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Anxiety is the gap between the NOW and the THEN. So if you are in the NOW, you can't be anxious, because your excitement flows immediately into ongoing spontaneous activity.
Bruce Lee
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Anxiety arises from worrying about the future rather than focusing on the present moment.

Bruce Lee's quote emphasizes the importance of living in the present to avoid feelings of anxiety. He suggests that anxiety stems from the disconnection between the present moment ('NOW') and future concerns ('THEN'). By engaging fully in the present, we can channel our energy into positive actions instead of being paralyzed by worry about what is to come.

Themes

AnxietyPresentMindfulnessLiving In The NowBruce Lee

In practice

Example use cases

In a mental health workshop, to illustrate the importance of mindfulness.

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Because one does not want to be disturbed, to be made uncertain, he establishes a pattern of conduct, of thought, a pattern of relationships to man. He then becomes a slave to the pattern and takes the pattern to be the real thing.
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