Month: March 2022

Katie Read, Einstein’s Dreams, Chasing Mavericks, Susannah Winters, and a Beninese Proverb

Katie Read, Einstein’s Dreams, Chasing Mavericks, Susannah Winters, and a Beninese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 27, 2022

Sunday Supplement #46 (March 27th, 2022)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Self-care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”

– Katie Read

Book of the Week:

Einstein’s Dreams – Alan Lightman

I picked up Einstein’s Dreams randomly in a used bookstore. I hadn’t heard of it before, and I noticed the novel popping out for me and decided to buy it.

Einstein’s Dreams contains the same magical flow that brought me to it. The book fictionalizes Albert Einstein while he works on his theory of relativity in 1905.

Each chapter describes a dream Einstein has about different worlds that have different experiences of times.

In one, time is like a flow of water that a cosmic disturbance can interrupt. Some people get caught by a ripple and are blown back to the past. They try not to disturb the timeline, knowing they do not belong and fearing their actions could change the future.

In another world, time flows more slowly the farther you are from the earth’s center. People flock to the mountains and other high areas.

Alan Lightman’s debut novel has been translated into over 30 languages and is an international bestseller. It is a wonderfully thought-provoking novel and worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Chasing Mavericks

Jay Moriarity was a famous young surfer who became famous after surfing up to sixty-foot waves at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay, California.

Chasing Mavericks is a biopic that focuses on Moriarity’s life growing up in Santa Cruz and his relationship with his mentor, surfing legend Frosty Hesson.

This film is one of my favorite go-to’s for a feel-good and motivational movie. The majority consensus around the film is that it portrays Moriarity’s life pretty accurately, making the story even more impressive for those who don’t know it.

Chasing Mavericks didn’t get nominated for any Oscars, but it is a pure-hearted simple film with a positive message and story.

When I watch it, I’m reminded to do what I love and to find a way to keep smiling and enjoy the life all around me.

Brainfood of the Week:

TEDx | Susannah Winters | Self Care: What It Really Is

In this TEDx video, Susannah Winters breaks down what self-care practices look like and how frequently promoted activities often leave you more depleted with less energy.

Winters raced Sprint Kayaks for the USA National Kayak Team for around ten years and competed at five World Championships.

After retiring from the sport, she worked for ten years managing a high-volume retail business in D.C. On top of this, she was starting a business with her husband and raising a two-year-old.

Winters burned out and quit her job. She then pursued her passion and began working as a childbirth educator and Doula.

A significant aspect of her new job was supporting pregnant women to be relaxed as possible in a stressful environment. Winters realized she needed to do that for herself and began to learn how.

The 10 billion dollar self-care industry often promotes self-care as a spa day, drinks, and Netflix binges.

So, what is self-care, and how do we practice it?

Winters explains how self-care is deliberately taking care of your well-being through restorative activities. She then goes on to describe three ways to practice self-care.

One is moments of stillness and silence. We are bombarded by noise outside and in (thoughts) throughout our days. Giving ourselves time to breathe and experience silence is crucial to restoring our energy levels.

The other two practices can be found by watching the 10-minute video above. Practicing our own self-care routine is probably the best thing we can do for ourselves, and I highly encourage you to take the time you deserve for yourself.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“You must attend to your business with the vendor in the market and not to the noise of the market.”

– Beninese Proverb

When I read this Beninese proverb, I can simplify the message to signify the importance of not getting distracted when accomplishing your goals.

However, business with the vendor can mean many different things. The exchange can be yourself and your dreams, the essential tasks in your day or life, or the need for self-care.

The vital thing that I take away from this proverb is not to allow the noise of others to prevent me from achieving my objectives.

The market’s noise doesn’t mean ignoring those closest to you but rather the babel that can happen when you put yourself out in the public eye.

I’m reminded of the importance of trusting yourself and listening to your heart rather than being swayed by the noise around you.

