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Muhammad Ali was a natural talent, but he was also a fanatic about preparation. He understood that championships are won in the gym, alone, long before the lights go on. He famously admitted, 'I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion. '' His discipline was absolute—early morning runs, endless sparring, and a refusal to cut corners. Ali teaches that the price of excellence is paid in sweat and that the easy path never leads to the top.
"Others may know pleasure, but pleasure is not happiness. It has no more importance than a shadow following a man."
"I don't count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they’re the only ones that count."
"Silence is golden when you can't think of a good answer."
"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."
"Don't count the days, make the days count."
"I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'"
"It isn't the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it's the pebble in your shoe."
"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see."
Seeing how Muhammad Ali approaches Discipline helps you apply the idea with more precision.
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"Use this collection whenever you need Muhammad Ali's lens on Discipline."