{"id":8435,"date":"2016-06-04T19:16:49","date_gmt":"2016-06-04T23:16:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/?p=8435"},"modified":"2016-06-04T19:22:36","modified_gmt":"2016-06-04T23:22:36","slug":"own-your-greatness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/blissblog\/2016\/06\/own-your-greatness.html","title":{"rendered":"Own Your Greatness"},"content":{"rendered":"

I woke up this morning to discover that a man who epitomized standing in confidence and standing up for what he believed in would stand no longer. Muhammad Ali passed into the land of his ancestors at the age of 74 on June 3 , 2016. Parkinson felled him when opponents couldn’t. A few years back, I had written an article about him for Beliefnet, entitled\u00a0The Greatest<\/a>. In it, I shared how boxing had come into my life with the experience of my father who was a Golden Gloves boxer in the Navy; something he was proud of. Being a pacifist, I never understood the allure of beating someone to a literal bloody pulp in the name of sport. At the risk of sounding like I am dissing his athletic accomplishments, know that I am not. I much prefer the idea of martial arts as a means of self defense, used with discipline and an element of spirituality. This is so of those in my life who practice the various forms.<\/p>\n

It wasn’t Ali’s prowess in the ring that impressed me, rather it was\u00a0the way he used his notoriety in the face of bigotry and his values to express a sense of integrity.<\/p>\n

Even after retiring from boxing with the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, which also took my father’s life, so I am aware of how incapacitating it can be, \u00a0he\u00a0devoted much of his time to philanthropy. He revealed the diagnosis\u00a0in 1984, and helped to raise money\u00a0for the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center<\/a> in Phoenix, Arizona. He was an ardent supporter of\u00a0\u00a0Special Olympics and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. \u00a0As I did some research, I discovered that the doctor who diagnosed him, indicated that ‘pugilistic brain syndrome’<\/a>; getting hit in the head one too many times, is what caused the debilitating condition.<\/p>\n

I also valued his vocal expression of his own abilities…the line “I am the greatest, ” was no empty boast. He really was the best at what he did. I imagine that this mantra fueled his purpose and spurred him on. \u00a0He owned his greatness and used it in service to the world. I asked my social media circles to share what it is they are willing to offer the world with their inherent greatness and was delighted with their responses.<\/p>\n

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