Blog - Drew Alexander Ross

Sunday Supplements

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 9, 2023

Guide Page

I started this blog because I wanted to highlight quotes, books, movies, thought-provoking videos, and spiritual passages/proverbs I thought were worth sharing.

The intent was to recommend quality content each week and have a period of reflection.

To mark the occasion of 100 Sunday Supplements (04/09/2023), I made this landing page so it’s easier to navigate previous posts.

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

Date	Supplement#	Quote	Book/Author	Movie	Brain Food	Proverb	Theme
05/16/21	#1	Mark Twain	The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction – Alan Jacobs	Murder on the Orient Express (1974)	Mr. Money Mustache	Bible Passage (Matthew 22:39)	Starting
05/23/21	#2	Muhammad Ali	Rock Me on the Water – Ronald Brownstein	Princess Mononoke	Brené Brown	Jewish Creation Prayer	Growth
05/30/21	#3	David Suzuki	Devil in a Blue Dress – Walter Mosley	Stand and Deliver	Jesse Itzler	Quaran Passage (Surah Ar-Ra’d 24)	Perspective
06/06/21	#4	Eleanor Roosevelt	Eyes of the Dragon – Stephen King	Collateral	Cognitive Distortions	Atharva Veda Passage	Leadership
06/13/21	#5	Brianna Wiest	Norwegian Wood – Haruki Murakami	October Sky	Robert Rodriguez	Bible Passage (Romans 12:2)	Growth
06/20/21	#6	Jack Kornfield	Tales of the City – Armistead Maupin	Moonlight	Daryl Davis	Quran Passage (Surah Ghafir 40:60)	Compassion
06/27/21	#7	Benjamin Franklin	The Courage to Be Disliked – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga	The Martian	Eckhart Tolle	Buddhist Prayer	Enriching
07/04/21	#8	Thomas Edison	Atomic Habits – James Clear	Bad Boys (1983)	Sadhguru	Bible Passage (Matthew 7:12)	Habits
07/11/21	#9	Audrey Hepburn	A Prayer for Owen Meany – John Irving	Life as a House	Yuval Noah Harari	Sutta Pitaka Verse	Possibilities
07/18/21	#10	Dr. Seuss	Attached – Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller	It’s a Wonderful Life	David Foster Wallace	Quran Passage (Surat Al-`Asr 103)	Appreciation
07/25/21	#11	Anaïs Nin	The Once and Future King – T.H. White	Arrival	Malavika Varadan	Bible Passage (Proverbs 3:7)	Change
08/01/21	#12	Maya Angelou	The Untethered Soul – Michael A. Singer	City of God	Arnold Schwarzenegger	Dhammapada Verse 122	Persistency
08/08/21	#13	Theodore Roosevelt	Being Mortal – Atul Gawande	Kingdom of Heaven (Director’s Cut)	Simon Sinek	Bible Passage (2 Timothy 2:15)	Doing Your Best
08/15/21	#14	Bethany Hamilton	Exhalation – Ted Chiang	The Last Dance	Nietzsche	Buddhist Proverb	Gratitude
08/22/21	#15	M. Scott Peck	The Ocean at the End of the Lane – Neil Gaiman	The Painted Veil	Maurice Ashley	Yajur Veda Passage	Acceptance
08/29/21	#16	Plato	A Clockwork Orange – Anthony Burgess	Howl’s Moving Castle	Alan Watts	Quran Passage 30:21	Ego
09/05/21	#17	Dr. Glenn Doyle	Personality Isn’t Permanent – Benjamin P. Hardy	Hacksaw Ridge	Marcus Aurelius	Bible Passage (Corinthians 13:2)	Self-Worth
09/12/21	#18	Maxime Lagacé	Who Moved My Cheese? – Dr. Spencer Johnson	The Matrix	Eckhart Tolle	Zen Proverb	Self-Esteem
09/19/21	#19	James Altucher	Cujo – Stephen King	The Full Monty	Ozro Hepworth	African Proverb	Honesty
09/26/21	#20	Jackie Joyner-Kersee	The Dog Stars – Peter Heller	The Imitation Game	Einzelgänger	Yajur Veda Passage	Perseverance
10/03/21	#21	Steve Maraboli	Frankenstein – Mary Shelley	Sweeney Todd	Kati Morton	Bible Passage (Proverbs 17:9)	Forgiveness
10/10/21	#22	Wayne Dyer	The Courage to Be Happy – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga	Forrest Gump	Michael Jr.	Quran Passage (Surah Ar-Ra’d 13:11)	Perspective
10/17/21	#23	Joyce Meyer	The Chronicles of Prydain – Lloyd Alexander	Good Will Hunting	Hugh Jackman	Zen Proverb	Progress
10/24/21	#24	Pema Chödrön	Flowers for Algernon – Daniel Keyes	Brokeback Mountain	Eckhart Tolle	African Proverb	Awareness
10/31/21	#25	Chris Gardner	The Crucible – Arthur Miller	Spirited Away	Like Stories of Old	Bible Passage (Proverbs 25:18)	Strength
11/07/21	#26	Lao Tzu	The Power of Myth – Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers	The Lord of the Rings (Extended Editions)	Simon Sinek	Rig Veda Passage	Journey
11/14/21	#27	Judy Blume	The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho	V for Vendetta	Freedom in Thought	African Proverb	Fear
