Muhammad Ali Celebrates 70th Birthday Today, Maintains Optimistic Outlook

Despite Parkinson’s disease, Muhammad Ali maintains a positive outlook on life, reports The Washington Post.

“He would always just say to his family, ‘These are the cards I was dealt, so don’t be sad,’” Maryum Ali, Muhammad’s daughter told the Post. “He never played the victim. There was never any ‘Woe is me.’”

Ali became one of the world’s most recognizable figures through his boxing career, as well as his outspoken views on non-violent social change. The former heavyweight champion is considered by many as not only one of the greatest boxers of all-time, but also one of the most influential civil-rights voices of the 20th century.