Russell Simmons
I produced Run DMC. I produced some early records, lots of records early on.
I think when you're very dedicated to something and you're engaged fully, you become a giver.
The book 'Do You!' is about your inner voice. And when you connect to that voice then you - then the freedom comes. And we're only here to be happy. So happy makes money. Money doesn't make happy.
I'm a creative guy. And I only do businesses as a result of like I've - I'm try to find what my gifts are and give them immediately. As soon as I get them and I understand, I give them back.
I'm born into the cycle of giving that we're all born into, and I recognize it. So just because something is a good business, I'm not a business guy. I'm a creative guy.
When I started the diamond business, no black person, period, was in it to do what we're trying to do to change the industry. So I like to do things that I see clearly that are in my, you know, scope. And then, I had to figure how I get talented or smart business people around me to execute. That's what I have to do.
My financial service business is the absolute best thing I have done to empower the poor. I run many charities and fight many political causes, but my financial service company is the greatest gift I've given.
I want to get involved in things that makes a difference in peoples lives and lifts them up. I don't want to be a part of anything that's not inspiring or helpful to the community that I'm serving.
I am very lucky that I have talented and creative people around me. Also, meditation has been a very big part of my freedom, because it allows me to watch all the things going on and allows me to focus.
In my experience, there's only one thing that will always steer you toward success: That's to have a vision and to stick with it... Once I have a vision for a new venture, I'm going to ride that vision until the wheels come off.Collection: Character
Whatever obstacles appear in your path, put your head down and get past them. Those obstacles aren't real. They're just God's way of testing you. He's asking you, 'Do you want to make it or not?'Collection: Encouraging
Don't ruin a good today by thinking of a bad yesterday, Let it go!Collection: Thinking
Reacting to the world with a smile instead of a curse, a wave instead of the middle finger, will actually help you live longer.Collection: Inspiration
When you give without reservation, you’ll become a magnet that pulls the world toward you.Collection: Giving
Decide that no matter what is happening around you, the sun will always be shining in your world.Collection: Shining
I know some people say "Keep your eyes on the prize," but I disagree. When your eyes are stuck on the prize, you're going to keep stumbling and crashing into things. If you really want to get ahead, you've got to keep your eyes focused on the path.Collection: Military
Embrace struggle... It is your greatest teacher.Collection: Inspirational
What holds most people back isn't the quality of their ideas, but their lack of faith in themselves.Collection: Inspirational
Needing nothing attracts everything.Collection: Inspirational
It's important to focus on what we do best and master one craft at a time.Collection: Inspiring
You cannot find it anywhere, because it is located inside you... happiness is your natural state.Collection: Inspirational
Whatever you chase will run away from you. So, stop chasing success and realize you already have it all.Collection: Running
When you do good by the world, the world will do good by youCollection: World
A person's strength is to know their weaknesses.Collection: Weakness
There are no failures, only quitters.Collection: Quitter
You have to be able to say what people are thinking but won't say. It's like Donald Trump.Collection: Thinking
As I get, I give. Giving as you get is critical. It has everything to do with being happy for yourself, and making others happy is the cause of making yourself happy, and it’s the cycle of giving and getting.Collection: Motivational
A clear and focused mind will last a lifetime. Getting your mind in shape is nothing less than the key to sustainable success in the world.Collection: Life
It's very simple: When you're working your hardest, the world opens up to you.Collection: Simple
If it feels like your life has become a nasty, brackish puddle of water, never forget that you do possess the power to transform it into a beautiful, rushing stream that will carry you to enlightenment.Collection: Beautiful
The pain that's created by avoiding hard work is actually much worse than any pain created from the actual work itself. Because if you don't begin to work on those ideas that God has blessed you with, they will become stagnant inside of you and eventually begin to eat away at you. You might seem OK on the outside, but inside you will be ill from not getting those ideas out of your heart and into the world. Stalling leads to sickness. But taking steps, even baby steps, always leads to success.Collection: Inspirational
No matter how rich you are, you cannot transport yourself to the future or the past.Collection: Past
[Performing artists] are making greater percentages. People are going to live events more and it's a big success story for everyone - except the music industry itself.Collection: Artist
I don't miss a day of yoga. I don't miss my meditation... They're way more important.Collection: Yoga
You need Black [people] sometimes to understand things about Black culture.Collection: People
Donald Trump's not politically correct. Although you are running for president, you should be politically correct. But there is also the expression of an artist.Collection: Running
A poet or a comedian can say what's on the mind of people. They should be funny. They should make you laugh. It may be so truthful that it hurts, but it makes you laugh.Collection: Hurt
I don't want to wait for Hollywood to decide that what I do is good.Collection: Waiting
Sitting in stillness has got to be the greatest asset I have in terms of attaining happiness.Collection: Sitting
I'm a full disclosure kind of person.Collection: Kind
I live in hip-hop. I don't find it to be offensive.Collection: Hip Hop
I'm lucky that I have a platform that I can answer my own questions.Collection: Lucky
86% of its audience was made up of people of color. That tells you that the full potential of many black stars won't be realized until their audiences are fully integrated.Collection: Stars
I kind of think that artists throughout history, poets throughout history have been criticized for sharing what's on people's minds and I don't think it's any different now.Collection: Artist
Suffering will always be there. You'll always have the poor. You have to own your own progress. It is true that because of the economy and the fear factor the president [Barack Obama] is able to execute a lot of promises that it would be difficult to deliver it not for the fear factor. It's funny. He's delivering on what he promised and we call it fear.Collection: Promise
I always say neediness is the cause of suffering. I'm not the only one who says it. It's something I adopted and I believe.Collection: Believe
Needing nothing really is the ultimate goal. And to have nothing to do with things.Collection: Goal
I'm still moving around.We're building a platform to put a song out every week for 52 weeks called ADD52.Collection: Song
Hollywood is full of very liberal people, but it still has an infrastructure that needs to be broken.Collection: People