11/21/21	#28	Nat Turner	When Strangers Meet – Kio Stark	12 Angry Men	Julian Treasure	Bible Passage (Philippians 4:6)	Communication
11/28/21	#29	Amy Collette	All the Light We Cannot See – Anthony Doerr	The Pursuit of Happyness	WatchWellCast	Quran Passage (Surah Ibrahim 14:7)	Gratitude
12/05/21	#30	Louise May Alcott	Awaken the Giant Within – Tony Robbins	Finding Forrester	Marcus Aurelius	Zen Proverb	Learning
12/12/21	#31	Johann Wolfgang von Goethe	Elantris – Brandon Sanderson	Stardust	Calm	Atharva Veda Passage	Belief
12/19/21	#32	Emily Dickinson	Elevation – Stephen King	The Shawshank Redemption	The Dodo	Bible Passage (Romans 15:4)	Hope
12/26/21	#33	The Dalai Lama	All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque	Rain Man	The School of Life	African Proverb	Compassion
01/02/22	#34	Charles Kettering	The Surrender Experiment – Michael A. Singer	About Time	The Art of Improvement	Quran Passage (Surah At-Tawbah 126)	Reflection
01/09/22	#35	Desmond Tutu	Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell	Jerry Maguire	David Goggins	Buddhist Saying	Accumulation
01/16/22	#36	Anne Frank	The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday	Mrs. Doubtfire	Absolute Motivation	Japanese Proverb	Happiness
01/23/22	#37	Brené Brown	The War of Art – Steven Pressfield	Slumdog Millionaire	Weiyang Xie	Rig Veda Passage	Self-Love
01/30/22	#38	Pythagoras	The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz	Dead Poets Society	Jordan Peterson	Bible Passage (Lamentations 3:40)	Reflection
02/06/22	#39	Alphonse Karr	Discipline Equals Freedom – Jocko Willink	Flight	Eckhart Tolle	African Proverb	Perspective
02/13/22	#40	Bruce Lee	Can’t Hurt Me – David Goggins	Amadeus	Einzelgänger	Quran Passage (Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:159)	Forgiveness
02/20/22	#41	Napoleon Hill	Lord of the Flies – William Golding	King Richard	Headspace	Buddhist Saying	Intention
02/27/22	#42	T.D. Jakes	The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand	Fever Pitch (1997)	Simon Sinek	Japanese Proverb	Passion
03/06/22	#43	Alice Domar	12 Rules for Life – Jordan Peterson	Kiki’s Delivery Service	Michael A. Singer	Atharva Veda Passage	Appreciation
03/13/22	#44	Rachel Wolchin	A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin	The Last Duel	The Art of Improvement	Bible Passage (Proverbs 24:16)	Mistakes
03/20/22	#45	Robert Anthony	The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck – Mark Manson	The Banker	Brené Brown	Chinese Proverb	Blame
03/27/22	#46	Katie Read	Einstein’s Dreams – Alan Lightman	Chasing Mavericks	Susannah Winters	Beninese Proverb	Self-Care
04/03/22	#47	Victor Kiam	The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett	Moneyball	Jim Rohn	Quran Passage (Surah Al-Qasas 28:54)	Persistence
04/10/22	#48	Andy Warhol	The Mindbody Prescription – John E. Sarno	Everything Everywhere All at Once	Alan Watts	Buddhist Parable	Perception
04/17/22	#49	Barbara Hall	Childhood’s End – Arthur C. Clarke	Eddie the Eagle	Matt Cutts	Japanese Proverb	Trying
04/24/22	#50	Henry Ford	Money Master the Game – Tony Robbins	Gattaca	Wayne Dyer	Rig Veda Passage	Manifestation
05/01/22	#51	Henry David Thoreau	The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman	El Mariachi	The School of Life	Bible Passage (Ecclesiastes 5:3)	Success
05/08/22	#52	Viktor Frankl	The Really Hard Problem – Owen J. Flanagan	Catch Me If You Can	Freedom in Thought	Dhammapada 103	Meaning
05/15/22	#53	Albert Einstein	The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin – Benjamin Franklin	Dope	Einzelgänger	Rwandan Proverb	Moving Forward
05/22/22	#54	Simone de Beauvoir	Project Hail Mary – Andy Weir	Apollo 13	Improvement Pill	Quran Passage (Surah Ar-Rahman 60)	Motivation
05/29/22	#55	Mary Anne Radmacher	The Prince of Tides – Pat Conroy	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind	The School of Life	Japanese Proverb	Depression
06/05/22	#56	Alan Cohen	Waking Up – Sam Harris	Ferris Bueller’s Day Off	Improvement Pill	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Meditation
06/12/22	#57	Paulo Coelho	The 4-Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferriss	The Birdcage	Emily Esfahani Smith	Bible Passage (Ecclesiastes 3:12)	Meaning
06/19/22	#58	Sterling K. Brown	Kindred – Octavia E. Butler	He Got Game	Oprah Winfrey	Dhammapada 21	Understanding
06/26/22	#59	Madeleine Albright	Teacher Misery – Jane Morris	Hidden Figures	Brené Brown	Japanese Proverb	Experience
