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Month: January 2024

Ray Bradbury, The Century Trilogy, Office Space, Steve Jobs, and an African Proverb

Ray Bradbury, The Century Trilogy, Office Space, Steve Jobs, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 28, 2024

Sunday Supplement #142 (January 28th, 2024)

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.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true – hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.”

– Ray Bradbury

Book of the Week:

The Century Trilogy – Ken Follett

The historical epics Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, and Edge of Eternity comprise Ken Follett’s #1 New York Times bestselling The Century Trilogy.

Follett’s novels follow five families (Welsh, English, American, German, and Russian) and their fortunes through the 20th century.

I’m a big fan of Follett’s work, and you can expect a well-crafted and researched story when you pick up one of his historical epics.

I featured his The Pillars of the Earth novel in Sunday Supplement #47, where he decided to break free from his thrilled typecast and write the historical epic he always wanted.

Follett has since delved deep into the veins of the historical fiction genre with many epic books since then. The Century Trilogy is one of his best works.

Movie of the Week:

Office Space

Emmy-winner Mike Judge, creator of Silicon Valley, Beavis and Butt-Head, and King of the Hill, wrote and directed the 1999 cult classic Office Space.

Office Space follows the plan of three workers who hate their jobs as they decide to rebel against the company.

The cast is an all-star ensemble that includes Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Ajay Naidu, David Herman, Gary Cole, and John C. McGinley.

Judge’s Office Space brilliantly and hilariously captures some of the tedious and baffling idiosyncrasies of a workplace.

There’s a positive message at the end of searching for work that fulfills you in some fashion. I recommend it for those looking for a lighthearted comedy.

Brainfood of the Week:

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address | Stanford

Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple and Pixar Animation, gave the Commencement Address at Stanford’s 2005 graduation. He told three stories from his life.

The first story was about connecting the dots. Jobs recounted his experience with college, dropping out, attending the classes he wanted, and later seeing the dots connect.

Jobs’ second story was about love and loss. He talks about his time at Apple, getting fired, and relationships.

The last story was about death. Jobs would wake up and ask himself, “If today were the last day in my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today.” He knew he needed to change something if the answer was “no” for too many days in a row.

The commencement speech is just over 15 minutes, but it is worth the time from your day. Give it a watch if you get the urge.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“You cannot work for food when there is no food for work.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb reminds me of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Physiological needs, such as food, water, shelter, and sleep, are at the bottom of the pyramid.

On the next level of the pyramid are safety and security needs: health, employment, property, and social ability.

Love and Belonging with friendship, family, intimacy, and a sense of connection are on the next tier, with Self-Esteem (confidence, achievement, individuality, respect) above that.

The top of the pyramid is Self-Actualization, where we experience purpose, meaning, creativity, etc. This African proverb speaks to the necessity of having a base level of sustenance to be able to achieve more.

Make sure you’re meeting your base needs, work on the things that give meaning to your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Heraclitus, Slade House, Lost in Translation, The Art of Improvement, and a Dhammapada Verse

Heraclitus, Slade House, Lost in Translation, The Art of Improvement, and a Dhammapada Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 21, 2024

Sunday Supplement #141 (January 21st, 2024)

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.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“No man steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river, and he’s not the same man.”

– Heraclitus

Book of the Week:

Slade House – David Mitchell

Every nine years, in an alley down the road from a British pub, a unique someone who’s different or lonely will be extended an invitation to Slade House.

The novel spans five decades, starting from the 1970s, and the people who enter Slade House find that they don’t want to leave but later learn they can’t.

David Mitchell’s Slade House is an excellent blend of paranormal fiction with elements of horror that combine for an enthralling read.

I’ve featured one other David Mitchell book, Cloud Atlas, in Sunday Supplement #35, and though the books are wildly different, the quality of writing is of the highest caliber.

Movie of the Week:

Lost in Translation

Sophia Coppola’s Lost in Translation focuses on a faded movie star’s and a young woman’s experience of disconnection in their respective marriages.

The film is set in Japan, where the faded movie star, Bob, goes to promote a whiskey, and the young woman, Charlotte, accompanies her husband on a business trip.

The two disillusioned Americans keep bumping into each other on their respective trips, and an unlikely kinship forms from their search for connection.

Coppola won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Billy Murray as Bob was nominated for Best Actor, and the film was nominated for Best Picture.

Brainfood of the Week:

4 Zen Stories That Will Change How You Think About Life | The Art of Improvement

I’ve featured The Art of Improvement in a few previous Sunday Supplements. Their videos focus on self-improvement and feature a variety of topics based on various sources.

This video starts by stating we sometimes get stuck overthinking and worrying in life, and an easy way to get out of a negative thought loop can be experiencing a good story.

The Art of Improvement video then tells four short zen stories: The Farmer’s Horse, The Learned Man, The Couple on the Donkey, and The Move.

Each story is a fun little parable with a lesson worth listening to. The end of the video reminds us that if you’re in a funk, stories can help you change your perspective.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Before long, alas, this body, deprived of consciousness, will lie on the earth, discarded like a useless log.”

– Dhammapada 41

At first look, this Dhammapada verse can be a little disheartening and a downer. But looking at it a little deeper gives me much to take away from it.

The obvious lesson is that we all die one day, and we should make sure we live a full life before we do. But I think the power of this lesson comes from the idea that we shouldn’t fear failure or negative experiences.

Along with the bumps and bruises of living life, this verse points out consciousness as a significant marker of life. We often go through life with periods of unconscious behavior, and this verse reminds us to try and stay as conscious as possible.

