Welcome to this series on Success. I hope you find the readings thought provoking and inspiring. Please enjoy.
I am the greatest; I said that even before I knew I was.” ~ Muhammad Ali.
From the moment a 12 year old kid called Cassius Clay, Jr. first laced up a pair of boxing gloves, he no doubt knew that he was destined for greatness in both the sport and in life.
Here are 9 of Muhammad Ali’s best quotes on greatness and self belief:
- Have a Vision
“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.”
Having a vision for your future defines what you want to become and what you want to achieve. A clear vision helps keep the momentum going when difficult circumstances threaten to derail the dream.
- Set Goals
“Goals keep me going.”
Goal setting helps you to be clear on what you want. Work out an action plan to achieve your goal, take the necessary steps, and to focus your time and energy on reaching your targets.
- Don’t Quit the Preparation Stage
“I hated every minute of training, but I said, “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion”.
- Meet Challenges Head On
“Lack of faith makes people afraid of meeting challenges.”
It’s often tempting to give up on doing something difficult because we see it as being too tough. Many people throw in the towel before giving it a try.
- Have the Courage to Take Risks
“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.”
Most of us have our own ‘comfort zone’, a familiar place where we limit what we do to only those things we know we can do successfully.
If you fear failure you will never take the risks needed for excellent performance. As you apply goal setting to your life and see the achievement of these goals, your self confidence will grow, helping you to take even bigger risks.
- Don’t be Afraid of Losing
“I never thought of losing, but now that it’s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That’s my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.”
In today’s success obsessed society, we’re programmed to be terrified of losing.
See failure as the opportunity to identify areas where you can improve your skills and performance for the future.
Mistakes are considered bad too by people who are less than well inspired. Mistakes are the stepping stones of the path to success.
- Believe in Yourself.
“I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.”
When you believe that something is possible and within your power to get, you are much more likely to put in the time and effort required to make it happen.
- You are Free to be what you want
“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.”
The pressure to conform to other people’s standards is enormous. Parents, friends, the media, and society all set goals for you, based on what they want. Never let other people limit you. Your dreams belong to you and you alone.
9. Positive Affirmations are powerful.
“Repeating affirmations leads to belief. Once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”
Negative internal thoughts are the enemy of success. If you tell yourself that ‘you can’ enough times, one day you’ll start to believe it. When that happens, there will be no stopping you!
Which of Muhammad Ali’s motivational quotes inspires you the most?
- Have a Vision
- Set goals.
- Don’t quit the preparation stage.
- Meet challenges head on.
- Have the courage to take risks.
- Don’t be afraid of losing.
- Believe in yourself.
- You are free to be what you want.
- Positive affirmations are powerful.
How could you apply them to your own life today?
Pick your area of excellence.
Work out your strengths.
Believe in yourself, just as Muhammad Ali did.
Repeat after me I AM THE GREATEST.
For more blogs please visit www.NicksDigitalSolutions.com and choose Nick’s blog
For E-Learning material, please visit www.NicksDigitalSolutions.com and choose the E-Learning shop (in particular Pathways to Success).
Nick Thorne is the founder of Nick’s Digital Solutions Limited. He lives in Levin, New Zealand.