Bruce Lee was a legend. He was a martial artist, philosopher, an actor and a filmmaker who inspired millions of people in their lives.

He was one of the most influential martial artists of all time and remains a pop culture icon to this very day. He was named by Time Magazine as one of the most influential people of the 20th century.

Bruce Lee’s quotes are not only inspiring, they are also thoughtful and impressive.  Within these quotes, there are several life lessons we can all learn from.

Here are the 7 life lessons you can learn from the quotes of the dragon:

1. Focus is the key to success

“The successful warrior is the average man, with laserlike focus.” – Bruce Lee

If you want to succeed, focus on the tasks you should do. Set up a distraction free environment when you’re working. If you know that you will most likely get distracted by your smartphone, keep it in another room when you are working. Or disconnect it from the internet.

We can’t deny the fact that most of us have short attention spans, but, we can do something about it. Find a way to help yourself concentrate. Set a schedule for yourself to disconnect from the world and focus on the most important tasks at hand.

2. Make good use of your time

“If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of.” – Bruce Lee

Reflect on your life so far, how did you spend your time in the past? Doing things that are meaningful to you, things which add value to people around you or did you just procrastinate most of the time?

I bet every single one of us is clear that we only live once, but how many of us really make use of our precious time wisely? Think about it, you don’t want to waste the rest of your life doing meaningless tasks right? Starting from today, make good use of the time you have. Live everyday like it is the last day of your life. It might sound cliché, but it is true.

3. Character is as important as knowledge

“Knowledge will give you power, but character respect.” – Bruce Lee

We all know about the power of knowledge, as a wise man once said: “Knowledge is power.”  But, often we forget that character, in some ways are more important than knowledge.

Do you like people who are arrogant or do you prefer people who are kind-hearted? The answer is obvious. No matter how intelligent you are, it doesn’t matter that much when it comes to earning respect from others. It is your character which counts!

4. Set a goal and aim for it

“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” – Bruce Lee

A goal is our target to aim at. It is our source of motivation. Having a goal gives us a clear direction in our lives. We aim for it and work towards it. It gives us a clear destination in our lives.

But the main point here is that goals aren’t always meant to be reached. So, it’s okay not to hit your goals within a timeframe. It’s okay to fail, but never give up. Sometimes, you just have to believe. Aim for it and work towards it until you achieve it. Clement Stone once said that: “Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star.”

Even if you fail to hit your goals after all the hard work, it is okay, because you will still have achieved something. If you never try, then the chances of you achieving something will be zero.

5. Have the courage to admit your mistakes

“Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them.” – Bruce Lee

A teacher once asked his students, is admitting our mistakes shameful? 8 out of 10 said ‘No’. The other two students who were siblings thought that admitting mistakes is something shameful.

It’s the environment we grow up in that shapes the way we think. Some may perceive mistakes as something bad. They think that it’s shameful to admit their mistakes. This could not be further from the truth.

There is nothing wrong with making mistakes in our lives. The most important part is how we respond to it. Do we admit and acknowledge our mistakes, eventually learning from it? Or do we avoid talking about it and pretend nothing happened? The worst mistake you can make is, not admitting your own mistakes.

6. Don’t think too much, just do it

“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee

Let’s face it, before we start doing something new, something out of our comfort zone, we think about it for a long time. In the end, we did nothing other than thinking.

This is especially true for those who are thinking of starting their own business or those who have crazy and unconventional ideas. They tend to think carefully of the plan and the risks involved in it. A lot of “what-if” questions will came across their minds. “What if this idea won’t work out? What if the business fails?”

“I’m not going to make it…” you tell yourself and finally you decided to give up. You gave up before you might have even taken a single step.

Remember Nike’s slogan? Just do it! That’s what you need to do – take action. Yes, it is okay to think thoroughly before doing anything. But the more time you spend on thinking, the more likely you won’t do it. Think, but don’t overthink. Don’t get stuck in analysis-paralysis!

7. Learn to control your temper

“A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough.” – Bruce Lee

How many times have you lost your temper in the past? Countless times I suppose? And what happened next? Did the things you were angry about become better, or did it get worse? Admit it, your quick temper worsens the situation almost every time.

Everyone experienced it before. We all know that letting our anger loose is harmful to us. We want to change that, but it is not easy to take control of our temper. We are only humans after all.

So, what can you do to control your temper? Well, there are many things you can do, but the best advice I can give is to take a deep breath and think it through. You still need oxygen when you’re angry after all. Remember, always control your temper before it controls you!

I hope you enjoyed my insight on Bruce Lee’s quotes. What quotes would you add to this list that has made a difference in your life? Comment Below!