07/03/22	#60	Tim Ferriss	Moonraker – Ian Fleming	La Bamba	The Art of Improvement	African Proverb	Productivity
07/10/22	#61	Helen Keller	Mindfulness – Mark Williams and Danny Penman	In the Mood for Love	Einzelgänger	Sahih al-Bukhari 6126	Silence
0717/22	#62	Roy T. Bennett	A Monster Calls – Patrick Ness	Stand by Me	The Futur	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Acceptance
07/24/22	#63	Walt Whitman	I Am Legend – Richard Matheson	The Station Agent	The School of Life	Bible Passage (1 Corinthians 15:33)	Friendship
07/31/22	#64	Anne Wilson Schaef	The 4-Hour Body – Timothy Ferriss	The Karate Kid	Wendy Suzuki	Dhammapada 204	Health
08/07/22	#65	Marilyn Monroe	Watership Down – Richard Adams	The Truman Show	Improvement Pill	African Proverb	Change
08/14/22	#66	Abraham Lincoln	Roadwork – Richard Bachman	Fight Club	Psych2Go	Japanese Proverb	Awareness
08/21/22	#67	Michael J. Fox	Transitions – William Bridges	The Prince of Egypt	Simon Sinek	Quran Passage (Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5)	Change
08/28/22	#68	Evelyn Beatrice Hall	Battle Royale – Koshun Takami	Straight Outta Compton	The History Channel	BhagavaGita Passage	Free Speech
09/04/22	#69	Thomas Merton	The Man’s Guide to Women – John Gottman, PhD & Julie Schwartz Gottman, PhD	The Wind Rises	TED-Ed	Bible Passage (1 John 4:18)	Love
09/11/22	#70	Mahatma Gandhi	The Lords of Discipline – Pat Conroy	Yojimbo	Sadhguru	Dhammapada 258	Action
09/18/22	#71	Randy Pausch	The Chronicles of Narnia – C.S. Lewis	Hot Fuzz	Catherine Price	African Proverb	Fun
09/25/22	#72	Arnold H. Glasow	On Writing – Stephen King	Rocky	Escaping Ordinary	Japanese Proverb	Habits
10/02/22	#73	Oprah Winfrey	The Law of Attraction – Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks	Titanic	Eckhart Tolle	Quran Passage (Sur Al Nisa 147)	Gratitude
10/09/22	#74	Mandy Hale	The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway	The Lives of Others	Sadhguru	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Loneliness
10/16/22	#75	Mary Halloway	The Mastery of Love – Don Miguel Ruiz	Groundhog Day	TED-Ed	Bible Passage (Galatians 6:9)	Resilience
10/23/22	#76	Sri Ravi Shankar	Get the Hell Out of Your Own Way – Jan Grobler	Before Sunrise	Psych2Go	Dhammapada 33	Rest
10/30/22	#77	John F. Kennedy	The Stand – Stephen King	John Q	Deepak Chopra	African Proverb	Gratitude
11/06/22	#78	James Baldwin	Autobiography of a Yogi – Paramahansa Yogananda	American History X	Rich Roll	Japanese Proverb	Change
11/13/22	#79	Aldous Huxley	Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel García Márquez	Seven Samurai	The School of Life	Quran Passage (Surah Al-Baqara 2:286)	Experience
11/20/22	#80	Iyanla Vanzant	The Myth of Digital Democracy – Matthew Hindman	The Social Dilemma	Simon Sinek	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Self-Reflection
11/27/22	#81	Leroy Satchel Page	The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Díaz	Wind River	Participant	Shawnee Nation Proverb	Gratitude
12/04/22	#82	Charles Duhigg	A New Earth – Eckhart Tolle	Bend It Like Beckham	Psych2Go	Bible Passage (2 Timothy 1:7)	Habits
12/11/22	#83	Rachel Wolchin	Journey to the Center of the Earth – Jules Verne	Castle in the Sky	Jamie Foxx	Dhammapada Ch 5	Adventure
12/18/22	#84	Jane Howard	City of Thieves – David Benioff	Love Actually	Brené Brown	African Proverb	Family
12/25/22	#85	Wayne Dyer	Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill	Interstellar	Deepak Chopra	Bible Passage (Matthew 13:12)	Abundance
01/01/23	#86	Amit Kalantri	War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy	Lion	Improvement Pill	Japanese Proverb	Celebrate
01/08/23	#87	Antonio Brown	The Way of the Superior Man – David Deida	Garden State	Angela Lee Duckworth	Quran Passage (Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:139)	Self-Belief
01/15/23	#88	Michael Crichton	The Hero With a Thousand Faces – Joseph Campbell	Mulan	Ken Burns	Bhagavad Gita Passage	History
01/22/23	#89	Sundar Pichai	Little Scarlet – Walter Mosley	A Single Ma	Navajo Traditional Teachings	Dhammapada 78	Diversity
01/29/23	#90	Arthur Ashe	The Martian – Andy Weir	Whisper of the Heart	The Art of Improvement	African Proverb	Preparation
02/05/12	#91	Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq	The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle	BlacKkKlansman	Neil deGrasse Tyson	Bible Passage (Titus 1:16)	Knowledge/Action
