Zig Ziglar - Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down World: Daily Hope for the Daily Grind

You, _____________ , can have legitimate hope
because you hold in your hands the keys to Staying
Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down World.

SAMPLE PAGE

Teaching by Parable

THE PARABLE has always been my favorite method of teaching. The reason is simple. People remember the story, and when they remember the story, they remember the lesson the story provided. For example, the greatest storyteller of all time, the Carpenter from Galilee, told parable after parable. Incidentally two-thirds of them had to do with our physical and financial well-being.

One of my favorite parables is that told by Dr. Dale E. Turner titled "The Lamplighter:"

I am my neighbors Bible:
He reads me when we meet,
Today he reads me in my house,
Tomorrow in the street;
He may be relative or friend,
Or slight acquaintance be;
He may not even know my name,
Yet he is reading me.

ANONYMOUS

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for awhile and leave footprints on our heartsand were never ever the same.

Sir Harry Lauder, the Scottish humorist and singer, loved to tell about an old lamplighter in the village where he lived as a boy. Each evening as dusk came, the old man would make his rounds with his ladder and his light. He would put the ladder against the lamppost, climb up and light the lamp, step back down, pick up the ladder, and proceed to the next lamp.

"After awhile," said Sir Harry, "he would be down the street and out of sight. But I could always tell which way he had gone from the lamps he had lighted and the glow he left behind."

Lifes highest tribute would be to live in such a way as to deserve the words, "I could always tell which way he went by the light he left behind."

Like the lamplighter, each one of us leaves a trail wherever we go. Our responsibilityand surely our objectiveis to leave a trail we would be willing for our sons and daughters to follow and, in the process, make our parents proud of the trail they left for us. Leave a good trail, and not only will your life be good, but so will the lives of those who follow.

I am secure underneath the protecting shadow of Gods Wings and His strong right arm. (Ps. 63:7-8)

So far, youre doing well at following the suggestions. Now read pages 1-2, which explain how to get the most out of this book.

Zig Ziglar

Copyright 2000 by The Zig Ziglar Corporation

All rights reserved. Written permission must be secured from the publisher to use or reproduce any part of this book, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Scripture quotations noted NKJV are from THE NEW KING JAMES VERSION. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

Scripture quotations noted KJV are from the KING JAMES VERSION.

Scripture quotations noted NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. Scripture extracts at the end of each chapter entry are authors paraphrase of the New Living translation.

The poem by Mary Korzan entitled When You Thought I Wasnt Looking, is used by permission with the following credit: This poem was inspired by my mother, Blanche Elizabeth Montgomery Schilke, and dedicated to her on June 14, 1980.

Library of Congress Control Number: 00-091231

ISBN 0-7852-7077-9 (hc)
ISBN 0-7852-6123-0 (sc)

Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5 PHX 07 06 05 04 03

To the memory of John R. Anderson
My first male nonfamily role model
who taught and lived with integrity.
He became my surrogate father
and treated me like a son.

Other books by Zig Ziglar

Over the Top
Confessions of a Grieving Christian
Something to Smile About
Something Else to Smile About

Contents

PSYCHIATRIST ALFRED ADLER said that hope is the foundational quality of all change. It is also the great activator. People with hope take action to realize their dreams. People without hope are often so discouraged, they feel incapable of doing anything significant. Good news: hope and help are availablethats what this book is about.

Somebody once remarked, Life is so daily. The implication is clear: there are so many obstacles to overcome that the daily grind of life has a tendency to be a hope killer. Staying Up, Up,
Up in a Down, Down World is designed to give you hope, direction, and encouragement every day. Since each day is a part of every lifetime, you will have a hope-filled and, hence, a happier, more productive life when you put all your hope-filled days together. No, that doesnt mean life will be trouble-free, but it does mean you will handle problems (opportunities) in a different and more effective manner. This approach is simple, but its not simplistic. Its based on the power of God and an understanding of advanced mathematics: you + God = enough.

Question: When do you need hope? Answer: Every day. Since encouragement is the fuel on which hope runs, this book is designed to give you hope and encouragement every day.

In every vignette of Staying Up, Up, Up in a Down, Down
World I will conclude the message with scripture that Ive personalized and put into the first person, present tense (much like the Twenty-third Psalm). Some will deal with Gods promises, some with our responsibilities.

One reason I love gospel music and the beautiful old hymns is that they verbalizein the first person, present tenseGods promises and emphasize His love for me. Because His presence is assured, His greatness is extolled, and His love is expressed, His comforting presence and peace of mind become integral parts of my life. I hope His comforting presence and peace of mind become integral parts of your life as well.

Using Staying Up, Up, Up
in a Down, Down World

MANY GOOD STUDENTS are not good thinkers. For maximum benefit from this book, read one story each day, then think aboutand, if possible, talk aboutwhat you read. Each parable has a purpose. When you combine reading, thinking, and talking about the parables included here, you will find balance because I deal with the physical, mental, and spiritual. I involve the personal, family, career, and financial aspects of life.

All are important.

Patience, discipline, and focus are the keys. Study one message and one message onlyeach day. It takes about three minutes to read and print on a three-by-five-inch card the biblical self-talk at the end of each one. Start your day with one vignette. Read the biblical self-talk aloud, and quietly read it again several times during the day. At the end of the day, read the story again, and stand before a mirror, look yourself in the eye, and read the self-talk out loud.

Think about it. If you start the day properly, end the day properly, and include the family in between, doesnt it make sense that everybodys day will be better?

Some messages are excellent to use in five- to ten-minute staff meetings or to share with the family after a meal. Read the story aloud, then discuss it for a few minutes. For most families, doing this every day will be impossible, but benefits will be excellent if you manage to do this once or twice each week.