America's expert on leadership helps readers change their attitudes and beliefs about failure so they can make positive changes in their lives and achieve their full potential. Preface: Becoming a REAL Success ix 1. What's the Main Difference Between People Who Achieve and People Who Are Average? 1 Mary Kay Ash put her life savings on the line to start her business; then tragedy threatened to overcome her. Instead, she overcame it and built a world-class business in the process. The secret? She possessed the one quality that separates achievers from average people. Redefining Failure and Success 2. Get a New Definition of Failure and Success 11 What is failure? Truett Cathy knew from experience what it was and wasn't. That's why the little restaurant he founded south of Atlanta, Georgia, has grown into a billion-dollar enterprise. 3. If You've Failed, Are You a Failure? 23 Achievers possess seven qualities that keep them from becoming failures. Erma Bombeck and Daniel Ruettiger possessed them. Do you? 4. You're Too Old to Cry, but It Hurts Too Much to Laugh 35 The Wright Brothers should not have been the first to achieve flight in an airplane. But the man destined to do it gave up before he achieved his dream. What created the difference between them? 5. Find the Exit Off the Failure Freeway 47 What's worse than being stuck in rush-hour traffic? Being stuck on the failure freeway. If you want to succeed, you can't be like Rosie Ruiz. You must learn to find the exit. Do You Mind Changing Your Mind? 6. No Matter What Happens to You, Failure Is an Inside Job 61 Floodwaters engulfed his store, causing $1 million worth of damage. Most people would have given up, but not Greg Horn. Find out why. 7. Is the Past Holding Your Life Hostage? 73 What would you do if someone built a public monument to your past failure? Arnold Palmer had that happen to him when he was at the top of his game. See how he handled it. 8. Who Is This Person Making These Mistakes? 87 For thirty-five years, the greatest obstacle to John James Audubon's success was John James Audubon. But when he changed himself; his whole world changed with him. 9. Get Over Yourself-Everyone Else Has 99 What did a top psychiatrist suggest for preventing a nervous breakdown? It's the same thing screenwriter Patrick Sheane Duncan brought to life when he wrote Mr. Holland's Opus. Embracing Failure As a Friend 10. Grasp the Positive Benefits of Negative Experiences 113 Did you know that you can turn adversity into advantage? That's what an obscure boy did, and in the process he became second in command of the most powerful nation on earth. 11. Take a Risk There's No Other Way to Fail Forward 123 Most people judge whether to take a risk based on their fear or the probability of their success. But not Millie. She approached it the right way. Learn her secret of approaching risk. 12. Make Failure Your Best Friend 137 Why in the world would Beck Weathers call positive an event that cost him his nose, one arm, and the fingers on his remaining hand? Because he understood how to make failure his best friend. Increasing Your Odds for Success 13. Avoid the Top Ten Reasons People Fail 153 Where do you start when it comes to increasing your odds for success? With yourself of course. That's what Dan Reiland did and it changed his life. 14. The Little Difference Between Failure and Success Makes a Big Difference 167 He's a household name. You've seen his picture on television. You probably thought he was an actor, but he wasn't. You know him because he embodied the little difference between failure and success. 15. It's What You Do After You Get Back Up That Counts 179 People say that Lee Kuan Yew's name should be up there with that of Churchill, Roosevelt, or Reagan. What has he done to deserve such praise? He helped an entire country fail forward! Learn how he did it. 16. Now You're Ready to Fail Forward 191 When he read his own story in print, Dave Anderson said it was a wonder he never gave up. He's an ordinary guy who is a millionaire today because he knows how to fail forward. Here are his story and the steps you need to fail forward and be successful. Notes 205 About the Author 209