I thoroughly enjoyed this book - especially since I found it on sale!
Personally, I have always liked Russell Simmons and enjoy watching his HBO's Def Comedy Jam to include Def Poetry Jam. I like him because he is a "behind the scenes" kind of guy and seems to be quiet and reserved, but no doubt he is a "shaker and mover" and is not afraid to take ACTION on the things he believes in. While I may not totally agree with his political or spiritual viewpoints, I do have nothing but respect for this man especially after reading his book. Nevertheless, "Do You" in my opinion is a wonderfully written book with many inspirational lessons that anyone (regardless of your viewpoints-Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhism, atheist, conservative, liberal, etc.) can learn from and better themselves. He illustrates these lessons throughout the book as the 12 laws to access the power in you to achieve.
The following are the 12 Laws to achieve success according to Mr. Simmons:
(1) See Your Vision and Stick With It
(2) Always Do You
(3) Get Your Mind Right
(4) Stop Frontin' and Start Today
(5) Never Less Than Your Best
(6) Surround Yourself With The Right People
(7) There Are No Failures, Only Quitters
(8) Science of Success: Plant the Good Seeds
(9) You Can Never Get Before You Give
(10) Successful People Stay Open to Chang
(11) Be Powerful, Be Heard
(12) Spit Truth to Power
I particularly liked one of his viewpoints that I marked in the book for further review. The section discusses staying focused on the process and Mr. Simmons states, and I quote:
"The key is taking that focus and applying it to the process of working hard, instead of the result of that hard work. 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. Instead of staring at the prize, stare at the process. If you wake up thinking about what you're going to get, instead of what you're going to do, it will destroy your inspiration. Don't think that there's going to be gold at the end of the road. Instead, value the process and you'll see that the road has been paved with gold all along."
I know some could pick this quote apart (without reading the book) and come up with a 100 different arguments against this viewpoint, but it is one that I found interesting and it gave me a different way to look at processes. This I believe is a good thing! In fact, I feel this was a very powerful point of view because so many times we fail to appreciate what's right in front of us!
In comparison to other inspirational authors like Napoleon Hill, Earl Nightingale, Dale Carnegie, Dr. Stephen Covey etc. You will find the laws Mr. Simmons discusses throughout the book are congruent with many of the classical and modern day inspirational writers. He just expresses them in different ways, which I believe modernizes their underlying principles especially for the hip-hop culture. The book has a forward written by Donald Trump who endorses the book and whether you agree or disagree with Mr. Simmons (politically or spiritually) there are many inspirational lessons that can be learned from reading his book. Even a "middleclass conservative Christian white guy" in his mid-forties can learn from his wisdom. It is my aspiration to one day meet Mr. Simmons and if we do nothing more than enjoy a bit of "silence" together, then it would be worth the trip!
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Overview
Powerful and inspired, DO YOU! is a rare blend of business acumen, fierce spiritual faith and priceless advice.Since rising out of the New York City streets over 25 years ago, Russell Simmons has helped create such ground breaking ventures as Def Jam Records, Phat Farm and Def Comedy Jam, in the process becoming known the world over as "The CEO of Hip Hop." Russell might have helped introduce hip-hop to the world, but he credits his success to his belief in a strong set of principles-or laws--which he shares for the first time in this book. In 12 straight forward steps, Russell reveals a path towards success that can be followed not only by those looking to duplicate his professional ...