Try It – Maybe You Can by Zig Ziglar

I love the story of the 90-year-old lady who, when asked if she could play the piano, responded that she didn’t know. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” she was asked. The lady smilingly replied, “I’ve never tried.” Good answer that I hope will open some eyes, ears and thinking. Many of us have talents we’ve never benefitted from because we have never “tried” to do a specific thing.

Nearly everybody recognizes the name of Nat “King” Cole. He was universally admired for his beautiful, silky-smooth voice. He could sing ballads as few have ever done. What many people do not realize is that he started his career as a piano player. One night in a West Coast club, the featured singer was ill and the owner demanded to know where he was. When Cole responded that he was sick, the club owner said, “If we don’t have a singer there’ll be no check.” That night Nat “King” Cole became a singer. The rest is history.

For the first seven years of his career, Will Rogers performed rope tricks. He was a genuine cowboy and very much a “man’s man.” He held the attention of the audience with the rope tricks he performed. One night someone in the audience asked him a question. His candid response brought a considerable amount of laughter. Then someone else asked a question and Rogers’ response again was humorous. That night his career as a full-scale humorist was launched. But he was far more than a humorist. He had the home-spun wisdom that not only encouraged and entertained, but also gave people information and inspiration they could use in their everyday lives.

Message: You might not be able to carry a tune, do rope tricks or give humorous, home spun advice but you do have a song to sing and ability that needs to be developed and used.

The next time someone asks if you can do something you’ve never done before, don’t automatically respond “no.” Think about it. Maybe you should give it a try. Who knows? Maybe you have talents you’ve never recognized. Give it a shot and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is known as America’s motivator. He is the author of 29 books and numerous audio and video recordings. See him in action!

You Can’t Please Everyone by Zig Ziglar

To attempt to please everyone is a surefire formula for misery and lack of success in life. As a speaker and author, I communicate a considerable amount of information. It is my conviction that I must give people information to put them in better position to make good decisions. It is not my place to tell them which decisions to make.

As an example, according to Dr. Josh McDowell, parents who permit their twelve-year-old daughter (we have no data on boys) to date have just given her odds of nine-to-one that she will be sexually active before she finishes high school. If they choose to let her wait until she’s sixteen to start dating, they’ve given her odds of four-to-one that she will not be sexually active before she finishes high school.

Regardless of moral or religious convictions, most will agree that sexual activity precedes pregnancy. Most will also agree that teenage mothers and their children have a high failure rate in virtually every phase of life. With this in mind, I recently shared this information with an audience, expecting – at the very least – appreciation.

What I got was a fax from a very angry man. He was livid that I had had the audacity to tell him when to let his daughter start dating! There’s always the possibility that he simply was not listening, but if he was serious and resented getting the suggestion on proper dating age, then I am dumbfounded. I will be more careful in the future to let the audience know that I’m giving the information so they will be in a better position to make a wise decision on behalf of their daughters. I believe it offers a logical approach to help solve a monumental problem in our society. Think about it. You cannot please everyone, but if you’re convinced that your position is morally sound, stand by it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

This article is an excerpt from Over the Top. You can buy the whole book now! Zig Ziglar is known as America’s motivator. He is the author of 29 books and numerous audio and video recordings. See him in action!

Living Sucessfully by Zig Ziglar

Zig On…Living Successfully

By Zig Ziglar

It’s not what you don’t have. Chances are excellent that you’ve heard the phrase used many times, “Life is what you make it.” Truer words were never spoken. Or we could put it in a slightly different way, as my friend Ty Boyd does, and say, “You can’t change the cards life has dealt you, but you can determine the way you’ll play them.” That’s the philosophy Wendy Stoeker decided to live by. When she was a freshman at the University of Florida, Wendy placed third in the girls’ state diving championship. At that point she was swimming in the number two spot, and she was doing so as a freshman on the highly-competitive Florida swim team. At the same time, she was carrying a full academic load.

Wendy Stoeker certainly sounds like an accomplished, happy, positive, well-balanced co-ed, capable of making life whatever she wishes it to be, doesn’t she? Well, as a matter of fact, you’re right when you say that’s what she was and is. The fact is, she already has made life what she wants it to be, even though she was born without arms.

Despite having no arms, Wendy enjoys bowling, water skiing, and types over 45 words a minute. Wendy doesn’t look down at what she does not have, she looks up to what she does have. The reality is that if all of us would use what we have and not worry about what we don’t have, we would be able to accomplish infinitely more in our lives.

