I was in that part of the class that made the top half possible.
— Zig Ziglar
Your understanding of what you read and hear is, to a very large degree, determined by your vocabulary, so improve your vocabulary daily.
Reading has been the fuel of my motivation: it has changed the direction in which I have traveled, and it has enhanced my creative imagination more than any other activity I have ever pursued.
Confidence is going after Moby Dick in a rowboat and taking tartar sauce with you.
All one needs to do is read - books, magazines, research the Internet - and pay attention to the influencers in their lives to discover the myriad people of strong moral character who have and still are making positive, meaningful contributions and differences in our world.
Personal discipline, when it becomes a way of life in our personal, family, and career lives, will enable us to do some incredible things.
The successful business executive can handle challenges and solve problems at a remarkable clip.
Time well spent results in more money to spend, more money to save, and more time to vacation.
I believe it's important that we use names of endearment that reflect a special feeling for the individual involved.
It might interest you to know that the 1828 Noah Webster Dictionary identifies the optimist in complimentary terms, but says nothing about the pessimist. The word 'pessimist' was not in our vocabulary at that time. It's a modern 'invention' which I believe we should 'dis-invent.'
My first professional job was to sell heavy-duty waterless cookware.
The top salesperson in the organization probably missed more sales than 90% of the sales people on the team, but they also made more calls than the others made.
There is a certain amount of dissatisfaction that goes with knowing your time, talent and abilities are not being properly used.
Just saying you are better than good won't make it so. But, when you understand what it takes to live the better than good life, and you apply yourself, your life will truly be better than good.
Take time to be kind and to say 'thank you.'
Whether it's eight o'clock in the morning or eight o'clock at night, I always try to greet others before they have a chance to speak to me.
Be there for your kids. Later, when you need them, they'll be there for you.
We hear tears loudly on this side of Heaven. What we don't take time to contemplate are the even louder cheers on the other side of death's valley.
Champions invariably have fervent philosophical beliefs. Philosophy, in its simplest terms, means 'the love of wisdom.'
I read for the 'ah-ha's,' the information that makes a light bulb go off in my mind. I want to put information in my mind that is going to be the most beneficial to me, my family and my fellow man - financially, morally, spiritually, and emotionally.
Selling is essentially a transfer of feelings.
It's absolutely true that unless you can instill discipline upon yourself, you will never be able to lead others.
Problem-solving becomes a very important part of our makeup as we grow into maturity or move up the corporate ladder.
Fortunately, problems are an everyday part of our life. Consider this: If there were no problems, most of us would be unemployed.
When there is no job related stress, you are more aware of your mate and children, if you are a parent.
Fact: If standard of living is your number one objective, quality of life almost never improves. But if quality of life is your number one objective, standard of living invariably improves.
I've got to confess I'm a pragmatic optimist myself.
The problem is not getting rid of fear, but using it properly.
As youngsters, my mother taught her children that while we might not be the smartest people around, we could be courteous, polite and considerate of others.
The young athlete who aspires to greatness, generally speaking, learns a number of things from several different coaches. The first one taught him the fundamentals; the second one instilled discipline in him and taught him more of the techniques that must be mastered to excel.
Wally Amos is the classic example of a man who gets up again and again.
U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt has been described as founder of the Bull Moose Party, the man who led his troops up San Juan Hill in the Spanish-American War, a big game hunter, family man, civic servant and a host of other things.
For 24 years of my adult life, by choice I weighed well over 200 pounds. I say 'by choice' because I have never 'accidentally' eaten anything, so when I choose to eat too much, I have chosen to weigh too much.
Kids instinctively know - although they will argue to the contrary - that they really are not mature enough to make good decisions on some important issues.
Money is not the most important thing, but when you need it, there are few substitutes. So while I like the things money can buy, I love what money won't buy. It bought me a house but it won't buy me a home. It would buy me a companion but it won't buy me a friend.
Now's the best time you'll ever have in life to get ahead!
There are no traffic jams on the extra mile.
I am convinced after more than 50 years in the field of motivation that anyone who wants to learn to look at life and/or their circumstances in a positive light can do so.
We need to understand the difference between discipline and punishment. Punishment is what you do to someone; discipline is what you do for someone.
The first step in solving a problem is to recognize that it does exist.
A plan is always successful if the plan is good.
Profitability comes from loyalty, productivity, and having a character base from which to work.
Since belief determines behavior, doesn't it make sense that we should be teaching ethical, moral values in every home and in every school in America?
Most people consider me an optimist because I laughingly state that I would take my last two dollars and buy a money belt.
There's never been a doctor who served many patients who, despite their best efforts, did not lose some of them to death. But they understood that was part of life itself.
A productive employee who is kept busy working at his or her job is far more likely to be happy at that job and less likely to look for employment elsewhere.
It is true that integrity alone won't make you a leader, but without integrity you will never be one.
I'm constantly amazed that owners and managers of all businesses don't train their people to call the person who pays by credit card by name. It definitely makes the customer feel good and will be a factor in bringing them back to your place of business.
Send out a cheerful, positive greeting, and most of the time you will get back a cheerful, positive greeting. It's also true that if you send out a negative greeting, you will, in most cases, get back a negative greeting.
Husbands and wives, first be faithful to each other. Second, keep the romance going all of your life by courting each other every day.
