Success through Stillness (BOOK REVIEW)
Success through Stillness: Meditation Made Simple
by Russell Simmons
Gotham
Books
Hardcover, $20.00
220 pages
ISBN: 978-1-592-40865-8
Book
Review by Kam Williams
“Why
should you meditate? The answer is simple: to be happy. Which is the only
reason you’re here. That might sound like a very simple take on the meaning of
life, but I believe it with every fiber in my body. Yes, I’m certain that if we
strip away our egos, desires, fears, and insecurities, all that would be left
is happiness…
I’m
here to tell you that meditation can take you there… The path that I will lay
out in this book represents the simplest route between your current state and
that happiness… This is a simple and straightforward guide on how to use the
tool of meditation to get the most out of your life.”
--
Excerpted from Chapter One (pages 3-4)
Russell
Simmons is best known as the flamboyant playboy who co-founded Def Jam Records
back in the Eighties. But the matured hip-hop mogul would like you to know that
his satisfaction in life now comes less through the sort of shallow materialistic
trappings celebrated in the average rap music video than through the peace of
mind, body and spirit offered by the relatively-modest practice of meditation.
As he puts
it, “I had to do a lot of damage before I finally accepted that I liked
early-morning meditation better than late-night drinking.” And all it takes him
is 20 minutes twice a day to find that state of bliss.
The good
news is that you can achieve it, too, provided you’re willing to carve out a
little quiet space from your hectic schedule to sit in a chair with your eyes
closed. Yes, it’s as simple as
that, according to Rush, although getting novices to try meditation isn’t as easy
as one might think.
Apparently,
people allow lame excuses such as “I don’t have the time,” “I don’t have a
place,” “It’s against my religion,” and “I’m not good at it” to prevent them from
even getting started. For that reason, he’s written Success through Stillness,
a how-to primer designed to make that initiation process painless.
Surprisingly,
the author actually devotes more ink to advice about eliminating those negative
thoughts than to instruction about the art of meditation. He also talks about
its tangible benefits, which include improving your health, your eating habits,
your ability to focus, even your career. Perhaps more important are the
metaphysical improvements that accompany that new “sense of peace, compassion,
and balance.”
Rush
frequently refers to the ringing endorsements of meditation offered by icons
ranging from Oprah to Ellen to Seinfeld to Paul McCartney to Phil Jackson. Consider
this quote from Forest Whitaker: “I went through two schools of acting, but I
learned more about acting from meditating and my martial arts teacher.” ‘nuff
said.
A sacred cookbook
for cultivating a satisfying, stress-free life.
To order a copy of Success through Stillness, visit:
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