Classic Zig Ziglar from Creators Syndicate

The Orphan Who Made Good -- Hamburgers for 07/13/2009

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Everyone who reads this column probably already knows that Dave Thomas was the founder of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers. His grandfatherly appearance on television helped to make him extraordinarily effective at representing his own company. Chances are also great that you know he was an orphan who was adopted. But there is much more to the story than that.

It seems that from the time ...

Updated: Mon Jul 13, 2009

Quotes, Jokes and Philosophical Thoughts for 07/20/2009

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

My friend Duke Heller sent me these great truths and philosophies of life, and I'm taking the liberty of sharing them:

"God grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, the good fortune to run into the ones that I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference."

Now that I'm older, here's what I've discovered:

I started out with no ...

Updated: Mon Jul 20, 2009

A Slow Start is Not an Indictment for 07/27/2009

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Not all of us are born with equal opportunities, but over a period of time, regardless of our parentage, place of birth, prospects in our communities, education, and so on, the day comes when we all have to make the choice to let our past teach us — or beat us.

Some of us arrive with physical handicaps or emotional handicaps, and others without the benefit of an intact family, whic ...

Updated: Mon Jul 27, 2009

Prepare for the Future for 08/03/2009

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Where should you start when you begin to make plans for the future? You must make friends with your past. The reality is, you can either let your past teach you or you can let it beat you — and yes, the choice really is yours.

To make friends with your past, of course, you need to deal with any unfortunate relationships, squabbles, fights and disagreements you've had in the past, p ...

Updated: Mon Aug 03, 2009

Original Diagnosis for 08/10/2009

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

When I was a youngster, I periodically heard someone make a statement in a rich, Southern accent like, "He just ain't no 'count," or "He will never amount to a hill'a beans," indicating that in their opinion the individual in question had very little future. However, history has proven that many times those early opinions were ill-founded and completely wrong.

Thomas ...

Updated: Mon Aug 10, 2009

Needed: Responsible Parents for 08/17/2009

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

As parents, we all need to understand that every choice, every decision we make for our children has an end result. Unfortunately, many parents had difficult childhoods, and they want to protect their children from hurt or pain, so they often trust their kids to make the right decisions when, in reality, they don't have the experience, knowledge or wisdom to do so. Kids are still kids.

O ...

Updated: Mon Aug 17, 2009

Common Sense and Hard Work for 08/24/2009

Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

My brother Huie Ziglar was a Baptist preacher for 33 years, as well as a small farmer and part-time inventor. Most of his income came from raising peanuts, farm crops, pigs and other livestock generally found on small Alabama farms.

One of Huie's inventions was a corn shucker/sheller that could shuck and shell a ton of corn for 10 cents' worth of electricity. It was his hope that the sma ...

Updated: Mon Aug 24, 2009

Principles and Values for 08/31/2009

Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Some say truth can be denied, but it cannot be avoided. We can say the same thing about moral/ethical values. Eventually, they must be followed, or we end up on the horns of a dilemma.

A real dilemma was created while Bill Clinton was in office. Many people, including this writer, felt his personal conduct was degrading to the Oval Office and that, since he perjured himself, he should ha ...

Updated: Mon Aug 31, 2009

Think About Others for 09/07/2009

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I tell the following story in my book, "Over the Top." When I sent my manuscript for "Over The Top" to the publisher, he returned it and said, "You can't tell people how to go over the top until you identify 'the top.'" My first book was "See You at the Top"; consequently, I anticipated no difficulty in identifying "the top." However, for over t ...

Updated: Mon Sep 07, 2009

You are Creative for 09/14/2009

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The following is some of my favorite material from my book "Over the Top." Several years ago I did a seminar on building a healthy self-image. At the end of the seminar, Mary Ellen Caldwell told me with considerable excitement what it had meant to her. She explained that her father was forced into retirement a few months earlier and had been very unhappy. She was concerned about him b ...

