Why I Love America - Executive Agent Magazine

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Written By
Zig Ziglar
Why I Love America
I
turned 17 on a Saturday and applied to the Navy the
following Monday when World War II was being
fought. I was waving the flag then and am waving the
flag today.
I’m not as avid a flag waver as third generation flag
waver Tom Harken from Beaumont, Texas, and since his
son now does the same thing, that makes four generations
of Harkens who wave the flag like nobody I’ve ever heard
of! He has three flags in front of his corporate offices and
one large flag in front of each of his Crazy Jose’s and
Casa Ole restaurants. Each of his employees in all of these
establishments waves the flag in front of his or her home.
As a boy, Tom had a considerable number of illnesses
and fell through the educational cracks. As a result, he did
not learn to read until he was 28 years old. Despite this
fact, through hard work and persistence, he had done well
even before he could read. In 1992 he was recognized as
a Horatio Alger Award winner, surely the top recognition
anyone receives in America for their “rags to riches”
story. Tom shared with me that he never dreamed he
would earn as much money as he now contributes to a
number of worthwhile charities. He is a strong advocate
of literacy and preaches and contributes to it everywhere
he goes. Yes, Tom Harken is one reason I love America.
I also love America because of Muggsy Bogues. At age
36, Muggsy has played in the NBA for 14 years and was
a member of the Dallas Mavericks, where he was highly
regarded. Despite the fact that an arthritic knee is going
to keep him out of action, owner Mark Cuban wanted
to keep him aboard because of his attitude, leadership
abilities, and commitment to the game. Mr. Cuban figures
Muggsy is the kind of guy he wants in the locker room
to encourage the other guys. “They will listen to him
because, first of all, anybody who can survive 14 years
in the NBA is special.” Now add to that in this land of
giants, and particularly on the basketball court, Muggsy
is five feet, three inches tall. That’s astonishing! He gives
100% effort and coaches learned long ago to measure him
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not by his height, but by his heart. Only in America could
a Muggsy Bogues do what he has done.
I love America because Mary Kay Ash could start a
cosmetics company with the purpose of giving women
a chance to create their own businesses by sharing their
vision and opportunity with other women, and be well
paid in the process. Outstanding performers drive pink
Cadillacs, too! That’s America -- and that’s why I love it.
I love America because Neil Rudenstein became the
president of Harvard University from 1991-2001. His
mother is a part-time waitress and his father is a prison
guard. But in America it’s not who your mother and father
are; it’s who you are and what you do with what you’ve
been given.
I love America because of the privileges it has given
me. My mother had a fifth grade education but she was
a hard working woman with lots of love and incredible
wisdom. She gave me the foundation that has enabled me
to visit all of the continents, speaking and writing, and to
enjoy a life that was beyond my wildest imagination when
I was growing up in small-town Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Yes, America is still the land of the free and the home
of the brave, the land where any man or woman willing
to use his or her ability to the fullest extent can enjoy
not only freedom but a balanced life and success that
people in many other lands only dream about. God bless
America.
Zig Ziglar is a beloved author and America’s motivator.
He is the author of 25 books and offers training and
consulting to organizations all across the globe. To learn
more about Zig and his business visit his website at www.
ziglar.com
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