10 POWERFUL Life Lessons from Muhammad Ali! (How to THINK BIG and Win)

Muhammad Ali wasn't just the greatest boxer of all time; he was a global icon who once talked a man down from suicide, proving his power went far beyond the ring. Greatness demands risk. Ali refused to play it safe. He saw what others couldn't and pushed past every limit. If you don't take bold steps, you'll never know what's possible. In these top 10 rules, he makes it clear. He wasn't just fighting for titles; he was chasing something bigger. He compared his journey to space exploration and world discovery, knowing, true champions went where others wouldn't. Beyond boxing, he dedicated his life to helping people, uniting the world, and making an impact. Think small, stay small. The ones who change history take risks, believe in the impossible, and lift others as they rise. That's how you become great. Need motivation?

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Believe.

Okay, let's kick it off with rule number 1: Take risks.

Why do you need to go back again? Because you've done everything more than any other boxer's ever done.

I realize I have more fans of the same that I had before the Holmes fight, but it's myself. I want to prove to myself that I can beat Holmes and I can win my title back. For us, I'm the only man who had a chance to go 4 times. No man has ever won it 3 times. So why do we go to the moon to the moon? Because it's there. Why are we trying to go to Mars? Because it's there. Columbus wouldn't have discovered America if he didn't take a risk. So he who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life. I'm a risk taker, and the 4-time championship is there. I'm the only man who got that close to it, so it's something I gotta do.

Rule number 2 is help others.

What is it you want to do after you've stopped fighting?

Well, I figure that we only have so many hours a day to do whatever we have to do, so many years to live. And in those years, we sleep about 8 hours a day, we travel, we watch television. We— for man's 50 years old, he's lucky to say if he's had 20 years to actually live. So I would like to do the best that I can for humanity. I'm blessed by God to be recognized as the most famous face on the earth today, and I cannot think of nothing no better than helping God's creatures or helping poverty or working for good causes where I can use my name to do so, to help this country and other countries where we're having various problems where my influence might help.

In February of 1975, you said all your fights from now on were going to be free, that you were going to give all the money to various black charities and to help small businesses and so forth. Does the money come to you or is it going to these charities?

Not just black charities. We have all type charities, all type people. So I want to get that straight now. Uh, Yes, the monies that I make after all taxes, I say it, I like to do all I can to help people and work with charity groups. And I want to say this on the show now, I get millions of phone calls from people thinking I'm the First National Bank. We don't give away no monies. I have lawyers, I have attorneys who check the organizations, the movements, and we don't have no individuals in business, uh, that have propositions. It's only for groups of people who need, and this is what I want to do.

When I get out of boxing, or when I'm through, I'm going to do all I can to help people.

That's why I'm here with Johnny Walker.

Here's a poor man came all the way to America. Here's a bunch of boys need some money, and somebody is calling me to help them.

God is watching me.

God is— God don't praise me because I beat Joe Frazier. God don't give nothing about Joe Frazier. God don't care nothing about England or America as far as your wealth. It's all his. He wants to know how do we treat each other? How do we help each other? So I'm going to dedicate my life to using my name and popularity to helping charities, helping people, uniting people, bringing people, bombing each other because of religious beliefs. We need somebody in the world to help make peace.

Rule number 3 is belief.

Some people can see farther than others. Some people are pre-impressed with limitations. We all live in our own world of limitations. Some people can see farther than others. So therefore, when people judge what I'm doing with their logic, it can't be done. Their reasoning says it can't or shouldn't be done. Their knowledge of history says it can't be done. So their reasoning, their knowledge, and their logic clashes with my superior belief. Therefore, the result is they don't believe it. My thinking is so superior and my knowledge is so positive and my logic is so wise until it clashes with the mentality which is down here and I'm over there. So by me being so high, I can see more and see farther than you. And you're looking up at me saying, Ali, don't do it.

Ali, please stop, you ain't gonna hurt me.

