Theodore Roosevelt, former president of the United States, has been described as the founder of the Bull Moose Party, the man who led his troops up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War, a big-game hunter, a family man, a civic servant and a host of other things.

His life story would indicate that he was not only an extraordinarily successful man but also surely one of the busiest and best-organized ever. However, with all of his busyness, even during his campaign trips, when the demands on his time were the greatest, he still retained the human qualities that made him so successful.

Simple example: He never forgot to thank others who did things for him. On his whistle-stop tours during his campaign trips, he always left his private train to stop and thank the engineer and fireman for a safe and comfortable trip. True, it took only a few minutes of his time, but when your minutes are so few, they are quite important. However, he felt that those minutes were well-invested, and he enjoyed meeting the people who had served him so well. In the process, he made friends for life. Doing simple little things and thinking of others endeared him to people all across America, which certainly was a significant reward for the few minutes it took him.

Someone once said you always can tell a "big" man by the way he treats a "little" man. By that yardstick alone, you would have to agree that Theodore Roosevelt was a "big" man.

Message: Take time to be kind and to say thank you. The returns can be so great that I definitely will see you at the top!

The 10-Day Leap

For most of us, the arrival of a highly anticipated event — such as the birth of a new baby, a long-awaited vacation, the return home of a loved one, or the big game we've been looking forward to — seems to take forever.

On the other hand, if it's one of those dreaded events — such as April 15, admission to the hospital for major surgery, the date a divorce becomes final, or any event that brings pain, despair or a sense of loss — the calendar rushes forward with breathtaking speed.

Regardless of whether you approach a particular date with anticipation or dread, you will be fascinated to know that Feb. 24, 1582, a church commission appointed by Pope Gregory XIII decided to change the calendar, dropping 10 days and adopting a "leap year." For those countries that accepted the change, the date immediately became 10 days later.

I have no information as to the resulting chaos and confusion that undoubtedly took place following the change. I can imagine that the people who happened to have birthdays or anniversaries during those 10 days were somewhat chagrined that they had missed out on events that generally bring more pleasure than pain.

In this day of litigation, many employees probably would sue their employers if they were not paid for the 10 days of vacation they didn't work. Some of the creditors would be besieged with threats and pleas if they were unwilling to bend the rules and give a few days of grace to people who were in debt to them.

Today, however, if we live our lives one day at a time, and if we do the best we can each day, we are making the best preparation for tomorrow. After all, today is the tomorrow of yesterday that we were going to do so much with. Do "so much" every day, and all your tomorrows will be better — 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 [email protected].