Sitting on the wall of my living room is one of the most treasured objects I own.
A pair of nunchucks used by Bruce Lee himself in Enter the Dragon, framed beside a hand-drawn sketch he made.
They’re not just memorabilia.
They’re a manifesto.
These nunchucks represent a way of thinking.
A way of being.
A way of growing.
It’s an idea Bruce Lee once shared with a student who was struggling with balance, unsure if he was “doing it right.” Bruce mentioned this line to the student….
“Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add your own unique style.”
Instead of correcting the student’s technique, Bruce corrected the mindset.
And what he said would ripple through history.
At first glance, it sounds like martial arts advice.
But read it again, and you’ll feel it land in your bones.
This isn’t about how to throw a punch.
It’s about how to live.
Let’s break this down — and along the way, break free from whatever box you’ve been living in.
Absorb what is useful
Two weeks ago, in a Telegraph interview in London, I was asked:
“Vishen, some people call you a guru. Do you see yourself as one?”
My answer was immediate:
Absolutely not.
Because I don’t believe in guruship.
A guru sits at the center. The students orbit the guru.
That model is not just broken — it’s dangerous.
I believe the student should sit at the center.
And the teachers should orbit you.
You learn. You listen.
You discover different viewpoints.
You embrace colliding ideas.
But YOU discern what fits.
You decide what to absorb.
That’s why Mindvalley is not just me. Rather, it has hundreds of teachers.
That’s why we mix philosophies — sometimes even ones that contradict.
That’s why you are encouraged to be your own compass.
Bruce Lee refused to be limited by one style. He famously said…
“Style creates form. Form becomes limitation.”
Truth is thus formless. It goes beyond a particular style, method, or approach. It is not Sadhguru, or the Dalai Lama, or your Holy Book, or Mindvalley. Truth cannot be put in a circle.
Bruce Lee wrote in his book The Tao of Jeet Kune Do:
“When there is no center and no circumference, then there is truth.
Let that sink in.
The truth isn’t found in one guru or one style.
It’s found in the moment you realize you are meant to discover your own truth by studying many styles or philosophies and knowing what to take in and what to reject.
“Discard what is not…”
Now we come to the second part — and this is where transformation begins.
Because it’s not enough to absorb.
You must be willing to let go.
Most people carry too much.
Too many ideas. Too many identities.
Too many rules that never belonged to them in the first place.
I call them BRULES — bullshit rules.
The rules you inherited from culture, religion, society, or school that limit your joy, your voice, and your truth.
Bruce said:
“It is not daily increase, but daily decrease.
Hack away the unessential.”
Let me be direct:
- What manifesting rule are you still following because someone told you “that’s how it works”?
- What relationship belief is keeping you stuck in a loop of pain?
- What health philosophy is exhausting your body instead of energizing it?
John Lee, one of the teachers in Manifesting Mastery, said it brilliantly:
“Go to your phone.
Look at your contact list.
Now delete the names of the people who drain you every time they text or call.”
It sounds brutal.
But sometimes healing is subtraction.
And here’s the spiritual reason why:
From The Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Bruce writes:
“True thusness cannot be known through conception or thought.
It cannot be grasped with the mind.
One cannot express it with words.”
That means you don’t need more opinions.
You need more space to feel what’s already true.
Letting go is not a loss.
It’s a sacred rebellion against everything that dims your light.
“Add your own unique style…”
This… is the golden part.
After you’ve absorbed the good and discarded the noise…
Now, you create.
This is your soul’s turn to speak.
Bruce Lee said:
“Art is the expression of the self.
The more complicated and restricted the method,
the less opportunity there is
for the expression of one’s original sense of freedom.”
This is the most important part.
Because most people stop at absorption.
They mimic. They master someone else’s style.
But they never create their own.
They become copies.
Not creators.
You’re not here to live someone else’s version of excellence.
You’re here to express the original frequency of YOU..
But you can’t express the self…
Until you know the self.