And you're on a job making gaining 60, 70 pounds a week, or whoever this guy is. Never, never been out of the country, not known in his own neighborhood.

Ali, don't do it.

But I'm at such a high level until I don't think like you. I'm not like you. I know I say you are mean, not a good person.

Rule number 4 is focus on education.

What advice would you like to offer the young, the young guys coming up that are interested in sports?

Well, I wouldn't advise none of them to be an athlete because it's too risky, you know, like I'm one of the best, and I've got a break.

Joe Frazier got a break.

But like, if you have an accident or you break a leg, or you, you don't have the talent you should have, you spend your life trying, and the next thing you know, you're in a certain age bracket, you didn't make it in life. They consider life a tragedy. One thing for sure, if they go to school, learn to read, learn to write, take up some type occupation and use their brains and not their fists, if they have anything to do with boxing be the manager, because usually they get all the money. But don't— the fighting itself, or being an athlete, I wouldn't advise no young black man to be. Now that black people are coming into power, and now that they're becoming independent and starting to think in the way of self, we need electricians, we need mechanics, we need doctors, we need nurses, we need scientists.

Also, to make sure you're actually taking action after watching this video, I've designed a special free worksheet just for this video.

The worksheet will highlight our favorite lessons from the video that will inspire you to remember what you learned today and actually apply them.

The worksheet will also give you space to write down what your key takeaways are and your specific plan of action to make sure you're getting results. If you want the worksheet designed specifically for this video, absolutely for free, there's a link in the description below. Go click on it and start building the momentum in your life and your business.

I'll see you there. Rule number 5 is give back.

Are there any lessons that you think of that really stand out that your dad taught you that maybe you pass on to your children now?

My father did a lot of his teaching by example. Just by watching him, I learned so much, and he was very consistent. So meaning that obviously my father, wherever we went, there was always a crowd, and he loved attention. And he always said, bring it on. You know, he wanted to be noticed. He wanted to entertain. He wanted to sign autographs. Wanted to pick up babies and kiss them and shake hands and take photos for hours, right? And as a child, that wasn't always fun, right? You wanna just go get something to eat at the local diner. You don't wanna be stuck there for 3 hours, you know, like, oh, God, the same thing every time. But I remember my father getting in the car with us when we leave and he'd say, you know why I do that? You know why I take time, you know, to look people in their eye? Because it makes them feel special. They're just so happy to see me. He would paint that picture for us. So he, you know, Why do we have to stay for 2 hours? Because if there's a line, think about that last person that gets cut off. Sorry, I gotta go. He never wanted to cut it off. And we're like, okay, but we can't just stay here forever. What about us? You know? So, but he cared about people so much. And he always let us know that he actually was being intentional, you know, about giving back. My dad would literally sit there at his desk and sign pamphlets with his autograph because at the worst case scenario, here is an autograph. And I do that now. You know, there's times where I take my kids to Disneyland or somewhere like that, and I'm like, you know, you don't— well, you wanna give your children their time. It's not gonna be fun for them if I stop every second and take a photo. But if I'm gonna tell someone no, which inevitably you have to do sometimes, I'm sorry, I'm here with my family today, and they're understanding, here's an autograph. They at least have something. So I'm not just like, no, no, no, you know? So something that I learned from my dad, one of the many things.

Rule number 6 is be prepared to handle anything.

