--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am a champion standing over the shadow…" description: "\"I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self.\" — Adam Johnson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/adam-johnson-7721_champion_i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow_126503.png" --- # I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self. ![“I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self.” quote by Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/adam-johnson-7721_champion_i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow_126503.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/adam-johnson-7721_champion_i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow_126503.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/adam-johnson-7721_champion_i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow_126503.png) > “I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self.” [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overcoming past selves leads to personal triumph and renewed confidence. **In simple terms:** Defeat your former self. Key Takeaway Rise above past limitations. Themes self‑improvement confidence growth Mood motivational empowering Type assertive inspirational When to use this quote - career advancement - fitness goals - skill learning Key Concepts psychology self‑help Practical Applications - set higher standards - celebrate progress Questions to Reflect On - What does your former self limit you? - How will you surpass it? A Different Perspective Past may linger. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Champion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Motivational](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivational/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Shadow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow/) [Shadow self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shadow-self/) [Wrestling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrestling/) ## Related quotes > [The Shadow is a moral problem that challenges the whole ego-personality, for no one can become conscious of the shadow without considerable moral effort.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-jung/the-shadow-is-a-moral-problem-that-challenges-the-whole-ego/) [Carl Jung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-jung/) > [I am sure that everyone will immediately discover how much 'The Brightest Void' and 'The Shadow Self' are entwined with each other but, at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tarja-turunen/i-am-sure-that-everyone-will-immediately-discover-how-much-the/) [Tarja Turunen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tarja-turunen/) > [A lot of the shadow self is the home of poetry, story, prayer. My deepest understandings are often released from the part of me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-l-engle/a-lot-of-the-shadow-self-is-the-home-of-poetry-story-prayer-my/) [Madeleine L'Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-l-engle/) > [Some people have an identity. I have an alibi. I have a shadow self.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-aciman/some-people-have-an-identity-i-have-an-alibi-i-have-a-shadow-self/) [Andre Aciman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-aciman/) > [“Light and dark appear as opposites, and we've all learned to think of them as warring enemies. Duality is based on separation, yet the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/light-and-dark-appear-as-opposites-and-we-ve-all-learned-to-think-of/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [“I didn't know what he was playing up to—if he was playing up to anything at all—and I suspect he did not know either;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/i-didn-t-know-what-he-was-playing-up-to-if-he-was-playing-up-to/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [“I am inclined to disagree with Jung when he says the Shadow is the person that we’d rather not be. The Shadow is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chloe-thurlow/i-am-inclined-to-disagree-with-jung-when-he-says-the-shadow-is-the/) [Chloe Thurlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chloe-thurlow/) > [“The people we hate haunt us; they inhabit our minds in a negative way as we brood in a deviant form of meditation on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/the-people-we-hate-haunt-us-they-inhabit-our-minds-in-a-negative-way/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Sometimes it's liberating to confront horrible things in lyrics as a way to master the shadow-self that exists in everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-tweedy/sometimes-it-s-liberating-to-confront-horrible-things-in-lyrics-as-a/) [Jeff Tweedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-tweedy/) > [The abyss you stare into and that stares back at you is your reflection in the mirror - we all have it - that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-abyss-you-stare-into-and-that-stares-back-at-you-is-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“We are captivated by the feminine shadow of the self we might have been; in my case by that counterpart of the romantic writer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-connolly/we-are-captivated-by-the-feminine-shadow-of-the-self-we-might-have/) [Cyril Connolly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-connolly/) > [We all have a dark side. Most of us go through life avoiding direct confrontation with that aspect of ourselves, which I call the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorraine-toussaint/we-all-have-a-dark-side-most-of-us-go-through-life-avoiding-direct/) [Lorraine Toussaint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorraine-toussaint/) > [“Your Shadow is a dark omen, a powerful teacher that reveals to you the places in your life where you are energetically blocked. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mateo-sol/your-shadow-is-a-dark-omen-a-powerful-teacher-that-reveals-to-you-the/) [Mateo Sol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mateo-sol/) > [“The celebrations go on for many hours,' said the woman. Above her, in the sky, a firework exploded, showering multi-coloured flames across the stars.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reggie-oliver/the-celebrations-go-on-for-many-hours-said-the-woman-above-her-in-the/) Reggie Oliver > [“but that shadow self of hers wasn't so sure. The ugly, toxic thought was smaller than a drop of blood, yet it poisoned the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/but-that-shadow-self-of-hers-wasn-t-so-sure-the-ugly-toxic-thought/) [Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/) ## More by Adam Johnson > [“If only more people in life said, This is what I must have.