Rev Run - Words of Wisdom: Daily Affirmations of Faith from Runs House to Yours

For my wife, Justine,
and my five wonderful children,
Vanessa, Angela, JoJo, Diggy, and Russie

Reverend Ike, Mike Murdoch,
Bishop Bernard Jordan, the King James Bible,
John Cooks The Book of Positive Quotations

While I grew up, I was Pentecostal. I am now a member of a church called Zoe Ministries. I attend services frequently, and have been doing so for many years. I became so devoted to the church that I studied and successfully became an ordained minister. The founder and head of the church, Bishop Jordan, inspires the members of the congregation and helps guide them through their daily routines. For example, he once told the congregation, If you take shortcuts, you get cut short. Simple, but that got me thinking about the direction I was headed in my life. His words inspired me to do things that I thought were beyond my capabilities. I went through a dramatic weight loss, started exercising daily, and founded a sneaker company called Run Athletics. I was feeling so good about myself that I even went back into the recording studio to lay down new tracks. For my personal edification, I began scribbling down my own words of inspiration, often referring to and reflecting on books I was reading. Some of those sources were the writings of John C. Maxwell, Deepak Chopra, and, of course, Bishop Jordan. I also referred to some of the worlds greatest thinkers and philosophers, such as Sophocles and Aristotle. But my main inspiration came from deep inside of me and the words and teachings of Jesus. I began to sit with the bishop, whom I looked to as my mentor, seeking advice and sharing my words and reflections with him. He told me that my words were becoming so inspirational that I should start reaching out and sharing them with others.

The first place I went with my daily Words of Wisdom was the radio station Hot 97 in New York City. Every morning, Ed Lover and Dr. Dre would record me reciting my daily words and then they would put it on the air. It instantly became a regular and popular segment of the highly rated morning radio show.

Then I discovered the two-way pager. It immediately became my tool of preference for delivering my Words of Wisdom. I began by sending them out, every morning, to my closest friends, family, and others in the entertainment industry who happened to be on my e-mail list. This list included, among others, my brother Russell Simmons; P. Diddy; Gayle King, editor at large for O magazine; and Kid Rock. By word of mouth, my list of recipients grew. It expanded to business leaders, sports figures, and entrepreneurs. There were politicians on Capitol Hill who would sit with their morning newspaper and a cup of coffee waiting for their morning e-mail. Soon recipients began to forward my daily words to their friends. One particular person was sending them out to more than four hundred of his clients and closest friends. The feedback I was receiving was beyond my wildest dreams. One Hollywood movie director on my list told me that he wouldnt shoot a single scene until he consulted my daily words.

In 2005, three events dramatically changed my life. My brother Russell formed RSMG, Russell Simmons Music Group, and released my first solo album, Distortion. I was touring various radio stations across the country, giving interviews and promoting the album with my manager. Listeners called in to talk to me about my career and ask me questions about my new album. Some of them asked me about my daily words and how they could get them. I was amazed that awareness of my daily words was so widespread. As I toured, new DJs and program directors asked to receive my words of wisdom. Instead of just one radio segment in New York City playing them, radio personalities from Maine to California would read them, live on the air, every morning.

As if that werent enough, MTV gave my family our own weekly television show. I would shoot all day, and go to sleep at night, only to wake up to the same routine. My life was on a difficult and demanding schedule. But there was one thing I refused to change. I would still wake up every morning and send out my daily words. The only difference was that the world was witnessing me doing so. They were more surprised to see where I was doing it. I was being filmed every morning sending out my daily words, using my new Blackberry, from my bathtub. It was unanimously decided that the bathtub scene would become the signature piece of the show, closing out every episode. My life continued to change, my family continued to challenge and engage me, but the words of wisdom always maintained their importance.

It seemed that everyone was aware of my daily words and wanted to receive them. Coincidentally, thats when I was approached to write a book. So here it is, a book containing many of my Words of Wisdom, or WoWs as they are referred to now, for you to read, learn from, meditate on, and get inspired by.

Y ou must learn how to give before you can receive. Just as in nature, when earth gives forth its bounty, it gives seeds for the next season. We must learn to plant seeds for our harvest of health, happiness, love, success, and prosperity.

Y our subconscious mind accepts whatever ideas you feed it and those ideas turn into experiences. Feed your mind the right ideas and your mind will lead you to the ways and means of manifesting those good ideas in your life.

Y ou will get where you are going a lot faster if you look like youre already there. So dress and think as if you are the right person for the job. Your positive self-belief will give others a positive impression.

G et excited about the fact that God is in you. There are no poor people, only people who are not aware of the riches of having God within. GO WITHIN OR DO WITHOUT!

L ife is all about love and your relationships. I have never heard a dying person say, Bring me my awards, my medals, or my diploma. When life is ending, what we want around us are the people we love. The greatest gift you can give someone is your time.

W henever I feel like I am lacking something, the first thing I do is to give. If you need love, give love. If you need a hug, hug someone. If you need friends, be friendly. If you need money, give some service. The law of giving and receiving is well and alive.

W hen you are disappointed, frustrated, or full of sorrow, make a plan to work at something and begin the work immediately. The action of the work will help you to refocus and to regain your positive attitude.

W hat do you do when you feel like nothing is going your way? What do you do when you feel empty inside and there is no hope? What do you do when you pray and your prayers arent answered? Songwriter Bebe Winans wrote, After youve done all you can, YOU JUST STAND. Psalms 46:10 says, Be still, and know that I am God.

G iving is good. Sharing is good. My aim in life is to give away 99 percent and live off 1 percent. I believe if I keep giving abundantly, I will reap enough to reach that aim. Life is all about service.

W hen youre frustrated with results, never focus on the problem. Always focus on the solution. When you focus on the problem, it gets bigger. Heres one of my mottos: DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST.

W e all want new and better experiences in our lives. Heres the trick: If you want new things, you have to think new thoughts. If you want a different result, you must begin to think differently. Its not so much what you do as it is what you think. Better thinking = Better doing = Better life!