Show #326: Break down to build up

Show #326: Break down to build up

Welcome to episode 326 of The Ziglar Show. I’m your proud host Kevin Miller and my quote for today is, “When you don’t have focus, you put energy into not losing what you have, and you don’t gain much. When you have focus you put energy into gain, and you can’t lose!” From that our title for today’s show is, “Break down to build up”

Today’s show is brought to you by a kindred show. A show that is literally at the top of the charts. A show that not only embodies the spirit and message of Ziglar, but was actually significantly inspired, literally, by the impact Zig Ziglar had on the host. The show is, The Art of Charm Podcast.com. Just look in iTunes or Stitcher for "The Art of Charm" and you’ll find it at the top of the charts. The Art of Charm teaches the powerful weapons that are at the core of Ziglar, like influence and persuasion that allow you to network better for business, make more friends with ease and learn to increase biz contacts the natural way. In our next show, The Art of Charm host Jordan Harbinger is our special guest and you’ll hear his personal Ziglar story. And folks, it’s a powerful, powerful story.

Tom, the essence of success is taking action, engaging and participating. Where can people do this next with Ziglar?

> > Hear Tom share what's happening in the July 20, 2015, Ziglar Leadership Success Workshop in Dallas (Aug. 19th Houston).

Ok folks, we’re now going to dive into a 10-minute clip from Zig. As always, it’s inspiring, entertaining and hard hitting. Listen in, then as always, we’ll break it down and go deeper into how you can embrace the message in your life:


Zig leads off with: “How DO you change all those people you think need changing? You don’t. You change you. And when you change you, that’s when you’re world begins to change.”

To build a better world, build a better you. How many people have a cause, a soapbox, or a crusade to change the world? With good intent? Yet they don’t get very far with it. It's trying to change what’s outside of us instead of the most powerful asset we have - ourselves. We must put the effort first and foremost on changing who we are. Nothing will change the world more than increasing our own ability.

Tom, how can someone hear that statement without it feeling a bit narcissistic?

> > Hear Tom address, "When you look for friends they are hard to find. But when you endeavor to be a friend you find them everywhere."

It reminds me of people who exercise and workout. Why do some do it day after day with little gain, and others make great strides? The latter push to the pain. They push to breakdown muscle so it can be rebuilt.

Changing ourselves involves pain. It involves breaking ourselves down in order to rebuild stronger. Breaking down habits. Breaking down ties and bonds that hold us back, often from our upbringing. Generational curses, says the Bible. Breaking down addictions. Breaking down beliefs. Breaking down biases and prejudices. Breaking down the norm. Breaking down comforts. Breaking down all we know that we blindly hold onto because it’s…all we know! Which means it’s our comfort.

Tom, a couple years ago you sat around the big fire pit at my house high up in the Rockies. And I asked you a very candid, real question. I said, “With all the high powered speakers and presenters in Zig’s time, why did he rise above the rest and become the icon of trust that Ziglar is today?" The answer you gave me was not what I expected, and I asked your permission to share the story in a show someday. That day is…now.

> > Hear Tom's answer that will likely give you pause...including the "Number one quality we can develop as a person."

Zig shares the story of the twins with an alcoholic Dad. Both felt they had no choice and went in totally opposite directions. Which means, they had a choice. Which, Tom, doesn’t this mean it’s all about perspective? And if we realize that, we realize, while we can’t choose what happens to us, we can choose how we frame it?

> > Hear Tom address the power of how we handle hardship.

Zig references an overhead projector he was using in the event that was out of focus. And it got me to thinking, "How many of you, like me, often feel like you have all the ingredients for success? You have all the ingredients for joy and happiness and fulfillment. You have all the ingredients for…peace. And yet, you’re not there. You’re discontent. Unsettled. Ill at ease. Depressed. Despairing even. Or maybe nothing quite that acute. You just realize you are not ok? And you wonder what is wrong with you, and end up primarily feeling guilty and down on yourself?

Tom, how often do you see this and realize someone is not so far off track, they are not doing anything significantly wrong, they are merely…out of focus?

> > Hear Tom as we "Go spiritual".

Like a magnifying glass in the sun, all the right ingredients are there, but you have to get the magnifying glass in just the right spot before you can harness all those ingredients into focus and get that laser that will burn and leave it’s mark. Isn’t that what we all want to do Tom? In varying ways, leave a mark? Make a difference that matters. If we don’t, isn’t it like the tree that fell in the woods, if nobody was around to hear it, did it make a sound? How many people pass through life, then leave, and their passing doesn’t leave a void. Tom, is there anything more tragic?

> > Tom speaks on going through life with no intentional end in site.

Now Zig says, as he often does, and it’s the title of a book you guys did together Tom; “You were Born To Win”, but you gotta plan, prepare and expect to win. Now my gut reaction is usually to talk about the planning, preparing and expecting aspect of this statement. But I actually think it's putting the cart before the horse. Let’s ask ourselves now, "Do we really believe we were born to win?"

If that’s hard to swallow, let’s flip it. Do you believe you were born to lose? Now if that’s too far the other way, then let’s get in the middle. Do you feel you were born to be average? Mediocre? Were some people born to be extraordinary and some, maybe you, born to be mere filler? As if God needed some to shine and be useful, but the rest were just put on earth to fulfill the daily quota of required human-being production the Father, Son and Holy Spirit created in their production model? Or it had nothing to do with them, but your parents just willy nilly did their thing, you plopped out and there is no plan or purpose to your life? You’re just here to do your time, maybe do a little good, and mainly not do any bad.

It sounds funny but I think this whole scenario is tragically literal. Tom, what’s your take on it? Do you think it’s a legitimate reality of how many live their lives?

> > Tom shares the concept of "Light or cake people".

So Zig referenced Job's quote from the Bible, “That which I feared greatly has come to pass.” A self-fulfilling prophecy, in essence. This is why Zig put so much focus on the positive self-talk cards, which you can still get at ziglar.com/show/selftalk. Change the prophecy!

He said, “You move to the strongest impression in your mind.” And referenced the football team who was, “Determined not to lose the game,” in comparison to the team who was, “Determined to win the game.”

Which brings us back to focus, and the quote I led the show off with, “When you don’t have focus, you put energy into not losing what you have, and you don’t gain much. When you have focus you put energy into gain, and you can’t lose!”

That could sound pithy, but Tom, is this not the very essence of what Ziglar is about?

> > Tom shares the #1 lesson Zig taught him.

Tune in next week to hear The Art of Charm host, Jordan Harbinger, tell us his Zig Story. The story which altered the course of his life and helped lead him to the wildly successful show and business he has today.