Our mortal lives do not last forever; in time, we will all extinguished. However, the legacy that we build with our lives can last forever and bring us immortality. The life of Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Clay) is one such example.
Although fans of the sport of boxing may debate whether he truly was The Greatest, Muhammad Ali certainly lived a noticeable life. Many will denigrate him for having dodged the draft during the Vietnam War, but it is more admirable for one to fight for what they believe in rather than what they are pushed to fight for. This dynamic of audacity seems to be lost in today’s society, and figures that exhibit it seem to have a certain charismatic magnetism to them. Love them or hate them, we cannot ignore them. Perhaps this is one reason why Donald Trump has conquered the GOP nomination.
It seems that we are losing all of our greats these days, and few have truly been able to fill their shoes. Most of you reading this (including myself) will likely never reach the level of greatness that Muhammad Ali attained, but we must still strive for personal greatness and success. Modern society has made weakness a thing to be glorified, and it’s sickening.
Yes, life is unfair.
Yes, being weak sucks.
So get stronger.
Easier said than done, but it has to be done.
It may seem like Muhammad Ali and other legendary athletes were born gifted, and their genes may have indeed provided some advantages, but they had to work hard to reach the levels of greatness that they did. For those of us that don’t have the genes, we’ll have to work harder. It sucks, but there are no excuses. Sob stories aren’t very effective when it comes to reaching tangible goals.
If you need help picking yourself up, the pages of 32 Shards of Thought is a great place to start.
Muhammad Ali’s life exemplifies the virtue of courageously standing up for what we believe in and working hard to pursue our goals.
Rest in peace, Champ. You will not be forgotten.