Take what resonates, and add your own ideas

I saw a great Bruce Lee quote this week that I want to share with you. "Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless, and add specifically what is your own," love it.

I enjoy reading, learning from and listening to others. I jot down my 'eureka' moments - things that I want to remember and take action on in my life or business. I often underline key phrases or ideas in books so that I can come back to them (and yes, I have a lot of books!). We learn a lot from the people around us.

So that for me is about 'adapting' what is useful - assessing insights and bringing them into what I do.

I also agree that we can learn from others what we don't want and don't like. For example if you experience a boss that doesn't listen to their team, you learn from it. You see their behaviour and think 'that won't be me when I'm in that position'. 

It's not long before you're a boss and you can 'reject' what you didn't like about their style. No one is binary so what they do won't be all bad! I'm just saying look out for the behaviours you want to replicate and those you don't. Perhaps you like their attention to detail but want to ensure you have a more collaborative style.

Take the best bits from everyone you meet and incorporate it into what you do, discard what doesn't work for you.

And thirdly, we have our own unique ideas. Ideas that fly in out of nowhere and demand our attention, or slow burner ideas that evolve the more we start to think about them. You have a unique perspective on the world. No one sees the world exactly the same way you do - you see the world through a lens of your experiences and values.

This means that any ideas you have are worth saying out loud! What if no one else considers that option? Better to risk looking a bit daft with one of your ideas than be the person who doesn't share any.

These components that Bruce Lee outlines produce a magical combination - something you've learned and observed, complimented by your own ideas and experiences.

This is often happening subconsciously so why not pay extra attention this week and see how this is playing out for you. Are you overly influenced by others? Or by your own ideas and perspectives? Consider your own balance and whether you want to take action to adjust it.

Interested to hear your reflections, hit reply and let me know.