The message is this: Follow the example of Wendy Stoeker. Think positively about what you want in life. Determine to use what you have, regardless of the obstacles you might face. If you do that, you will make your life more exciting, rewarding and productive. Buy that idea and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

Why Worry? by Zig Ziglar

Zig On…Why Worry?

By Zig Ziglar

Worry has been described as “interest paid on trouble before it comes due.” One of America’s worst enemies is worry. Worry is like a rocking chair, it requires a lot of energy and it gets you nowhere. Leo Buscaglia said, “Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.”

Question: Are you a worrier? Americans take more pills to forget more worries about more things than ever before and more than any other nation in history. That’s bad. According to Dr. Charles Mayo, “Worry affects the circulation and the whole nervous system. I’ve never known a man who died from overwork, but I’ve known many who have died from doubt.” Doubt always creates worry and, in most cases, lack of information raises the doubt.

Mathematically speaking, it really doesn’t make sense to worry. Psychologists and much research tells us that roughly 40% of what we worry about will never happen and 30% has already happened. Additionally, 12% of our worries are over unfounded health concerns. Another 10% of our worries involve the daily miscellaneous fretting that accomplishes nothing. That leaves only 8%. Plainly speaking, Americans are worrying 92% of the time for no good reason and if Dr. Mayo is right, it’s killing us.

One simple solution that will reduce your worry is this: Don’t worry about what you can’t change. Example: For a number of years I’ve flown in excess of 200,000 miles a year. On occasion, flights are canceled or delayed. As I write this article, I’m sitting on the runway waiting for my gate to clear. If I worry or get angry it will change nothing. If I take constructive action and finish this article, I’m ahead of the game. That’s a positive way to use the energy that would have been wasted on anger, frustration, or worrying.

The message is clear: If you don’t like your situation in life, don’t fret or worry - do something about it. Worry less, act more, and I will SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

Zig Ziglar on Thinking it Through

Zig On…

Thinking it Through

Never follow a bad shot with a bad decision. As an avid golfer I’m often puzzled by the actions of the typical high-handicap golfer. He steps up to the tee box and with driver in hand takes his stance, thinks the shot through, and hits the ball about two hundred ten yards out and about forty yards to the right, where it lands in the midst of some trees. He walks or rides to the ball, looks at the six-foot opening and determines that all he’s got to do to reach the green is hit the ball a hundred seventy-five yards through that opening, send it over the lake and fade it over the bunker to land on the green.

Let me remind you of the scenario: He just missed a fairway roughly sixty yards wide with the ball teed up and in perfect position. For his second shot he believes he can go through a six-foot opening and make the ball act like it does when one of the top touring pros on the P.G.A. hits it. With the confidence that generally goes with ignorance, he steps up, fires away, and hits the ball in the lake. In anger and disgust, he then hits the ball over the green into a sand bunker. Two strokes later he is on the green where he two-putts for a disastrous quadruple bogey eight. He followed a bad shot with a bad decision and it cost him.

Too often all of us hit a “bad shot” (make a mistake, handle the truth loosely, etc.). Then we compound that “bad shot” by denying it, defending it, lying about it or rationalizing it instead of quietly thinking it through, acknowledging the mistake, and working through it in a logical, forthright manner. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

When a company or an individual compromises one time, whether it’s on price or principle, the next compromise is right around the corner.

Zig Ziglar

It’s Never Too Late!

It’s Never Too Late!

In May of 1983, Helen Hill, age 95, received her high school diploma. She was absolutely ecstatic. When she finished high school 76 years earlier, she and her five classmates did not receive formal diplomas because the school was so much in debt they could not afford them. When she received her belated diploma, Mrs. Hill was thrilled. Unfortunately, she was the only surviving member of the Class of 1907, so she could not share her joy and excitement with her former classmates. The message is clear: A disappointment of yesterday can turn into a delight for today. It’s never too late!

Carl Carson, at the tender age of 64, decided to make a career change. At that age, most people think in terms of retirement, which is unfortunate. Many 64-year-olds are still very young and have accumulated experiences on which they can build very exciting and rewarding careers. Mr. Carson had been successful as a car and truck leasing agent. For his new career, he decided to go into the consulting business. His original plan was to sell his services to ten clients. Like many of us, when he reached his rather modest goal he decided to do more. He began putting out a monthly newspaper, advising twelve hundred paying subscribers. By age 75, Carl was criss-crossing the nation a hundred times a year, speaking at conventions and having a very good time.

The message is absolutely clear: It’s never too late to dream, to learn, or to change. Unfortunately, many people come up with excuses for not reaching their goals. They don’t live in the right place, are too old or too young, or a host of other excuses. I’m not saying that it’s going to be easy because life is tough, but it can be rewarding! It’s true that you can’t stop the calendar or turn back the clock, but you can still dream, set those positive goals, and use your unique abilities. Buy into that idea and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won’t work - if you won’t.

- Zig Ziglar

Compassion by Zig Ziglar

Zig On…

Compassion

One incident can change us forever. In the last century a rich boy and a poor boy lived in the same neighborhood. The rich boy wore nice clothes, lived in a nice house and had plenty of good, nutritious food to eat. The poor boy lived in a cheap house, wore ragged clothes and did not have much of anything to eat. One day the boys got into a scuffle. In the struggle the rich boy won. The poor boy got up, dusted himself off and told the rich kid that if he had the proper food to eat like the rich boy did, he would have won. Then the poor boy turned and walked away. The rich kid just stood there. He was numbed by what the poor boy had said. His heart was broken because he knew that it was true.

The rich boy never forgot that experience. From that day on he revolted against any favored treatment because he was rich. He made it a point to wear cheap clothing; he intentionally endured the hardships faced by the poor. His family was often embarrassed by the way he dressed, but despite family pressure, that young boy never again took advantage of his wealth.

History omits the name of the poor boy, but the rich boy who developed such a compassion for the poor made them his life’s work. His name is recorded in history. He dedicated his life to service and became a world-class physician, serving in Africa. His name was Albert Schweitzer. I’m not suggesting that we all be as selfless as Albert Schweitzer, but I do believe that we need to be more in tune with the thinking and feelings of others. Very few people have had as much impact on the world as Albert Schweitzer. Even fewer people have gotten as much satisfaction out of life as he did. Think about it and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

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Zig Ziglar on Passion

Passion

By Zig Ziglar

The dictionary says that passion is “a strong emotion, an art of love; zeal; eager desire; hope and joy.” The fathers of our country were passionate believers in freedom. It has been my observation that in every field of endeavor men and women who have reached the mountaintops of life have a passion to give their all and be the best they can be. Maribeau said that “none but men of strong passions are capable of rising to greatness.” Tennyson said, “The happiness of a man in his life does not consist in the absence but in the mastering of his passions.” Franklin said, “He is a governor that governs his passions and he is a servant that serves them.”

It is my firm belief that directed passion, founded on faith and an ethical moral base, can enable anyone to utilize his or her full potential. The results can be awesome. Any study of history or current events will reveal a multitude of stories about average people whose accomplishments have been extraordinary. You can give passion the credit.

A classic example is Bill Bates, a former special teams player for the Dallas Cowboys. Bill was considered too slow and too small to play in the NFL. He was not drafted, but made the team as a free agent. For fourteen years he was an invaluable member of the Cowboys secondary. He not only gave his all, but he inspired the other players to do the same. He brought more than just his pure ability; he brought a commitment fueled with passion that made him more valuable than he should have been. The same approach to any job or profession will be the difference between survival and genuine success.

The beautiful thing about passion is that it is transferable. When you have an outstanding zeal for what you do, others around you will be inspired and perform better than they otherwise would. So, develop a passion for what you’re doing and I’ll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.

“Don’t be distracted by criticism. Remember - the only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you.”

Zig Ziglar

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Productivity and Attitude By Zig Ziglar

Productivity and Attitude
By Zig Ziglar

I'm the only one who does anything around here! Several years ago I was on a late-night television show in New York City. For some strange reason, they wanted me in the studio that afternoon at 4:30. I walked in and was stunned by the small size of the reception area. It contained a couch for three, a chair for one and a sink, refrigerator and coffee maker.

As I sat down a woman walked in, shook her head and said, "Nobody makes any coffee except me!" She got busy and started a fresh pot of coffee. A few minutes later a guy walked in and, following the same procedure said, "I can't believe it! This place would be a pig-pen if it weren't for me! I'm the only person who ever does any clean-up," and he cleaned up the small area. Still later another woman walked in and complained, "Nobody ever puts anything up but me," and she proceeded to put things away.

Interestingly enough, all three of those people sincerely felt they were the only ones who ever did anything. Each one did their own private halo-adjustment as they went through the process of "making up, putting up and cleaning up."

Question: Is that the way it is in your company, where "nobody does anything," but everybody thinks they're the only one who actually works? Thought: If that is true and you are the only one who does anything, think of the incredible advantage that gives you. Not only do you have job security, but the opportunity door is wide open for your move to the top. However, if you have a chip on your shoulder, if you honestly feel that you do everything and you share that feeling with others, your bad attitude negates your good work. So, stay busy, keep working, smile about it and your good attitude about "doing everything" will catch up with you. Think about it and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.