Wow! In light of everything that I have been studying about Napoleon Hill and some other protegees of his this past month or so, I find the above picture and comments extremely interesting.

Perhaps the biggest idea is that one needs to be able to really believe themselves to have already achieved that which it is that they desire.

Essentially, instead of the insidious quip that I have applied to boundary disputes identifying them as “an external manifestation of an internal problem,” this is the positive corollary.

To wit, one who can perceive themselves as having already accomplished a task will create in their mind a way to focus on its achievement and through action will engage in a personal version of “manifest destiny.”

Essentially, Muhammad Ali did exactly this!

Also, I think it extremely fitting to note that Ali was a boxer, but not a fighter. What?

Well, boxing is a contest occurring within the bounds of the specific rules of the ring.

Yes, it’s a slugfest, but due to the cabining by these rules it is legitimate … as (at least in theory) is law.

But, Ali was not a fighter with respect to the Vietnam War for which he was drafted.

The Washington Post [HERE], published Ali’s comments about that “contest” as …

“My conscience won’t let me go shoot my brother, or some darker people, or some poor hungry people in the mud for big powerful America,” he had explained two years earlier. “And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger, they never lynched me, they didn’t put no dogs on me, they didn’t rob me of my nationality, rape and kill my mother and father. … Shoot them for what? How can I shoot them poor people? Just take me to jail.”

Yes, it should never be forgotten that Ali the greatest boxer was a humanitarian on the same scale … he lent his gravitas to prove the point as to the toxic hypocrisy and downright ecclesiastical vanity of that war. This is what happens when people do become the best that they can be instead of retreating into fear.

Well, it is fitting that Ali’s birthday of January 17, 1942 is so close to when we celebrate MLK.

I think this renaming of the Louisville, Kentucky airport in Ali’s honor is just as fitting as our county’s attribution to MLK.

Ali helped all Americans – certainly not just those of African descent – FLY. Cheers!