Jeet Kune Do, the system of combat conceived and developed by Bruce Lee, heavily emphasizes not being locked into one form or style, which would stifle effectiveness and promote rigidity. Lee, however, explains that the dilemma here is how to teach all that without a basic form or style. He was trained originally in Wing Chun by the grandmaster Ip Man. For those unfamiliar, that style prizes quick, efficient movements. Invented by a nun, it was designed for women to fight men, who were usually larger in size.

Wing Chun’s philosophy and moves are ubiquitous in those of Jeet Kune Do.

The meaning here is all things have some type of foundation, something that it is tethered or anchored to.

I often contemplate the various versions of my faith. Much of the time, it trended to the conservative end of the spectrum. There was so much unrealistic teaching and practice that I didn’t know whether to walk away or laugh. Maybe I did a bit of both.

But as I’ve grown, I am also grateful for the grounding it gave me. It shaped my worldview and in many good ways.

It just has to be adapted and augmented to account for reality and such. Like Jeet Kune Do, you take what is useful from other styles to make it usedul. Make it work. Make it yours.

Now before you report me to the inquisition, I’m not advocating any heresy on this front. It means you look for ideas and concepts that can complement, co-exist and are not so contradictory.

My faith was probably the most consistent anchor in my life. Some of the others surprisingly and unsurprisingly did not hold up.

The anchors we often rely on are education, job, relationship, knowledge. And although some are definitely more reliable than others, none are foolproof.

Ultimately, this is why one should still center and build on some spiritual sort of anchor. Although I wasn’t the best representative of my faith, it formed the bedrock of many things I did – educational, work, and personal choice, most recently parenting. I also made references to such in my college, law school applications, and my dissertation. Although I was very careful to never explicitly talk about it to my students out of respect and honor, there were traces of the sense of justice, mercy, and grace that my beliefs purport to represent.

As a vessel, I wasn’t perfect but maybe my anchor was. That why I’m still floating.