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Drew Alexander Ross Posts

Susan Sontag, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Boyhood, Eckhart Tolle, and a Quran Passage

Susan Sontag, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Boyhood, Eckhart Tolle, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on September 8, 2024

Sunday Supplement #174 (September 8th, 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:

“Compassion is an unstable emotion. It needs to be translated into action, or it withers.”

– Susan Sontag

Book of the Week:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a well-known work of English literature and a pivotal book in the history of the gothic/horror genre.

The novella, published in 1886, follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates the connection between a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde and Utterson’s friend Dr. Henry Jekyll.

Utterson believes that Mr. Hyde is blackmailing Dr. Jekyll after Jekyll covers for the brutal acts of the murderer.

Finding a work of art that lasts for decades or centuries is a beautiful experience. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stevenson’s novella and highly recommend it.

Movie of the Week:

Boyhood

Richard Linklater’s 2014 film Boyhood depicts the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr., from ages six to 18, as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents.

Linklater filmed the movie from 2002 to 2013. The project began without a completed script, and Linklater allowed all pivotal actors to participate in the writing process to help incorporate their experiences into their characters’ stories.

Ellar Coltrane portrayed Mason, Ethan Hawke portrayed Mason’s dad, Patricia Arquette portrayed Mason’s mom, and Lorelei Linklater portrayed Mason’s sister. Each had a phenomenal performance.

Boyhood was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year. Arquette won for Best Performance of an Actress in a Supporting Role.

When I first saw it, it felt like a unique experience in Cinema history. The story, acting, and directing are brilliant. It’s almost three hours long and well worth the watch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Guide to Overcoming People Pleasing | Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher, public speaker, and bestselling author. I’ve featured some of his videos and books in previous Sunday Supplements.

In this video, Tolle answers a question from an audience member about growing in a different (spiritual) direction than a family member and how to handle that situation.

Tolle states our happiness or fulfillment does not depend on any other human’s acceptance of who we are.

Tolle explains how conditions of society and environments can lead to judgments of others. He encourages understanding, compassion, and acceptance.

If you enjoy the video, check out some of the other posts where I’ve featured his work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Indeed, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.”

– Surah Al-Ankabut 29:69

This passage from the Quran is an interesting litmus test for determining whether one’s actions qualify for God’s approval.

Many religious messages are twisted by those who claim to be followers to justify their actions or what they think is righteous and good.

I think we must reflect on our thoughts and actions and ensure they align with what is righteous and what is good.

Many different verses and passages from various religions speak about righteousness and goodness. Seek those sources that help you be your best self.


Have compassion for yourself and others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Angela Duckworth, The War of the Worlds, The Hunt, The Art of Improvement, and a Bhagavad Gita Verse

Angela Duckworth, The War of the Worlds, The Hunt, The Art of Improvement, and a Bhagavad Gita Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on September 1, 2024

Sunday Supplement #173 (September 1st, 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:

“Enthusiasm is common. Endurance is rare.”

– Angela Duckworth

Book of the Week:

The War of the Worlds – H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells was a prolific writer with over fifty novels and dozens of short stories. His famous book The War of the Worlds was serialized in 1987 Pearson’s Magazine and Cosmopolitan.

The novel follows the first-person narrative of an unnamed protagonist and his younger brother as Martians invade southern England.

As the aliens move across the country in huge three-legged machines, they incinerate those in their path with a heat ray and toxic gasses.

The War of the Worlds is one of the first novels to depict a conflict between humans and extraterrestrials.

H.G. Wells’s science fiction classic has never been out of print and has been adapted into many different mediums, including the famous radio drama by Orson Welles.

Movie of the Week:

The Hunt

The Hunt, directed by Thomas Vinterberg and written by Vinterberg and Tobias Lindholm, currently ranks at #95 on IMDb’s Top 250 movies list.

Mads Mikkelsen stars in this Danish film about a teacher living a solitary life while struggling over his son’s custody.

The teacher’s life slowly improves as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but the new boost is shattered when an innocent little lie gets loose.

The Hunt was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at the 2014 Academy Awards. It is an upsetting story, but it is well done and worth watching.

