Zig Ziglar Dies

Zig Ziglar, the motivational speaker who inspired millions of Americans and not only, has passed away. He was 86 years old and, according to reports, had been battling pneumonia at the time of his death.

Ziglar kicked off his impressive career at the not so tender age of 49. As the Los Angeles Times notes, the reason he turned to motivational speaking was because he was trying to find out what makes people “tick.”

“Zig Ziglar died Wednesday at age 86, a deep-throated motivational speaker whose clever way with words inspired millions to stop looking for shortcuts to success – and instead earn it the old-fashioned way by rolling up their sleeves and getting to work,” the publication says.

A personal assistant has confirmed news of Ziglar’s death to various media outlets, noting that he had been battling pneumonia.

His passing is being mourned on social media, with celebrities and other public figures who found comfort and inspiration in his words, doing their best to express their sorrow.

Corny as they may sound today, Ziglar’s words achieved their goal (that of getting people motivated) simply because they were not fancy at all, and because they clung to one’s memory long after they were heard, the aforementioned publication says.

“Failure is a detour, not a dead-end street” or “You don't have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great” are among Ziglar’s best known quotes.

“It was that same easy-to-remember, home-spun simplicity that caught on with people including rapper-actor L.L. Cool J and social media guru Jeff Bullas, and prompted many to tweet their sadness at Ziglar's death and pass along their favorite Ziglarisms,” the LA Times writes.

Ziglar is survived by his wife Jean, whom he always credited as his “muse,” the biggest source of inspiration in his life.