Article by:
Dr. Gerald D. Curry
I grew up watching Muhammad Ali, and him declaring to be the “Greatest of all times!” While many disagreed with his declaration at the time, he proved himself repeatedly, winning the heavyweight champion multiple times. I have been a student of life and have been fortunate to personally witness and meet iconic individuals during my lifetime. Most would agree that Ali was indeed the greatest when it comes to boxing, especially in the heavyweight division. There have been other great athletes, but none as great as Ali.
I have never been enamored by iconic entertainers or professional athletes, I have just never been the person to be starstruck, when encountering these people. I guess somewhere deep within I realize there is not a lot of difference in those people and me, other than opportunity and access. I have not met a lot of people smarter than me, but richer, more famous, and better looking. The point is these people who have reached ultra-level success typically have more access to resources, significant talent, and endless possibilities.
I have learned over the years where you start, is not as important as where you end up. Many times, success is just one decision away. You must commit to success and be willing to make the sacrifices required to better position yourself. When you make a commitment to change, then you must follow through by executing at the highest possible levels. I can remember my father sharing with me on his last day on earth, “When you’re born, we look like our parents, but when we die, we look like our decisions, so make better decisions.” After he uttered these words, the lightbulb came on. I knew then that my father had shared and taught me everything he humanly could, and now I would have to acquire new and different knowledge if I was going to move forward.
Being the greatest is simply a decision. My goal is always to be in the top one percent in everything I endeavor. Anything less than my best, is beneath my skills and abilities. Using this formula, means I am the greatest in all I do! At least in my mind. You too can and should be your best, if you decide that you are the greatest as Ali did, then you need to put your plan into motion, and simply declare it.
It is not enough just to say that you are the greatest, but what others are saying about you because it becomes your reputation. Before Ali declared he was the greatest, he had to put in the work, make sacrifices, and prove that he was above the norm. Having a belief in success, is just the start, but if you really want to step into your greatness, you will need to have sustained results for a period of time.
Each of you are great in your own way. You merely need to believe you are the best in your heart and give your absolute best. You might be thinking that sometimes skills and abilities are not enough, regardless how good you are. While this is true, you can move at quantum levels if you leverage success systems. As your system improves, you will improve. I have long believed with one simple improvement what is considered excellent, becomes mediocre with one decision. The goal must be to be exceptional and setting phenomenal as the goal. When you are phenomenal you set the pace, you are the standard, you are in the top one percent when compared to your peers. You are the greatest!
To become the Greatest of All Times, you must not only be a pace setter, but a game changer. Your contributions are bigger than life, and you use new systems, or methodologies, which shapes and informs your views of the world and the space you occupy. Your goal as we wrap up this year, is to accomplish your purpose by becoming the greatest of all times. We are counting on you! So, get to work!