My Favorite Muhammad Ali Quotes - Part 5

"I'm so fast that last night I turned off the light switch in my hotel room and was in bed before the room was dark."

Well there's nothing wrong in including a funny quote!
Muhammad Ali has a lot of those.
I know that our posts are focused on inspiration, motivation, encouragement, famous sayings, and uplifting.
But a smile can be uplifting as well.

"Hating people because of their color is wrong. And it doesn't matter which color does the hating. It's just plain WRONG."

Again, well said!
Muhammad Ali left nothing to be said here.
Except probably that hatred isn't attached to color alone any more.

"My principles are more important than the money or my title."

As I said before; A strong man, is the man who abides by his principles no matter what.
And Muhammad Ali was one of the strongest men ever.

"My way of joking is to tell the truth. That's the funniest joke in the world."

Sadly. People just tend to hate the truth. At the same time they despise liars!

"Rivers, ponds, lakes and streams - they all have different names, but they all contain water. Just as religions do - they all contain truths."

Well said again and again!
especially in our times, where people blame religions instead of blaming the followers of religions for their bad deeds.
You can't blame humanity because of a few rotten apples.

"All of us are so mixed. My great-grandfather was white."

This quote reminds me of a video that showed a group of people who were interviewed and asked about their race and ethnic roots.
And if there was any ethnic group that they hated.
A DNA test for each one of them showed a lot about their roots that they never imagined to be true.

I'd like to have such a DNA test one day.

If you missed the rest of our Muhammad Ali tribute posts:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

My Favorite Muhammad Ali Quotes - Part 4

"Old age is just a record of one's whole life."

We already mentioned "age" in a previous post.
What do you think of this quote?
Did Muhammad Ali mean that we should make the best of our years so that we'll have a better life record?
Or did he just mean that age is just a number?
I'll leave that to you to figure out (you may share your thought with us).

"Friendship ... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything."

Well, I hear a lot that "friends can sometimes be closer than siblings".
But do you agree? 
Does true friendship still exist?

"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."

Your thoughts?

"The man who has no imagination has no wings."

I would say; a man without imagination is like a bird without wings.
Imagination is a blessing from God. I mean, what else fuels our creativity as human beings.
By "Man" I believe he meant here a "Human".

"Wars of nations are fought to change maps. But wars of poverty are fought to map change."

Well said!
You can't imagine how much our societies will change (to the better of course) if we can eradicate poverty.

Don't miss the rest of our Muhammad Ali tribute posts:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 5
 

My Favorite Muhammad Ali Quotes - Part 3

More tribute to the soul of Muhammad Ali (a continuation of parts 1 and 2).

 "It's the lack of faith that makes people afraid of meeting challenges, and I believe in myself."

So by faith, he meant faith in yourself ... which you should never lose no mater what!

"Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents; people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don't let yourself believe it will happen to you."

In short; ships aren't made to anchor in a safe harbor, they're meant to sail.
so go on in your path and stop worrying about what might or might not happen.

"What keeps me going is goals."

Not having goals in life is like shooting in the dark.
You do the effort but gain nothing, or even lose.
Setting goals and achieving them can be extremely fun! You'll have that sense of achievement and fulfillment. 

"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer."

Reminds me of an old saying: "If talking is worth silver, then silence is worth gold."
of course that doesn't mean that you should not express your mind; it rather means that you should say something useful or hold your tongue. 
Too much blabbering can be harmful and annoying.

"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."

And defeats should not hold us back; If you fall off your horse back, get yourself together and ride back on it.

Don't miss the rest of our Muhammad Ali tribute posts:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 4
Part 5

My Favorite Muhammad Ali Quotes - Part 2

In this post we continue what we started in part 1 of my favorite Muhammad Ali quotes, as a tribute to the legendary man who left us.

"If they can make penicillin out of mouldy (moldy) bread, they can sure make something out of you."

What an extremely motivational quote! How true could that be!
Never look down on yourself, never underestimate yourself, no matter what your conditions are and no matter what people around keep telling you!
Focus on yourself, and keep improving yourself. Always think big!

