Muhammad Ali was known for his boxing successes, but he also motivated many of us with his ideas about life and how to live it.
He believed in persevering and standing up for what he felt was right. He didn't agree with the Vietnam War so vehemently that he refused to fight in it and ultimately was charged and stripped of all the boxing titles he had earned because he wouldn't back down. It took four years to win an appeal during which time he was unable to box.
But he came back to fight and win again. He said, "He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."
Do we take the risks we need to take to make our dreams come true? Do we do the work day in and day out to get there?
Ali said, "I hated every minute of training but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life like a champion."
The seeds you sow today will become the oak trees of tomorrow. And the best time to plant a tree is now.
Everyone has the ability to be a champion in their own life. But often we don't see it. Notice your gifts now. Focus on them and make them grow. Victory is within your grasp.
Ali said, "People don't realize what they had 'till it's gone. Like President Kennedy, there was no one like him, the Beatles, and my man Elvis Presley. I was the Elvis of boxing." Yes he was. But Kennedy battled poor health through his entire political career. The Beatles worked gigs in unknown bars in Germany for years before they 'made it' and Elvis worked as a truck driver while paying to cut his own records before he became an icon. But they never gave up. And neither should you.
May we all be inspired to say what we mean and never stop trying to fight the good fight. RIP Muhammad Ali. Float like a butterfly.