Long live the Champ!

On June 3, 2016, the world lost one of the greatest boxers and athletes to ever live. He left a legacy of wisdom, wit, and wizardry in the ring, not to mention a long list of bruised chins in his wake. Muhammed Ali was more than a boxer, he was word-smith, a humanitarian, a change agent and a profound example of what it takes to be successful.

As the world reflects on what he meant to it, I found myself looking through some of my favourite Ali quotes, those that have helped me to define my own vision of success. I hope his words can inspire you as they have me and assist you on your journey to leave a legacy rich in laughter, love and perpetual achievement.

1. I am the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.

One of the most profound lessons I learned from Ali was the power of intention. Before Ali has even won a fight he declared himself “The Greatest”. You have to have a vision of yourself that destroys all doubt. The world is a negative place, and not everyone will be supportive of your dream. The solution…clap for yourself. You have to constantly remind yourself what and who you are fighting for. The power of intention is real and the law of attraction is proven. Declare your intentions and the universe will rise to help you manifest them. No matter what you want to be or do, it’s achievable once you believe it so.

 

A true mastermind, masters his mind -Kemal Brown – Tweet This

2. The man who views the world at 50 the same as he did at 20 has wasted 30 years of his life.

Life is about consistent growth. We must change, adapt and grow past our current selves to succeed. The reason is simple. What you know now, your current perceptions, have taken so so far and no more. If you aren’t growing you are dying. Every day is an opportunity to learn more and to develop new perspectives and skills to help us become our highest self. Life exists in the moments, the daily decisions and thoughts we have. As Ali demonstrated, many things we hold dear may fade with time, but our commitment to our fellow human being must always endure.

3. 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. What keeps me going is goals.

Be yourself. Set goals and work to achieve them. Ali knew a lot about personal branding. He knew who he was and what he stood for and was relentless in his pursuit of greatness and his purpose on earth.

He would openly declare that he would ‘whup’ anyone. He put on a show for his audiences.Not content with being only a boxer, he displayed his verbal acumen, and charisma, stringing together words and phrases that would often prove to be more impactful than his punches (I’m sure his opponents disagree).

He told the world what he was and it believed him. He set goals and set out to achieve them. Write down whatever you want to achieve, it’s the first step to making it a reality.

4. He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.

What if Ali had never gotten in the ring? What if he had submitted when being drafted for war and never returned home. What would we say of him today? What if he had never championed Islam for fear of the perception, would ‘Cassius’ become the man we revere and honour now?

The world will never know because he took those risks and was rewarded with a legacy that will last through the ages. This lesson is a simple one if you are scared to take risks you will never be successful.

5. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.

Be graceful, yet powerful. Be kind, yet strong. Be compassionate to all, but stand firm on the things you believe in. Ali was a gentle giant. A kind soul, who “beat people up”. While he stung many in the ring, his floating outside of it is what earned him the respect and admiration of the world. He was not a brute, but fought for his personal goal of greatness. We should do the same.

And a bonus.

Ali taught me to simply roll with the punches that come my way. Life has many up and downs, things won’t always be perfect, even your own country can persecute you (in Ali’s case). But through it all rise above and commit yourself to being the best you possible. Always remember, if success was easy everyone would do it. But the fact that one person makes it means you can too. Success leaves clues. Follow them…