Muhammad Ali(bornCassius Marcellus Clay, Jr., January 17, 1942) is anAmericanformer professionalboxer,[1]philanthropist[2]andsocial activist.[2]Considered acultural icon, Ali has both been idolized and vilified.[3][4]
Originally known as Cassius Clay, at the age of 22 he won theworld heavyweight championshipfromSonny Liston. Ali changed his name after joining theNation of Islamin 1964, subsequently converting toSunni Islamin 1975. In 1967, three years after Ali had won the heavyweight championship, he was publicly vilified for his refusal to be conscripted into theU.S. military, based on his religious beliefs and opposition to theVietnam War. Ali was eventually arrested and found guilty on draft evasion charges; he was stripped of his boxing title, and his boxing license was suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight again for nearly four years while his appeal worked its way up to theU.S. Supreme Court, where it was eventually successful.
Ali would go on to become the first and only three-timelinealWorld Heavyweight Champion.
Nicknamed "The Greatest", Ali was involved in several historicboxingmatches.[5]Notable among these were three with rivalJoe Frazier, which are considered among the greatest in boxing history, and one withGeorge Foreman, where he finally regained his stripped titles seven years later. Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, epitomized by his catchphrase "float like a butterfly, sting like a bee", and employing techniques such as the Ali Shuffle and therope-a-dope.[6]Ali brought beauty and grace to the most uncompromising of sports and through the wonderfulexcessesof skill andcharacter, he became the mostfamousathletein the world.[7]He was also known for his pre-matchhype, where he would "trash talk" opponents, often with rhymes.
In 1999, Ali was crowned"Sportsman of the Century"bySports Illustratedand"Sports Personality of the Century"by theBBC.[8][9]
Quotes of Muhammad Ali:
1. “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
My take is, mostly be a nice person, but hey, stand up for you when the need arises. No doormats allowed!
2. “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it, then I can achieve it.”
If you set your mind to something, it’s possible. Period.
3. “Impossible is just a big word thrown around my small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”
Impossible and can’t are not in my vocabulary.
4. “To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If not pretend you are.”
If you don’t have confidence in yourself, how can anyone else?
5. “What you are thinking is what you are becoming.”
There is power in what you think and say. Use it to your full advantage.
6. “Don’t count the days, make the days count.”
Spending the days counting down to your next big event, project, vacation ect…wastes precious time. Make a point to do something great every day and don’t forget the gratitude; that will help you find your successes.
7. “What keeps me going is goals.”
Make some. It’s motivating. They don’t have to be life changing. Crossing of accomplishments from a to-do list can be a good starting place.
8. “I know where I’m going and I know the truth, and I don’t have to be what you want me to be. I’m free to be what I want.”
Nobody owns you. You have choices. Choose wisely.
9. “Live everyday as if it were your last because someday you’re going to be right.”
Again, gratitude, gratitude, gratitude.
10. “Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.”
Try new things, you may just like it.
11. “If they can make penicillin out of moldy bread, then they can sure make something out of you.”
Yep. You rock!
12. “Silence is golden when you can’t think of a good answer.”
Another favorite of mine, “I’ll have to get back to you”.
Life should be enjoyable and an experience where you have the chance to grow psychologically and intellectually. Anything less is really not living.
Who is a person that inspires you?
What are some of your favorite quotes?
What are some things you do to stay motivated?
Do you take time to set goals for yourself?