Excerpt from: Do You! 12 Laws To Access The Power In You To Achieve Happiness And Success
Specifically,
there are two kinds of empowerment I try to promote. The first is
personal empowerment, in which individuals who have been so worn down
by the struggle that they begin to doubt themselves find the courage to
wipe off their lenses and see that they can control their own
destinies. The second is community empowerment, in which communities
that have been locked out lift themselves collectively out of the
struggle and assert their aspirations. I know those might seem like
lofty goals, but I believe they can be achieved once we all have an
appreciation of our physical, mental, political, and financial worth.
(p. 267)
Just like practicing good Karma, or Giving for a
Living, empowering others will have a positive impact on your spiritual
well-being and on your worldly success. (p. 268)
If you can wake
up every day and approach your work with a smile and a breath, I really
believe you can lead a healthier life. When you know your mind can take
whatever the world throws at it, you’ll be much happier. I know my life
is much healthier, both physically and spiritually, now that I’ve
embraced the Asana practice. (p. 272)
We’ve already
established that the hip-hop nation moves as an army, an army that
determines what’s hot in this country. That’s a tremendous amount of
power to wield. Which is why I want to encourage our army not only to
flex our muscle in the artistic and commercial worlds, but in the
political and social process as well. Those are the spaces where we can
do the most good work with our power. Not only for ourselves, but for the entire country and ultimately the entire world. (p. 274)
-Russell Simmons
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