That’s why Bruce also said:
“To become different from what we are, we must have some awareness of what we are.”
Do you know who you are?
You’re not here to be a carbon copy.
You’re here to be a cosmic mixtape of everything you’ve lived, learned, loved, and lost.
Your past pain was not just hurt. It was a lesson.
Every wound was an education.
Every personal growth class, every Quest lesson, and every meditation helped you discover your own truth.
Never forget that you are stardust, soul, and story—all entangled.
In other words:
You don’t find your style by looking outside. You find it by listening within.
Absorb ideas from many teachers.
Then discard what is dogmatic or not applicable to you.
And most importantly…honor your OWN truth.
Your 3-minute soul practice
Take a moment. Grab a notebook.
This is your Jeet Kune Do of the Soul.
- Write down 3 ideas or lessons you’ve learned recently that feel right for you.
- List 3 things—habits, beliefs, people—that no longer belong in your life.
- Name 1 thing that is completely yours—something no one taught you, but you know in your bones.
This is your inner Jeet Kune Do.
This is your map.
This is how you live—like Bruce—with no style, no center, no circumference… just truth.
Because you weren’t born to fit in someone else’s form.
You were born to become your own force of nature.
For those of you who are curious, here’s a hand-drawn sketch from Bruce Lee that hangs in my bedroom.
Side note: I grew up in Asia and competed in martial arts till I was 19. My first trip to the USA was to represent Malaysia in the US Open Tae Kwan Do Championships of 1993. Hence my fascination with martial arts and the story of Bruce Lee.
Now, I’d love to hear from you. Share your thoughts in the comment box below (I read every single one).
If this story of Bruce Lee and the philosophy of becoming your own master spoke to you… I’d love to hear it.
Tell me: What part of this resonated with your own journey?
For more of these deep dives, insights, and personal reflections…
Follow me on Instagram: @vishen
And join my new broadcast channel for exclusive voice notes, stories, and teachings: Insights from Vishen (on Instagram). I share ideas daily on Instagram.
Here’s to the next-level version of you — the one who absorbs what’s useful, discards what’s not, and creates a life that’s truly your own.
See you in the field.
— Vishen
43 Responses
I’m an architect and architecture teacher at university. All that you wrote about styles applies to my teaching, and how styles and colleagues can influence us, but when the effort is in copying another star architect, it shows and is often doesn’t work.
Becoming fully human during a lifetime is an evolutionary process.
Gurus: I’d imagine a “good” guru is helpful because he/she guides you so you dont make stupid mistakes that might hinder your unfoldment and at the same time.would want you to be “the best version of YOURSELF” including teaching you the incredible mutifaceted aspects of our divinity and would not care if you continue to be a follower unless you still wanted to be. Having assisted in giving you knowldege of yourself she/he knows you’re an asset to the world, stay or go.
A “bad” guru would be interested in teaching you ONLY for your use towards the groups needs, would expect you to be “loyal” and you’d be beholden, not free but given k owledge based on tested loyalty and readiness not free to leave.
I agree “its dangerous” it is like all human endeavors you can end up on the wrong “team” I think historically yes there is a master and the students surround them and there is a system in place and if you are doing a little over here and a little there some more here some there you possibly wouldn’t get very far in inner/spiritual EXPERIENTIAL learning or it may take longer these experienceswhich often are given initially. and along the way.
I agree with the idea of being a student and having the teachers surround you. How much more seemingly you will learn but 1) what defines a guru vs a master teacher 2) why would a guru accept that position 3) information is endless for the mind but the inner world I believe is a whole different world and the quickest way there is a straight line in intent and energy
Once you become.whole once you are a master when are you a guru? Im.sure B.L. first focused on one style until.he mastered it, and then he could make.it his own and break out of the mold and add in other styles and continue his own way. But then usually they will have people who are interested in learning from.them.and then a group starts to form around them and then a particular style is born….and on and on
I agree 100% honor your own truth! Sometimes it takes a little too much 🐕 ma to learn that life lesson and a he’ll of alot of inner strength to finally break free. So.much more to experience! Cheers!