Continue to experience life consciously each day, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Andrew Carnegie, Creativity, Inc., Locke, Simon Sinek, and a Quran Passage

Andrew Carnegie, Creativity, Inc., Locke, Simon Sinek, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 14, 2024

Sunday Supplement #140 (January 14th, 2024)

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.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.”

– Andrew Carnegie

Book of the Week:

Creativity, Inc. – Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Co-cofounder of Pixar Animation Studios, Ed Catmull, tells his journey from childhood to retirement. 

At first, his mission was to make a fully computer-animated feature film. He accomplished that goal relatively early and had to find another mission to drive him through his later career.

Catmull’s later mission was to be the best leader possible for the people who worked at Pixar to ensure the employees’ and the company’s success.

The book is a dissection of how Pixar became a powerhouse of animation, but it focuses on the business and management side.

If you’re looking for a biography, this isn’t it. The book has some great stories about Pixar and Steve Jobs, but it very much reads like a business book. 

Movie of the Week:

Locke

Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders and writer of Eastern Promises, wrote and directed the 2013 Tom Hardy solo-performance film Locke.

The movie clocks in at just under an hour and a half and follows Tom Hardy as Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, who receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that threatens to ruin his carefully constructed life.

It’s not often you see a film with only one actor portrayed throughout, with all the supporting characters only featuring as voice actors.

Supporting cast members Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, and Tom Holland stand out with their voice acting, but Tom Hardy makes the film work with his performance as Locke.

The film follows Locke behind the wheel of his car as he handles the crisis he created by taking ownership of his actions. It’s worth checking out.

Brainfood of the Week:

Be a Better Leader | Simon Sinek

Sinek is a bestselling author and speaker. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and has an imprint at Penguin Random House, Optimism Press.

I come across his videos every now and then and usually take the time to check them out. You’ll probably see me feature one of his books soon.

In this video, Sinek answers three questions: How do we become leaders? How do you create teaming? And, As a leader, how do you enforce accountability?

Sinek answers each question with some gems that are worth picking up. My favorite is not pretending like you know all the answers. Be open about needing help from time to time. Be open about not knowing everything and needing to find out.

Check out the short five-minute video if you are interested, and if you like it, check out the previous Sunday Supplements, where I’ve featured Sinek’s content.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Believers, why do you profess that which you do not practice? It is most loathsome in the sight of Allah that you should say what you do not do!”

– Surah As-Saf 61: 2-3

I think this passage from the Quran is pretty straightforward, but the intensity with which the statement is made stands out for me.

Not practicing what you preach is a common phrase, and many stories exemplify the maxim.

For me, this Quran passage is a reminder to be impeccable with your word. It is a reminder to think carefully before speaking.

If you want to be a person who can be counted on, be careful of the promises you make. If you don’t want to be a hypocrite, keep true to your word.

Lead by example and keep your word, give credit to others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Nadia Comăneci, The Dark Tower Series, The Theory of Everything, Sadhguru, and Matthew 6:21

Nadia Comăneci, The Dark Tower Series, The Theory of Everything, Sadhguru, and Matthew 6:21

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 7, 2024

Sunday Supplement #139 (January 7th, 2024)

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.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don’t lose the passion and the love for what you do.”

– Nadia Comăneci

Book of the Week:

The Dark Tower Series – Stephen King

If you’re new to my blog, you might not have seen me feature Stephen King before. For those who have read the blog consistently, I apologize for another Stephen King entry.

I’ve featured eight Stephen King books before this, but The Dark Tower Series was the start of my reading King’s works. They are arguably his magnum opus, and many of his other stories tie into the world of The Dark Tower.

Roland Deschain, a member of a knightly order known as “gunslingers” and the last of the line of “Arthur Eld” (his world’s analogue of King Arthur), attempts to seek the Man in Black in a world that has “moved on.”

Roland’s journey crosses over many worlds, including our own. The tale blends dark fantasy, science fiction, western, and horror genres.

There’s no easy way to describe The Dark Tower in short, which is surprisingly one of his lesser-read works. I believe it to be his best writing and can’t recommend it more highly. 

Give the series a try (read at least the first two books). King spent over thirty years completing the series, which should show how important it was to him.

Movie of the Week:

The Theory of Everything

Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was the director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge.

The Theory of Everything is a 2014 film that captures Hawking and his wife, Jane Wilde’s relationship, as they met at University in the 1960s through their struggle with Hawking’s diagnosis of motor neuron disease.

Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones star as Stephen Hawkins and Jane Wilde. Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor, and Jones was nominated for Best Actress.

The film was nominated for three additional Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay.

Anthony McCarten adapted the script from Jane Hawking’s novel Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen. It’s a powerful story and beautifully captured in the 2014 film.

Brainfood of the Week:

Playfulness and Passion | Sadhguru

Sadhguru is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers and over 1.5 billion video views.

Sadhguru begins the video by talking about how playfulness can often be frowned upon as childish. He then explains how being too serious makes everything about you.

Approaching problems with a sense of playfulness will also help you not get overwhelmed by the difficulties you encounter. By being playful, you are not becoming entangled in the problem.

At the end of the video, Sadhguru talks about passion and being consumed by it. He discusses how burning passion opens up new possibilities.

I’ve featured Sadhguru in a few previous Sunday Supplements. If you like this video, check the other posts out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

– Matthew 6:21

This Bible passage from the Book of Matthew discusses how we shouldn’t store our treasures on earth but should store them in heaven. It then states the verse above.

I believe this verse speaks to the passions and love we have in our lives. 

Whether toward the ones we love or our pursuits of meaningful achievements, the treasures should be in the doing and not tied to the outcomes.

As I’m starting my 2024 journey, I’m focusing on bringing as much love to the people in my life and my passions as possible.

Bring love and passion to the treasures of your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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