When Good Goes Full Circle

by Julie Ziglar Norman

I had the pleasure and blessing of speaking in Birmingham, England on April 2nd, 2011.  It was my pleasure because I was speaking for my friends, Andy and Wendy Hansen and Phil and Sally Watts on their Get Motivated Great Britain program.  It was a blessing because I got to witness firsthand the fruit that comes when inspirational speakers encourage others.

At the end of the day a young woman asked if she could talk with me.  She told me she is a single mother with four children and that Dad has been a huge encouragement in her life.  She is using what he and other motivational teachers teach to make a better life for her family.

Then she told me the rest of her story.  She had seen Morris Goodman’s movie, The Miracle Man, and in that movie Morris’ doctors told him dire things about his injuries from a plane crash and predicted that he’d never recover, he would never walk again or get out of bed.  In the film Morris said that was the doctor’s opinion, not his, and he decided he would dictate the outcome and set about doing what he needed to do to recover.  That attitude, those words, reverberated in the young woman’s mind as doctors told her she would surely die if she carried her baby to term and recommended she abort the child.  Immediately she though….that is the doctors opinion…not mine!  I am going to have this baby.

Even though fear and doubt tried to take hold throughout her pregnancy, she clung to Morris’ words and delivered a beautiful, healthy, baby girl with no health complications of her own.

After was spoke for about 10 minutes she asked me if Morris, who had been on the Get Motivated Great Britain program that day, was going to be where she could visit with him for a bit.  No sooner than she asked, Morris appeared in the lobby nearby and when she realized she could speak with him she began to cry huge tears of gratitude.

Through her tears she told Morris about the little baby who is alive because of his words and her gratitude was transferred to him.  Morris had told me my father’s audio tapes had inspired and encouraged him to keep trying and keep believing he could get better as he recovered from his plane crash.  I can’t wait to tell Daddy – and pass the gratitude back.

Folks, you never know how your life will benefit others, but I can tell you without a doubt, when good goes full circle, gratitude and awe prevail.

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Inundated with POSSIBILITIES!

by Julie Ziglar Norman

I recently wrote an article for RealTalk a company I happen to love and appreciate for all they do to help people develop meaningful and lasting relationships. If you want to know more about them go to realtalk-now.com.  I hope you enjoy these thoughts on possibilities.

For over forty years I have had the privilege of watching and listening as my father, motivational speaker and author, Zig Ziglar, encourages children.  Any time Dad meets a child it seems as if no one else exists for him except that little one.  He’ll touch the child’s shoulder and say, “Let me have a look at you.  Turn around.”  Then he helps spin the child around and when the child is facing him again Dad leans way back, spreads his arms high and wide and exclaims, “Exactly what I thought!”  Then Dad leans down and looks the little one in the eyes as he says, “Did you know I can spot a winner every time?  Yep, I can tell by looking you over that you are a WINNERRRRRRRR!  I can see that you already have everything it takes to be a great one.  As a matter of fact, you are inundated with POSSIBILITIES!”

Then and only then does Dad engage the parents, and he makes sure the child is still paying attention as he tells the parents how blessed they are to have a child with such incredible potential.  Still holding onto the child’s shoulder Dad enlists the parents’ commitment to help their child explore all of his or her possibilities.

I have met many adults who experienced Dad’s “once over” and without exception they tell me the profound effect Dad’s words of encouragement had on their lives.  They tried many different avenues of interest without fear because they knew the POSSIBILITIES were unlimited.  They expected success because they had been told they already had everything they needed to be successful.  Without exception, each one I met was satisfied and happy with their lives.

We need to be childlike in our attitude toward POSSIBILITIES. Possibilities, explored, uncover our likes and dislikes, our talents and our weaknesses, our passion and the things in life that fill our hearts with joy.  They allow us to consider alternatives to our present situation and they allow our mind to soar to a creative realm that would likely go unvisited if the knowledge of possibilities didn’t exist.

Dad tells the story of a 90-year-old lady who, when asked if she could play the piano, responded that she didn’t know.   When asked, “What do you mean, you don’t know?” the lady smilingly replied, “I’ve never tried.” That lady knew that even at her age, learning to play the piano was still a possibility.

Do you know what your possibilities are?  Do you know that we never get too old to explore the possibilities?  Do you know that it is in your power right now to begin considering your possibilities with a sense of hope and excitement for what your future holds?

Possibilities exist for you!  Explore all of them!

Julie Ziglar Norman

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eWomenNetwork Rocks!

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