Zig Ziglar (Hilary Hinton) may be 85 years of age, but he sure packs a lot of punch. A highly respected motivational speaker grounded in Christian values, Zig is known for his fiery workshops and power-packed programmes focused on motivation, success and salesmanship.
In a recent podcast I listened to, Zig spoke about the story of the pump. Here's the man himself speaking to a life audience for your viewing and listening pleasure:
What are the key lessons from the story of the pump?
First, you've got to prime the pump. In pumpspeak, this means you need to pour some water in first before the pump can continue to suck water out from a well.
In any endeavour in life, work, school or other circles, you need to put something in first before you can get anything out. Contribute your fair share of effort, especially during the initial stages, before expecting any reward.
Second, you've got to sweat at it and pump away for some time before the water will flow. This means putting in enough hard work pumping away until the water comes all the way up to the top and beyond when it cascades from the tap to the pail.
Similarly, if you work hard enough, long enough and enthusiastically enough, rewards may flow (however, make sure you choose the right pump in the first place). Perseverance and determination are timeless virtues that relevant in any age - 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 or beyond.
Finally, once you've managed to get the water to flow, it will continue to flow on its own, allowing the pump to supply the sweet nectar of life for some time. That source of water would help to quench parched throats, energise exhausted horses, or refresh dirty bodies.
What do you think of this little anecdote? Does it get your blood "pumping"? :)
