The Death of an Icon
Like many others waking up this morning I have heard the sad news that Mohamed Ali has died. A sportsman and a gentleman a man of principle are all titles a person can attribute to this giant. As a human being, I see this death as sad and something to mourn, as a psychotherapist, I see this as the death of a concept as much as the death of a man.
One of the things I discuss with clients is the concept of modelling. This is a concept from the Neuro Linguistic Programming discipline. The concept is simple enough, if you are looking to install new and healthier beliefs and values into yourself, find someone who embodies those beliefs and values, study them and then install those into yourself.
Ali, was iconic in terms that one did not have to simply look at him in a singular context. There are athletes who choose to model him as a sportsman. There are presenters who choose to model his abilities as a communicator. There are still others who would choose to model his advocacy skills.
In my view, Ali was the perfect modelling subject and that I struggle to think of anyone in modern times who could represent as much as he did and does to many people. I close this entry with the following phrase:Â Inna lillaahi wa inna ilayhi Raaji’oon, which translates as “Verily in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.”
