Author Jack Canfield knows a thing or two about success. As the co-creator of the wildly popular "Chicken Soup for the Soul" series, the 71-year-old helped grow the inspirational anthology genre into a billion-dollar market. Though he and his business partner sold the company in 2008, Canfield continues to write and inspire others to live their highest vision -- and in doing so, he exposes some big myths and demystifies the so-called "secrets" of success.
As Canfield tells Oprah during a conversation on "SuperSoul Sunday," he's spent four decades studying this multifaceted topic. What motivates successful people? What inspires them? What do they do differently than everyone else? At the core, Canfield has learned that achieving true success begins with understanding its definition -- something that even he hadn't realized earlier in his career.
"My definition of success used to be: being able to create whatever result you wanted," Canfield says. "Now, it's: fulfilling your soul's purpose."
It may sound like more of a spiritual than a practical definition, but Canfield says it's especially important to keep in mind for success-driven individuals climbing the corporate ladder.
"I love the quote that says you don't want to get to the top of the ladder and find out it was leaning against the wrong wall," Canfield says. "A lot of people spend their whole life climbing that ladder... They have the money, the fame, the fortune, the power, the influence. And they're not happy, because they climbed the wrong ladder. They were pursuing the wrong goals."
A big sign that your "ladder" is against the right wall and that you're on path to true success, Canfield continues, comes down to whether your feel joy as you're making the climb.
"I believe that joy is your internal guidance system," Canfield says.
"SuperSoul Sunday airs Sundays at 11 a.m. ET on OWN.
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