I woke up this morning to the news that The Greatest, Muhammad Ali, transitioned on to the next realm of life.

In his life on this earth, he did his THING. He lived in his truths and wasn’t afraid to speak his truths or the criticism he received from others if they didn’t agree. He believed in himself- anyone could see that from his tv and radio appearances and pre-fight talks. He always told you he was going to win, how he was going to win and why he knew he would win. That pride and knowing…

Of the numerous outstanding descriptions of his character, what stands out about him the most that relates so heavily to where I am at right now in my life journey, is that he believed in himself and was certain that he could do and have whatever he wanted. He believed in his worthiness. Muhammad Ali always affirmed himself- he acknowledged his greatness before anyone else did or said so.

When you know what you want, there is no uncertainty or confusion.

If you watch interviews with Ali, one thing was for sure- the man knew who he was and what he wanted. He spoke with certainty and conviction mixed with humor. When you know the truth, that you are worthy all day everyday, you will carry yourself in a similar manner. I really respect that about him- he was unapologetically himself and had laser focus on what he wanted. Because he exuded the truth of his worthiness, he knew that with strong desire (to be a world class, champion boxer) and inspired action (which for him was training), anything his mind could conceive could be his. It was this immense belief in himself that made him one of the greatest, champion heavyweight boxing legends of all time.

 

I will celebrate Muhammad Ali’s legacy by shedding my skin of modesty, making a life in the truth that I am wonderfully made and positively affirming the hell out of myself- not from a place of showing or proving that I’m fly but from a place of knowing that I’m fly (always):

I, Milan Noelle Staples, Iragena Keza who descends from Mariah of the Watusi tribe; am THE flyest creative writer that you will ever meet. My vibe is sweet and will knock you off your feet. My words tell stories and take you on excursions you never imagined possible. They will take you on a tour of worlds to explore and have you always coming back for more. Climbing mountains, surfing the ocean’s rowdiest waters, chasing lions, scraping the skies, sailing rivers and streams you’ve only seen in your wildest dreams. My words inspire healing, imagination and corrective thought. My words make you feel good more often than not. I’m magnificent, I’m wonderful and I’m wildly strong. To believe that I’m less than dope and worthy would make you wrong.

If you accepted the truth that you’re worthy beyond measure and believed that you could have whatever you wanted, what would you allow yourself to do or have? How would you talk about yourself?