One of my favorite Zig Ziglar stories relates to an experience he had as a small boy in Yazoo Citiy, Mississippi.
Zig’s father died when Zig was six years old, leaving Zig’s mother to raise twelve children. They had a small farm and dairy cows, and didn’t have much income.
Zig had a friend from school, who invited him to meet and go swimming at the local country club.
Zig showed up in his swimming suit. His friend didn’t show up. It was a hot day and he could see the cool water in the swimming pool. He couldn’t resist, and went into the pool.
One of the customers of the grocery store where Zig worked part-time recognized Zig and told him to get out of the pool. He set a time to meet Zig at his office. Zig was scared to death he was going to be thrown in jail.
The neighbor scolded Zig harshly for the “dastardly deed that he had done,” and Zig left in tears.
He stomped his foot and said, “Someday, I’m going to have a bigger pool than the pool at the country club!”
Years later, Zig became a successful salesperson and sales trainer. He and his wife bought a beautiful new home in Dallas, Texas. One of the requirements for the home was to have room to build a swimming pool in the back yard.
They built an arrow-shaped swimming pool that was one foot longer than the swimming pool at the country club in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
That dream continued to live through Zig Ziglar’s career, and was one of the driving forces for his success.
There are many exceptional people in history who were poor students, including Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Elton John, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs and Steven Spielberg. Their challenging childhood experiences didn’t define them. It may be their experiences drove them to achievement to prove those who misjudged them to be wrong.
We all have our share of disappointments. Redirect the energy of those experiences to achieving your own goals. Show those who misjudged you what you can accomplish.