Posts By Author » Zig Ziglar

Whom Would You Be?
23 May 2012 12:01 am

Once, George Bernard Shaw was approached by a reporter who said: “Mr. Shaw, you are internationally famous and have traveled all over the world. You’ve been around some of the most famous people, and you’re on a first-name basis with royalty, well-renowned authors, artists, teachers and dignitaries from every part of this continent. If you had your life to live over and could be anybody you’ve ever known, who would you want to be?”
“I would choose,” replied Shaw, “to be the man George Bernard Shaw could have been but never …

The Experts Are Not Always Right
16 May 2012 12:01 am

The Wall Street crash of 1929 was followed by the Great Depression. The crash came as a complete surprise to many “experts.” A month before the crash, Charles Mitchell, former Chairman of the National City Bank, announced, “The industrial condition of the United States is absolutely sound.”
Prominent economist Ervin Fisher said nine days before the crash, “I expect to see the stock market a good deal higher than it is today within a few months.” Even the Harvard Economic Society Bulletin announced, “A depression like 1920-21 is clearly out of …

Be A Problem Solver
9 May 2012 12:01 am

A moment’s reflection will remind us that virtually none of us get overly excited when confronted with a “problem.” That’s human nature. However, those who solve problems are the ones who survive and thrive.
Think about it. The primary role of the physician is to help people solve their health problems. Attorneys solve people’s problems, whether it’s instigating a lawsuit, filing legal claims, preparing a will, etc. The grocery business solves problems like hunger and unemployment. Salespeople solve problems by helping others purchase what they need and want.
When we encounter problems …

It’s Up to You
3 May 2012 12:01 am

My mentor, retired businessman Fred Smith, says: “You are the way you are because that’s the way you want to be. If you really wanted to be any different, you would be in the process of changing right now.”
It probably will not surprise you when I say that I am in complete agreement with Fred. He’s the wisest man I’ve ever known, and he combines wisdom with common sense, a unique sense of humor and a willingness to help others accomplish their objectives. Fred points out that change, while often …

The Other Johnny
25 Apr 2012 12:01 am

Many of you remember the movie “Stand And Deliver,” the story of Jaime Escalante, an immigrant from Bolivia who taught at Garfield High School in inner-city Los Angeles. He accomplished remarkable results with students known to be especially difficult to teach.
One story not depicted in the movie was the one about “the other Johnny.” Escalante had two students named Johnny in his class. One was a straight A+ student, the other was an F+ student. The A+ student was easy to get along with, cooperated with teachers, worked hard and …

Relationships — Friends
18 Apr 2012 12:01 am

A busy executive was being pressured by his 7-year-old son to pay attention to him, and the father kept putting him off. In one last effort for attention, the youngster said, “Dad, who do you like best — Batman or Superman?”
The father impatiently replied: “Oh, I don’t know. I suppose Superman,” and immediately went back to work.
His son persisted, “Dad, aren’t you going to ask me who I like best?” The father answered, “Oh, all right, Son, who do you like best?”
The boy said, “I like Batman best.”
The father simply …

That’s Our Policy
11 Apr 2012 12:01 am

On June 1 one year, my wife and I checked into a beautiful resort hotel at about 6:30 p.m. and were greeted with enthusiasm, courtesy and efficiency, and given tickets for a complimentary continental breakfast.
We went to our suite, freshened up and enjoyed a marvelous dinner, then had a wonderful night’s sleep. The next morning, we enjoyed coffee from the coffeemaker provided in our suite. We decided the continental breakfast wasn’t what we wanted, so we ordered cereal and a bagel.
The continental breakfast cost more than the breakfast we ordered, …

Responsibility Is the Key
4 Apr 2012 12:01 am

All of us have awakened on a given morning not really “feeling” like going to work. Maybe a mild headache threatens, or we are fatigued from lack of sufficient sleep. Perhaps we are facing a difficult assignment. Being a responsible individual, however, we roll out of bed, head for the kitchen for a cup of coffee, and, in the process, realize that we probably are going to survive. We get dressed and drive to work, pitch in when we show up, and two hours later we actually feel good. The …

Was Encouragement the Difference?
28 Mar 2012 12:01 am

The following two tidbits come from Glen Van Ekeren’s “Speakers Source Book.” Star Daily is a man who became prominent in England as a notorious, vicious killer, a hardened armed robber whose difficulty can be traced to his childhood.
His teacher routinely called on him to stand and read a passage in front of the class. Unfortunately, Star was a very poor reader, self-conscious, shy and inhibited, and the harder he tried the more he failed.
On one occasion, he was having a particularly difficult time, and open laughter erupted in the …

Can You Trust Your Feelings?
21 Mar 2012 12:01 am

All of us have undoubtedly made the statement “I don’t feel like it” a number of times. This expression in this particular instance has nothing to do with whether or not we are having a coronary or a migraine; it has to do with something that we need to do and should do but don’t want to do. So we simply say, “I just don’t feel like it.”
There’s been an ongoing conflict between doing our own thing and not doing things we really don’t want to do because we don’t …