02/12/22	#92	Oscar Wilde	Blink – Malcolm Gladwell	Men in Black	Sprouts	Zen Proverb	Experience
02/19/23	#93	Nelson Mandela	Will – Will Smith & Mark Manson	A Few Good Men	Cory Booker	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Perseverance
02/26/23	#94	Stephen Hawking	Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison	The Last King of Scotland	Bright Side	Quran Passage (Surat Al-Hadid 57:20)	Illusion
03/05/23	#95	Mahatma Gandhi	The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon	The Intouchables	Einzelgänger	Chinese Proverb	Happiness
03/12/23	#96	Jackie Chan	Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling	A League of Their Own	Simon Sinek	African Proverb	Kindness
03/19/23	#97	Sophocles	Mindset – Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.	Half Nelson	TED-Ed	Bible Passage (Proverbs 11:14)	Listening
03/26/23	#98	James Baldwin	The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo – Stieg Larson	A Beautiful Mind	The School of Life	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Love
04/02/23	#99	William Shakespeare	How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie	Liar Liar	Sadhguru	Quran Passage (Surah Az-Zumar 39:3)	Honesty
04/09/23	#100	Anne Frank	Year of Yes – Shonda Rhimes	Casablanca	Practical Psychology	Dhammapada 25	Improvement
04/16/23	#101	Jay Shetty	The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – Deepak Chopra	Kung Fu Panda	After Skool	Japanese Proverb	Mindset
04/23/23	#102	Gabrielle Bernstein	Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor Frankl	Drive My Car	Daily Stoic	Kenyan Proverb	Reflection
04/30/23	#103	John Amatt	Fairy Tale – Stephen King	The Wizard of Oz	National Geographic	Japanese Proverb	Adventure
05/07/23	#104	Moliére	Tales of the South Pacific – James A. Michener	A River Runs Through It	Psych2Go	Bible Passage	Grieving
05/14/23	#105	Anatole France	Moonwalking with Einstein – Joshua Foer	Dark City	Sprouts	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Memory
05/21/23	#106	Ansel Adams	To Sleep in a Sea of Stars – Christopher Paolini	The Lost City of Z	Insider Tech	Quran Passage	Exploraiton
05/28/23	#107	Amelia Earhart	Unlimited Power – Anthony Robbins	Coach Carter	Sprouts	Guinean Proverb	Motivation
06/04/23	#108	Lailah Gifty Akita	Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman – Haruki Murakami	The Princess Bride	Yoga By Candace	Japanese Proverb	Rest
06/11/23	#109	Karen Salmansohn	Walking to Listen – Andrew Forsthoefel	Lilo & Stitch	Elizabeth Dunn	Bible Passage	Support
06/18/23	#110	James Baldwin	Narrative of the Live of Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass	Fruitvale Station	Weird History	African Proverb	History
06/25/23	#111	Marcel Proust	Tigana – Guy Gavriel Kay	The Banshees of Inisherin	Richard Reeves	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Friendship
07/02/23	#112	Maya Angelou	The Psychology of Money – Morgan Housel	Minority Report	Philosophies for Life	Dhammapada Verse	Control
07/09/23	#113	Rollo May	The Other Wes Moore – Wes Moore	Dunkirk	Stephen Jon Thompson	Kitab al-Kafi Passage	Community
07/16/23	#114	Alia Bhatt	Gwendy’s Button Box – Stephen King	Rounders	Improvement Pill	Japanese Proverb	Passion
07/23/23	#115	Thomas Carlyle	Becoming Supernatural – Dr. Joe Dispenza	The Whale	Psych2Go	African Proverb	Health
07/30/23	#116	Leo Tolstoy	The City and the Stars – Arthur C. Clarke	28 Days Later	Sadhguru	Bible Passage	Change
08/06/23	#117	Elizabeth Wurtzel	Brave New World – Aldous Huxley	Little Miss Sunshine	Therapy in a Nutshell	Dhammapada Verse	Depression
08/13/23	#118	Mark Twain	The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald	Shattered Glass	Jim Rohn	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Ambition
08/20/23	#119	Rosa Parks	It – Stephen King	Lars and the Real Girl	Tim Ferriss	Japanese Proverb	Fear
08/27/23	#120	Anne McCaffrey	Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? – Philip K. Dick	Das Boot	Brené Brown	Quran Passage	Compassion
09/03/23	#121	John Wooden	A Briefer History of Time – Stephen Hawking with Leonard Mlodinow	Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)	Jocko Willink	African Proverb	Failure
09/10/23	#122	John D. Rockefeller	Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier	Chariots of Fire	Simon Sinek	Bible Passage	Perseverance
