Funny thing happened... I thought it was Mo's turn all this time... And it's my turn - sorry Mo! Here goes friends!
I was recently watching Ali, the movie based on arguably one of the greatest boxers of all time, Muhammed Ali. And what was so impactful to me was how during a fight, the people in his corner would support him. No matter what happened outside of the ring, while Ali was fighting, his "team" had his back. They saw him training, they saw him injured, they saw him vulnerable, and he had to trust them with his REAL self.
Ali would tell himself over and over that he was the greatest. Many believe it was because he was overly confident. I believe it was for 3 reasons; 1 - because he knew the power of speaking into the atmosphere; 2. because he must tell himself as part of his mental training; and 3. because he knew that his opponent would already have the same sentiments because of hearing Ali say over and over, "I'm the Greatest! I'm the Greatest", it was a mind trick.
Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting that we become prideful and cocky, because God will humble us. But during his fights, the people in his corner were saying to Ali the very things he had to tell himself - "You're the greatest! Come on Champ! Rumble Young man, Rumble!" When the fight was getting tough, when Ali was getting tired, when it may have seemed a little dim, those in his corner knew their role was to build him up, to encourage him to stay in the fight, to remind him of his plan.
This reminds me of the bible story when Joshua was fighting a battle. As Moses held his arms up, outstretched to God, Joshua and his men were winning. However, Moses began to get tired, and his arms became heavy so he lowered them - then Joshua and his men began losing the battle. However, 2 men in Moses' corner knew Moses' purpose, and saw the big picture. So they got a large rock for Moses to sit on, and they each held up one of Moses' arms. The people in his corner had his back, and Joshua won the battle.
So, I ask you, Who's In Your Corner? We pray the people in your corner - your friends, are able to celebrate you when times are good, but are safe for you to show injuries and vulnerabilities. We hope they can pray for you and lift you up when you're in a battle, and say the exact things you need to hear. Mo and I have a gift that even during periods of separation, different cities, different places in life - we knew that we were only one phone call away, and we would give exactly what the other needed. We still do that now! And that's what friends are for!
Blessings,
Tone For Real
