Thursday, October 22, 2009

Ali anyone?


What we say lingers if it inspires others.
Muhammad Ali had 'fans' on both sides of the fence. Those that loved to hate him and those that hated to love him... but did anyway. The man was compelling. When he spoke he usually had an audience. In fact I think he did some of his best fighting with his mouth.

Those of you who have been following me for a little while, might know that I box. Real boxing. Real blood. Real sweat. Real tears. Okay, I haven't cried.
Yet.
Though some training sessions push me in that direction for sure!

Anyway, the gym where I train loves to quote the 'god' of our sport. Muhammad Ali's words can be found sprawled across our the top of our training schedules and across the message board. I love a good quote. And today I thought I'd share those that inspired me when I am dying a happy death doing push ups or 3min sparing practice...
(3 minutes is a damn long time sometimes!)

Funny, they are the same quotes that inspire me when I write...

MUHAMMAD ALI

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

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

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

"The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses- behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

How true is that?
A powerful mouth, no?

What about you? How is your 'fight' going behind the lines? Feel free to share the quotes that inspire your writing. I love a good quote :)

26 comments:

  1. No quotes, just thanks for the inspiration. "The fight is won or lost far away..." I'm putting that one in my pocket and carrying it around.

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  2. Tabitha, I'm in tears again!!! This image was the last present I gave to my Dad a little while before he died. He adored Muhammad Ali and when I saw this beautifully framed picture in John Lewis in the West End of London, I just knew I had to buy it for him. He loved it and looked at it every day during his illness until he passed.

    And good you . . . boxing . . You Go Girl!!!

    Any pics of you in the sparring ring that we can see????

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  3. very superb post.....though every person knows about Mohammad Ali but the way you introduced his self is very simple still impressive..it reminds me the article i read abhot Mr Ali in fifth class
    caryy on respected fellow..

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  4. Tabitha, I never knew you boxed! You are one tough cookie- especially with words. Powerful.

    I loved all the quotes. Each one inspires me to pressing towards the mark of the high calling in Christ Jesus! He has given me an assignment that I must complete.

    I love this post.

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  5. I didn't know you boxed! That's pretty cool!

    I do love a good quote. These are awesome! Have a great day!

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  6. I didn't know you boxed. Cool.

    This is my favorite quote: "Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." I'm going to print that out.

    Helen
    Straight From Hel

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  7. Great quote! And that is so cool that you box!

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  8. Ali is one of those men who was born ahead of his time, and as a result has become in unlikely hero. Surprisingly articulate and bright. I love these quotes.

    Here is the quote I'm reading every morning right now:

    Do not be impatient with your seemingly slow progress. Do not try to run faster than you presently can. If you are studying, reflecting and trying, you are making progress whether you are aware of it or not. A traveler walking the road in the darkness of light is still going forward. Someday, some way, everything will break open, like the natural unfolding of a rosebud. Vernon Howard

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  9. You box? Wow! I am afraid of you now. What incredible quotes.

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  10. I didn't realize he said all that! Great quotes. I'm still partial to Nora Robert's quote about not being able to fix a blank page. :-)

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  11. This is wonderful, I believe we all silently fight behind the lines, last night I fought to kept quiet as my child told me I'm the meanest mom in the world when I live everyday of my life to insure he's happy...

    I thought you might interested in knowing that I worked for Sugar Ray Leanard for a couple days as his personal assistant...I got lost in his house. I'm not cut out to be a personal assistant...LOL!

    I hope to see your beautiful butterfly join our little Respite family soon...

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  12. I remember that you box. I was amazed when I first learned that, and I still am. Great quotes. Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Wow! I thought I was hot stuff because I do kickboxing (it's mostly cardio girly stuff, no contact except for a punching bag occasionally) but you actually box! It must be such an amazing workout and a stress reliever. I love those quotes that you shared. I'm also a quote collector! For writing, I like:

    "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass." - Anton Chekhov

    "There are thousands of thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen and writes." - William Makepeace Thackeray

    "If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." - Toni Morrison

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  14. I like this one most of all:

    "The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses- behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."

    That could be applied to so many areas of life.

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  15. Wow, Tabitha, this post is SO TIMELY! JUST last night I stayed up late watching the "Ali" movie (with Will Smith in it) until about 2 a.m.! That is so uncanny! I LOVE these quotes! They are definitely an inspiration as is the man himself who stood up for what he believed in & didn't waiver. Love the quote about not quitting! That can so apply to this writing life of ours! :)

    One of my favorite quotes now is one that I have up on my blog's sidebar:

    "No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader."
    --ROBERT FROST

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  16. Tabitha, I do remember you box! Must be nice to know you can defend yourself wherever you go. :)
    I loved those quotes. I have one that really stands out to me:

    "Each day is a little life; every waking and rising a little birth; every fresh morning a little youth; every going to rest and sleep a little death."

    Arthur Shopenhauer

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  17. Tabitha,
    I am so impressed that you are an actual boxer. The closest I get is girly boxing on exercise videos. The quotes are very powerful. Thanks.

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  18. I'm a quote junkie, so thanks for those. I kick boxed for a year in Baltimore. (The real, in-the-ring kind.) So I know how long those 3 minute sparing matches can feel.

    This writing/publishing world feels much tougher though. Gonna start repeating Ali's words like a mantra.

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  19. Wow, Tabitha, I think you may be the Ali of writer-blogland. You keep putting it out there, and it's always so good. This is another thought-provoking post. I've got five words on a post-it on my computer that came from another writer: Choose confidence. Play your game.
    I don't always succeed, but I'll keep stepping in the ring.

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  20. I am a fan of boxing, the last time I boxed was as a kid. My brother was eight years older than me and made me box with him. My skills came in handy a boy tried to pin me down and I punched his lights out. I think it's great that you box. I love the Ali quotes, very inspirational.

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  21. Wonderful! I did Krav Maga for 7 years, so I know what you speak of. Three minutes full out....KILLER! I let my husband come to practice one night and don some gloves. He socked me in the mouth (on accident) and I got a fat lip. I laughed! We some tough som-bitches, you and I! But I'd rather be strong in the attempt, than weak in the retreat.

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  22. A boxer--very cool! Love the quotes.

    "The cure for boredom is curiousity. There is no cure for curiousity." Dorothy Parker

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  23. If I could experience one sensation that doesn't come naturally to me, I would like to know what it feels like to be strong. Strong enough to take someone on physically and win.

    But because that's not my gift, I have to imagine it. I'm glad you get to experience that thrill!

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  24. Thank you all for the wonderful comments today. I was so busy checking out your blogs, I forgot to come back here and write something to you all on my blog. I have read all the comments though and I am thrilled so many of you share my love of Ali. And thank you to those who left me some more quotes to add to my list of favs. Aswesome stuff.

    :)) Tab

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  25. !st timer here and good to know that you box, it was a very inspirational post to say the least, also very well put...


    take care and keep writing.............

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  26. I hadn't heard those quotes. But now, I'm glad I did. :)

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