I woke up this morning to the shocking news that I had lost a good friend. This was someone I’ve known for more than 40 years. His name is Zig Ziglar, and he died at age 86 in a Dallas Hospital from complications of pneumonia.
Zig wouldn’t know me from the man in the moon but, like so many others, I felt he was a good friend of mine for a number of reasons. I had the great pleasure of spending a little time with Zig on three different occasions over the years.
- I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve attended his seminars.
- I have every book he’s published and most of his videos, tapes and CDs.
- He inspired me to pursue the career I currently enjoy. In short, the man changed my life.
Over the years, Zig has rubbed elbows with Presidents, Prime Ministers, sports elite, Hollywood stars and more importantly, millions of “everyday people.” Zig Ziglar was born in Alabama and was given his famous nickname “Zig” in elementary school. His real name is Hilary Hinton Ziglar.
To today’s audiences, Ziglar’s words might seem kitschy and a little bit corny, or involved wordplay. Among them: “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street” and “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”
There is so much more to learn about this incredibly unique man. In 2009, I wrote an article about Zig to be included in our series highlighting renowned authors. That article will reveal why Zig Ziglar is going to be so missed by his fans all over the world and why there will never be another “Zig.” R.I.P. my friend!
About Harry K. Jones
Harry K. Jones is a motivational speaker and consultant for AchieveMax®, Inc., a company of professional speakers who provide custom-designed seminars, keynote presentations, and consulting services. Harry's top requested topics include change management, customer service, creativity, employee retention, goal setting, leadership, stress management, teamwork, and time management. For more information on Harry's presentations, please call 800-886-2629 or fill out our contact form.