Sunday, March 16, 2014

Russell Simmons Meditates - And He Wants You To, As Well

"Money doesn't make you happy … but happy makes you money."

That bit of insight - which seems to be a bizarre merging of the Buddha & Donald Trump or the Dali Lama & Marc Cuban - is the wisdom of one of the original moguls behind the rise of hip-hop music and culture. Russell Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam Records and Phat Farm fashion line, is apparently quite the sage of the contemplative life.  Nicknamed "Rush,"or now Uncle Rush, Simmons concedes that at one time he was driven to succeed quickly and always be working.

However, somewhere along his journey to being one of the wealthiest and most successful African-American men in history, Russell Simmons discovered the value and benefit of being still. This epiphany has clearly brought him clarity and, perhaps, even more success. It certainly impacts his ability to enjoy and even perpetuate his success.



And Simmons concluded long ago, as all the great teachers do, that sharing the joy and sharing the wisdom is one of the primary benefits. Thus, he began to offer such wisdom through books such as Success Through Stillness: Meditation Made Simple. It contains the message that he believes so many of us need and could benefit from. "Everyone could benefit from stillness." Despite a driven life, Simmons learned that "the only true creativity came in moments in stillness.  Thoughtful conscious actions are what make you good … the fact is we need to be awake."

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