Classic Zig Ziglar from Creators Syndicate

Just a Parable for 07/07/2008

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

A woman living in New York's elite Central Park South district had just about everything anyone could wish for — everything, that is, except a healthy child. Her 5-year-old daughter had been stricken with a life-threatening illness, and no one knew what to do. New York's finest physicians were stymied and unable to help her, even though she spared no expense trying to save her child. Howe ...

Updated: Mon Jul 07, 2008

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The Other 'Babe' for 07/14/2008

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

More than 100 years ago, a fat Baltimore saloonkeeper's wife gave birth to a healthy baby boy who was to change the perception and face of America's pastime forever. He was baptized George Herman Ruth, but he quickly became "The Babe" when he broke into the baseball world.

The Babe started his career as a pitcher and was phenomenally successful with an incredible record. He onc ...

Updated: Mon Jul 14, 2008

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Bonanza for 07/21/2008

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

For a number of years, one of the most popular shows on television was "Bonanza." Many of us remember "Hoss" and "Little Joe" Cartwright very fondly. They were "good guys," even heroes, with their unsophisticated, yet direct and compassionate approach to life. I mention that only to say that the word "bonanza" has a special meaning for me.

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Updated: Mon Jul 21, 2008

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Is the News Good or Bad? for 07/28/2008

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Is the news good or bad? The answer is it all depends. The "depends" means it depends on how you handle the bad news. For example, Arturo Toscanini was so nearsighted that while playing the cello, he couldn't see the music on the stand in front of him, so he had to memorize the music. One day, the orchestra leader became ill, and Toscanini was the only member of the orchestra who knew ...

Updated: Mon Jul 28, 2008

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Here's a Thought Provoker for 08/04/2008

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"Mr. and Mrs. Thing are a pleasant and successful couple. At least, that's the verdict of people who measure success with a 'thingometer.' When the 'thingometer' is put to work in the life of Mr. and Mrs. Thing, the result is startling.

"There he is, sitting on a luxurious, expensive thing, almost hidden by a large number of other things. Things to sit on, things to cook on and ...

Updated: Mon Aug 04, 2008

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Looking on the Positive Side for 08/11/2008

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Several years ago, a fascinating article appeared in a Beebe, Ark., church bulletin. The pastor wrote glowingly of a time when the enlisted men at the naval base in Norfolk, Va., were challenged to form a softball team and play the officers. The enlisted men did and won the game. The next day, the executive officer posted this message on the bulletin board: "Congratulations to our fine off ...

Updated: Mon Aug 11, 2008

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Fenced-In Freedom for 08/18/2008

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

My trusty 1828 Noah Webster dictionary defines "free" as "being at liberty; permitted, allowed, open" and "freedom" as "liberty of a personal, civil, political and religious nature." It is "frankness and boldness, as 'he addressed his audience with freedom.'"

Today many people think being free and exercising freedom means they are free to ...

Updated: Mon Aug 18, 2008

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The Knockoffs for 08/25/2008

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It seems that everywhere we go, we're seeing more and more examples of companies who are imitating other companies' products. They range from the $25 reproductions of expensive wristwatches sold on the streets of big cities to cheap imitations of designer handbags by the side of the road. Needless to say, this negatively impacts the business and reputations of the reputable companies who produc ...

Updated: Mon Aug 25, 2008

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Bread Upon the Water for 09/01/2008

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Many years ago, a young drifter in Australia named Tom Ellis picked up an old, discarded newspaper and read an ad about a correspondence course in electricity. Tom had no money, and the correspondence school was in America. However, he wrote directly to Fenton Howard, the man in charge of the school, seeking enrollment. Howard permitted Ellis to enroll in the course. It was an act of kindness o ...

Updated: Mon Sep 01, 2008

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Keep It Simple for 09/08/2008

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Matthew, the 3-year-old son of Stewart Cook, was eating an apple in the back seat of the car when he asked, "Daddy, why is my apple turning brown?" His dad explained, "Because after you ate the skin off, the meat of the apple came into contact with the air, which caused it to oxidize, thus changing its molecular structure and turning it into a different color." This answer w ...