Listen to your heart, fill your cup, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Robert Anthony, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, The Banker, Brené Brown, and a Chinese Proverb

Robert Anthony, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck, The Banker, Brené Brown, and a Chinese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 20, 2022

Sunday Supplement #45 (March 20th, 2022)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.”

– Robert Anthony

Book of the Week:

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck – Mark Manson

You might have seen this book with the bright orange cover at Barnes and Noble. I walked by it, thinking the title was terrible, but it eventually was gifted to me, so I read it.

While there are some messages in the book that I don’t wholeheartedly agree with or think were presented in the best way, there is much wisdom in its pages.

There are many lessons in the book centered around finding the things you want to do, even with the challenges that come with them.

Manson calls out much coddling that happens in modern times and questions the readers on what they are willing to learn about themselves while being brutally honest about the results.

Once we stop running away from self-knowledge and start confronting truths about the situations we find ourselves in, we can move forward with courage, perseverance, responsibility, and curiosity.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck has spent over 244 weeks on the New York Times Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous list. It’s worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

The Banker

Inspired by true events, The Banker tells the story of entrepreneur Bernard Garrett as he becomes one of the first wealthy African American entrepreneurs in the United States.

Garrett was born in Willis, Texas, and later moved to California, where he started to amass a fortune in real estate.

Because of racism in America, Garrett and his partner Joe Morris worked with a working-class white man, Matt Steiner, who pretended to be their business head.

Anthony Mackie stars as Bernard Garrett, with Samuel L. Jackson brilliantly supporting as Joe Morris. Nicolas Hoult also holds his own as Matt Steiner, and Nia Long adds a significant presence as Eunice Garrett.

The Banker received negative press after the sexual allegations against Bernard Garrett’s son and didn’t make much of an impact upon its release.

The film about Bernard Garrett Sr is well-done and tells a story worth seeing and knowing.

Brainfood of the Week:

Brené Brown on Blame

I’ve featured Brené Brown in two previous Sunday Supplements. She is the author of six number-one New York Times bestsellers and is an expert on vulnerability, courage, and empathy.

This video is an RSA (Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce) YouTube clip of Brown talking about what happens when we blame others.

In the animated video, Brown tells a story about her spilling a cup of coffee in the morning and how she immediately blamed her husband.

Her mind created a narrative of how her husband’s actions from the previous night resulted in her spilling the coffee in the morning.

Brown then breaks down the story and uses it to explain the components of blame. Usually, the first thing we want to know is who’s fault something is.

People might even want it to be their fault rather than it being no one’s fault. This thought process gives us some semblance of control.

However, Brown explains how blaming is the discharging of discomfort and pain. There is an inverse relationship with accountability.

While accountability brings vulnerability, where we are willing to reveal how we feel and listen to others’ experience events, blame engages judgment through anger while shutting out other narratives.

When we blame, we miss opportunities for empathy.

The full video is only three minutes long and a good sample of the work of Brené Brown. And RSA’s YouTube page has many other brilliant clips sharing knowledge with over 100 million views.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“He who blames others has a long way to go on his journey. He who blames himself is halfway there. He who blames no one has arrived.”

– Chinese Proverb

This Chinese proverb exemplifies one of the most important lessons I’ve learned and try to remember whenever I encounter frustration.

Many different wisdom traditions, religions, and cultures have a similar saying or quote to emphasize the importance of seeing things clearly.

When anything happens, we usually craft a narrative around the event. That story we tell ourselves is our perceptions of events and typically triggers our reaction or response.

The Chinese proverb reminds me how crucial it is not to attribute blame. Our narratives are in our own hands, and we decide how to move forward.

Rarely do people try to make mistakes, and blame is an action that doesn’t help anyone. Putting that emotion on yourself or others takes up energy that could be used fruitfully in other ways. That shift in energy takes the past away and shapes your future.