"I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given. I believed in myself, and I believe in the goodness of others."

What I like about this quote is that it holds a mix of self-esteem and respect to others.
We really should be proud and confident of ourselves. Yet we also have to be respectful when dealing with other people.
Our communities would definitely become better places to live in.

 "Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are."

I strongly agree!
Don't let age be a reason to stop you by saying "I'm too old for this." 
and certainly don't let it be a reason to postpone stuff; 
"I'm still young, I'll care about my health later, I just want to have fun."
Even Muhammad Ali himself looked much younger than 74 when he passed away.
And I hate it when people tie life events with age; like 
"you have to be married before turning X" ...etc.
Age is just a number, and there's no rule that says that you can feel young forever, or that you can even age backwards!

  "A man who views the world the same at fifty as he did at twenty, has wasted thirty years of his life."

 I believe Muhammad Ali probably meant that as you grow older you should have a better view (or more understanding view) of the world.
What do you think?
You may share your thoughts in the comments section below. 

"I wish people would love everybody else the way they love me. It would be a better world."

These words reminded me when Data (the android from Star Trek) was confused when one member of the crew lost a beloved one and was extremely sad (I don't remember the full details, forgive me), so he asked the captain why would the loss of a particular human make another human sad, shouldn't the loss of any human be a cause of sadness to all human beings?
The captain replied by saying that he wishes that was true; the history of humanity would've been less bloody (or with less blood-shed).

Don't miss the rest of our Muhammad Ali tribute posts:

Part 1
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

My Favorite Muhammad Ali Quotes - Part 1

As a tribute to the beloved Muhammad Ali who left us and this world leaving behind him a long legacy and tons of beautiful memories, I'll dedicate this post, and a number of posts to follow, for his quotes, and to be more specific, for my favorite, hand-picked Muhammad Ali Quotes about life, inspiration, motivation, and encouragement.
After All, he's the one who once said:

"I wanted to use my fame and this face that everyone knows so well to help uplift and inspire people around the world."

Indeed; a man will die, but not his ideas.
So I hope Muhammad Ali quotes will inspire, encourage, motivate, and uplift you, as they did to me.

"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion."

Probably the most famous of Muhammad Ali quotes. If it wasn't the most famous, then for sure it was the most shared on facebook and social media (after his death).

We all reach this point in our lives, where we're fed up and just want to quit.
But As Muhammad Ali did; keep your eyes on the prize!
Your effort should be done for a specific goal. Keep your eyes on that goal, and when you reach it, all that suffering and effort will feel like nothing!

"He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life."

Might sound like a cliche, but for a lot of people this is true, and it's just so difficult for them to take risks in life.
Another cliche would be "You can't make omelets without breaking eggs."
But I also found a famous Arabic poem that says:
"He who doesn't like climbing mountains, will live forever between holes" (gaps or pits ... etc.).
You, and you only, get to choose to climb mountains or to live among holes.
For those who ask; what will happen when you reach the mountain's top? Well, you'll find other peaks to aim for!

"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."

Well to me you didn't live in vain Mr. Muhammad Ali! I'm sure you all agree that he had a great influence on many people all around the world.
A strong man in my opinion is not a man with big muscles, but rather a man who abides strongly by his principles. Muhammad Ali was, without any doubt, one of the strongest men ever.
One thing for sure; he was a living evidence that one shouldn't be afraid to make mistakes; it's just part of the process.

"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe."

When you feel frustrated, held back, or if you just want to change something in your life; start with your own self. Look for things that you're doing wrong and do them right.
I'm not saying that you should whip yourself, rather review your actions, your life routine, hold your self accountable, and correct the things that seem wrong to you, and you'll see/feel a difference.
Afterwards you can turn to things and people around you. 
Just keep improving your self and your life.

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

I once heard that "He who serves people is their master." or something that has the same meaning.
serving others doesn't make you of less value, it actually makes you more respected, and needed! 

Don't miss the rest of our Muhammad Ali tribute posts:

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5