BY UDEME ARCHIBONG

“I am the greatest” became the label of the boxing legend, philanthropist and social activist, Muhammad Ali. He sounded those words in the locker room, in the ring, in front of radio microphones and TV and movie cameras, in newspapers and magazines. Before facing his opponents Ali would give himself some success treatment. He would tell reporters, “I’m going to knock him down in five/He’s going to take a dive/I’m going to sting him like a bee/so he won’t see”.

He built a reputation by correctly predicting the round in which he would “finish” his opponents and by boasting before his triumphs. Muhammad Ali defeated every top heavy weight in his era with majority of them by knock out; his era has been called the golden age of heavy weight boxing. In fact, Ali is the first and only, three-time lineal World Heavy weight Champion.

A remarkable thing happened in Ali’s boxing career. When he faced his opponent; Leone Spinks for the first time he forgot to give himself some success treatment; he forgot to affirm that he was the greatest. Guess what? Muhammad Ali was defeated.

The second time he faced Spinks, he gave himself the success treatment and he undoubtedly regained his title as the heavy weight Champ of the world. When Muhammad Ali “thought” greatness, “saw” greatness, and “talked” greatness, he became and sustained his position as the greatest in his field. When he lost sight of greatness and never talked greatness, he went down in defeat.

Life would not always give you what you want but what you believe and expect. And your words give expression to what you believe and expect. The mental picture you have of yourself, your abilities and your world determines your words. The arena of life is filled with people who talk down at themselves and on everything.

Their minds are so full with negativity that every word they utter from their lips is negative and their lives begin to deteriorate and go down in the drain of failure. These category of people, talk about how times are always hard, money scarce, hard luck and fate; as long as they talk about poverty and failure it will remain their experience.

A scientist discovered that none of the American Indians stuttered among the tribes he was working with. Being a scientist he was full with curiosity to unravel the reason behind his findings, this led him to study every Indian tribe in America. He still did not find any Indian who stuttered.

The scientist went ahead to study their languages and made a significant discovery why none of the Indians stuttered. The American Indians do not have a word or a substitute word for “stutter”.  The word “stutter” is not part of their vocabulary, since there is no word for it; they can’t think it; they can’t say and ultimately it is impossible for them to experience it.

Another interesting revelation; some native American languages have no word for “lie” and also the Tasaday tribes in the Philippines has no words for “dislike”, “hate” or “war”. Guess the implication? They never consider those words in their mind; they don’t think it; they don’t behave it.

Words affect how you think and direct your actions which produce results in your life. Words affect how you feel and shape your emotions. You can choose to use words as a force for good to transform your life by eliminating negative words from your vocabulary. Carefully, select your choice of words. On the journey of success only those who choose to use the language of success ever reaches the top.

Truly successful people don’t talk anyhow; they don’t engage in profanity; idle gossip; backbiting; slander and faultfinding. Rather their words are full with wisdom; their words build and bring out the best in people. Successful people are so busy improving themselves and adding value to people in so much that they do not have time left to dwell on negativity or idle chatter.

You can correct faults and weaknesses in your character by words. Write down those success qualities you want to imbibe in your character through your success journey. Eliminate the opposite qualities out of your vocabulary. Assume those success qualities; vocalize that it is already yours; concentrate on it; behave it and you will be amazed how those qualities will become your nature.

Zig Ziglar unfolds; “Actually the most important conversations you will have all day long are the ones you have with yourself. The most important opinion you have is the opinion you have of yourself.” Always engage in heart to heart talk with yourself. Talk to yourself positively about the day while you are dressing in the morning; programme yourself for success before stepping into the day.

Recreate your world through the language of success.