Sunday Supplement #155 (April 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:
“The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.”
– Blake Lively
Book of the Week:
The Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a famous British writer who contributed significantly to the history of literature. His Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones of the crime fiction genre.
Doyle wrote four novels and around fifty short stories featuring the famous Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Hound of the Baskervilles was one of the four novels.
The novel is set in Dartmoor, Devon, England, and follows Holmes and Watson’s investigation of a hound of legend with an apparent supernatural origin.
What’s interesting to me is that Dr. Watson helms the novel. Although he is usually considered Holmes’s sidekick, he takes the lead on the case in this novel, with Holmes flitting in and out and playing a more prominent part toward the end.
You’ve most likely seen one of the numerous iterations of Sherlock Holmes in film or television, but if you haven’t checked out the original writing, I highly recommend this one.
Movie of the Week:
Ryan Reynolds and Jodie Comer star in Free Guy, a film about a bank teller who learns he’s living in a video game as a passive actor where real-world people’s characters play.
The bank teller, Guy, becomes aware of his situation and learns that his world is under threat as a human player informs him the game will be deleted.
The film is entertaining and introspective. It raises existential questions about how we decide to live our lives wrapped in a funny and heartfelt narrative.
I think many movies in recent years aim to be funny with minimal effort from the stories and characters without really offering much more than the equivalent of an empty calorie.
Free Guy is a refreshing take on a blockbuster film that offers a little more depth with its actions and laughs.
Brainfood of the Week:
DO THIS To Make Yourself Immune To Pain & DESTROY LAZINESS | David Goggins & Lewis Howes
I clipped this YouTube video to start at the point in Lewis Howe’s interview with David Goggins where Howe prompts the question, “How do I gain more confidence?”
Goggins states going to your comfort zone won’t help you gain confidence. Confidence starts with yourself and diving into things you’re afraid of.
He explains how facing your fears builds confidence. You don’t have to always overcome them but understand that facing them is better than staying in your comfort zone.
I’ve featured David Goggins in a couple of previous Sunday Supplements. Check out any of the posts for a glimpse at his time in the United States Armed Forces and his subsequent journey as one of the world’s top endurance athletes.
Howes is a two-time New York Times bestselling author, All-American athlete, keynote speaker, and entrepreneur. His podcast features inspiring interviews with leaders across many fields.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Just as a solid rock is not shaken by the storm, even so the wise are not affected by praise or blame.”
– Dhammapada 81
I think it can be easy to get caught up in external emotions, but this Dhammapada verse is a great reminder not to let outside events influence you too much.
When we let ourselves be buoyed too much by external praise or knocked low by external criticism, we give away our power to control our sense of self-worth.
We can be extremely critical of ourselves or have an inflated ego. Striking a balance between the two is a worthwhile pursuit, but external influence should also be taken with a grain of salt.
The biggest lesson I take from this verse is to continue pursuing meaningful activities without letting others control our experience of them.
Be confident in who you are, and have a blessed week ahead!
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