It was the mid-1970s and Muhammad Ali was my new hero. To me, a grade-schooler, he was larger than life and yet so down-to-earth. My parents were in his inner circle, which gave me magical memories and personal insights on greatness. At his Deer Lake training camp in Pennsylvania and the Concord Resort Hotel in the Catskills, I got to experience the Heavyweight Champion away from the crowds. I would sit on his lap while he taught me card tricks. I was fascinated by his intensity and focus, and always listened eagerly and watched his every move. Along with my parents, Ali planted the seeds for what later became the foundation for the Power Living empowerment work I do around the world. He gave me a first-hand view of the power of belief, the practice of self-management and the importance of service.
The Prizefighter, Poet and Peacemaker
Known for his fighting, Ali was really a poet and peacemaker at heart. His fist would pack a punch but his kindness would disarm you. His smile was infectious and his eyes drew you in often dancing around as he masterfully played with words such as using Bundini Brown’s, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Later Ali added, “His hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see.” His language, as his footwork, had a cadence.
Read full article in The Huffington Post.
Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy is a Harvard-trained strategist, digital consultant and World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. She helps companies operate more efficiently and individuals live more effectively through her company Power Living Enterprises. A seasoned yoga/mindfulness teacher and executive/life coach, she is also an internationally-recognized voice in Personal Empowerment, Leadership and Health & Sustainability. In addition, she is the co-author (with her mom, Columbia University-trained journalist Janie Sykes-Kennedy) of Dancing Light: The Spiritual Side of Being Through the Eyes of a Modern Yoga Master – an inspirational memoir on 96-year-old yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch.
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