RUSSELL SIMMONS SAY'S MONEY DOESN'T MAKE HIM RICH!

Russell Simmons is a busy man. The hip-hop pioneer heads Rush Communications, stars in a reality television show, designs clothes and serves as a UN ­goodwill ambassador. How does he do it?

The 53-year-old co-founder of Def Jam Records, who grew up in Hollis, Queens, and briefly attended City College, credits his success to the yogic sciences.

"I meditate and practice yoga," Simmons says. "You party every night until one morning you realize that you don't like the headache. Then you become the meditator in the morning instead of the drunk at night."

In his latest book, "Super Rich: A Guide to Having It All" (Gotham Books, $22.50, out Tuesday), Simmons provides readers with the tools to achieve not only success but an enlightened state of mind.

In the title of your book "Super Rich," are you referring to monetary success?

Rich is a state of needing nothing. The more seconds you spend in this enlightened spirit, the better off you are. You are only here on this earth for a few minutes, so the more seconds you spend free from neediness the more your consciousness focuses on giving, which is really important because the good giver becomes a great getter. When you wake up in the morning and you decide what you are going to give you are in a much better position than if you wake up and decide what you are going to get.

But will this enlightened state of mind help New Yorkers professionally?

Of course. People who have success are very focused and engaged in their process. They are not doing it for the money. No one does a good job in the moment while focusing on the results. You have lots of control over your effort but not control over your results. So those people who are really engaged in their work make it their prayer. It is ­really an important idea that work is your inspiration and you are not just ­doing it for the money.

So who is this book intended for?

This book is for those who say they "can't do it." I was on the beach in Miami the other day and a black kid working at the Soho Beach House said, "What do you want Mr. Simmons?" I jokingly told him I wanted a green juice with a little apple and some cilantro. He goes upstairs to figure it out. It wasn't on the menu but he knew they had a juicer. He came back downstairs a little bit later with the green juice. This book was not written for him. It was written for the kids who would not have come back with my green juice, the ones who would have said, "Can't do it."

When did your spiritual journey begin?

My spiritual journey began about 15 years ago. I went to yoga and there were so many hot girls there. I came out of class and I was all hoppy and high and thought, "Oh my God, if I keep doing this, I'm going to have these crazy ideas and lose all my money." I thought that the anxiety that kept me rethinking the obvious was what drove me, but the opposite was true. People said I had to keep my edge, but the real truth is that I had to let go of my edge, let go of my anxiety.

If there were one message to take away from this book what would it be?

The true self already knows it is a servant. Look inside for results and not out. Look inside for inspiration and not outside. Accept that happiness is up to you and every choice that you make has to come from inside you. You have to be comfortable with it. Don't let your teachers tell you what to do. Note for yourself. If you sit still, you — as one individual — have the power to change your world. Take stock in the self. Operate from abundance, the number of people's lives you inspire by being a good giver. Have faith that you can change. The whole book is about the journey inward. And when you get inside and you are connected, then all miracles are possible.



SOURCE