Who Was the Human Exclamation Point (!) ?

I first heard of motivational speaker and entrepreneur, Zig Ziglar as a teenager. My father had one of his many books on cassette tape in his truck. I listened to part of it with him and was impressed. I had never heard anyone talk that way before.

Ever since then, when I need to find a motivational quote, I think of Zig Ziglar. Part of it is that his name is so fun to say, but the other part is that he really impressed into my mind that he is in the business of motivating people - and teaching others to motivate people.

My husband mentioned one of his quotes last night and that got me wondering who he is/was. Sadly, one of the first things I learned is that a year ago this week, Zig Ziglar died at age 86 of pneumonia in Plano, Tx.

Hilary Hinton Ziglar was the 10th of 12 children born in rural Coffee County, Ala., on Nov. 6, 1926. He spent most of his childhood years in Yazoo City, Mississippi in humble surroundings. His father died of a stroke when he was young, which left him raised by his widowed mother.

Here is what the Washington Post said of Ziglar's mother:

He described his mother as the foremost influence on his life, a strict and devout woman whose mental storehouse of adages (“The person who won’t stand for something will fall for anything”) remained a cornerstone of Mr. Ziglar’s speeches and writings. 

I imagine motivation coming from a woman who had lost her husband and one of her daughters in a short time frame, had an immense impact on that young boy.

He went on to serve for the Navy in WW II, attend University of South Carolina and  marry his lifelong sweetheart. He left school, however, to become a door-to-door salesman. While he was moving up the ranks in the company, he began speaking locally about power and self-help. He would often quote his mother and relate his own ability to make it through hard times with a smile. Eventually the demand for his speaking increased enough that an entrepreneur was born.

Ziglar founded Zigmanship Institute in 1971. It is now known as Ziglar, Inc. Words from one man's mouth launched what is now a motivational and personal development training company that offers various corporate training programs, including sales, leadership, presentation, and public speaking skills. It provides its training programs through keynote speakers, classroom training, customized programs, and online training worldwide. The company also sells books, CDs, and DVDs.

As an entrepreneur, I am motivated by what his company has become, not just his motivational quotes. I am most impressed that he lived what he preached. He woke up to the "opportunity clock." He used self-help to live a full and happy life. I can only hope to begin to live my life that way.

As a tribute to this man, here are some of my favorite of his quotes:

"If you can dream it, you can achieve it. You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want."

"You are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change what you

"Success is a personal standard, reaching for the highest that is in us, becoming all that we can be."

"When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you."

"The elevator to success is not running; you must climb the stairs."

"Motivation needs to be a part of y our own life for you to be effective in conveying it to other people."

"Other people and things can stop you temporarily. You're the only one who can do it permanently."

"You are the only person on earth who can use your ability, it's an awesome responsibility."