Some Thoughts at the Beginning of a New Year
This should be posted on the second day of a (still) new year. By now, most of us have already had time to fail on one or two of the resolutions we thought we had made as the new year began.
I thought that it would be good before we got too far into the new year for me to review some material from one of my favorite speakers of all time. I don’t listen to or read material from a lot of what some people call “motivational speakers/writers,” but I did have the privilege of hearing Zig Ziglar speak a couple of times in person during his lifetime, have listened to recordings of some of his presentations, and have read material from him.
I thought that remembering some of his quotes might help all of us as we start a new year. More importantly, it might help if we implemented some of what he had to say.
So — what follows are just a few of Zig Ziglar’s quotes. I hope they help.
- People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.
- Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.
- You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.
- What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals.
- The foundation stones of a balanced success are honesty, character, love, and loyalty.
- The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.
- Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.
- Be grateful for what you have and stop complaining – it bores everybody else, does you no good, and doesn’t solve any problems.
- If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.
- Remember that failure is an event, not a person.
- It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow through.
- With integrity, you have nothing to fear, since you have nothing to hide. With integrity, you will do the right thing, so you will have no guilt.
- Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street.
- There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.
- Every choice you make has an end result.
- You never know when a moment and a few sincere words can have an impact on a life.
- Be careful not to compromise what you want most for what you want now.
- Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for success in life – in all areas of life. The really good news is that anyone can develop both honesty and integrity.
- The greatest source of happiness is the ability to be grateful at all times.
- There has never been a statue erected to honor a critic.
- If you go out looking for friends, you’re going to find they are very scarce. If you go out to be a friend, you’ll find them everywhere.
- Yesterday ended last night. Today is a brand-new day and its yours.
These are just a few of Mr. Ziglar’s quotes. None of them is inspired, but maybe you’ll find something in one of the quotes that you think has some value for you.
I will end this with one more of Zig Ziglar’s quotes that is a little humorous, but which also contains a real kernel of truth.
I read the paper every day and the Bible every day;
that way I know what both sides are up to.
AUTHOR: Jim Faughn