Updated: Mon Sep 08, 2008

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Big Words From Little Ones for 09/15/2008

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

For many years, Art Linkletter had a television program titled "Kids Say the Darndest Things." He once asked a 4-year-old which came first, the chicken or the egg. The child instantly responded, "The chicken." Art asked her how she knew. She smiled and said, "Because God doesn't lay eggs." The answer was cute and theologically sound.

All parents can tell 101 ...

Updated: Mon Sep 15, 2008

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It's Sad but True for 09/22/2008

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Many times, someone else's opinion of us carries more weight than our opinion of ourselves. This can be really good or really bad. In my own life, I've had a number of people who really believed I had something special, and I finally started living up to what others had seen in me.

In those cases when negative opinions prevail, it often can be tragic. I hear countless stories of people w ...

Updated: Mon Sep 22, 2008

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The Metric System for 09/29/2008

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Change always is challenging, but in our marketplace today, we need to understand that change is inevitable. However, it does create some unique situations. This is especially true when we apply the metric system to some old standbys that all of us learned as kids.

For example, "Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers" will have an entirely different sound when we switch t ...

Updated: Mon Sep 29, 2008

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I'm Intolerant, and So Are You for 10/06/2008

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

One of the greatest disasters of our time is our universal acceptance of the word "tolerance" as a great virtue. It's lauded from the big screen and little screen, as well as in the print press: We mustn't be judgmental, and we must be tolerant of other people and their points of view.

The reality is that all of us are intolerant of many things. For example, should anybody be t ...

Updated: Mon Oct 06, 2008

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He Might Be Mr. Hilton for 10/13/2008

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Several years ago, a new desk clerk at a Hilton hotel was told Mr. Hilton would be checking in sometime during the next two or three days and she must give him a warm, cordial welcome. The young desk clerk was both excited and nervous about the prospect of meeting Mr. Hilton. She did not know what Mr. Hilton looked like, nor did the other two attendants at the desk. With that in mind, she greet ...

Updated: Mon Oct 13, 2008

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My Hero for 10/20/2008

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When I was a youngster and movies were less sophisticated, the typical Western hero was one who rescued the fair lady from the runaway horse or stagecoach and was rewarded with a kiss on the cheek as she exclaimed, "My hero!" Today we mostly see heroes who perform some feat of daring at the risk of their own lives.

However, for every recognized hero, there are a thousand or mor ...

Updated: Mon Oct 20, 2008

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Just a Penny for 10/27/2008

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

On a recent walk, I saw a penny and thought, "It's just a penny," but nevertheless, I picked it up. As I resumed my walk, I remembered that as a small boy in Yazoo City, Miss., I sold 5-cent bags of peanuts on the street and received a 1-cent commission on each sale. I also remembered that 87 of those pennies bought a lightweight jacket that I badly wanted, so it wasn't just a penny. ...

Updated: Mon Oct 27, 2008

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Coincidence for 11/03/2008

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

May 11, 1996, was a day of tragedy for many people. Domingo Pacheco was rushing to catch a flight out of Miami when the left-rear tire of his car blew out on the expressway. For more than an hour, he sweated under the hot Florida sun as he struggled to change the tire. When he finally finished the job, with the soot from the tire still clinging to his hands, he answered a call on his cell phone ...

Updated: Mon Nov 03, 2008

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Thanks -- For Nothing for 11/10/2008

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Bart Simpson of the Fox Network show had a prayer that went like this: "Dear God, we pay for all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing."

In his forthcoming book, psychiatrist Louis Cady makes this observation: "Thanks For Nothing. Whether or not one believes in a Supreme Being, the notion that there is nothing to be grateful for outside of the self is, in my professi ...

Updated: Mon Nov 10, 2008

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Reading is the Key for 11/17/2008

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

In 1994, I was invited to speak to a national convention in Nashville, Tenn., and I was picked up at the airport by a friendly limousine driver who had his 10-year-old granddaughter with him. It was "father/daughter" day, but the grandfather was playing father.

The little girl was pleasant and friendly, and I asked her what was the most important thing she could do to have a ha ...

Updated: Mon Nov 17, 2008

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