09/17/23	#123	Robert Urich	Breath – James Nestor	Win Win	Little List Project	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Health
09/24/23	#124	Sadiq Khan	Shoe Dog – Phil Knight	The Nightmare Before Christmas	Tim Ferriss	Armenian Proverb	Celebrate
10/01/23	#125	Victor Hugo	Stardust – Neil Gaiman	Warm Bodies	Brad Troeger	Ethiopian Proverb	Love
10/08/23	#126	Willie Stargell	The Great Santini – Pat Conroy	Holes	Simon Sinek	Hadith Passage	Family
10/15/23	#127	Octavia Butler	The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg	Remember the Titans	James Clear	Bible Passage	Habit
10/22/23	#128	Confucius	Ready Player One – Ernest Cline	CODA	Improvement Pill	Japanese Proverb	Self-Belief
10/29/23	#129	Theodore Roosevelt	A Contemporary Introduction to Free Will – Robert Kane	The Worst Person in the World	Like Stories of Old	Dhammapada Verse	Decisions
11/05/23	#130	Hilaire Belloc	Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer	The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel	The School of Life	Ethiopian Proverb	Travel
11/12/23	#131	Jen Sincero	Kafka on the Shore – Haruki Murakami	Bedazzled	Huberman Lab Podcast	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Gratitude
11/19/23	#132	Ginni Rometty	Thinking in Bets – Annie Duke	Safety Not Guaranteed	Sprouts	Japanese Proverb	Growth
11/26/23	#133	Vivek Murthy	The Inheritance Cycle – Christopher Paolini	Grave of the Fireflies	Stephanie Briggs	Bible Passage	Empathy
12/3/23	#134	Carl Jung	Timeline – Michael Crichton	Fiddler on the Roof	Rich Roll Podcast	Quran Passage	Change
12/10/23	#135	Leonardo da Vinci	The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason	25th Hour	The School of Life	Dhammapada Verse	Reflection
12/17/23	#136	Helen Keller	The Bartimaeus Sequence – Jonathan Stroud	The King’s Speech	Motivation2Study	African Proverb	Perseverance
12/24/23	#137	Leo Buscaglia	Great Expectations – Charles Dickens	Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory	The Dodo	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Giving
12/31/23	#138	Jackie Robinson	A Walk in the Woods – Bill Bryson	True Grit (2010)	After Skool	Japanese Proverb	Honesty
01/07/24	#139	Nadia Comăneci	The Dark Tower Series – Stephen King	The Theory of Everything	Sadhguru	Bible Passage	Passion
01/14/24	#140	Andrew Carnegie	Creativity, Inc. – Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace	Locke	Simon Sinek	Quran Passage	Leadership
01/21/24	#141	Heraclitus	Slade House – David Mitchell	Lost in Translation	The Art of Improvement	Dhammapada Verse	Experience
01/28/24	#142	Ray Bradbury	The Century Trilogy – Ken Follett	Office Space	Steve Jobs	African Proverb	Work
02/04/24	#143	Troy Palamalu	Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu (Ursula K. Le Guin)	Concussion	Jordan Peterson	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Rest
02/11/24	#144	Zora Neale Hurston	The Princess Bride – William Goldman	Dirty Dancing	Wentworth Miller	Bible Passage	Love
02/18/24	#145	Voltaire	Snow Crash – Neal Stephenson	Thank You For Smoking	The School of Life	Japanese Proverb	Choice
02/25/24	#146	George Eliot	Barsoom/Mars Series – Edgar Rice Burroughs	Big Fish	Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity	Quran Passage	Adventure
03/03/24	#147	Jürgen Klopp	Rules of Civility – Amor Towles	Waking Ned Devine	Marlo Anderson	Dhammapada Verse	Celebrate
03/10/24	#148	Jeanne Moreau	Start With Why – Simon Sinek	Adaptation	Einzelgänger	African Proverb	Meaning
03/17/24	#149	Maya Angelou	The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon	Hitch	Carol Dweck	Tao Te Ching	Growth
03/24/24	#150	Kemi Sogunle	Daring Greatly – Brené Brown	Magnolia	The School of Life	Bible Passage	Vulnerability
03/31/24	#151	John F. Kennedy	The Dead Zone – Stephen King	The Last Samurai	Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell	Quran Passage	Gratitude
04/07/24	#152	Michael J. Fox	Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury	Philadelphia	Sadhguru	Japanese Proverb	Acceptance
04/14/24	#153	Ernest Hemingway	Our Man in Havana – Graham Greene	Hamilton	Dr. Russ Harris	Bhagavad Gita Passage	Action
04/21/24	#154	Pablo Picasso	Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions – Ed Zwick	Legally Blonde	Luis Von Ahn	African Proverb	Learning
04/28/24	#155	Blake Lively	The Hound of the Baskervilles – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle	Free Guy	David Goggins	Dhammapada Verse	Self-Belief

