Salesmanship Corner By Zig Ziglar - Little Things Do Make Big Differences

If my watch is four minutes slow and I show up for a noon flight at 12:04 p.m., you know what will happen. I have an arrangement with the airlines that says if I'm not there when my flight is scheduled to leave, they leave without me. They have always lived up to their end of the agreement.

Somebody once said that honesty in little things is no little thing. Also, the smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention. How right they are. On the serious side, a little thing can be enormously significant. Retired Brigadier General Robinson Risner was a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for over seven years. He was in solitary confinement for five of those years. He suffered from cold, heat, malnutrition and lack of fresh air. He was totally deprived of any human comfort. He jogged in his cell by the hour. When he became so frustrated he had to scream, he stuffed his underwear in his mouth to muffle the scream. He would not give his captors the satisfaction of knowing his frustration.

One day, in the depths of despair, Gen. Risner lay down on the floor and looked all around his small, rectangular-shaped cell. He put his eye next to the cinder blocks, hoping that there would be a crack in one of them. Fortunately, there was a minute opening and he saw a single leaf. Later he stated that seeing that evidence of life outside was a tremendously uplifting and life-changing event.

When I heard this story most of my complaints in life suddenly fell into context and I resolved to be more appreciative of the many blessings I had, instead of complaining about what I did not have. Fact: The more you express gratitude for what you have, the more you will have to express gratitude for. Being grateful is a winning approach to life. Take it and I will See You At The Top

Zig Ziglar is a motivator and teacher. He is the author of 27 books and loved by millions of people world wide for his practical wisdom and his gift of hope.