20 Minutes A Day!

“All you have to do is read twenty minutes a day,” the most profound words I had ever heard.  In my early twenties and working in my first job in advertising sales, I was eager to learn and wanted to be the best advertising sales person I could be.

At the time I idolized my father, a very successful sales person who owned radio stations. Whatever he said I believed to be truth, and I was not going to disappoint.

When I was growing up, reading was not “my thing.”  In fact, I would throw temper tantrums and resist reading at all costs. My thought at the time was who wants to sit around and read when I could be swimming, riding my bike, hanging out at Skateland, running around the neighborhood with my friends and just having fun.

How I completed school is beyond me but thank God I did.’

Then, still wide eyed, excited, enthusiastic and full of optimism, I was now an adult. Being an “adult” to me meant I needed to get a job, take responsibility and break free from my parents.

I loved working; it gave me a sense of independence and accomplishment.  Being the strong willed child I was, I was determined to succeed in the world and I was going to have fun doing it.

I started working as a receptionist at a Dallas radio station and within six months was promoted to programming and promotions assistant.  A year later, I embarked on a new adventure when I accepted a position in radio sales and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.

As a sales team we all went to see the world famous motivational speaker named Zig Ziglar.  This man was bigger than life; He was the Godfather of motivational speaking, the quintessential leader of optimism, inspiration and sales skills!

I was excited and nervous at the same time.  What is this bigger than life man going to say to me?  What was he all about?  I had never seen a motivational speaker before.  We were in a big auditorium with thousands of seats, everyone dressed for success.

Waiting with anticipation for Zig Ziglar to come out on the stage, I was sitting there getting teary eyed. They opened the curtains and there he was. I believe he said, “It’s time to get a check-up from the neck up,” with his energetic southern drawl.

He hooked me when he shared his story about growing up in a small town in Mississippi during the depression where he was not a GOOD student, didn’t graduate from college and went off into the world of sales.

Zig had this bigger than life energy on stage, he moved around with dramatic hand gestures, told stories that were humorous and made you think.  He talked about stinkin’ thinking; attitude makes all the difference, a round tuit, and much more.

He said if you want to be successful in life you need to continue your education.  At first I thought, “Oh no, he said the word education.  I’m not a good student. What am I going to do?”

Then out came the most profound words I had ever heard: “You can continue your education by reading twenty minutes a day.” My little mind was thinking, processing these words, hmmm, can I do it?

If I want to be a success can I read twenty minutes a day?  Yes, I can do it!  I rushed out of the auditorium and waited in line to buy one of my first books ever.

I went home that night inspired and motivated to read twenty minutes.  From then on every night I would come home and before I went to bed I would read twenty minutes.  I’d look at the clock and if it was only ten minutes that was okay.

I have to read another ten minutes I had to do it because that’s what Zig said.  “Read twenty minutes a day.” When my twenty minutes was up, I would put my little book marker on the page and shut my book and go to sleep.

The next day I would awake and do the same thing. Twenty minutes became thirty minutes and thirty minutes became sixty minutes. More and more my self-efficacy was developing.  This was a sense of accomplishment for me and I knew it would serve me in some form or fashion.

I became a crusader of reading. If I didn’t have time to read everything I wanted to I would buy my book on tape and listen while I was going from sales call to sales call. This was perfect, wow I was doing what Zig said: I was in Automobile University earning my Ph.D.

At the time I was only reading motivational books:  How to Win Friends and Influence People, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, and The Fear of Success. My library has expanded greatly over the years to include books on spiritual growth, business growth, healing, leadership, relationships, family, therapy, psychology, and more.

Books have become part of my essence, a part of who I am.  Books have enabled me to grow as a human being; they have been there for me through all my life transitions, they have changed my perspective and expanded who I am just by reading “Twenty Minutes a Day!”