Author: Zig Ziglar

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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.” […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

“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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

We’ve all probably said it — or at least heard others say it — many times throughout our lifetime experiences … “You make me sick.” There is now evidence that this is more than just a statement — it is a truth. Research conclusively proves that when we get into strong or violent arguments and […]

Many times, I’m asked the question “Is motivation permanent?” and my standard response is “No, but then, neither is bathing.” However, in view of a recent letter I received, I’m going to change my answer to “No, motivation is not permanent, but the impact can be permanent, depending on what the motivation is.” For example, […]

It’s that time of year when everybody puts on their holiday face and demonstrates a friendlier, more upbeat attitude. For the Christian, it’s Christmas; for the Jew, it’s Hanukkah. For everybody, the first of the year is just around the corner. In many ways, it’s ironic that we wait until the last part of the […]

Fortunately, in our society today there is a hue and cry demanding that we return to ethical standards. It’s a “buzzword” in our society — and it’s about time. Unfortunately, they’re using the wrong word. The word we should be concerned about teaching is “integrity,” because people with integrity will behave in an ethical manner. […]

A friend of mine frequently says that “everyone is entitled to his own opinion — but no one is entitled to the wrong facts.” Yet it seems to be universally true that confidence seems to go with ignorance; the less we know, in many cases, the more dogmatic we are in our statements. I love […]

Several years ago, on a cold, drizzly morning, I was working in my office, when I heard a strange noise in the chimney. After several minutes, my wife heard it too and thought it might be a bird or a squirrel. I realized it was a bird and that it was trapped, so I opened […]

We live in a stressful world, and stress has been identified as a prime health culprit. It reduces productivity and often brings illnesses — including high blood pressure and palpitations of the heart. The experts tell us we should relax, but the question is: how? You might not be able to relax where you are […]

“I was just a kid,” said Mr. Sharpe. “One spring day, Father called me to go with him to Old Man Trussell’s blacksmith shop. He had left a rake and a hoe to be repaired. And there they were, ready and fixed like new. Father handed over a silver dollar for the repairing, but Mr. […]

The parable has always been my favorite method of teaching. The reason is simple: People remember the story, and when they remember the story, they remember the lesson the story provided. As an example, the greatest storyteller of all time, the Carpenter from Galilee, told parable after parable. Incidentally, two-thirds of them had to do […]

Chances are excellent that when you read the heading on this column, you thought to yourself, “Man, what’s he talking about? I live in Chicago, New York or Los Angeles! That’s not a small town!” You’re right. However, in every big city there are lots of “small towns.” The place you work, the neighborhood in […]