Failure is an event, not a person is a powerful mindset shift. It separates your identity from your outcomes, freeing you to take risks and learn from what doesn’t work. That second part, “Yesterday ended last night,” is the crucial action step that makes it all work.
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Meaning
It’s a two-part formula for resilience. First, you stop identifying *as* a failure. Second, you let go of the past so you can start fresh today.
Explanation
Let me break down why this has been such a game-changer in my own work. The first half, “Failure is an event, not a person,” is about detaching your self-worth from your results. You are not your failed product launch. You are not your rejected proposal. Those are things that happened, not who you are. This is huge. It stops the shame spiral before it even starts.
And then Ziglar hits you with the one-two punch: “Yesterday ended last night.” This is the practical application. It’s the ultimate permission slip to hit the reset button. That big mistake you made? The deal you lost? It’s gone. It’s in the past. Today is a new, blank slate, and you get to decide what you write on it. It forces you out of reflection and into action.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (3670) |
| Category | Life (320) |
| Topics | failure (52), forgiveness (25), resilience (106) |
| Literary Style | aphoristic (181), poetic (635) |
| Emotion / Mood | hopeful (357), reassuring (55) |
| Overall Quote Score | 87 (185) |
Origin & Factcheck
This is pure Zig Ziglar. It comes straight from his classic 1975 book, See You at the Top, which was a massive bestseller in the United States. You’ll sometimes see similar sentiments floating around, but this specific, powerful phrasing is his. No false attributions here.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Zig Ziglar (36) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | See You at the Top (29) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Modern (529) |
| Original Language | English (3670) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Zig Ziglar inspired generations with his upbeat, practical lessons on sales and success. He started in door-to-door cookware sales, rose to corporate leadership, and then founded Ziglar, Inc. to train leaders worldwide. His books—like See You at the Top and Secrets of Closing the Sale—blend ethics, optimism, and actionable steps. He spoke to millions across the globe and built a lasting legacy in personal development and professional selling. If you’re exploring his writings, check the
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Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | Failure is an event, not a person. Yesterday ended last night |
| Book Details | Publication Year/Date: 1975; ISBN/Unique Identifier: 978-0-88207-957-2; Last edition: Revised & Updated, Pelican Publishing 2010; Number of pages: 416 |
| Where is it? | Chapter 4: Building a Healthy Self-Image, Approximate page 150 from 2010 edition |