of these people has influenced me in some way, I don’t want to imitate any of them or “be” them. I want to be myself. Imitation is an exercise in futility.
Being your own story doesn’t disallow you from drawing inspiration from other people who are successful in their chosen field of endeavour. There’s nothing wrong in looking to people as sources of inspiration or to help motivate you. You should feel free to learn from successful people, people whom you admire and respect, from ages past and present. Look and see where others have been, how they achieved their success and what their thoughts were, however don’t attempt to pattern yourself after them or your life after theirs.Keep in mind that their story is their own, and yours is your own.
Finally, there's nothing egotistical or selfish about insisting on being our own story. Being unique is the one thing we share with every other individual, and no other person’s story will suit you as well as your own. Bruce Lee embraced life and carved his own path, and so should you. Don’t attempt to adopt someone else’s story for you as your own, no matter how fantastic or grand it might appear to be. Choose to be an original rather than a copy. Have faith in yourself. Get up on the rooftop and shout to the world, “Here I am!” As my good friend, fitness author and filmmaker, John Little put it, “We should each write our own book.” Be your own story and make your own mark in this world.
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