Quotes About Perseverance

Don't count the days, make the days count.

When you saw me in the boxing ring fighting, it wasn't just so I could beat my opponent. My fighting had a purpose. I had to be successful in order to get people to listen to the things I had to say.

If Ali says a mosquito can pull a plow, don't ask how. Hitch him up.

Watching George come back to win the title got me all excited. Made me want to come back. But then the next morning came, and it was time to start running. I lay back in bed and said, "That's okay, I'm still the Greatest."

I wasn't just fighting one man, I was fighting a lot of men. I had to show them all that I was a man they couldn't intimidate. If I lost, I would have to listen to all the talk about how I was a bum, how I joined the wrong movement, and how I was misled. That's why it was so important for me to show them how wrong they were. I won in a third-round knockout.

There were so many fellows ranked over me I couldn't just whoop them all. I had to out-shadow them by talking.

It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the little pebble in your shoe.

I have learned to live my life one step, one breath, and one moment at a time, but it was a long road.

There live a great man named Joe / who was belittled by a loudmouth foe / While his rival would taunt and tease / Joe silently bore the stings / And then fought like gladiator in the ring

If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize.

Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don't let yourself believe it will happen to you.

I hated every minute of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'

I never thought of losing, but now that it' s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.

Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them -- a desire, a dream, a vision.

He who hits and runs away, lives to fight another day.

My toughest fight was with my first wife.

I don't count my sit-ups; I only start counting when it starts hurting because they're the only ones that count.

What keeps me going is goals.

All through my life, I have been tested. My will has been tested, my courage has been tested, my strength has been tested. Now my patience and endurance are being tested.

I never thought of losing, but now that it's happened, the only thing is to do it right. That's my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.

Life is a gamble. You can get hurt, but people die in plane crashes, lose their arms and legs in car accidents; people die every day. Same with fighters: some die, some get hurt, some go on. You just don't let yourself believe it will happen to you.

I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.

No one starts out on top. You have to work your way up. Some mountains are higher than others, some roads steeper than the next. There are hardships and setbacks, but you can't let them stop you. Even on the steepest road, you must not turn back. You must keep going up. In order to reach the top of the mountain, you have to climb every rock.

I am an ordinary man who worked hard to develop the talent I was given. I believed in myself, and I believe in the goodness of others.