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Blake Lively, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Free Guy, David Goggins, and a Dhammapada Verse

Blake Lively, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Free Guy, David Goggins, and a Dhammapada Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 28, 2024

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:

Free Guy

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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Pablo Picasso, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions, Legally Blonde, Luis von Ahn, and an African Proverb

Pablo Picasso, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions, Legally Blonde, Luis von Ahn, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 21, 2024

Sunday Supplement #154 (April 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:

“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.”

– Pablo Picasso

Book of the Week:

Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions – Ed Zwick

Chances are you’ve seen a film or show that Ed Zwick has written, directed, or produced. His filmography includes Glory, Thirtysomething, Legends of the Fall, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, and more.

I’ve touched the tip of the iceberg for Zwick’s Hollywood resume, and he discusses the journey in his memoir Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions.

Zwick’s story touches on the classics of hard work, luck, and taking your opportunities, but I found his capacity to learn in stride the most admirable.

Although the memoir contains many entertaining and insightful stories, I found the lessons within its pages to be what made it memorable.

Zwick has had a fantastic career in Hollywood, including a Best Picture Academy Award for Shakespeare in Love. I’m looking forward to his following projects, but I am happy he took the time to lift the veil with this book.

Movie of the Week:

Legally Blonde

The 2001 film Legally Blonde is based on Amanda Brown’s novel. The story follows Elle Woods, a fashionable sorority queen who decides to win back her ex-boyfriend after he dumps her by following him and going to Harvard Law School.

Reese Witherspoon stars as Elle Woods. Her performance is brilliant and brings the romantic comedy to life on the screen.

Woods’s journey in the film sees her overcoming stereotypes and triumphing as a lawyer. It’s a simple film, but it’s well-executed.

I think many movies try to do too much or have trouble executing a meaningful message without being preachy.

Legally Blonde avoids this pitfall and is able to have fun while making a point about stereotypes placed on women.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Make Learning as Addictive as Social Media | Luis von Ahn

In this video, Luis von Ahn, co-founder and CEO of Duolingo, discusses his journey to giving everyone equal access to education.

Von Ahn explains how his upbringing in Guatemala gave him insight and perspective on how money can affect education. As a professor in the Computer Science Department at Carnegie Mellon University, he and Severin Hacker decided to focus on one deliverable subject.

Duolingo came from Von Ahn and Hacker’s research on how knowledge of languages can help people make more money and that the only way to reach many people is through mobile phones.

Von Ahn discusses how the Freemium model (paying to remove ads) helps support the app while allowing free access to all users. The app uses psychological aids, like those used in social media apps, to help make learning fun.

This video is about 12 minutes long. I highly recommend checking it out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“To get lost is to learn the way.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb reminds me to find the positives when you are feeling lost. While feeling down is okay, there is always an opportunity to learn and grow.

Getting lost can give us a new perspective on an approach. When we are lost, we can be forced to look at how we got there. It is up to us to find a way to where we want to go.

Often, we forge ahead without thinking of our actions. When we end up lost, we have to look at those actions that got us there if we want to improve our navigation moving forward.

There is a great chance to learn after getting lost. It can often humble us as well, which isn’t a bad thing. The most important thing is to pick ourselves up, rethink, and try again.

Try to learn or try something new, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Ernest Hemingway, Our Man in Havana, Hamilton, Dr. Russ Harris, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Ernest Hemingway, Our Man in Havana, Hamilton, Dr. Russ Harris, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 14, 2024

Sunday Supplement #153 (April 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:

“Never mistake motion for action.”

– Ernest Hemingway

Book of the Week:

Our Man in Havana – Graham Greene

A few years ago, I went on a binge of reading Graham Greene books. I plan to return to his works soon because the ones I read had beautiful prose and sharp narratives.

Our Man in Havana follows Wormold, a vacuum cleaner in Cuba in the late 1950s, as he accepts the offer of a side job in espionage to help support his teenage daughter.

Wormold’s dull reports threaten to deplete the extra income he received from MI6, so he starts embellishing his accounts. The proceeding events spiral with effect.

