Mark Blasini


Articles

Ease the burden of your mind

08/02/2018

There is an anecdote with the martial artist Bruce Lee where he is training with one of his students (the actor James Coburn).

Coburn is trying to kick a certain target, but keeps having trouble hitting his mark. After a few tries, Bruce finally tells him to relax mentally - to not worry about where to land his foot, how to move his body, or when to raise his leg. Just kick.

Heeding Bruce's advice, Coburn just kicks - hitting his mark right on. Bruce then tells him:

When you ease the burden of your mind, you just do it.

This is really the essence of strategic living - getting out of your own way. When you ease the burden of your mind, when you stop worrying about doing things the right way, but just doing - that is the goal you're shooting for.

The strategizing, the hard thinking - that's just to keep you from burdening yourself. The idea is to ask yourself: What must I do to stop worrying - to just do and know it'll be fine?

Always seek to unburden your mind. Then you can actually start living.