by Bobbi Booker
For New Pittsburgh Courier
(NNPA)—Russell Simmons, a founding CEO of Def Jam Recordings, is known as the “Godfather of Hip-Hop.” While his achievements as a groundbreaking entrepreneur, an activist, and a philanthropist have earned him worldwide acclaim, Simmons now challenges readers to move past their preconceived notions of success in his new book “Super Rich: A Guide to Having it All.”
In this follow up to his New York Times bestseller, “DoYou!,” the author teams with Chris Morrow and shares more insights on how to achieve worldly success while moving toward the ultimate goal of spiritual enlightenment.
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According to Simmons’s definition, being “rich” has much more to do with how you live than what you have. He wisely realized early in life that following certain principles can lead to spiritual and monetary fulfillment.
“Initially I was going to call the book ‘Rich Inside and Out,’” explained Simmons. “Then one day I was describing the book to my ex-wife Kimora Lee and she said, ‘Oh, so you’re trying to show people how to be super rich!’ And, when she said that, it really rang a bell. Because what this book is promoting is finding a way get past the accepted definition of “rich,” which is money and material toys, and accepting that true happiness and success comes from living in a state of consciousness where you’re connected to the spiritual richness inside of you. When you’re able to sustain that connection, that’s when you’re Super Rich.’”
Simmons takes readers on a spiritual journey and provides them with the tools and ideas needed to attain absolute greatness and prosperity. It’s not simply a “this is how you make money” guide, though it does include the success stories of Simmons and his “super rich” friends including Sean “Puffy” Combs, 50 Cent, Deepak Chopra, and Microsoft founder Paul Allen.
“Super Rich is different in that it doesn’t try to segregate the concepts of spiritual and worldly success,” said Simmons. “There are some self help books that adopt a very Machiavellian approach where God is never mentioned, while there are other books that are so focused on the spiritual that they are practically blind to people’s worldly needs. But my approach has always been to have one foot planted very firmly in God, and the other foot planted firmly in the world. I think this book reflects that sense of duality. I want people to see that far from being separate, there is a direct connection from getting rich in your heart and getting rich in the world.”
Simmons knows success inside and out. He has brought hip-hop to every facet of business and media, not only as cofounder of Def Jam Records, but also through his involvement with the clothing lines Phat Farm, Baby Phat, Run Athletics, and Argyleculte; MTV’s Run’s House, HBO’s Def Comedy Jam, and Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry Jam on Broadway; the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network promoting empowerment in young people and numerous other ventures in the financial services industry, mobile communications and philanthropy.
Yet, the ever busy businessman employs a daily schedule of silence and simplicity through meditation and yoga. According to Simmons, once you tap into that consciousness and harness all its power, then you’re going to have access to your higher self.
When asked what he hopes readers will gain from his lessons, Simmons shared: “To wake up from seeing the world through cloudy lenses and be conscious of their higher selves. To embrace their spiritual evolution. To feel comfortable making the compassionate choice in all situations. If people can be even just one degree more compassionate and conscious after reading this book, then I would consider it to be a great success.”
(Contact Tribune Staff Writer Bobbi Booker at 215-893-5749 or bbooker@phillytrib.com.)
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