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/if-only-more-people-in-life-said-this-is-what-i-must-have/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [Like putting a name to my problems would solve anything](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/like-putting-a-name-to-my-problems-would-solve-anything/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“The darkness inside your head is something your imagination fills with stories that have nothing to do with the real darkness around you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-darkness-inside-your-head-is-something-your-imagination-fills/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“Was this what a family was, how it grew—straight as the children’s teeth? Sure, there was an arm in a sling and over time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/was-this-what-a-family-was-how-it-grew-straight-as-the-children-s/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“Real stories like this, human ones, could get you sent to prison, and it didn’t matter what they were about. It didn’t matter if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/real-stories-like-this-human-ones-could-get-you-sent-to-prison-and-it/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“To survive in this world, you got to be many times a coward but at least once a hero”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/to-survive-in-this-world-you-got-to-be-many-times-a-coward-but-at/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“It wasn’t that I didn’t know anyone’s phone number—I didn’t—it was that only at this moment did I realize I had no one to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/it-wasn-t-that-i-didn-t-know-anyone-s-phone-number-i-didn-t-it-was/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“But I held her in my heart, and would stay with her all my days, even if a great many of them were trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/but-i-held-her-in-my-heart-and-would-stay-with-her-all-my-days-even/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [The next day, she was silent. For breakfast, she murdered an onion and served it raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-next-day-she-was-silent-for-breakfast-she-murdered-an-onion-and/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“Acts of heroism are easy—becoming a hero is a bitch.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/acts-of-heroism-are-easy-becoming-a-hero-is-a-bitch/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“The urge to create a fictional narrative is a mysterious one, and when an idea comes, the writer's sense of what a story wants…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/the-urge-to-create-a-fictional-narrative-is-a-mysterious-one-and-when/) [adam johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [But, in North Korea, it's just the opposite. There's one story. It's written by the Kim regime. And 23 million people are conscripted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/but-in-north-korea-it-s-just-the-opposite-there-s-one-story-it-s/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“What was it about English speakers that allowed them to talk into transmitters as if the sky were a diary?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/what-was-it-about-english-speakers-that-allowed-them-to-talk-into/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“It’s okay if you can’t make sense of that. I’ve tried and tried, but I can’t grasp it, either. The most vital things we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/it-s-okay-if-you-can-t-make-sense-of-that-i-ve-tried-and-tried-but-i/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) > [“Stories are factual...If a man and his story are in conflict it is the man who must change…In America it is the man who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/stories-are-factual-if-a-man-and-his-story-are-in-conflict-it-is-the/) [Adam Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) [Explore all 88 Adam Johnson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/) ## More Champion quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [Grit, determination, the right amount of crazy, self belief - everything it takes to be a champion. I have that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-poirier/grit-determination-the-right-amount-of-crazy-self-belief-everything/) [Dustin Poirier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-poirier/) > [I have to be No. 1 pound-for-pound champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/islam-makhachev/i-have-to-be-no-1-pound-for-pound-champion/) [Islam Makhachev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/islam-makhachev/) > [If I can beat a proven champion like Canelo, that will take my career to a different level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennady-golovkin/if-i-can-beat-a-proven-champion-like-canelo-that-will-take-my-career/) [Gennady Golovkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennady-golovkin/) > [I still have to unify my division and basically become the undefeated welterweight champion of the world. I can't lose. It is more added…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/errol-spence-jr/i-still-have-to-unify-my-division-and-basically-become-the-undefeated/) [Errol Spence Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/errol-spence-jr/) > [Palindrome as well. My sister's name is Hannah. Father liked word games. He was fourteen times World Scrabble Champion. When he died, we buried…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/palindrome-as-well-my-sister-s-name-is-hannah-father-liked-word-games/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [ Bernie \[Ecclestone\] is the commercial rights holder so the more outgoing the champion is, the better. Of course. I also do think about our… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-ecclestone/bernie-ecclestone-is-the-commercial-rights-holder-so-the-more/) [Bernie Ecclestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-ecclestone/) > [The truth is the Vintage Vitor never left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vitor-belfort/the-truth-is-the-vintage-vitor-never-left/) [Vitor Belfort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vitor-belfort/) > [I think cricket is there in Usain Bolt's blood. Since I got to watch from close quarters, it was amazing to see him run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harbhajan-singh/i-think-cricket-is-there-in-usain-bolt-s-blood-since-i-got-to-watch/) [Harbhajan Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harbhajan-singh/) > [Winners are born, Champions are made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-falcon-scott/winners-are-born-champions-are-made/) [Robert Falcon Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-falcon-scott/) > [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/) [Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/) > [To be a champion long-distance runner you have to run on the edge of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toshihiko-seko/to-be-a-champion-long-distance-runner-you-have-to-run-on-the-edge-of/) Toshihiko Seko > [“There is a scene in one of the Rocky movies where after the match Apollo Creed and Rocky are waiting for the scoring of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-a-passaro/there-is-a-scene-in-one-of-the-rocky-movies-where-after-the-match/) [John A. Passaro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-a-passaro/) > [Champions are made from something they have deep inside of them-a desire, a dream, a vison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/champions-are-made-from-something-they-have-deep-inside-of-them-a/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) [Browse all 2,649 Champion quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/champion/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Adam Johnson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow-of-my-former-self/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Champion" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow-of-my-former-self/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/adam-johnson-7721_champion_i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow_126503.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/adam-johnson-7721_champion_i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow_126503.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e18/adam-johnson-7721_champion_i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow_126503.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I am a champion standing over the shadow of my former self.” — Adam Johnson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Adam Johnson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-johnson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I am a champion standing over...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow-of-my-former-self/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-johnson/i-am-a-champion-standing-over-the-shadow-of-my-former-self/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```