The Truth About Family Values — by Zig Ziglar

Note from Mark Timm, CEO Ziglar Family: A few weeks ago I shared a “guest post” from Mr. Zig Ziglar.  I received such positive feedback from the post (which you can read here) that I thought I’d re-visit the Ziglar archive and share some more of his timeless wisdom with you.  Enjoy!

 

One of the ongoing discussions we hear is that of family values. There are some who try to identify them; others say there are no established family values.

 The reason people have been unable to isolate and identify family values, in my opinion, is very simple: There are no “family” values because the values that make for a strong family are exactly the same values that make for a good person in any walk of life.

The fact is that honesty, character, integrity, discipline, responsibility, hard work, kindness, affection, concern, consideration and thoughtfulness are all valuable qualities — inside and outside of the home.

Try as we might, we cannot separate our personal life from our family, business and/or social lives. The kind of person you are affects your performance, whether it’s at home or on the job. This was reflected in a study reported in USA Today that showed that the No. 1 cause of a productivity decline in America was marital difficulties at home. No. 2 was alcohol, and No. 3 was drug abuse.

Many people will tell you that they leave their problems at home when they go to work, but that simply isn’t possible. There will be thoughts throughout the day about healing any type of broken relationship, or, “What can I do about that relationship?”

If your child seems listless when you drop him or her off at school, your mind questions that child’s well-being several times during the course of the day. Every phone call might be the school nurse calling with the news you have been dreading.

Even happy problems can distract you from work. Wedding plans, baby showers, golf tournaments, anniversaries, upcoming vacations and just about anything you can think of can suddenly take center court in your mind, even as you try to will the thoughts away. Yes, we take our “problems” to work with us, even in small ways.

By the same token, what happens on the job has a bearing on the way we treat our family when we get home. If you get a raise, there will be a celebration of sorts when you arrive home with the good news. If your superior reprimands you for delivering a less-than-satisfactory job, gloom and doom are likely to be the dominant mood you’ll import into your living room that evening.

In short, a synergism exists between your personal, family and business lives, and what you do in one affects the other two. That’s the reason values are so important. The qualities that will make you successful in one area influence your success in the other areas.

The basic point is that you’ve got to be before you can do, and do before you can have. You’ve got to be the right kind of person and do the right thing — which reflect these important values — in order to have balanced success in all areas of life.

13 Ways to Foster Positive Values in the Home

The following is a check-list of sorts to help you determine whether you’re doing all you can to keep your “family values” strong:

    1. Model the traits of good character in the home.
    2. Show respect for your spouse, your children, and other family members.
    3. Model and teach your children good manners.
    4. Have family meals together without television or other technology as often as possible.
    5. Plan as many family activities as possible.
    6. Plan family service projects or civic activities.
    7. Read to your children and keep good literature in the home.
    8. Capitalize on the “teachable moments.”
    9. Assign home responsibilities (chores) to all family members.
    10. Set clear expectations for your children and hold them accountable for their actions.
    11. Learn to say no and mean it.
    12. Refuse to cover for your children or make excuses for their inappropriate behavior.
    13. Know what television shows, videos, and movies your children are watching

Remember, the best way to raise positive children in a negative world is to have positive parents who love them unconditionally and serve as excellent role models.

What are some tips and strategies that you use to be sure your children are learning and practicing the values that are important to your family?  Share your ideas below! 

 

 

2018-09-13T23:43:35+00:00

4 Comments

  1. Lydia October 14, 2017 at 7:46 pm - Reply

    Great post! We love your ministry!
    Wanted to share my latest post on keeping your family clothed in a naked culture.
    http://www.livinginnobility.com/parenting-tips

  2. collins October 14, 2017 at 10:54 pm - Reply

    Your write up or lecture is really going to help and Zo sincerely appreciate it.
    You really need to expanciaye th
    more on item number 2 that has to do with respect to all members of the family. Its white understood with spouse but then how with children without compromising it with indiscipline?

  3. wade October 15, 2017 at 1:17 pm - Reply

    Thank you, we are grandparents we sent this to our children as we are also learning to give our grandchildren all the love encouragement and best we can improve their love for God

  4. Maria Rodrigues October 24, 2017 at 6:49 am - Reply

    Your comments and suggestions are very good but I think the key to a real revolution in behabior is with social media. If more and more respect, morality, honesty and healthy behavior is promoted especially through facebook but in an attractive manner, songs, video games, role plays and such things, I have no doubt that children and young people would definitely love to imitate such rewarding actions. Let’s work for a beautiful better world full of love, charity and joy..

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