Motivational Speaker Zig Ziglar Dies At 86

It was on the job that Ziglar developed a curiosity about human nature — What made a man tick? Why did some succeed where others failed? — that ultimately led to a thriving career in motivational speaking.

Zig Ziglar at the Staples Center in 2004. Photo Credit: Photo News

Ziglar’s speaking career came later in life, something that no doubt added to his appeal to many Americans who felt that after a certain age there was nothing to do but give up. Ziglar’s first book, “See You at the Top,” was published in 1975 when he was 49.

Ziglar’s personal assistant told the Associated Press that Ziglar was suffering from pneumonia when he passed away at a hospital in the Dallas suburb of Plano.

He celebrated his 66th honeymoon” with his wife Jean on Monday. Some of Ziglar’s best known expressions are: “Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street” and “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

Contribution: Rene Lynch