27 of The Greatest Muhammad Ali Quotes
Last week, we lost one of the greatest athletes ever lived. Muhammad Ali has left a lasting legacy. He will always live among us through his thoughts. Here are a few of his most thought-provoking quotes.
- Muhammad Ali on Training
‘I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.’
2. Muhammad Ali, the Poet
‘I done wrestled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale, handcuffed lightning, thrown thunder in jail; only last week, I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalised a brick; I’m so mean I made medicine sick.’
3. Float like…
‘Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.’
4. Ali on Taking Risks
‘He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.’
5. Ali on Islam
‘The word ‘Islam’ means ‘peace’. The word ‘Muslim’ means ‘one who surrenders to God’. But the press makes us seem like haters.’
6. Making Mistakes
‘I’ve made my share of mistakes along the way, but if I have changed even one life for the better, I haven’t lived in vain.’
7. Perspective on Fighting Poverty
‘Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change.’
8. Little Things that Hold Us Back
‘It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.’
9. Affirmations and Beliefs
‘It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.’
10. Serving Others
‘Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.’
11. Ali on Age
‘Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.’
12. Where the real fight happens
‘The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses — behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.’
13. Imagination
‘The man who has no imagination has no wings.’
14. Wisdom
‘A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.’
15. Knowing your Worth
‘It’s hard to be humble, when you’re as great as I am.’
16. Self Belief
‘It’s lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges and I believed in myself.’
17. True Wealth
‘To be able to give away riches is mandatory if you wish to possess them. This is the only way that you will be truly rich.’
18. It’s not Bragging
‘It’s not bragging if you can back it up.’
19. Goals
‘What keeps me going is goals.’
20. Education
‘The fact is, I was never too bright in school. I ain’t ashamed of it, though. I mean, how much do school principals make a month?
21. Mr. Nice Guy
‘At home I am a nice guy; but I don’t want the world to know. Humble people, I’ve found, don’t get very far.’
22. Back your Words Up
‘I’m the greatest, I said that even before I knew I was.’
23. Beyond Boxing
‘There are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.’
24. Our Existence
‘Go up in an airplane. Go high enough, and it’s like we don’t even exist.’
25. The Greatest Advertising Quote
‘Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.’
26. Muhammad Ali’s Message to Us
‘Don’t feel sorry for me.’
27. He Surely Did
‘I shook up the world, I shook up the world.’
Disclaimer: Hemant Mandaliya is the Co-founder and CMO of Sportify Me, a sports and fitness mobile app which helps users lead an active life by connecting them with sports buddies. Coming soon on the App Store and the Play store.
