Acclaimed musical director of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Questlove, shared his secrets to success with graduates from Loyola Marymount University’s Class of 2025 on Saturday at the Westchester campus.
Academy and GRAMMY award winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson shared with graduates four things that helped him remain grounded through his life’s challenges: “Wake with gratitude. Breathe through fear. Move what is frozen. Speak kindness to yourself.”
Regarding gratitude, he said: “Without gratitude, we become entitled … but gratitude is what keeps you human, reminding us that even with our hustle and willpower, something bigger is at work.”
Breathing through fear helps one’s lungs “distinguish between a panic attack and a standing ovation, so only your breath decides which story you’re living,” Thompson said.
He also shared the power of self-affirmation, saying, “Transformation begins with how you talk to yourself, by flipping that question ‘Am I good enough?’ into ‘I am good enough,’” Thompson explained.
Thompson has won six GRAMMY awards and an Academy Award and his group “The Roots” is the house band for “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”
This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.
Source: NBC Los Angeles