by Zig Ziglar
Of necessity, Bernie worked both harder and smarter in his business career and personal life. For a seven-year period he worked seven days and seven nights every week, taking only one night off during this entire period of time. That feat alone clearly demonstrates his dedication, determination, desire, and devotion.
Despite his heavy work schedule necessitated by the financial demands “Goliath” had created, each night when Bernie came home he would go to David’s room, hug and hold him, telling him he loved him, that he was a winner, and that he could do anything he wanted to do because he was a winner. The next morning on the way to school, Bernie played him a motivational tape on a portable cassette player which was one of the first to be used in North America. Yes, David was saturated with good, clean, pure, powerful doses of motivation and pure love.
In his quest to help David, Bernie discovered that in a successful and happy life you can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want. Applying this principle to his business, he built the biggest housewares company in Canada and achieved financial independence in the process.
By any yardstick, David and those who helped him are quite successful. It was a team battle and a team victory, with each one playing an important part in putting Goliath on the deck. Each one is playing a significant part in keeping him there.
ALL THE INGREDIENTS
With the story of David Lofchick in mind, let’s turn to the Stairway to the Top chart. As a baby, David couldn’t have his own healthy self-image, the first step on the chart. Nevertheless, in the eyes of his parents he was a special little boy who deserved to have and was going to have his chance in life. They saw David as he is today, and they saw themselves as capable of giving him that chance. Today, David has a healthy self-image, the results of which are completely evident.
The second step on your Stairway to the Top is your relationships with others. Obviously, there were a number of people who played vital roles in the growth and development of David Lofchick. Doctors, nurses, therapists, teachers, etc., all had a part. The “blood, sweat, and tears” were all made more tolerable because of the patience and love developed through the relationship among the parents, David, and the professionals involved. Without help—and lots of it—David’s situation would truly have been desperate. Fortunately, he received the help he needed and became a winner. The people who helped David were winners, too, because “He climbs highest who helps another up.”
The third step we covered was the importance of goals, how to set those goals and how to reach those goals. Every aspect of goal-setting was evident in David’s story. In conjunction with the goals the family had for David, Bernie also set his own personal, work, and financial goals. Initially, Bernie couldn’t easily carry the heavy medical burden imposed by David’s treatment, but he did what champions have always done. He rose to the occasion. Now he’s getting everything in life he wants by helping David and others get what they want.
The fourth step was the right mental attitude, which covers a wide area, and David Lofchick’s story illustrates it perfectly. The family attitude of working one day at a time, taking one step at a time, making stepping stones out of obstacles, and responding positively to all negative situations was conveyed to David. They fed him a steady diet of “You can do it, David.” David listened to enthusiastic, positive cassette recordings while he dressed, exercised, and rode to school with his parents. Daily his trainer, the former Mr. Manitoba, Syd Pukalo, as well as his parents and close family friends, reinforced the positive factors in his life. Eventually, the proper mental diet became a part of David’s life and the habits he acquired were so good and strong that his growth and progress were assured.
The fifth step concerned work, and David’s story fits it well. To give you an idea, the next time you complain about having just 24 hours in a day, let me urge you to remember David Lofchick. For years he only had a 21-hour day because he literally invested three hours a day in his physical battle to stay even with the cerebral palsy. Today his time demands are still enormous. If he doesn’t work at it every day, his Goliath moves back in. Yes, he has had to work, but David and the Lofchick family know that you don’t pay a price for good health—you enjoy the benefits.
David’s story fits beautifully in the sixth step, which is the discussion of desire. I can honestly say that in dealing with hundreds of people, I’ve never met a family where desire is more evident than it is in the Lofchick family. Their burning desire for David to have his chance in life was translated into the actions they took so he could have his chance. Some of those actions were tough, real tough, because they involved a special kind of love that was so deep it demanded they overrule their natural sympathy and compassion. Many times when Bernie and Elaine forced those braces tighter according to the doctor’s instructions, David would cry and plead with them to ease up or leave them off for “just one night.” Bernie and Elaine would have given almost anything to comply, but their love was so deep they said no to David’s tears of the moment, which meant they were saying yes to his health and happiness for a lifetime.
As you view David’s story, you realize that character, honesty, love, loyalty, faith, and integrity are in evidence from beginning to end. In the first segment of this book I pointed out that any quality you are short of you can acquire. I believe the story of David verifies this fact. To look at him, you would find it hard to believe anything has ever been wrong with him. Many times I have wondered just how fantastic David might have been if he had been a normal, healthy baby. It wasn’t difficult for me to imagine him being bigger, stronger, faster, smarter, etc. Then one day the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. Had David started with more, he might well have ended up with less. I’m convinced he is more—maybe much more—not in spite of, but because of, the cerebral palsy.
That’s why God tells us so clearly to thank Him for everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Yes, it’s a special and wonderful miracle that the Lofchicks saw their son as a boy who was going to get his chance in the relay race of life. They got him started, passed the baton on to him, and ol’ David has been running with it ever since.
