23rd November, 1973 Diary Entry
Dear Linda,
I woke up today refreshed, tuning in to the tranquility of Hong Kong at 5:00 am. Today was the last day at set, shooting ‘Enter the Dragon,’ so had a day's work laid out in front of me. I practice mindfulness, adapting to the sounds around me and the stillness in the air. This is what my morning is. Nothing but my thoughts and the serenity surrounding me. I head downstairs, weary not to wake you, Shannon, and Brandon. This is one of the only times I have in the day to myself. Just me and the elements without a car or person in sight... then I stretch, it is harder to pull off some of my kung fu moves without it. Anyway, I hope in a cold shower, the tingling sensation is what gets me up, I love how the water just tickles my skin in a way that just comforts me, but also prepares me. There was a long day ahead of me so I got changed and head down for some brekky.
I brewed myself some black tea with a spoon of sugar to start off, and then cooked some eggs to maintain high protein, while reading over my lines for the day. As I finish, I got ready to start one of my favorite times of the day, my morning run. I put on some joggers and a jumper, head back down for some shoes and head out for my daily run. I pay attention to nature; humming birds twittering, some candlenut trees in the distance swaying with the wind while my shoes collided with the city’s concrete below. Not one person in sight, in busy Hong Kong, how wonderful! Anyway, you have probably woke up by now, so please make some breakfast for the kids, anyway I will not see you until tonight.
Love, Bruce
1st January, 1973
Dear Son in the Future,
Lo Wei just handed me the contract for the ‘Big Boss’ and I'm elated. As soon as it arrived in the mail, I signed without hesitation. He promised me many fighting scenes that can show off my extraordinary abilities to the world. So, this is the time to train and get in shape. Unlike many, I get myself into shape without any help, so all I can count on is myself. From now on it's early mornings, late nights, and big sacrifices. I know I must push myself to my limits in order to impress the masses. My workout will be composed of calisthenics, weights, cardio and of course, Kung-fu. Today was my first morning of training, and it was rigorous to say the least. I woke up at 5, trained relentlessly for 2 hours spent time with you and the kids, then I was back at it. I put myself on a strict diet, making sure I had enough proteins and carbs. I never would have thought that a skinny Asian boy born in California would become one of the greatest martial artists of our time.
Training was harder than I expected, can my older body keep up as I did when I was younger? I took a brisk walk to regather myself. I cannot let myself down, I know I can do it. I need to make sure my performance would be top-notch, for the many millions watching. That ’brisk walk’ soon became a run, a run that would prove to myself that I could do it. This was crucial to my mindset, and it became a turning point. It is utterly amazing what the human body can do. This goes for you, no matter what, you can become whatever you desire. I will forever love you, no matter what you do with your life. But always remember, what the human mind and body can do.
Love, Father
Dear Future-Shannon,
Today was the 4th January 1972, and you are only 2 years old! I am hoping you read this in the future, to know what your father does for a living and his commitment to my job. I woke up like any other day, feeling on top of the world with my up incoming lead role in the martial arts movie ‘Fist of Fury.’ Currently, I am spending most of my day training and at set, which is why your mother has been taking care of you for most of your time as a baby. Anyway, I start my day at 5 am, with a long day of training, memorizing, and acting ahead of me. The key to my physique and to anything that you want to accomplish in your life is quite simple. Commitment, dedication and demanding more from yourself every single day, to the point where it drains you. As a skinny Asian boy, I had all the odds against me but I eventually cracked the code to success, and now, I am passing it down to you...
I have spent about 3 hours training today, 5 hours on set and only 30 minutes with you... But now that you are reading, I hope you understand why I sacrificed my time with you. The first days you commit to something will be hell, but trust me, after 1 month it will become nothing. Like the quote, “What seems to be impossible will soon become your warmup.” Life does not give you anything, so you must work day in and day out to prove everyone wrong. Well at least that is what I did. I spend only 4 hours sleeping, but sometimes you must sacrifice the most important things in life, to stay one step ahead. I am sorry I have not been there for you much, but I hope you understand... I love you with all my heart. I wish you well for whatever you do, and hope you achieve absolute success in your field of work.
Love, Father