I'm sure Henry will tell you, any fighter that knows what's happening, you really can't plan a fight when you're meeting a man you've never met before, right? You just have to get your tools ready. Here's a car stops on the highway, they call the AAA or whatever and say, "My car's broke down. What is it?" Lady, she don't know what's wrong. Well, the man comes with all the tools and he come equipped to handle whatever the problem is. Astronaut goes into space, and he pretends that something happens to the ship before he take off. He gets out and he works on it. He's not looking for something to happen, but it might happen. So I didn't know, I just had everything ready. Now, after the first round, being here with a top professional, a man so great, had so many knockouts, never been defeated, never been even scratched, I didn't know really how good he was. So I had to come in actually a little nervous and with everything ready. After I took one round of dance and I found out that this would tire me out, so I would have to resort to ropes. I figured that out after the first round. So I said, I'm gonna go to these ropes and I'm gonna let this man throw everything he can, let him tire himself out. He might look like he's winning, and if he don't hurt me, I'm gonna stay here. But if he should be as great as they say he is, if he hits as hard as they say he hit, when he hits you and breaks your arm— he knocked out Joe Frazier, I couldn't do it, knocked out Ken Norton. He was a big bad jabber before the fight, you remember. Now you remember that, don't you? How bad he was? They don't say that now, but you remember he was a real bad cat the other day, right? Don't forget that. Now, after I found out he didn't have it, I stayed there. But if he had had what I thought he had had or what they said he had, I'd have kept running, hoping I wouldn't get tired.

Rule number 7 is find your purpose.

Muhammad, what would you say to your son if he came to you and expressed a desire to box?

Well, I would—

I think I'm gonna control him or help my wife to control him, and that's to educate him first, get his mind together. And I wouldn't encourage him to box. I'll let him do it as a game, as a sport for health, but not as a livelihood because it's too dangerous. But teach him foreign language and, and get him— see, we all were born for purpose. Every trees, the moon, rain, snow, everything God created has a purpose. A man has a purpose, and the wise man is he who finds his life purpose. And we were I'm gonna help him find his purpose in life, which I'm sure is not boxing.

Rule number 8 is defy the rules.

I don't pay no attention to what they say about me. All I do is just do what I have to do and get paid, and that's it. But I don't really pay no attention to the rules of boxing. I don't pay no attention. I defy all the rules. I defy— I've added pages to the book of boxing. I have this game as such a thing now until boxing promoters can no longer afford my shows. I have governments like Iran ready to put up $10 million for me to fight Joe Frazier. I have governments like Cairo, Egypt want to put up $6 million with people like Ron Lyle. I have countries all like, all back throughout Zaire talking to Mobutu. He wants him back again. They'll put up $5 million for retirement for him. When we talk about $10 million and $6 million and $4 million, this is unbelievable. And they don't expect to get the money back. Promoting their countries and their ideals. So I've like sailed so in this sport of boxing until Madison Square Garden is too small, Yankee Stadium is too small, the Houston Astrodome, the biggest promoters and the wealthiest Americans and Englishmen you can get for promotions cannot just promote me no more. You understand? So I've not only added pages to boxing, but added new sections to the boxing book.

Rule number 9 is save money.

By rough estimate, you've made almost $25 million in purses since you came back to fight. Now, we've had the spectacle of some former champs who end up in the gutter. What are you doing to avoid that? Are you going to avoid that?

Yes, sir. I pray Almighty God, Allah, I do. I think the best thing that I can do or anybody can do is to save their money.

Put your money in, champ.

Government tax-free bonds is the best thing I think a man can put his money in. Investments are bad. There are no real good investments. All of my gambles, and we paid the government all its taxes before I get mine. And but this is why we fight so regular, because I think two halves is better than just one. So we plan to save as much as we can.

And you're a conservative, aren't you, Champ? Government tax-free bonds. You're a pretty conservative man with your money.

Well, I have a lot of conservative fellows advising me.

At number 10, the last one before a very special bonus clip is outsmart your competition.

Your pre-fight, your pre-fight buildups, when you go to the weigh-in and you have, or they appear, mock-up battles with the other opponent, are they really? How much is that towards the fight there?

