Writers, you must be wondering: “What can we possibly learn from a hip-hop celebrity?” The answer may surprise you. Russell Simmons is a successful business magnate, and has a host of successful brands and lines to his credit. Here are a few things that helped Russell succeed in life, which may be of great help and inspiration to writers around the world:
Sometimes you have to start alone:
One thing that any successful person will tell you is, never be afraid to start alone, because you may have to do it at some point or the other in your life if you want to make it big. According to Russell, “In many instances, I built companies where I was the only one who believed in it.” Do not be surprised to see other people join in once your dream starts becoming a reality, though. Adds Russell, “Someone else would come along and because they see it start to happen, and they would help me build my company.” Do not give up on your dreams just because nobody is there with you to help you. Work selflessly and tirelessly towards achieving it, and you will see the results sooner rather than later.
Be generous:
“Giving can be the quickest and most honest way to attract the world’s attention. You give until they can’t live without it” says Russell. Do not wait for people to ask you to write for them, give them your writings anyway. It is the best way to get the buzz going. Get them interested in your writing. Make them come back for more. That’s how careers are built. Share what you know and what you love. Don’t keep important lessons to yourself. This way, people will appreciate you more, and this will in turn, help you to succeed in making friends, and also building a faithful audience.
Be around smart people:
Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, this will bring out the best in you. Pick people who are interested in what you’re interested in. Challenge yourself by having healthy debates and conversations about the various things you have views about. Discuss your writing with them, and take feedback. This will make you wiser, and this will help you have a clearer vision of your work. According to Russell, such people help him execute the vision he has. Having people who just want to please you, will only make you vainer and make you lose focus.
Believe in yourself:
It might be one of the oldest sayings in the book, but it still holds true. Do not under-estimate yourself, and never let criticism pull you down. Russell says, “You can be anything you want to be, and you can start today, instead of waiting for some opportunity.” Never think less of yourself and wait for an opportunity to present itself, because you are more than capable of creating opportunities for yourself. Go out there, create those opportunities, and seize the moment. And remember, your journey as a writer will no doubt have its up and downs. However, believing in yourself and your writing will help you to overcome any challenges you face.
Image credit: Coco Curranski on flickr and reproduced under Creative Commons 2.0[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Pranay.jpg[/author_image][author_info]Pranay Kanagat is a freelance writer who has a love for writing on various subjects. In particular, he enjoys creative writing. He is also studying for an Engineering degree.[/author_info] [/author]