Free The Soul Of A Butterfly by Muhammad Ali With Hana Yasmeen Ali

man would shout.
    When the boy wanted to play, the man would work.
    The boy and the man did not see eye to eye on much of anything,
    except when it came to matters of the heart.
    Both the man and the boy loved and shared alike.
    One day the man decided to change his name
    and the boy was scared.
    He feared he would be forgotten or left behind
    with all the other passing memories in time.
    But the man reassured the boy that he could not be forgotten.
    Because who he had been, and who he would become,
    were one and the same, and they would always remain alike.
    This helped soothe the frightened boy
    and on that fateful day, both the boy and the man
    learned what strength was made of.
    At first, many people did not respect the man’s wish
    to be called by his new name and in the beginning
    the man was defiant.
    But the boy inside reminded him of tolerance,
    and this is how they both learned what patience could accomplish.
    After some time had passed the man grew wiser.
    But the boy remembered all the sad stories—stories of other
    little boys who had faded into memories.
    So, he made it a point to hold on.
    He focused on remaining strong.
    Then, one day, the man was called to war.
    The boy might have gone, but the man knew better.
    He knew that if he went, the innocent boy inside—his better self—would be lost forever.
    So both the boy and the man learned courage.
    After the man took a stand, holding onto his religious beliefs,
    he was stripped of all that the world thought made him special, and
    the boy became a survivor.
    On that day both the boy and man embraced forgiveness.
    For the man knew that if he did not let go of his pain,
    their heart would harden.
    Therefore, the boy and man moved on.
    After much time had passed,
    after struggling to carry on, the man was vindicated and his career
    returned to him.
    Although the man forgave, the boy remembered his pain.
    Yet, through this ordeal the man learned
    what faith insured, and the boy learned to endure.
    Although the future proved promising and the life of the man
    was rewarding, he would face many obstacles
    and would continue to be tested.
    And through all of the joy, laughter, tears, and pain,
    the boy inside the man lived to tell the story;
    He survived to share the glory.
    hana yasmeen ali
     

    I NEVER WALKED into the ring solely for myself. I knew that the people of the world were watching. I knew that if they could see a strong person who had also suffered hardships, but who had never forgotten his people or where he came from, they might recognize in themselves what they saw in me. I knew that the war I was meant to fight was a spiritual war—a war that would lift spirits and elevate souls—not a war that would take other people’s lives.
    When I look back, I see only what I have accomplished. The price I paid was nothing compared to what I gained. I lost the championship title. I lost three and a half of my prime fighting years. I lost financial security and public acclaim, but I gained something greater by giving it all up—
    A title no man or government could ever take away: I was the People’s Champion.
     
    A worldly loss often turns into a
Spiritual
gain
.
     

    the presence of
GOD
    THIS IS AN old story that I like to tell. It comes from the teachings of Sufism.
    Long ago, there lived a very powerful king. The king had a great warrior by the name of Rafael. No one within or without the kingdom could match Rafael’s strength. He was the greatest of all the warriors. As time passed and Rafael remained undefeated, he grew very proud of his power, strength, and bravery. This made the king uncomfortable, so he thought that he should try to humble Rafael. But the king could not find anyone who could match Rafael’s strength or courage. He was one of a kind.
    Then, one day Rafael decided to leave the king to travel the world. During his absence a son was born to him. His name was Cushman. The child’s mother died during childbirth, and the king took the