Because I wouldn't be paid, but I really do be angry. I have to psych myself up. I put myself on spots. I say it's just a press on for the build, for the build-up for the fight, not really, because the evening of the fight is when that happens. And it's really sold out by them, but it actually puts fear in your opponent. Like George Foreman, just before the fight, I'm looking at him and the man's giving his instructions. I said, "Sucker, you are in trouble tonight. You are fighting the greatest fighter of all times. You heard I was the greatest," like you just said, "You heard this, now you see it." I said, "You said I was the greatest, but you're gonna see. I'm fast, sucker. I'm gonna burn you up. You are fighting your idol." When you were a little kid, you heard about me, you know. And he was, he wasn't even fighting. He didn't have his first fight till 1969. I'd been exiled 2 years after all I'd done. He just started fighting. So when I was fighting people like you in the '60s, he was just a little kid in junior high school. I said, you're meeting your master, your idol. He looked at me. Then I went back, first round, I laid in the corners, right? I said, come on, show me something. I talked through the whole fight. I don't know if you all Y'all know it. I talked through the whole fight. I said, come on, sucker. I said, show me something. They told me you could hit hard. You're just a sissy. Come on, sucker, show me something. Come on, you can do better than that, George. You want to corner me? Here I am. You waiting to corner me? And he just— and every once in a while I just go— see, the quickest way to a point is a straight line. To hit me, he had to do that. And while he's doing that, I said— I'm tagging him with jabs, right?

Pop, pop.

You're a fighter, you know. When you meet a man coming at you like that, don't worry about it. Don't duck like it's so powerful. Just pop him.

Pop.

See? See?

He's going—

I done hit him before he got to me.

He's still getting one in.

What else did you say to him, Allen? What else did you say to him? Oh, I grabbed his head.

Times. And I said, look at you, look at you, round 7 and you're tired.

You have 8 more rounds to go. Come on, keep punching. I want you to get tired. I said, uh-oh. I said, this is the wrong place to get tired. This is the wrong place to get tired. And he's just throwing them. I said, he got a couple of bruises. You notice his face is kind of swollen. I said, look at you, you're the world heavyweight champion. You're the world—

I was hitting him.

You're the I'm the world heavyweight champion, and look at me, you can't— Pop, I hit you. Just say, "Watch out, here come another one." Pop, I said, "Look at that, look at that." He threw it there, I said, "Come on, come on, get it." I'm going back to the rope now. I laid back, I said, "Okay, take your best shot, take your best shot." He's breathing, I said, "Oh, oh, you finished, boy. You are in trouble." I said, "You don't have but two chances, slim and none. You in trouble." I talked to him through the whole fight.

You've been the inspiration of a lot of people. I brought some other people, some other interviewers who are going to help me out because you're an inspiration to them too. Fellas, come here for a minute. Yeah, now what's wrong? Oh, this one here, he's bigger, huh? I'm scared of him. You scared of this one? He's a sweetheart. He's a real champ.

Really?

I think so.

Yeah, you a real champ. You're a real champ. Who would have won if you fought this man in your prime? I was a dancing master. Yeah, you, you were dancing. You I wasn't that powerful. I was so fast. Uh-huh. If he hit me, best he can catch me. Yeah.

What would you say, Mike?

I, by no means, I'm vain. I know I'm great, but can I tell you something?

Uh-huh.

In this situation, every head must bow, every tongue must confess. This is the greatest of all time.

You can be modest, humble, and nice. This man's great. And I don't know what happened if he hit me.

You know, I don't believe that because the champ is very modest, you know what I mean? Because I've seen him in the ring with killers. I've seen him in there with killers like Foreman, Shavers, guys that hit much harder than I. And you know, he takes these guys' greatest punches, and that's what made him such a champion. I mean, even though I heard him say he didn't believe, he must have believed, because that's why from watching Ali gave me the great deal of confidence and deep down in the belief. I believe there's no man in this planet could beat me from listening to him all those years since I was a little boy.

Yeah.

And I, and I used to, um, make every prediction come true, and he used to take his character and use it to reflect against his opponents, and he made them believe that he was invincible. And so that's my great inspiration.

Yeah.

For 10 more rules from Tyson Fury, check the video right there next to me. I think you'll love it. Continue to believe, and I'll see you there.

A great, great man once said, for he who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing. Have a look, fat man.