Graham was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times and received the Shakespeare Prize and the Jerusalem Prize.

I’ve read about five of Graham’s books, but Our Man in Havana is my favorite. The novel is a fantastic mix of espionage and political satire.

Movie of the Week:

Hamilton

I’m not a big musical person. I’ve greatly enjoyed some of the classics and featured musicals in previous Sunday Supplements, but I’m a harsh critic of the genre.

Hamilton is a blast from start to finish. While it isn’t the pinnacle of historical accuracy, I think it accomplishes what it set out to achieve and can make history engaging for those who don’t typically seek it out.

The musical follows the stories of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr as each navigate the years of America’s founding fathers. This version captures a live Broadway production from Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.

There’s so much to appreciate about the musical, including the writing and choreography, but my favorite highlights are the performances of Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, and Jonathan Groff.

Hamilton holds the record for most Tony Award nominations, and this recording received the 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded).

Brainfood of the Week:

The Choice Point: A Map for a Meaningful Life | Dr. Russ Harris

Dr. Russ Harris is a psychotherapist, medical practitioner, and bestselling author of The Happiness Trap.

In this video, Harris breaks down our decisions (conscious or unconscious) into actions that move us toward our desired life or away from it.

When life is going well, choosing actions that move us toward the life we want is easier. However, life isn’t always easy, and we can get caught up in negative thoughts and feelings.

Harris’s video discusses identifying values and becoming more aware of the choice points of our actions. He doesn’t go into more detail since the video promotes his book and his classes, but identifying whether your choices align with your values seems to be the goal.

Dr. Harris’s channel has some interesting videos, not all of which end on cliffhangers. I’m curious to check out his book. The video was a good reminder of the consequences of our actions if we aren’t conscious and in alignment with our values.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. Although performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their actions.”

– Bhagavad Gita 4:18

This Bhagavad Gita passage can be broken down in a few different ways. The two that stand out to me are that inaction can be a choice, and there can be senseless action.

The second one reminds me of the Hemingway quote. Often, we can mistake mindless action as meaningful. Sometimes, we need to move forward, but other times, it’s better to think about the best way to move forward before acting.

On the other hand, we can often refrain from making a choice, which itself becomes a choice. By not making a decision, we think we can avoid a situation.

I think some of the most challenging decisions we face are meaningful action and knowing the right time to act.

Do the best you can, make conscious choices, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Michael J. Fox, Fahrenheit 451, Philadelphia, Sadhguru, and a Japanese Proverb

Michael J. Fox, Fahrenheit 451, Philadelphia, Sadhguru, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 7, 2024

Sunday Supplement #152 (April 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:

“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.”

– Michael J. Fox

Book of the Week:

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

My 6th-grade teacher gave me Fahrenheit 451 to read. It was one of those door-opening moments in the world of literature, and it’s one of the few books I’ve read more than once.

The dystopian novel follows fireman Guy Montag, whose job is to burn books that the government has outlawed.

Montag’s life changes when he meets a neighbor who reads books. He then embarks on his own journey of reading, which leads him to flee the city after he is caught.

Fahrenheit 451’s depiction of books filtered out because of people losing interest and the government’s controlling of narratives through media is one of many eery but poignant themes.

Ray Bradbury’s classic won a “Retro” Hugo Award in 2004 and should be on everyone’s classics-to-read list.

Movie of the Week:

Philadelphia

1993’s Philadelphia follows Andrew Beckett as his law firm fires him because of his HIV condition and his subsequent wrongful dismissal lawsuit headed by a small-time homophobic lawyer, Joe Miller, as his only willing advocate.

Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) brilliantly directs the Ron Nyswaner screenplay. Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington bring the story to life as Beckett and Miller.

I was only two years old when this movie came out, but watching it later gave me an interesting glimpse into the culture at the time.

Philadelphia won two Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Tom Hanks, and was nominated for an additional three Oscars, including Best Writing.

Brainfood of the Week:

Why Acceptance is Freedom | Sadhguru

I’ve featured Sadhguru in several previous Sunday Supplements. He is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers.

In this video, Sadhguru discusses how our personalities can be like filters of likes and dislikes based on our preferences.

The danger of this comes from judging people and situations through our lenses of experience. You can carry many psychological wounds from slights you held onto for years.

Through total acceptance, you can remove the judgment from people and situations.

I find Sadhguru’s videos thought-provoking. They are worth watching and reflecting on. If you enjoy this one, check out my other posts.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Spilt water won’t go back into its tray.” (覆水盆に返らず)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb has a Western cousin: “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” I think it’s pretty straightforward, but I like the Japanese Proverb’s translation.

I like the image of trying to force something like water or milk back into its container after it has been spilled.

I find myself guilty of trying to make things perfect or not acting until I think things are in the perfect conditions for action.

This proverb reminds me to think about what is the best usage of our time and energy. Once you’ve accepted something, you can decide how to move forward.

