See You At the Top

I left the office today and took a 2 hour lunch break because some very renowned motivational speakers were in town for a seminar at the Macon City Auditorium. Since I need all the leadership tips I can get and since I have been on a much lower profile motivational speaking circuit for the past dozen or so years, I knew I could benefit from hearing a few of the speakers.

I hit the jackpot.

The first speaker up after I arrived at the auditorium was none other than Zig Ziglar. To be honest, it was somewhat emotional to me as I listened to this man who has impacted so many. He had a fall recently and is suffering from short-term memory loss. His very well spoken daughter escorted him out on the stage and interviewed him to help him stay on track and to keep him from repeating himself. Although he got confused a few times and I could tell it embarrassed him, it was a very powerful presentation. Powerful because this great man who surely doesn’t have to work and is in the sunset of his life has chosen to deal with the curves life has thrown at him in a public forum. The daddy-daughter team was impressive to say the least. The quote he made several times that will no doubt stick with me was “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough people get what they want.” How true.

The next speaker was Robert Schuller from Crystal Cathedral fame. The king of positive thinking told his story from beginning that church with $500 at a drive in theater to the mega church that it is today. He was funny and very convincing that nothing is impossible if we remove the negativity that keeps us from doing the impossible.

I had to leave after he finished speaking and I missed a great photo opportunity for this blog. As I was walking around the auditorium to get my car, I ran into him as he was getting in a car that was taking him to the airport. I always have my camera with me for some reason I didn’t today. My bad.

I don’t know a whole lot but I did hear at least two things today that have the potential to take all of us further in life than we think: You really do get what you want by helping others get what they want. And nothing is impossible with God.

See you at the top.