As many of you know, I was the former president of the Zig Ziglar Organization. And many of the life lessons I learned from Mr. Ziglar show up in my writings and in my trainings and keynotes. Several of his quotes have found their way into this column over the past 10-plus years too. Today, I thought I would give you a little more of the background, and why this column always includes a little hope and encouragement.

Recently I was invited to give a virtual talk on this very subject. The subject being “Zig Ziglar’s Little Book of Big Quotes” and the impact the information contained within the book has helped to shape my past success, how I am still using the concepts today, and how I plan on using Mr. Ziglar’s hope and encouragement to drive my future success.

Now when I say that it is a powerful “little” book of big quotes, I really do mean “little.” It is only 27 pages long and contains wisdom and insights that are timeless. The book has 104 quotes around the topics of: Ambition, Attitude, Encouragement, Guidance, Happiness, Hope, Integrity/Character, Self-Image and Success.

Here is why I wanted to share this with you. The first quote in the book is this: “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” I heard Zig Ziglar say this from the stage hundreds of times, I have read it in his books, heard it on his audio programs and podcasts. This quote has been my north star, my compass, and the guiding principle that helps me in my decision-making. This is not just a quote; it is my way of life.

Here are a few more of my favorites:

Ambition: “The most practical, beautiful, workable philosophy in the world won’t work - if you won’t.”

Attitude: “I’ve got to say `no’ to the good, so I can say `yes’ to the best.”

Encouragement: “Obstacles are the things we see when we take our eyes off our goals.”

Guidance: “Duty makes us do things well, but love makes us do them beautifully.”

Happiness: “The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is trading what we want most for what we want now.”

Hope: “The door to a balanced success opens widest on the hinges of hope and encouragement.”

Integrity/Character: “Ability can take you to the top, but it takes character to keep you there.”

Self-Image: “Man was designed for accomplishment, engineered for success, and endowed with the seeds of greatness.”

Success: “Success is the one thing you can’t pay for. You buy it on the installment plan and make payments every day.”

I shared nine with you here, there are 95 more that have directly contributed to my success or have helped me overcome a failed attempt or hardship in my life. Zig’s body of work includes more than 30 books, hundreds of hours of audio and video programs and podcasts. It is estimated that he has positively impacted more than 250 million people around the globe. And that number continues to grow because of Mr. Ziglar’s legacy. And my part of keeping that legacy alive is to continue to write about his teachings and share them with as many people as possible.

There are three other ways I am doing this. The first is that I give this “Little Book of Big Quotes” away to anyone who asks. So, if you want your copy, let me know. The second way is that I give away one-hour virtual keynotes to companies or groups. And lastly, I have always coached people, mostly using the Ziglar content. Again, if you would like your free one-hour virtual keynote for your company or team, or if you would like to know how the coaching works, just send me an email at mnorton@tramazing.com. And we understand that we really can have everything in life we want, if we will just help enough other people get what they want, it really will be a better than good week.

Michael Norton is the grateful CEO of Tramazing.com, a personal and professional coach, and a consultant, trainer, encourager, and motivator to businesses of all sizes.