I know nothing about Bruce Lee but your words here are inspiring. I’m gonna try your exercise later.
Funny thing…I posted an open letter on Facebook earlier today where I actually thanked you and others for your roles in helping me remember a lot of what you’re saying.
Everything is connected.
Vishen,
This is the best 15 minute read for anyone who desires to have the most impact on the rest of their 2025.
I already shared my Bruce Lee story with you, however, there is a more pressing story to share with others (and only if they want to continue to read).
I am willing to share my story and a secret on how to make this read have exponential impact.
Healing is 100% subtraction. During the second half of 2024, my entire world was overturned. You name it, if it was great, it was gone.
It was a pencils down situation, so I focused on my health and wellness first.
I started having conversations with my trusted advisors, specifically, a priest, a psychologist and my surgeons. Not in a bar, though that would have added some humor to the situation, which were the very difficult decisions I had to make and that would continue to impact my world negatively.
Interestingly, all of them directed me towards mentorship with a few recommendations. The main theme to their advice: make choices for yourself for once, not others.
This started my journey of assessing and hiring mentors to what I like to call my “fantasy mentorship” team.
During my 5 month medical leave this year, I acquired more than a handful of mentors, all in different specialty areas. This not only helped me with my mental, spiritual and physical fitness, they all have provided individual insights or guidance as to what my next step is, which was to continue to listen to myself and not others.
For those mentors that are associated with Mindvalley:
✨️ David Ghiyam reminds us that our most intimate relationship is with the Creator, and to talk to him more, with prayer and intention.
✨️ Regan Hillyer’s 80 internal/20 action rule and daily manifestation formula, my calendar only accepts invites that follow both.
✨️ And from you Vishen, still working through all your programs, beginners should start with Be Extraordinary of course, which lays out how the learner can continue to build on the skills, acumen and their toolbox to allow them to branch out further in their personal growth.
From all of this, I am now in the process of building out my consulting practice which is a scary, yet exciting experience. I have already capitalized on the inital investment of having a team if mentors in less than 30 days. Projections from scheduled 2025 projects, 100x inital investment at a minimum.
The secret I mentioned earlier?
I have already done the leg work in the assessment and validation of the value your programs bring, in time and money. If they have not signed up for the Manifesting Mastery Program, they are not only losing out on a steal, the rest of their 2025 would not be as successful nor abundant as it potentially could be.
For additional context, I have created programs, systems, workflows, and organizational structures for enterprise level organizations for close to 20 years. You and your team’s programs are invaluable, I hope there is still a seat at the table for them to learn this for themselves.
P.S. Your 1993 knock-out record brought you to this today. 😂😉Anyone can turn a negative into a positive with the right mindset.
Golden words Vishen… You have articulated Bruce Lee’s words so well, explained clearly.. i felt like i was hearing them from the Master himself. Yes we need to abandon old ways… We need to find our true self, our truth, honor ourselves.. our heart , our soul… And shine from within…like a Golden Light
Hi,
I am actually applying this approach, which is finding and pratice the most suitable teachings, techniques from all the teachers that I have chances to know. Maybe, the teachers are really great, but I think that I have to really understand myself to choose the best information or techniques to achieve the result I need at one point of time.
Generally, I agree with you. But you really say it in a beautiful way when visualizing the student in the center and all the teachers around contributing to the growth of the student in some different ways or aspects.
Thank you.
Vishen, thank you! Thank you and your team for you inspirational setup of your platform. Thank you for your balanced and at the same time visionary choice of Mindvalley topics. Thank you for sharing your ideas and opinions. Thank you for helping me back on track by sending mails when I allow myself to fall off the wagon in hectic times, as Eric (Wildfit) would say. Personal growth has become an indispensable and well established topic in my life and through me in the life of my husband and my almost grown up children. I always read your E-mails (just like the one about the teachings of Bruce Lee and their adoption into life) and they are always very valuable to me. They initiate self reflection and are even inspirational for my work with my customers.
