Are you ready to win?

There’s a particular image of Muhammad Ali that always grabs me. He’s in his white shorts, feet ready in a fighting stance. You can see the look of determination, hands poised to throw a knockout punch. But the part that grabs me is:

He’s underwater. Training. Ready to win.

I find that the image pops up in my head a lot. When I get the temptation to say “Why me, God?”, I think of Muhammad Ali. When I start thinking “I just want this to be done”, I think of Muhammad Ali. And when I complain about not getting a chance, I think of Muhammad Ali.

I imagine him jumping in the pool, knowing that he can’t swim. I imagine him holding his breaths, straining for air as he stays underwater longer and longer. I imagine him throwing punches knowing that it’s slower and more energy consuming. I imagine him doing all of that training, willingly. 

And then there’s silence in my head. The whiny voice disappears. Finally, I hear my creative voice say loudly and confidently: “I’m ready to win.”

Whenever your voices of doubt, of you’re not good enough, of you’ll fail pop into your head… Think of Muhammad Ali. Underwater. Training.

Ready to win.