Over the top

date Apr 14, 2007
authors Zig Ziglar
reading time 2 mins

You are at the top when…

  1. You clearly understand that failure is an event, not a person; that yesterday ended last night, and today is your brand new day
  2. You have made friends with your past. are focused on the present, and optimistic about your future
  3. You know that success (a win) doesn’t make you, and failure (a loss) doesn’t break you
  4. You are filled with faith, hope and love; and love without anger, greed, envy or thoughts or revenge
  5. You are mature enough to delay gratification and shift your focus from your rights to your responsibilities
  6. You know that failure to stand for what is morally right is the prelude to being the victim of what is criminally wrong
  7. You are secure in who you are, so you are at peace with God and in the fellowship with man
  8. You have made friends of your adversaries and have gained the love and respect of those who know you best
  9. You understand that others can give you pleasure, but genuine happiness comes when you do things for others
  10. You are pleasant to the grouch, courteous to the rude and generous to the needy
  11. You love the unlovable, give hope to the hopeless, friendship to the friendless, and encouragement to the discouraged
  12. You can look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion, and up with gratitude
  13. You know that ‘he who would be the greatest among you must become the servant of all’
  14. You recognise, confess, develop and use your God-given physical, metal and spiritual abilities to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind
  15. You stand in front of the creator of the universe and He says to you, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”

And here’s a paragraph about happiness… so true!

Many people honestly believe they will be happy when they get into a home of their own; they will be happy when they get all of the little things that frequently convert a house to a home and have them neatly in place - but they won’t. Then they’ll be happy when they add the patio and the outdoor barbecue grill - but they won’t. Then they’ll be happy when they get the mortgage paid 0 but they won’t…. The reason is simple: It makes no difference where you go, there you are. And it makes no difference what you have, there’s always more to want. Happines is not a when or a where, it can be now and here.

Specific steps to reaching your goals:

  1. make the commitment that you are going to reach your goals
  2. Commit yourself to daily detailed accountability
  3. Break your goal into small pieces
  4. Get in shape physically, mentally, spiritually
  5. Make your liability your assets
  6. learn to respond to disappointments
  7. Discipline yourself
  8. Change direction, not decisions
  9. Get all the help you can: share give-up goals freely and go-up goals carefully
  10. Become a team player
  11. Paint a positive picture
  12. Paint that picture in your mind of what you want to be, do or have
  13. Your dreams can come true