Accept the situation, move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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John F. Kennedy, The Dead Zone, The Last Samurai, Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell, and a Quran Passage

John F. Kennedy, The Dead Zone, The Last Samurai, Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 31, 2024

Sunday Supplement #151 (March 31st, 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:

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

– John F. Kennedy

Book of the Week:

The Dead Zone – Stephen King

I’ve featured several Stephen King books in previous Sunday Supplements, and while I tend to mix up my recommendations, I think there are many King books worth reading. There’s a reason he’s written over 60 books, and all of them are bestsellers.

The Dead Zone follows the lives of Johnny Smith, a high school teacher in Maine who suffered an accident as a child that planted a seed for future events, and Greg Stillson, a door-to-door salesman with grand ambitions.

Johnny and Stillson’s paths cross after Johnny suffers an accident that leaves him in a coma for over five years. He realizes he must thwart Stillson’s ambitions at any cost.

What I love about King’s books is the character building. In The Dead Zone, King brilliantly builds Johnny and Stillson’s characters. What Johnny loses in his five years in the coma, along with Stillson’s growing ambitions, drives the narrative to the heartfelt climax.

If you are curious to check out Stephen King’s works but aren’t a horror fan, this is a solid book to choose for your first read.

Movie of the Week:

The Last Samurai

One of my favorite screenwriters is John Logan. He is the creator/writer of Penny Dreadful and the writer of Skyfall, Hugo, Rango, Sweeny Todd, and Gladiator (among others).

The film follows a US Army veteran who gets hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in modern warfare and quell the samurai, who are viewed as relics of the past that impede Japan’s westernization.

The veteran, played by Tom Cruise — (spoiler alert) — is captured by the samurai. The film follows his journey as he ends up being saved by the culture he was hired to destroy.

The film was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Ken Watanabe.

While it’s hard to choose from Logan’s excellent filmography, and I will cop out and not pick a favorite, The Last Samurai competes for the top spot. I highly recommend it.

Brainfood of the Week:

An Antidote to Dissatisfaction | Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell

I recently stumbled upon Kurzgesagt’s YouTube channel and can’t recommend it highly enough. They are “a team of illustrators, animators, number crunchers, and one dog who aim to spark curiosity about science and the world we live in.”

This video starts by discussing how it’s easy to slip into thoughts of scarcity, inferiority, and negative comparison and how researchers have looked into how to counteract these impulses in the last twenty years.

One of the strongest predictors of how happy people are, how easily they make friends, and how good they are at dealing with hardship is gratitude.

How you experience life is a representation of what you believe about it. If you attack your core beliefs about yourself and your life, you can change your thoughts and feelings, which automatically changes your behavior.

The above points are just a few of my favorite picks from the video, but its breakdown of gratitude, its evolution, and how to practice it make the video well worth watching.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For whoever is grateful, it is only for their own good.”

– Surah Luqman 31:12

This Quran passage discusses gratitude to God. However, I don’t think it is necessarily solely limited to a creator; it can encompass what God can represent.

Being grateful for love, your fellow humans, nature, life, etc, all fall under the umbrella of what God represents.

For me, the key point of this passage is the focus on gratitude. Cultivating a habit of gratitude can only be beneficial.

Operating from a perspective of gratitude allows you to see the good in any situation. That doesn’t mean you ignore bad things, but you can always look to the good after you’ve handled or processed the bad.

Practice gratitude, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Drew Alexander Ross Posts

Sunday Supplements

Guide Page

Blake Lively, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Free Guy, David Goggins, and a Dhammapada Verse

Sunday Supplement #155 (April 28th, 2024)

Quote of the Week:

Book of the Week:

Movie of the Week:

Brainfood of the Week:

Closing Spiritual Passage:

Pablo Picasso, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions, Legally Blonde, Luis von Ahn, and an African Proverb

Sunday Supplement #154 (April 21st, 2024)

Quote of the Week:

Book of the Week:

Movie of the Week:

Brainfood of the Week:

Closing Spiritual Passage:

Ernest Hemingway, Our Man in Havana, Hamilton, Dr. Russ Harris, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Sunday Supplement #153 (April 14th, 2024)

Quote of the Week:

Book of the Week:

Movie of the Week:

Brainfood of the Week:

Closing Spiritual Passage:

Michael J. Fox, Fahrenheit 451, Philadelphia, Sadhguru, and a Japanese Proverb

Sunday Supplement #152 (April 7th, 2024)

Quote of the Week:

Book of the Week:

Movie of the Week:

Brainfood of the Week:

Closing Spiritual Passage:

John F. Kennedy, The Dead Zone, The Last Samurai, Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell, and a Quran Passage

Sunday Supplement #151 (March 31st, 2024)

Quote of the Week:

Book of the Week:

Movie of the Week:

Brainfood of the Week:

Closing Spiritual Passage: