From time to time, someone gives another individual the ultimate compliment by saying, "You are a class act," or by simply describing a specific behavior, saying, "That's class." From time to time, a master of ceremonies will introduce an individual by saying, "If you go to the dictionary and look up the word 'class,' you will see a picture of your speaker this evening."

A person with class is an individual of integrity — someone you would love to have as a parent, a child, a friend, a neighbor, a mentor or an adviser. In short, class identifies a person who is "top drawer" — one who goes the extra mile by being gracious to everyone who courteously serves him.

I love the description given by Bill Daniels, who said, "Class is something you choose for yourself. It's competing honestly, confronting problems head-on, taking accolades with grace and humility, and not knocking your competitors. If you have class, you're loyal to both yourself and to those around you. Class is born out of self-respect and a healthy respect for others. Everything in this world is not always attainable. Fortunately, class is."

Class is the coach who gives every child on the team his turn at bat without regard to the youngster's ability or the record of the team. I encourage you to identify someone who is a class act and use that person as a role model. The individual might not be rich and famous or even brilliant, but a person of class is one we all can aspire to be. Take the class approach, and I'll see you at the top!

Necessity — The Mother of Invention

From childhood, ice cream has been my favorite dessert.

Coming from a large family and raised during the Depression, we had an occasional "churn" of ice cream on Sunday afternoon. We didn't get much at a serving, so that made it particularly enjoyable. Over the years, my passion for ice cream did nothing but grow, and at one time, I could quickly rattle off the four best ice creams available in America. Interestingly enough, the best flavors came from four different companies. To this day, I find it difficult to pass the ice-cream store without a quick stop for at least a single — if not a double — dip. Unfortunately, my body retains ice cream, so I seriously limit my intake today.

This leads me to a fascinating little story about ice cream and the sundae. A merchant from Wisconsin named Smithson invented the sundae in 1890 out of necessity. There were no deliveries on Sundays in those days, so to avoid running short, he reduced the amount of ice cream with each order and added chocolate syrup or some special fruit topping to the mixture. The mixture was so well-received that he was asked by his customers to serve it on the other days of the week, as well. He wanted to meet his customers' needs and desires, but some people objected to the use of the word "Sunday" because it is the Lord's Day. They felt that to name an ice cream dish after the Lord's Day was profane. That's when he modified the spelling to "sundae." Today the sundae is still a favorite among millions of people.

Just think — we never would have had the sundae had there not been a shortage of ice cream. The next time you run short of something, think of how you can stretch it out. Who knows? Maybe it will be a bonanza like the sundae. Give it a try, and I'll see you at the top!

To find out more about Zig Ziglar and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. Subscribe to Zig Ziglar's free e-mail newsletter through info@zigziglar.com.

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