Creating the New You: The Social Cost of Personal Growth & Lessons from Muhammad Ali

Creating the New You: The Social Cost of Personal Growth & Lessons from Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali, a legendary boxer and social activist, once said, “A man who has the same opinions at 50 that he had when he was 20, has wasted 30 years of his life.” This quote is a powerful reminder that personal growth and change are essential for a fulfilling life.

Many of you are in the process of change. You no longer find contentment in the status quo or in merely reacting to the life that was given to you by your parents, school, church, society, boss, or any other external factor. You have a strong desire to live your life with purpose, to create your own path, and to forge your legend through this life. However, in order to achieve this, it is necessary for you to make some fundamental changes in yourself. You need to change who you are, how you act, and your commitments.

Before we make the decision to change and live in our authentic power, most of us learn to lie and hide, creating fragmented versions of ourselves in order to express our true selves. It may seem easier to create a little niche for that piece of ourselves to thrive in, rather than to live in truth and full integrity. However, this approach ultimately harms us because we can no longer be our authentic selves. We end up having to remember what we said to different people, and the lies we tell start to destroy our lives.

Some of us, however, begin to realize this and start living our legends. We start being who we truly are. There are some things that happen internally when we do this.

In this article, we will explore the importance of change and the social cost of personal growth. We will draw inspiration from Muhammad Ali’s life, how he fought for his chosen version of himself and the life he created.

The Impact of Personal Growth on Relationships

When we decide to change, grow, and become the next version of ourselves, we often realize that we have built an entire life as a liar, someone who hides or settles for less than who we really are. This realization can be challenging, especially when it comes to our relationships with others.

The people, structures, and schedules in our lives were created by the person we used to be. So, when we decide to change, our life may push back because it is full of people like we used to be. As we start to tell the truth and be who we really are, we may start to lose people because they prefer the lie, the show, or the hiding. Our entire relationships with some people may be based on hiding together, and when we start to change, these social contracts start to break.

However, it’s essential to understand that we broke the contract by choosing to stop lying and start being authentic. It’s not on them, and it doesn’t mean they are bad people. As we grow, we need to give a little grace and recognize that not everyone will be excited about our growth. It’s crucial to remember that we are the ones who decided to live our legend and become who we really are.

As we become more authentic, we may initially lose people who were in love with our lies. But this creates space for people who love who we really are. We don’t have to constantly morph ourselves to fit their expectations or remember what we said. We can just be ourselves, and people will like us for who we truly are. And even if they dislike that we may change again in the future, we remain committed to our own growth.

Muhammad Ali’s Example: Fight For The Person You Are Creating

Muhammad Ali whose original name was Cassius Clay, is a true hero and a boxing legend. He decided to step forward and change his name, insisting on being called Muhammad Ali instead of Cassius Clay, arguing that Cassius Clay was his slave name, and he was no longer a slave. Muhammad means “word of all praise,” and Ali means “most high.” He was willing to pay the price to maintain and keep that change.

In one of his interviews, his future opponent for a fight refused to call him Muhammad Ali and maintained that he is Cassius Clay. Muhammad Ali warned him that he would punish the guy through their boxing fight. Eventually, he won their fight handily and kept repeating, “What’s my name?” Why? Because he was fighting not just this opponent, but the entire world that wouldn’t call him Muhammad Ali. He had such a belief in who he was creating that the whole world shaped itself to fit it.

Muhammad Ali is one of my heroes because he didn’t care about what he was supposed to do or what was possible. He had a clear vision of who he would be: the greatest of all time. He created it with his words and his intention, owning his losses and coming back stronger each time. Even in his fight with Parkinson’s disease late in his life, he remained committed to his vision and let the world change around him.

Creating the New Version of Yourself: Counting the Cost

Growing and changing is not simple or easy. Some people in your life are reliant on you being small, and they will resist your growth and try to pull you back. It’s crucial to fight for the person you are creating, just like Muhammad Ali did. But are you willing to go through the pain and social distress of the cost of this change?

When you create the new version of yourself, who will celebrate it with you, and who will no longer like you? What will exist inside the world of this new person that doesn’t exist today? And what must leave your life today to make space for this new person? It’s important to count this cost and understand that you cannot be the new person and the old person at the same time.

This conversation is often ignored, but it’s crucial for personal growth. It doesn’t come without pain or struggle, and you’re going to have to fight for it. You’re going to have to fight the title of your life and cling onto who you are creating. Muhammad Ali’s story is a powerful example of having a clear vision for who you want to be and holding onto it with all your life.

So, what’s your name? And are you willing to fight for it? It’s time to have a powerful conversation and create the new version of yourself that you’re chasing, counting the cost and understanding what needs to change to make it a reality.