This month I’ve decided to say thanks to the people who have fed my hunger for knowledge and personal development this year. The order will be random…and likely incomplete!
It’s hard to say anything new about Zig Ziglar. He’s simply one of the most influential people of the 20th century, and will continue to be in the 21st.
I grew up knowing the name. Zig Ziglar. It’s a great name! Makes me want to go by Wooz Woosley or something.
But even though I knew the name, I didn’t know his message. I hadn’t read his books or heard his talks. He was just this really smart motivational guy. Yet he is so much more.
A few years ago I started hearing more and more about Zig. Probably from listening to Dave Ramsey’s radio show. I started getting the Ziglar podcast, then went to Ziglar.com and checked out the resources there. I signed up a s a member of the Ziglar Vault (now Success 2.0) and enjoyed the online lessons and downloads. Dave Ramsey even sent me a DVD of Zig’s goal setting program for being an FPU coordinator. And two years ago I skipped work to attend a Get Motivated seminar in Mobile, AL where Zig spoke with his daughter Julie.
But this year, though I had heard it before, I listened to Zig’s How to Stay Motivated series again. I always learn something new when I listen to it, and it makes me a better person every time!
Zig may be older and slower now, but his message of success through serving others resonates just as strong as ever. Maybe even more so.
Some of my friends from Free Agent Academy recently visited the Dallas area and spent some time with Zig and his son, Tom. They said that Zig repeats himself a lot, and that no matter what you ask him he brings it back to one of just a few key points (including faith, service and marriage). At first they had some sympathy for him. Then they realized that the more he repeated himself, the more the message started to penetrate their hearts.
If you know Zig, you know what I’ve written here is true. If you don’t, I hope you’ll take this as an invitation to introduce yourself to him. Go to Ziglar.com and explore, and be sure to sign up for the Ziglar Podcast. You won’t regret it!
Zig Ziglar is a national treasure and will be one of the first people I put on my Wall of Gratitude. And while I may never have the opportunity to meet him in person, I will always treasure the gifts he has shared with us. His words will positively impact generations to come. That is a worthy legacy for any man, especially one born in lower Alabama and raised in Yazoo City, Mississippi!
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