Leave blame behind, think of what you should do next, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Rachel Wolchin, A Wizard of Earthsea, The Last Duel, The Art of Improvement, and Proverbs 24:16

Rachel Wolchin, A Wizard of Earthsea, The Last Duel, The Art of Improvement, and Proverbs 24:16

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 13, 2022

Sunday Supplement #44 (March 13th, 2022)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“It’s not how we make mistakes, but how we correct them that defines us.”

– Rachel Wolchin

Book of the Week:

A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin was an American novelist whose career spanned from the late 1950s until her death, aged 88 in 2018.

Le Guin was the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel for her work The Left Hand of Darkness.

A Wizard of Earthsea is the first novel in her classic Earthsea Cycle series. It tells the story of Ged, the greatest wizard in the archipelago of Earthsea, when he was a reckless youth known as Sparrowhawk.

In his quest for knowledge and power, the young Ged meddles with dangerous dark secrets and releases a wicked shadow upon the land.

The novel then follows Sparrowhawk as he journeys forward to master the words of power and eventually face the shadow he loosed upon Earthsea.

There are other novels in the series worth reading, but the first one can be read as a standalone and is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

The Last Duel

Ridley Scott came out with two films in 2021. While House of Gucci received more attention at the box office, The Last Duel came and went without much notice or praise.

The movie tells the story of Sir Jean de Carrouges’s duel to the death with his squire Jacques Le Gris after Carrouges accuses Le Gris of raping his wife, Marguerite.

The Last Duel gets broken up into three chapters. The first tells Carrouges’s version of events, the second tells Le Gris’s, and the third tells Marguerite’s.

Oscar-nominated writer Nicole Holofcener and Oscar-winning writers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon penned the script for this medieval tale.

Adam Driver, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck all put in brilliant performances, and Jodie Comer stole the show in the final chapter as Marguerite.

While this film didn’t make much of an impression upon its release, it was one of the best films of the year, in my opinion. It told a simple story in a clever way.

If you’re interested in a lengthy period piece, put the film on your to-watch list.

Brainfood of the Week:

This is How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure | The Art of Improvement

The Art of Improvement is a YouTube channel that makes videos on self-care and self-improvement techniques. I’ve previously featured the channel’s videos in Sunday Supplement #30 and #34.

In this video, the topic is how to overcome failure. The video starts with a story about Picasso sketching on a napkin. A woman sees him about to throw it away and says she’ll pay for it.

When Picasso says the napkin will cost her $20,000, the woman protests how can he charge that much for something that took him two minutes to draw. Picasso responded that it took him 60 years to make.

The lesson of the story is that mastery takes time. The video then explains how we need to be able to make mistakes without giving up to move forward with a practice.

Failure ultimately becomes something people can fear. The comfort of the known becomes a safety net that we adapt to avoid trying new things that could prompt failure.

The video later explains the Stoic philosophy around the sphere of choice. Broken down, it falls into the categories of things we can control (internal) and things we can’t control (external).

We must learn to focus exclusively on the internals and let go of all things we cannot control.

There are more tidbits in the video that I do not cover here. It’s only seven minutes and worth the watch to pick them up.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For the righteous fall seven times and rise again.”

– Proverbs 24:16

This bible passage makes me think about how we respond to our mistakes. I think it’s easy to view the quote as a simple reminder never to give up, but it can say much more.

I’m drawn to the word rise when I read this verse. When I searched the meaning of the word rise, I found the definition of moving from a lower position to a higher one.

For me, I think that means more than getting up when you fall. It means to rise above where you were before you fell.

I think that we can learn much from our mistakes. Even if all we can do is move on, not worry about the past, and look to the road ahead, we have made progress and have risen.

How we handle our falls shapes our perception of our lives. I’m working on seeing the opportunities to rise when I encounter my trip-ups.

Find the opportunity to rise from a perceived fall, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Alice Domar, 12 Rules for Life, Kiki’s Delivery Service, OWN SuperSoul Sunday, and an Atharva Veda Passage

Alice Domar, 12 Rules for Life, Kiki’s Delivery Service, OWN SuperSoul Sunday, and an Atharva Veda Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 6, 2022

Sunday Supplement #43 (March 6th, 2022)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“When you’re trying to motivate yourself, appreciate the fact that you’re even thinking about making a change. And as you move forward, allow yourself to be good enough.”

