Success is defined in the dictionary as “the achievement of something attempted”. No matter what your personal definition, success can be most easily understood as reaching a goal. Even though we all set goals for ourselves many of us do not reach them. What stops us and what can we do to change this?

Two men have made it their life-long goal to help others reach theirs: Ed Foreman and Zig Ziglar. Both of these men had modest beginnings: Ed was raised a farmer’s son while Zig was raised by his widowed mother as one of 12 children. Both men grew up to be millionaires long before the age of the dot com. The values they learned during those years: enthusiasm, positive thinking, discipline, integrity, and love of people, have made them the men that they are today and the reason others seek to emulate them. Let us examine these values and take a look at what they can do for us.

Enthusiasm

One executive who heard Ed Foreman speak said, “Listening to Ed is like trying to drink from a fire hose…he delivers so much useful, meaningful information with such enthusiasm!“. Clearly, Ed Foreman loves what he does and does what he loves. It is this passion for his mission that carries over into his message and inspires others to take up their own mission with enthusiasm.

Zig Ziglar has been electrifying his audiences since 1970 as a motivational speaker, alongside such notables as Presidents Reagan and Bush, but it is often Zig that the audiences are there to see.

Their message is clear: if you wish to be successful you must be enthusiastic about what you do and that will carry you through your days. Enthusiasm is catching and can help you see what is in front of you in a whole new light.

Positive Thinking

Although Norman Vincent Peale is the name most people think of when it comes to positive thinking, Ed Foreman is right there beside him in terms of using thoughts to get desired outcomes. Long before the success of nationwide bestsellers like The Secret, Ed’s message was that “thoughts lead to actions which become habits that create the character that you become“. By thinking about what we want to happen instead of what we don’t want, we can create our reality.

Zig Ziglar elaborates on this further when he says “Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.”

Learning to face challenges head on with the belief that the outcome will be beneficial, either as a winning moment or as a learning experience, can make all the difference in the world. Trials become opportunities, fear is replaced by excitement.

Discipline

Probably the biggest obstacle to attaining goals is having the discipline to take action and complete our tasks. “It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action and discipline that enabled us to follow through,” says Zig Ziglar.

From Ed Foreman’s perspective, discipline is the catalyst for change that brings about the state of being. “Winners do the things that losers don’t like to do.”

Remembering what you want and then acting as if it were already a reality is what gives us real change. The application of what we know to be the correct way of thinking and acting is what helps us reach our goals more efficiently.

Integrity

Everyone has a strict moral code that they live and work by and it is in adhering to that code that their character is revealed.

Realizing that “every choice you make has an end result” has helped Zig Ziglar make choices that are directly in line with his personal values. An evangelical Christian, Ziglar incorporates his beliefs into his motivational speeches.

Ed Foreman holds strongly to the power of forgiveness and encourages his listeners to “get over it and get on with your life“.

Keeping firmly to your values as you go through your life will help you see clearly what is most important and help you move past what isn’t, allowing you to advance further along your chosen path.

Love of People

Both Ed Foreman and Zig Ziglar have a deep, genuine love of people. This is evident in the manner in which they conduct themselves in their professional lives as well as in their message.

After becoming a millionaire and a success in the business world, Foreman served as a United States Congressman in two different states before embarking on his current career as a motivational speaker. His energy for helping others achieve what they want in life has made him well respected in his career.

Zig Ziglar also has found his greatest success in helping others. He has said “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want“.

Both of these men understand the law of reciprocity – that to receive you must first give, whether it is a service, product, or of yourself.

While success may seem elusive at first, keeping focused on our goals and maintaining our values is what will drive us to accomplish what we set out to do. The examples from the lives of people such as Ed Foreman and Zig Ziglar help us see all our dreams are possible.