In 1990, my Mom gave me one of those tear-off calendars for one of my Christmas gifts and, to be painfully honest, it didn’t mean much to me at all … at the time. The calendar was Zig Ziglar’s 365 Secrets for Success 1991 Calendar and, if you knew me back in 1990 (or knew of me), you will not find it difficult to believe that I really cared very little about success. And, I certainly didn’t care about a bunch of silly old “wise” sayings by someone I had never heard of even though I did find his name to be interesting.
Being the pack rat that I am, however, I threw it in a drawer and kept it anyway and it stayed stashed away with other “stuff” that I kept but never used for the next year or two. Then, my life started to change and I was beginning to take things a little more seriously — I began to want more out of life and even began to consider the prospect of working for it. Around about this same time, I recall digging through that old drawer of junk and finding this little calendar still packed away nice and new in its original box. I opened it and began to read …
What I found inside was exactly what I needed at that point in time in my life and, thank God and Mom’s faithful prayers, she had seen it coming a few years earlier (or at least had the faith that it would!). It was short, simple, and to the point. I wasn’t ready for anything more — it was just right. The words meant so much to me that, even though I eventually had to tear off the pages, I could not bring myself to throw them away. Instead, I kept them in the box for a few years and, eventually, bound them along with some of the pages from the same calendar that Mom got me in 1994.
This stuff is solid gold. Over the years I have read and re-read these “secrets” from Zig Ziglar hundreds of times — maybe even thousands of times. Whether through some of the most difficult times in my life, when I needed inspiration and encouragement, or some of the most successful, when I needed humility and grounding, the words from Zig’s simple little calendar have guided me through life. I have kept these “bound” pages in my desk since I started law school and they stay in my desk to this day — they are that important to me. It is no exaggeration for me to say that this one simple little calendar helped change my life in a very big way.
As you probably know by now, Zig Ziglar passed away today. I am very honored to have briefly met him at our church, Prestonwood Baptist Church, but never had a meaningful conversation with him where I could thank him for the impact he had on my life. So, I am writing this post to say Thank you Zig Ziglar for the impact you had on my life!
Because Zig’s words meant so much to me, I decided to share a few of my favorite pages with the readers of this blog. Enjoy and please feel free to share in the comments any stories you may have about how Zig impacted your life.
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Shawn,
Wow! That is such an awesome post and I had no idea you kept that calendar and how meaningful it has been in your life. You brought tears to my eyes and I thank you for sharing this very touching blog.
Zig Zigler’s books have also inspired me over the years and he was truly a man of great wisdom. I didn’t know he passed away but his legacy will live on.
Love,
Mom
Thanks Mom, I’m glad you liked it — and thanks for the calendar!!! You are right, Zig was truly a great man whose wisdom will continue to touch the lives of others for many, many years to come! Love, Shawn
It’s amazing how little things come back to us, to help steer us when we need them most. One of my dad’s favourite sayings hit me at a time I was working my way towards an ulcer AND a nervous breakdown – “Don’t work hard, work SMART.”. I was working hard, but spinning my wheels most of the time. I re-evaluated what I was doing, and ended up with a promotion AND a couple pay raises within a year. Trust me – you get a heck of a lot more done working smartly than just slaving away by the numbers.
And to you mom – You have a very intelligent and eloquent son, a rare combination in this world. Well done, my lady, well done indeed!
You are right John, it is amazing how something can be sitting before us for years and years but it’s not until we need it and are receptive that it comes back into our vision. Regarding the work smart, not hard, it reminds me of a blog I wrote a year or so ago (which I just decided to re-blog): http://shawnetuma.com/2011/08/27/are-you-like-clark-griswold-or-ray-lewis/
Thanks for your great comments, as always! Have a great weekend!
-Shawn