– Alice Domar

Book of the Week:

12 Rules for Life – Jordan B. Peterson

The controversy around Jordan Peterson and his work drew me to reading his book and checking out his lectures.

In Sunday Supplement #38, I featured an interview with Peterson on The Tim Ferriss Show.

The podcast episode is a good entry point to see if Peterson is someone you’d find worth checking out. He is a clinical psychologist, professor at the University of Toronto, and author of three bestselling self-help books.

I don’t agree with some of his viewpoints, but there are many nuggets of wisdom in his work.

12 Rules for Life is on the longer side and is a slow read, but the topics the book covers are worth perusing.

The chapters in the book range from “Treat Yourself Like Someone You Are Responsible For Helping” to “Do Not Bother Children When They Are Skateboarding.”

There are interesting statistics and examples used throughout the book to illustrate each section. You don’t have to agree with everything, but many insights are worth picking up.

Movie of the Week:

Kiki’s Delivery Service

It has been a while since I featured a Studio Ghibli film in a Sunday Supplement. I discussed some more well-known movies from their catalog in Supplements #2, #16, and #25.

However, Kiki’s Delivery Service was the breakthrough film for Studio Ghibli in Japan. The film adapted Eiko Kadona’s popular children’s fantasy novel of the same name and became the highest-grossing film in Japan the year of its release.

The story follows a thirteen-year-old witch on her mandatory year of independent life as she attempts to fit into a new community while supporting herself through an air courier service.

Kiki’s Delivery Service isn’t the most fast-paced film, but the YouTube channel The Take brilliantly illustrates how it is a perfect allegory for young creatives trying to make it on their own.

The film’s themes, including work-life balance, are wonderfully explored in a beautiful setting with unique characters.

It is a surprisingly deep movie that is worth checking out if you’re up for a slow but meaningful film night.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Free Yourself of Negative Thoughts | Oprah Winfrey Network

Oprah Winfrey’s series SuperSoul Sunday is an excellent program that features exclusive interviews with top thinkers, authors, and spiritual leaders.

The program explores themes like happiness, personal fulfillment, wellness, spirituality, and conscious living to provide thought-provoking and inspiring content to help viewers become their best selves.

In this clip, from her full episode with Michael Singer, they discuss choosing your engagement with events around yourself.

Our minds can create much chatter when engaged with external or internal events and emotions. The technique Singer explains is leaning away from reacting and giving yourself the chance to not become attached to negative emotions.

I’ve recommended two of Michael Singer’s books in previous Sunday Supplements, and I highly recommend his work.

One of the best tools I’ve picked up from him is the noticing game. You develop the habit of recognizing when you’re experiencing a negative emotion, so you can become aware of it and get to choose how you want to move forward.

Give this short clip a view and see if you’re interested in checking out some of Singer’s other work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“It takes time for a fruit to mature and acquire sweetness and become eatable; time is a prime factor for most good fortunes.”

– Atharva Veda

I love quotes and passages that remind us to be patient with our results and to trust and know that the outcome will come.

This Atharva Veda perfectly captures the process of reaping what you sow. It is also an excellent companion to the quote about not digging up a seed to see if it’s growing.

One of my friends gave me the metaphor of taking a driving trip at night. When you get in the car, you don’t question that you will make it to your destination.

You trust that the tools around you, your phone, the vehicle, your abilities as a driver, and the roads are more than enough for you to arrive safely.

Our lives mirror this metaphor in many ways. We have survived 100% of the challenges we’ve faced so far. We need to trust and know that things will be okay.

The Atharva Veda passage above reminds me that there is plenty of juicy fruit on the road ahead.

Give yourself a moment to recognize all the work you’ve done, and have a blessed week ahead!

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