...it has a very short life
But goes calmly and smoothly, little-to-no strife.
And even as it passes it becomes something new,
Changing shape constantly 'til there's nothing to view.
Depending where it passes you may see yourself in what's left.
Bruce Lee likes this version, to be like it, to be deft.
But at its birth it's hardy, something not okay to chew.
Except that's good advice many of us eschew!
Clarification: The answer is something you can hold in your hand, or with chopsticks.
I believe the answer is
Ice
Lots of credit to Ebe Isaac who was very close and inspired this answer!
...it has a very short life
Melts quickly in room temperature
But goes calmly and smoothly, little-to-no strife.
Ice melting is very smooth and steady
And even as it passes it becomes something new,
Water!
Changing shape constantly 'til there's nothing to view.
It all changes state until there is no ice left
Depending where it passes you may see yourself in what's left.
You may see your reflection in the left over water, depending on where the leftover water is
Bruce Lee likes this version, to be like it, to be deft.
From Ebe Isaac: A Bruce Lee quote: 'You must be shapeless, formless, like water.'
But at its birth it's hardy, something not okay chew.
Ice is solid and hard, and you don't want to chew it
Except that's good advice many of us eschew!
Some people still chew ice, for instance ice cream, or just ice on its own
Everything fits well to the answer
water
Most lines are self-explanatory. As for the rest:
Depending where it happens you may see yourself in what's left.
A puddle can be what’s left of a rainfall, on which you may see a reflection of your self. Credits to @BeastlyGerbil and @MacGyver88 for this point.
The answer is also attributed in Bruce Lee’s quote
You must be shapeless, formless, like water.
Is it
An opportunity?
...it has a very short life
Opportunities come and go, and you must quickly take hold of it or lose it
But goes calmly and smoothly, little-to-no strife.
Opportunities come and go fairly quietly and you must be the one to uncover it
And even as it passes it becomes something new,
A missed opportunity has the chance to be a learning point in life, where you learn a lesson and look again. A stumble can prevent a fall!
Changing shape constantly 'til there's nothing to view.
As I said, opportunities come in many different forms and you need to take hold of them quickly
Depending where it passes you may see yourself in what's left.
Depending when the opportunity comes in your life, it depends whether you grab hold of it or not, and in the future you see the consequence of whatever choice you had made back then
Bruce Lee likes this version, to be like it, to be deft.
One of his quotes, "To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities."
But at its birth it's hardy, something not okay chew
Except that's good advice many of us eschew!
Children these days don't really get the point of taking an opportunity these days... what a shame. People know that you need to make use of good opportunities, but most are too lazy. And that is the difference between successful and normal people.
