This month started of with the death of the greatest boxer of all time. Muhammad Ali was more than just a boxer, he was a lyrical mastermind. As skilled he was with boxing, so was he skilled with words. His beautiful sayings about life and sport would stand to remain iconic for generations to come as with his historic fights in the ring. I decided to show one of my favorite Muhammad Ali quotes, as my sign of respect to the greatest boxer who ever lived.
1. "Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer"
Although as we all know, there was not really many times to find Muhammad Ali silent. He was sure to always say his mind when needed. For a guy who had a reply to everything this quote is quite interesting, but it is quite true, too. This one thing that I have tried to live by growing up.
2. “I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion'.”
This is one quote that struck but stuck with me. This is similar to "work hard, play hard" and "no pain, no gain." Life is not going to be easy, but if you put your head down, work hard and persevere; you will be a champion in that field. This quote helps me especially during finals.
3. “Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain wrong.”
Growing up as a child, I never understood why people hated each other because of their skin color. I mean God created us all in His Image, and in fact we are all very similar. Hating people just based on their color no matter what color is hating on the other.
4. “Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them-a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.”
This is one of top five favorite quotes. Everybody has a dream and skill but without that will, we might never achieve that goal. As a photographer, I strive everyday to make sure that my will is stronger than my skill; so when the going gets tough, I can survive.
5. "It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you down. It's the pebble in your shoe."
This quote looks simple yet very powerful. People tend to over focus on the larger problems and their larger goals in life; rather take notice of the small things that would help you achieve that large goal. It is the everyday challenges and issues that actually affect people the most.
6. “The best way to make your dreams come true is to wake up.”
This one of my funniest favorite quote by Muhammad Ali. Summer can be longest period of time for you especially if you have nothing to do but it also the best time to kick-start your dream. Instead of sleeping and eating all day, you can wake up and make the best use of your time.
7. “Inside of a ring or out, ain't nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong.”
This is a very powerful quotes that affects all aspects of life. In life, we all have moments of defeats and pain, we all have moments when we are knocked down and feel we can never get back up, we all have moments of failure; but these moments are not what counts, but the moments of getting back up are what really matter. There is absolutely nothing wrong in failing, but it is deciding that all hope is lost.
Muhammad Ali surely left us with a lot wisdom through his quotes. Although he was not perfect man, he had his flaws and issues; but we can not take away his brilliance in the ring and in his words. Rest in Peace Muhammad Ali.