Dear Vishen,
When I can’t seem to think clearly, I find myself looking up at the stars.
Perhaps because, in those moments, I feel like just a tiny dot on the vast canvas of the universe.
I’ve tried to learn so many things—with patience, with effort.
But no matter how much I learn, I’ve never stopped asking myself:
“What is the true voice within me?”
There are times I feel like I have no idea, no defined style.
And I’ve wondered—am I enough, just as I am?
But this lesson today helped me realize:
I am not a copy of anyone.
I am in the process of refining every experience I’ve lived—
every pain, every failure, every quiet breakthrough—
to become a mixtape of the universe,
one that holds a melody unlike any other.
A mixtape filled with creative power,
waiting to be heard,
waiting to be shared.
Thank you so much
for this space of deep reflection.
✨ I am not just another woman.
I am an Unseen Wonder—
recorded by the universe in one unique mixtape.
With gratitude,
Nuchanat Kraprayoon
Hola Vishen, te sigo desde hace como 1 año, pero el método Silva lo conocí siendo adolescente, aunque no continué con la práctica, no sé por qué…creo que me sigue dando vértigo descubrir de lo que soy capaz y/o que me tachen de loca, tiene sentido?
Creo que por eso no acabo de dar el “salto económico” hacia la abundancia, por eso aprovecho todo el contenido que compartes de forma gratuita!
Muchísima gracias
Thank you, Vishen, for highlighting these golden nuggets of wisdom!
I completely agree that we can often get buried under a mountain of teachings, teachers, and ideas, which can lead to more confusion than clarity. Information overload, without the crucial step of truly reflecting on what’s being presented, can definitely be a major setback on our self-improvement journey.
In my own journey, I’ve learned to seek out what’s common across different teachings and what truly stands out as unique. The most important question I ask myself is: “Does this resonate with me?” If I feel a kind of “thug of revolt” or a ripple in my chest, I know it’s not for me. So many of us try to be a copy of someone else, whether it’s a guru or a master we admire. What I aspire to be is a combination of all the valuable lessons I’ve absorbed, but with my own unique signature (or unique style, as you perfectly put it) that declares, “I am not another.” There’s no one else quite like a Josephine, and that’s the journey I’m actively working on.
Thank you again, Vishen, for expounding on this profound lesson from Bruce Lee. It’s a powerful reminder to embrace our own authentic path.
I was inspired by John Lee’s talk in the summit. I went ahead and deleted 100+ numbers from my contacts. Waiting to see what happens next. Would love to see more John Lee quests on MindValley.
This is how I try to live. As a public-school teacher, the philosophy gets me into trouble. My school district is very controlling, but I never do things just like they want. From every mandate or training, I use what fits me, discard what doesn’t fit, and find my own way to best teach my students with integrity and love. If you know “The Animal School: a Fable”, I am the eagle.
Apart from my work life, I think it was providential that this appeared in my inbox today. I have joined Mindvalley and started two Quests I am excited about; however, some of the lessons do not resonate with me. Today, I realized that I that it’s OK to internalize what is useful to me, not worry about what doesn’t resonate, and add my unique way of navigating each Quest without guilt.
I also like “instead of correcting the student’s technique, Bruce corrected the mindset.” This has potential for how I teach my students. I need to think more about how to apply it, but I feel in my bones that correcting mindset instead of skills, will enhance student learning and bring more joy to my classroom.
Thank you,
Melinda
Hello Vishen ,
Love reading what you write .
“Because you weren’t born to fit someone else’s form . You were born to become your own force of nature “
Above few lines not only resonate with me , it kind of gives the freedom to be self without limits! 🙂
Thank you, Vishen, for sharing this fascinating story — it gave me goosebumps. Just two days ago, I said the same mantra to a friend:
‘Take what works, leave what doesn’t, and go your own way.’
