The Winner's Circle by Denis Waitley

It is so important to be living in prime time, rather than watching TV in prime time. On your way to success make certain you grow friendships, not just bank and mutual fund accounts. Life is a collection of memories, not of material things. The Egyptian pharaohs were buried with all their treasures, and were mummified in hopes that they could enjoy their bounty in the next life. But we are only caretakers of possessions. There is a big difference between standard of living and quality of life. Standard of living is based on income earned. Quality of life is the enjoyment of the millions of minutes in between accomplishments.

Having money is only one aspect of wealth. To the sick person, wealth is health. To the lonely person, wealth is someone to talk to and share with. To the estranged person, wealth is

Studies have proven that attitude is one of the traits that separate average salespeople from their highly-successful colleagues. I have to believe that it’s true in life in general, not just sales. Think about the happiest, most successful people you know. How do you usually find them? Are they depressed, negative or even apathetic? I doubt it. They’re probably upbeat, smiling and positive about life.

One way to improve yourself is to learn from someone who already is living an extraordinary life. Here, one of the nation's greatest leaders, Colin Powell, offers his insights into how to lead an exemplary life:

Inspire others. "I do try to inspire," and inspiring goes beyond motivating. People must feel that their efforts matter.

Don't be afraid. "We all make mistakes. What you do with a failure is study it and see what you did wrong,

1. In creative endeavors, find a partner who brings out your best. The star of Crimson Tide, Man on Fire and Unstoppable cultivated a decades-long relationship with the late director Tony Scott, who Washington describes as “a genuine friend.” He told the press after Scott’s untimely death in August 2012, “Tony Scott had a tremendous passion for life and for the art of filmmaking

To conquer your fear of rejection, you need to handle the word “no” in a constructive way. When people turn you down after a presentation, you have to interpret the “no” as “no this is not right for me now.” We also can interpret “no” as meaning, “I need to know more about this opportunity or the products before I can say yes.”

I look at the service I offer to others as a gift that almost everyone desires. It’s like a nutritious dessert. What if waiters or waitresses in a restaurant said to customers at their tables: “Would you like our special strawberry parfait for dessert? It’s the best in the world!” And they were told “no” by their patrons, three out of five times.

Would they go to their manager, throw up their hands and quit, lamenting, “They don’t like me or my strawberry parfait”? Of course they wouldn’t. They’d go on about their business,