Quit? What For?
14 Mar 2012 12:01 am

On Aug. 6, 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. Her time was 14 hours and 31 minutes, breaking Charles Toff’s record by two hours and 23 minutes.
Swimming the English Channel is a truly difficult undertaking. The channel is only 20 miles wide at the point most swimmers tackle it. However, when you combine the tide and the little waves that batter and bruise a swimmer, throw in the rain, cold and darkness, and add the jellyfish with those long, stinging tentacles, you really have …

It Takes Time
8 Mar 2012 12:01 am

“I intended to call you last week but got busy, and time slipped through my fingers.”
“I would love to take a couple of days to visit my folks, but the time just doesn’t exist.”
It’s true. We’re getting busier, and time is getting scarce.
Regardless of how busy we are, there are 10 things we need to take time for. We need to take time to work because it is the price of success. We need to take time to think because it is the source of power and the key to …

Too Much of a Good Thing
29 Feb 2012 12:01 am

For some strange reason, there are millions of us who believe that if a little of something is good for us, a lot would be even better. Sometimes, that is true, but frequently, it is not. For example, if a non-swimmer has fallen into water over his head, if you throw him one end of a rope, that’s good. If you throw him both ends of the rope, that’s bad.
In physical fitness, many people believe that if jogging 2 miles a day is good for you, 10 miles would be …

Public-Speaking Tips
22 Feb 2012 12:01 am

According to Reader’s Digest, public speaking is the No. 1 fear in America, so here are some tips that will relieve you of some of your anxiety.
First, as far as I know, Barbara Helleen, who suffered a fatal heart attack while speaking to the Women’s Club of Rosendale, N.Y., Alben W. Barkley, former vice president of the United States, and Arthur MacArthur, father of Douglas MacArthur, are the only people to have died while speaking in public. There have been literally billions of speeches made, yet few fatalities while doing …

The Hustler
15 Feb 2012 12:01 am

Several years ago, Paul Newman starred in a movie titled “The Hustler.” It dealt with the game of pool, and a hustler was a guy who set someone up and then hustled or beat him out of his money. The connotation of a hustler was definitely negative.
Today, however, when we think of a hustler, we think of someone who is a go-getter and gives the extra effort to accomplish a specific objective. Pete Rose, who broke Ty Cobb’s record for getting the most hits in baseball, was known as Charlie …

Efficiency Is Costly
8 Feb 2012 12:01 am

When I was a youngster in Yazoo City, Miss., twice each week — on Tuesday and Friday nights — I delivered the hometown newspaper. One night a week, I collected for the paper. The financial rewards were small but important. More important was the fact that I developed commitment and learned responsibility and how to deal with people. Considering everything, it was one of the most significant things I ever did.
Unfortunately, in our efficient, cost-conscious society of today, many paper boys are losing their jobs. A story in The New …

A Rainy Day Story
1 Feb 2012 12:01 am

Today was “one of those days.” I don’t believe I’ve ever seen as much rain fall so hard or for so long as I did today. My wife and I were on our way to Tyler, Texas, to make a couple of purchases and, more importantly, to see Dr. John Hudnall, an ear, nose and throat specialist, because I had a little physical problem. A blood vessel apparently burst in my nose, and I had experienced some bleeding the past two nights.
When we arrived at Hudnall’s office, we filled out …

Employer Opportunity
25 Jan 2012 12:01 am

“Morale is the state of mind. It is steadfastness and courage and hope. It is confidence and zeal and loyalty. It is elan, esprit de corps and determination.” — George Catlett Marshall
Employee turnover is expensive. One of the most important factors in retaining employees is the integrity of the employer. A national employee survey by the non-profit Hudson Institute and Walker Information, an Indianapolis research company, revealed that only 9 percent of the employees who believed they were led by less than ethical executives were loyal to the company. However, …

Talk Radio Can Help
18 Jan 2012 12:01 am

This morning, I heard a fascinating conversation between a father and a talk-show host. The father said his two little boys had been put on school probation because they had been late to school nine times in the last 60 days. The father felt good about it because it served as a wake-up call.
A family council was called, and the entire family (including Dad) accepted full responsibility for their parts in the scenario. They made an agreement that produced spectacular results.
Solution: The parents agreed that each morning at exactly 7:30, …

Discipline vs. Punishment
11 Jan 2012 12:01 am

Many people cringe when they see the word “discipline” because they are confusing discipline with punishment. Discipline is something you do for someone; punishment is something you do to someone.
Discipline is the missing quality in many people’s lives. Individuals who have never been disciplined consequently do not know how to discipline themselves. A welfare experiment in Wisconsin beautifully brings all of this to light. Their ground-level experience teaches that the single biggest obstacle to work isn’t a lack of skills, but a lack of discipline.
A column by Cokie and Steven …

Obama finds the truth offensive

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