Truth looks different for each of us. Like the cells in a body — each with a unique role and purpose — we’re all contributing to the greater whole, the universal consciousness.
Thank you for always pushing boundaries, breaking the brules, and choosing to live authentically. You’re a true inspiration.
The 3 minute soul practice is one I will refer back to thanks Vishen! As I absorb and grow it will be interesting to see how these responses change over time.
Thank you! I am 75 years old and learning from what you are sharing makes me feel like a teen ager in University again.
May you have the joy of finding yourself in the Center of God’s Will for your life through Jesus Christ, our Savior, Lord and Maker.
This has inspired me to be me as everyone else is already taken. Being brought up to behave like the rest of the herd is not me any more. Thank you Vishen for your work and sharing what you have learned. I am reading your Buddha Badass book for the second time and loving it. I live in Western Australia so your live presentations don’t really work for my time zone. Any chance of recordings. Enjoy your day.
There was a lovely serendipity about this for me. I opened the email walking back from my first Jeet Kune Do class in 20 years which was with Emil Martorissian in Brighton, England. The first thing Emil did was show me two fighting sticks that belonged to Bruce Lee which he was given in Hong Kong by the Lee family (I think) and we chatted about the man, the Tao and the movies before he led me through one of the toughest but most satisfying hours I’ve experienced in a long while. Bruce’s philosophy has always fascinated me and I’ve been meaning to reconnect with JKD for ages, having left it behind at Bob Breen’s dojo in London. The “Oss” on completing today’s class was a meaningful moment for me and it’s funny how such things often come together. It was barely 5 minutes later that I saw your email (which I confess I rarely read and I assume is rarely about Bruce Lee) and found myself absorbed in its wisdom and generosity. I don’t know what, if anything, the cosmos means by offering up such a lovely coincidence or connection but thanks for a beautiful post.
Nick
Hello Vishen,
I enjoyed reading this writing, I hope you will read my post, although I’m sure you are very busy. I agree with almost everything you wrote. I really like how you write, how you personalize it with your own stories and give a little insight into your life, setting a positive example for others.
I like this approach of learning different ideas from many different teachers and taking what you can apply to your own life. I have been learning this way for a long time, filtering what I hear and experience through my own values.
This is the first time I have written a comment to you (I didn’t dare to do it until now), and I would like to thank you for your many years of teaching. I have known Mindvalley materials for about 8 years, and they helped me a lot in improving my English skills, because they were so interesting that I wanted to understand them, and it was quite motivating to study. When I started listening to the videos, I only understood about half of them, but now I understand almost everything automatically. For that I am very grateful, because this is a huge improvement. I’m Hungarian, English is not my native language, so excuse me if I make some errors.
Since I am a graphic designer and content creator, it is really important for me to find uniqueness and not copy others. That is why I really like what Bruce Lee said: “Absorb what is useful. Discard what is not. Add your own unique style.”
So I always try to find my unique style and something for my soul to “speak”, that is why I started making lyrics, music, and videos to bring my stories to life, and maybe with that I can bring joy to the lives of others when they listen to them, watch them.
Unfortunately, there have been lots of painful things in my life, so it’s hard to think that it’s a good thing that it happened, because it also contributed to who I am today, but it’s true. Without it, I would be a different person for sure. Less compassionate, less kind-hearted, less strong. But it has made me a warrior survivor, always looking for the beautiful and the good that is still worth living for. That’s why it was so nice to read your comforting lines:
“You’re here to be a cosmic mixtape of everything you’ve lived, learned, loved, and lost.
Your past pain was not just hurt. It was a lesson.
Every wound was an education.
Never forget that you are stardust, soul, and story—all entangled.”
I’m sure your words will help many other people too.
THANK YOU WISHEN.
I look forward to your further writings.
Good stuff indeed! Be water. 🙂