Updated: Mon Sep 14, 2009

Addictions Make Relationships Difficult for 09/21/2009

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

While getting a haircut, the barber, who has been cutting my hair for many years, was interrupted by a phone call. The conversation lasted no more than one or two minutes. When he hung up, he said to me, "This fellow wants to come to work with me as a barber, but he smokes." I commented that I was glad he was turning him down because the last thing I wanted to do was leave his shop sm ...

Updated: Mon Sep 21, 2009

Team America for 09/28/2009

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Most people believe that superstars are critical for the success of any team. Sometimes, not always, that's true. It depends on the chemistry these stars bring to the equation.

Example: In 1999, many experts thought the Washington Redskins had "bought" the Super Bowl. They had high draft picks with "can't miss" labels on them and had acquired several outstanding super ...

Updated: Mon Sep 28, 2009

Immigrant or Terrorist? for 10/05/2009

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

On Sept. 11, 2001, the United States of America received a 9-1-1 call that has forever changed the face of our country, the lives of our people and our daily routines. Confusion was rampant, and many people feared for their lives. Some were taking not just reasonable precautions but were also paralyzed by fear.

The loss of about 5,000 innocent lives and the grief experienced by mates, pa ...

Updated: Mon Oct 05, 2009

Thriving in any Economy for 10/12/2009

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Since childhood, which for me occurred during the Depression, I've noticed that many people are unable to thrive even in the best of times, while others thrive even in the worst of times. The reason is that, in most cases, the thrivers understand that what happens "out there" is not nearly as important as what happens in their own thinking. There is not a great deal that an individual ...

Updated: Mon Oct 12, 2009

Your Relationships and Your Health for 10/19/2009

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Question: Have you ever in disgust said, "You make me sick!" to anyone? Chances are fairly good that you have. Chances are even better that there is more truth than poetry, as we say down home, in that statement.

The late psychiatrist Smiley Blanton said that in his career, he never dealt with a person suffering from dementia, regardless of age, who did these three things: stay ...

Updated: Mon Oct 19, 2009

Readers are Leaders for 10/26/2009

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Studies validate the fact that readers are leaders and that those who enjoy reading become students with creative imaginations. Via books, you can go all over the world in your imagination. Your dream capacity increases dramatically; your imagination grows as you read about faraway places with strange-sounding names. Unfortunately, the average American does very little reading of significance.< ...

Updated: Mon Oct 26, 2009

All Prejudice is Wrong for 11/02/2009

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

As a youngster, my mother taught me that all of us might not be smart but all of us can be courteous and fair. My mother was right.

History reveals that America was discovered and initially settled primarily by Christians (as described in "The Light and the Glory" by Peter Marshall and David Manuel; and "Original Intent" by David Barton). Yet, while public schools and ...

Updated: Mon Nov 02, 2009

Pass It On for 11/09/2009

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Most sports fans know that in the mile relay and the 440-yard relay, each runner runs one-fourth of the distance. When the first runner completes his run, he passes the baton on to the second runner, who passes it to the third, who passes it to the fourth. The way they pass the baton has a direct bearing on the outcome of the race. If it's done smoothly and naturally, without breaking stride, t ...

Updated: Mon Nov 09, 2009

This is Love? for 11/16/2009

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Over the past years, a common practice labels a child born out of wedlock as a "love child." One of the most visible figures in America fathered a daughter out of wedlock. She is being identified as a "love child." Obviously, everyone hopes that she is genuinely loved. Jesse Jackson fathered five children with his wife of 37 years, Jacqueline. Question: Do those five feel th ...

Updated: Mon Nov 16, 2009

Motivation or Manipulation? for 11/23/2009

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Basically, you can get others to do what you want them to do by making it very pleasant for them through positive motivation or by making it very unpleasant for them via negative manipulation like "constructive" criticism. The pleasant, positive approach is far more desirable because it breeds harmony and a willingness to go the extra mile, which leads to increased productivity. When ...

Updated: Mon Nov 23, 2009