The best part of David’s story hasn’t been written because David is still living it. My belief is that what David does in the future will far surpass what he’s done in the past. That’s exciting, but even more exciting is the thought of what this story could mean to the millions of kids who have normal health. If David could start from where he was with what he had and do what he’s done, think what the same principles and procedures could mean if applied to kids with good health. That thought is awesome and exciting.
David’s story now has a sequel. While telling his story in Amarillo, Texas, one night, I noticed that a young couple seated on the front row was visibly moved. Later we visited privately, and they sought the name of the Chicago doctor who took over Dr. Pearlstein’s practice upon his death. Their fifteen-month-old daughter had cerebral palsy, and they hoped something could be done for her.
They took their daughter to Chicago and after the examination the doctor told them that their daughter had all the symptoms of the disease, but she definitely did not have cerebral palsy. She had simply been born prematurely and the doctor had incorrectly diagnosed her condition. The premature birth had caused her to be a little slower than normal. However, since they had been treating her for cerebral palsy, she had acquired the symptoms of the disease. They immediately started treating her as a normal, healthy child and in a matter of weeks the symptoms of cerebral palsy disappeared. Yes, we treat people the way we see them, and they respond to that treatment whether it’s good or bad, positive or negative. Again, that’s why it’s so important for us to be “good-finders.”
So here you are at the top of the stairway. You’ve climbed all the steps so you now stand squarely in front of the door leading into the Banquet Hall of Life. At this point I call your attention to the word “opportunity,” which is clearly written on that door. Actually, the
word “opportunity” could be spelled AMERICA—as a matter of fact, if you will look again, it’s obvious that opportunity is America. Only in a free enterprise country such as America could these principles bear such fruit. So let’s take a look now at the land of the free and the home of the brave—America the Beautiful.
CHAPTER 26
America the Beautiful
FREE ENTERPRISE VS. COMMUNISM
Throughout this book I’ve been telling you a number of stories about people like you and me. As stated earlier, I believe life is a story, so I’ve tried to use these stories from life to help you be more, do more, and have more. These stories involve people from every walk of life. They differ in many ways, but each shares the common bond of living in a free enterprise system that enables them to more fully use their ability.
My personal travels to all five continents with large populations, combined with the spoken and printed word, have enabled me to compare free enterprise and America with the rest of the world—and America and other free enterprise countries win by a landslide. Simple example: The average American newspaper carrier working part time in free enterprise earns more money than 50% of the workers of the world.
I stress free enterprise at this time because some of the principles advocated throughout this book would not bear fruit behind the walls where free enterprise is nonexistent or is placed under government restraint. In this final chapter I sound the warning about some dangers we face, and what you can do to keep America, and you, free and great.
An excellent comparison between free enterprise and Communism exists in Cuba. Before Castro and Communism took over in 1958, the average yearly income of the Cuban worker was approximately $475, everything was plentiful, nothing was rationed and you could travel as you pleased. Today, personal freedom is a thing of the past, and individual hope is just a memory. Under Communism, the average income of the Cuban worker in 1974 was about $325, which would buy less than one-third of what the $475 bought in 1958. Today, the average income for Cubans is just a minute fraction of what it was before Castro took over. All travel is restricted and it is difficult to leave the country. Castro stopped emigration after freedom-loving Cubans by the thousands gave up everything they owned in exchange for freedom in America.
THE BULLFROG THEORY
As we approach America’s problems, I’m concerned about two groups of Americans. One group is like the individual who refuses to have an examination because he suspects he has cancer. He blindly says, “America has no problems” or, “don’t worry, America has always come through—don’t tell me about it.” The second group says, “Well, what can I do? It’s just me and it’s too late now.”
If your house were burning, you would want to know about it so you could grab a bucket of water and put it out. The purpose of this chapter is to tell you that your house (America) is burning and give you several buckets of water so you can help douse the flames. The fire that is burning America started much like boiling a bullfrog.
You don’t boil a bullfrog by throwing him in boiling water because he will pop out faster than you can throw him in. You put him in cold water and turn on the heat. As the water gets warm the bullfrog relaxes and takes a nap. You know the rest of the story. He wakes up dead. He’s been boiled to death.
An enemy today would not directly attack America. Germany, in World War I, and Japan, in World War II, used that direct assault with disastrous results. The enemy we face today is far more subtle and infinitely more powerful and dangerous than either Japan or Germany. The major enemy is no longer Communism, though Cuba is still a thorn in the flesh and both China and North Korea are hostile and threatening in their own way. Communism started under another banner back in the 1930s. At that time Americans were sold on the “free lunch” concept that they could increase their wealth by channeling it through a centralized government in Washington. So we started electing the most “promising” politicians to political office. The “frog” was in the water and the “heat” was on.
Over the years, vote-seeking politicians passed liberal legislation (liberal with the working man’s money). In all fairness, I must point out that not all “politicians” are in office. Many “politicians” are citizens who regularly confront the elected officials with two “demands.” First, you must do something to reduce the ridiculously high expenditures of the Federal Government and second, you must figure out a way to get more federal funds for our people back home.
