Float Like a Butterfly!

Muhammad Ali was the greatest.  Greatest athlete of all time?  He's in the conversation that's for sure.  Growing up I can remember watching many of his fights.  In my office I have a framed poster of the famous picture of Ali standing over Sonny Liston in May 1965.  Ali would become the World Champion three times.  In 1999, Sports Illustrated and the BBC named Ali as "the Sportsman of the Year."
So what can be learned from one of the best boxers of all time?  Let me share five tips from Muhammad Ali and how to break through barriers in the world and in your mind.


1.  Take a risk.  
"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."  M. Ali
To get what you really want you will pretty much always have to take risks.  Of course, that can be scary.  How do you overcome that fear?  A few suggestions I would offer include:
*Really , really want your objective.
*Ask yourself: what's the worst thing that could happen? Remind yourself of how little of what you've feared actually happened.
*Detach from the outcome.  Think about the results of your actions and focus what is out in front of you.


2.  Steer clear of self-sabotage and creating inner obstacles.
"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe."  M. Ali
Self-sabotage comes from thinking that you on some level simply aren't worthy of what you want.  So you sabotage yourself along the way to get yourself back into the place or level of success you feel you deserve.  You need to work at allowing yourself to believe that you are worthy of your success.  Little by little you can change how you perceive yourself.


3.  Keep your self-talk positive.
"It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief.  And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things will begin to happen."  M. Ali
If you are always negative and down on yourself it will be alot more painful and sometimes pretty much impossible to achieve what you want.  Keeping the self-talk in your head positive is essential.  You can make that easier by following the tips I've shared so far. 
Another helpful step is just to be mindful of how you think about things.  Say "stop" and cut off negative thought threads before they become strong.  Keeping your self-talk positive may seem cheesy or uncool.  But beating yourself up all the time is far worse and really not helpful at all.


4.  Don't make a big deal out of it.
"It's just a job.  Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand.  I beat people up."  M. Ali
So you create a more positive self-image by doing the right thing and keeping your self-talk positive.  But it's also a good thing to not go overboard.  If you think its a big deal then its becomes a big deal in your mind.  I think its awhole lot easier to keep the self-talk positive and be a humble person.


5.  Use your emotional leverage to succeed.
"Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with the extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even."  M. Ali
If you have an interest is personal development then you have probably ht a point sometime in your past where you said, "Enough of this...something has to change."  Or you felt like you hit rock bottom.  But as Ali says, it's also there you can find that extra motivation and power to push through.
When you've had enough you will find a way to change your life.  Simply remind yourself of how it was when things were tough.  Your worse times are probably not fun at all when they are happening.  But later on they can be a great teacher.  They can become some of the most helpful and powerful experiences of your life.