A reputation once broken may possibly be repaired, but the world will always keep an eye on the spot where the crack was. Anonymous Dr. Charles Allen mailed the following letter in a fund-raising effort under the pretense that somebody else had mailed it to him:

"In reply to your request to send a check, I wish to inform you that the present condition of my bank account makes it almost impossible. My shattered financial condition is due to federal laws, state laws, county laws, corporation laws, in-laws and outlaws. Through these taxes I'm compelled to pay a business tax, amusement tax, head tax, school tax, gas tax, light tax, water tax, sales tax and even my brains are taxed. I'm required to get a business license, dog license and marriage license while contributing to every organization or society which the genius of man is capable of bringing to light: comic relief, unemployment relief, every hospital and charitable institution in the city including the Red Cross, the Black Cross, the Purple Cross and the double-cross. For my own safety I'm required to carry life insurance, property insurance, liability insurance, burglary insurance, accident insurance, business insurance, earthquake insurance, tornado insurance, unemployment insurance and fire insurance. I'm inspected, expected, disrespected, rejected, dejected, examined, re-examined, informed, reformed, summoned, fined, commended, compelled until I provide an exhaustible supply of money for every known deed, desire and hope of the human race. And if I refuse to donate something or other I'm boycotted, talked about, lied about, held up, held down, robbed until I am ruined. I can tell you honestly that until the unexpected happened I could not enclose this check. The wolf that comes to so many doors nowadays fortunately came to ours and just had pups in the kitchen. I've sold them and here's the money."

Not so incidentally, this approach was enormously successful. I believe it's absolutely true that all of us need to "lighten up" a bit and have some fun. Lighten up and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Zig Ziglar is known as America’s Motivator. He authored 36 books and produced numerous life-changing programs . He will be remembered as a man who lived out his faith daily.