To think. To wait. To fast.

There was a great TV show in the 1970s called “Kung Fu.” It was about the adventures of Kwai Chang Caine, a Chinese “Shaolin Priest,” or monk, played by David Carradine.

Though Carradine was not Asian, he had the kind of face, facial expressions, and demeanor that let him be very believable in the role. In fact, he was great at it.

His character defended his Master when the Master was insulted. In that society — a feudal type of society, kind of like our Wild West but with swords instead of guns — any kind of slight from an underling could not be tolerated.

He’s forced to leave his home and all he’s known and winds up traveling through the old American west armed only with his wits and fierce martial arts skills.

As you can imagine, he was not taken too kindly by many folks in the rough and tumble American west. He meets all kinds of people and gets into dramatic and dangerous adventures every episode.

Seeing him wipe out six cowboys at a time with swift roundhouse kicks, throws, and chops never gets old. Note: He didn’t go around beating people up because he wanted to; it was only used as a last resort, which made it all the more poignant.

Often, before someone knew what Caine was physically capable of, they’d look at him dressed in rags, barefoot, and with no possessions, and say something like, “What can you possibly do about it?”

The answer he always gave, which still resonates with me today, was this: “I can think. I can wait. I can fast.”

Let’s briefly examine each of these.

Clearly we know that the following are not wise activities: smoking two packs a day, drinking until you pass out, beating your spouse, gambling away the rent money, shoplifting, and standing on the edge of the cliff at Vrooman’s Nose to take a selfie.

Yet people still do these things and much worse all the time. Tellingly, we have the largest prison population of any country in the world.

Are people really thinking when they engage in such questionable and often dangerous behaviors? I don’t think so. Just because we have the ability to think doesn’t mean we do it.

We all have to make decisions and choices throughout the day and throughout our lives. Some of these choices are trivial — pepperoni or cheese pizza, let’s say — but others much more so: drop out of school, steal from your grandparents, etc.

Truly, the ability and inclination to simply think before acting are so, so important. In fact, the word THINK was the long-time slogan for a little company called IBM, and they did all right.

One good thing about getting old — assuming you live that long — is you make enough mistakes that you finally learn from them. That’s called wisdom, and it’s often wasted on the young, as the saying goes.

When we’re young, we’re invincible, or so we think. When I look at the dangerous stuff I did in my misspent youth I’m genuinely amazed that I’m sitting here today writing this.

Next is waiting. This is a very underappreciated skill but one that is very powerful. In fact, if hormone-crazed teenagers could learn to wait, we’d have a lot less problems in the world (though I know that is notoriously tough — been there, done that).

There is a famous experiment where a small child is given a cookie but is told if he or she can wait a couple of minutes while the researcher leaves the room he or she can have a second cookie. As you would expect, some kids can wait and some can’t.

The fascinating thing is they’ve followed these kids long-term and the ones who waited had much, much better life outcomes than the ones who couldn’t. Wow.

Being able to wait — for a flight, for graduation, for Christmas, or whatever — comes down to being able to put off instant gratification and learning to think long-term. I, for one, try never to be without a book no matter where I am. Books keep the brain cells functioning like nothing else and really help me tolerate waiting.

As for long-term thinking, as a kid I always thought time dragged on slowly, especially during the long, hot and humid summers in the city. But, once you’re an adult with a spouse, kids, a job, and a house, you have so much to do all the time that time really seems to fly by.

I’ve often imagined what I would do if I were held captive for a long time. How would I deal with the solitude and lack of mental stimulation?

Assuming my physical needs were met — including dental floss, haha — it comes down to passing time without dying of boredom. Some of the activities I’ve thought of to pass the time include writing a whole computer software system in my head, or designing the floor plan for my dream house (more garage bays than bedrooms would be nice, thank you very much). Learning how to wait patiently is an asset for sure.

Finally, we have fasting. For a while I was doing a complete one-day fast weekly. When I had colonoscopy prep, I had to fast for two days.

Then there is intermittent fasting, where you only eat between certain hours, say 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. There are many ways to fast, and you can do it if you try. Giving your digestive system a break — especially around or after the holidays when so much food is served — can be a good idea.

I have a friend who told me that, one time, he wasn’t feeling right spiritually so he fasted for nine days. Nine days! I asked him how he felt afterwards and he said not too bad but he admitted he was a little lethargic at work.

Can you imagine that — he went to work while not eating for nine days straight. I only worked in a cubicle at a desk, nothing too physical, yet even I wouldn’t try that.

The point is, fasting is a tool that can be used to get your diet, or even your spirit, back in shape. Use it wisely and please check with your doctor first if you’ve never done it before. Just because it works for some doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Being able to think, wait, and fast are not as exciting as wicked cool martial arts skills, but in many ways are equally as powerful. Try them, grasshopper, and you will not be disappointed.