Many people blithely say that Americans have always come through when the chips are down. In the past this has been true, but I’m concerned. We have nearly 200 million Americans who’ve never seen us weather a severe depression. We know how they handle success and prosperity, but realistically we don’t know how they would handle adversity. These same Americans have never seen us win a war or seen the peace that follows. The Korean War was a stalemate and Vietnam was a disaster. They don’t know the sweet taste of victory or the thrill of seeing free people embrace their liberating heroes.
I’m concerned because 96 million Americans are under age 25 and the average 18-year-old has seen an average of 17,000 hours of television, listened to 11,000 hours of music, and watched countless movies. During this time he will have viewed 40,000 murders, witnessed thousands of rapes and seductions, and heard “jillions” of obscene and profane words. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, there is overwhelming evidence that violent entertainment causes violent behavior. An ABC Network study found 22-34% of young felons imprisoned for violent crimes said they had subconsciously imitated crime techniques learned from watching television programs. This is hardly the “diet” that builds either character or determination.
THE BIG LIE
Throughout this book I have emphasized “as you sow, so also shall you reap.” To show the effect of repeatedly seeing or hearing anything, please complete the following statements. Winston tastes good like a _______ _______. Pepsi Cola hits the _____, twelve full ounces that’s a _______. Drink Coca-Cola, the pause that _________. Duz does _______. Now check your answers on page 378. Those commercials were on television over 35 years ago, but chances are excellent that if you are over forty you got them right. You will remember and believe almost anything if you hear it enough times.
Sixty-five years ago, Adolph Hitler conclusively proved that the masses will believe the “big lie” if you tell it often enough.
Let’s look at American Big Lie Number One: For the last 50 years, liberals have been telling me my generation was taught that sex is dirty— but were we? A survey of my peer group gave me a resounding no. When anything about sex was taught or discussed we were told that sex is private, that it is sacred, and that it is between husband and wife. The Bible stresses the sacredness and beauty of sexual relations between a man and his wife. It identifies it as the highest expression of human endearment and goes beyond the procreation of the human race. But the liberal, by implication, was saying that since sex isn’t “dirty,” it could be indulged in with anyone so long as it was a “meaningful” relationship. Interpretation: Go to dinner before you go to bed.
American Big Lie Number Two: In the last 50 years we’ve been repeatedly told that “poverty breeds crime.” However, in 1940, after an entire decade of the toughest depression in our country’s history, the crime rate was lower than it was at the beginning. Canada had the same experience. Significantly, there has never been a definitive study that established a correlation between crime and poverty. Crime has to do with character and integrity. What we teach our children determines whether they will be law-abiding or lawbreaking.
What are the kids being taught? By the millions they watch TV in living color where instant coffee, instant tea, and instant potatoes, along with instant happiness, instant success, and instant gratification, are sold. It’s inevitable that the kids get an erroneous concept about true success and happiness, as well as what’s involved in acquiring the big car, the big home, the swimming pool, etc.
Underprivilege
d youngsters inevitably compare what they don’t have to what those on the TV screen do have, and they feel underprivileged. Combine this with the fact that society is telling them that poverty breeds crime and you have planted the seeds of criminal action.
American Big Lie Number Three: People equal poverty and India proves it. Does it really? India is a poverty-stricken nation. England has a higher density per square mile and Holland has a 50% greater density than India, but they have a high standard of living. Africa has a low population density, but extreme poverty. America has a low density and an enormously high standard of living. Population could be a factor, but it is not the factor.
However, this “big lie” has been used to support liberal abortion laws and encourage fewer babies in America with the result that in 1975 the birth rate was only 1.9 per hundred. In 1997, the birthrate was only 1.45 per hundred, and we need 2.1 per hundred to sustain our population.
Today, we have the highest percentage of elderly people in history. They deserve, demand, and are getting a higher standard of living. That’s proper, but these extra benefits are being supplied by the lowest percentage of workers in our history and those figures grow by the year. We need more dedicated Americans raising God-fearing, law-abiding children. These kids, properly loved, taught, and motivated, are the solution to, and not the cause of, the problem. Actually, they are our only hope for solving tomorrow’s problems.
YES—WE DO HAVE PROBLEMS
I’m concerned about the enormous waste in government spending, especially for programs like the one to study the effects on male students of smoking marijuana while watching pornographic movies ($121,000). Five thousand dollars went to Erica Jong to write Fear of Flying. Two million dollars was spent to buy Marshall Tito of Yugoslavia a yacht. These amounts are infinitesimal when compared to the seven billion dollars we have given in foreign aid to the six nations that have raised one thousand tons of opium with a street value of $22 billion. Absurd is the word I carefully and deliberately use to describe a policy that permits America to send our billions to build their countries. They in turn take our money—often without a simple thank you—and ship heroin and cocaine into America to destroy us.