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The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey

Book by Muhammad Ali · 29 quotes · Ifs, People, Different

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The Soul of a Butterfly: Reflections on Life's Journey Quotes

“A long time ago, I took a walk down a street in Harlem in New York City. I came upon a man who asked me for a dollar. He had asked a few other people before me, but they only passed him by without glancing his way. I stopped and handed the man some money. As I began to turn away, he reached out and shook my hand. He looked me in the eyes and said, "I will bless you." Now, I'm not saying that was God Himself. But how do we know that it wasn't someone working for him, walking around in disguise, just to see what we would do?”

PeopleKnowsMenWayLongSaidHandsEyeTurnsWalksCitiesStreetsNew YorkHe ManWalkingLong TimeDollarsBlessNew York CityDisguiseLong Time AgoHarlem
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“Over the years my religion has changed and my spirituality has evolved. Religion and spirituality are very different, but people often confuse the two. Some things cannot be taught, but they can be awakened in the heart. Spirituality is recognizing the divine light that is within us all. It doesn't belong to any particular religion; it belongs to everyone.”

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“If we continue to think and live as if we belong only to different cultures and different religions, with separate missions and goals, we will always be in self-defeating competition with each other. Once we realize we are all members of humanity, we will want to compete in the spirit of love.”

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“I tried to be the greatest boxer in the world and a good parent, too. I had instant feedback on my success as a boxer. Often, parents don't really know if what they are doing is right or wrong until their child is grown and it is too late to change any of the decisions. Whatever my failings as a parent, I am very proud of all my children. It wasn't easy for them to make their own way with such a controversial and public father.”

IfsKnowsWorldWayChildrenFatherEasyParentDecisionFailingProudLateMy ChildrenInstantToo LateFeedbackControversialBoxersGood Parent
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“If the culprits are Muslim, they have twisted the teachings of Islam. Whoever performed, or is behind, the terrorist attacks in the United States of America does not represent Islam. God is not behind assassins.”

IfsDoeStatesAmericaUnitedPowerfulBehindsUnited StatesTeachingIslamTerroristUnited States Of AmericaTwistedAssassinsTerrorist AttacksCulprit
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“I have learned to live my life one step, one breath, and one moment at a time, but it was a long road. I set out on a journey of love, seeking truth, peace and understanding. I am still learning.”

LongStillsMomentsMotivationalUnderstandingStepsJourneyLessonsBreathsSeekingI Have LearnedLiving My LifeMoments In TimeLive And LearnOne Step At A TimeLong RoadSeeking TruthCherish Every MomentCassius ClayLove Journey
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“I love boxing and it did a lot for me. But sometimes it made me think how savage human beings could be to each other. That wasn't the kind of boxer I wanted to be. My strategy was to be as scientific as I could when I fought. I didn't want to be seriously hurt, and I didn't want to do that to anybody else either.”

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“I strongly object to the fact that so many newspapers have given the American public and the world the impression that I have only two alternatives in taking this stand: either I go to jail or go to the Army. There is another alternative and that alternative is justice. If justice prevails, if my Constitutional rights are upheld, I will be forced to go neither to the Army nor jail. In the end I am confident that justice will come my way for the truth must eventually prevail.”

IfsWorldWayTwoEndsFactsGivenJusticeRightsObjectsArmyNewspapersImpressionMy WayAlternativesBoxingJailConstitutional Rights
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“We all have the same God, we just serve him differently. Rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, oceans all have different names, but they all contain water. So do religions have different names, and they all contain truth, expressed in different ways forms and times. It doesn't matter whether you're a Muslim, a Christian, or a Jew. When you believe in God, you should believe that all people are part of one family. If you love God, you can't love only some of his children.”

PeopleIfsWayLoveInspirationalShouldBelieveChildrenDifferentMatterGodTruthChristianFormTimeReligionFaithNamesWaterReligiousChristianityLordOceanRiversJewBelieverGod LoveDifferent WaysStreamsLakesBelieve In GodTrust In GodCommitment To GodConfidence In GodPondsIntimacy With GodGod Within UsConnecting With GodKeep BelievingDifferent NamesCassius Clay
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“We knew that not all white people were bad, and that there were black people who did wrong, too. Some white people wanted to help us, & in their heart meant us no harm, but how were we to know who they were? The way Elijah Muhammad put it was like this, 'What if there were 1,000 rattlesnakes outside your door, & maybe 100 of them wouldn't bite you, didn't mean you any harm, but they all looked alike? So you couldn't tell the mean ones from from the nice ones. What should you do? Should you open the door & hope that the 100 snakes that wouldn't harm you would come together & form a shield protecting you from the other 900 snakes that want to harm you? Or should you close the door & stay safe?”

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