Brainfood of the Week:

Ten Ways to Build and Develop Resilience | The Art of Improvement

This The Art of Improvement video starts by stating that we all encounter hardships and that we can either let them swallow us up or make the best of them.

Resilience is the ability to pick yourself back up and move forward after tragedy or challenges—deciding not to quit. 

The Art of Improvement explains that resilience is a skill, not an innate ability. It must be built up and developed over time through mindset shifts, practice, and healthy habits.

The video then highlights ten ways to build and develop resilience. Two of my favorite tips are to be proactive about problems and to change your mindset about adversity.

I’ve featured The Art of Improvement in a few previous Sunday Supplements. Their videos focus on helping viewers learn how to better themselves and be more productive.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“And that determination which cannot go beyond dreaming, fearfulness, lamentation, moroseness, and illusion— such unintelligent determination is the mode of darkness.”

– Bhagavad Gita 18:35

This Bhagavad Gita passage is an interesting insight into how we can determinately get lost in our own negativity.

We often stumble or find ourselves facing adverse situations. In those moments, it can be easy to drop your head or to think of past failures.

This Bhagavad Gita verse reminds us that this way of thinking is lost in emotion and will only lead us to darker places.

We must pay attention to our emotions but find balance and remind ourselves that we can take action to improve our situation.


Find the right mode of resilience, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Andrew Grove, Surrounded by Idiots, Notting Hill, Katherine Hampsten, and a Bible Passage

Andrew Grove, Surrounded by Idiots, Notting Hill, Katherine Hampsten, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 25, 2024

Sunday Supplement #172 (August 25th, 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:

“How well we communicate is not determined by how well we say things but how well we are understood.”

– Andrew Grove

Book of the Week:

Surrounded by Idiots – Thomas Erikson

Thomas Erikson is a behavioral expert, lecturer, and bestselling author. He has worked with executives and managers at companies such as IKEA, Microsoft, and Coca-Cola.

Erikson’s book Surrounded by Idiots was published in 2014 in Sweden and has sold over three million copies worldwide.

The Western title of Erikson’s novel, Surrounded by Idiots, almost threw me off from buying it. However, the book quickly explains that the title is intended to show how we can brush people off when we don’t understand them.

Erikson breaks down the four behavior types (Red, Yellow, Green, and Blue) that make up most people and explains how each type of person has different tendencies in how they function.

I found the book extremely practical for learning about yourself and the best ways to communicate with others.

Movie of the Week:

Notting Hill

The Roger Michell directed Richard Curtis written Notting Hill is one of my all-time favorite romantic comedy movies.

The film follows Hugh Grant’s character William Thacker and his life post-divorce as he runs his travel book shop on the famous Portobello Road Market in London, England.

One day, a famous American actress, Anna Scott, played by Julia Roberts, enters his shop, resulting in a chance encounter that sparks a bond.

Chances are you’ve heard Notting Hill’s iconic line referenced somewhere, but I won’t spoil it here. The film is a fantastic watch with a lot of laughs and a lot of heart. Check it out.

Brainfood of the Week:

How Miscommunication Happens – Katherine Hampsten | TED-Ed

Katherine Hampsten, Ph. D., is a professor of communication studies at St. Mary’s University. Her papers have received recognition from the National Communication Association.

In this TED-Ed video, Hampsten describes why miscommunication occurs so frequently and how we can minimize frustration while better expressing ourselves.

Hampsten explains how our subjective lenses and perceptual filters continually shift meanings and interpretations in our conversations.

A basic understanding of what happens when we communicate can help prevent miscommunication, and Hampsten goes over four ways to help navigate daily communication.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.”

– James 1:19

This Bible passage is a good reminder for me to focus on listening and responding rather than blabbing and reacting when communicating.

I think it can be easy to fall into the trap of getting excited about what you want to say or getting bored when someone’s speaking because you want to share something or aren’t fully engaged with the other person.

Sometimes, it may just be a bad conversation, but if we are interested in communicating with others, we need to hold space for understanding.

This also helps regarding the above verse’s call to be slow to anger. If we are looking to understand, we shouldn’t close ourselves off to different points of view.


Seek to understand and be understood in communication, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Michael Jordan, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Illusionist, Quirkology, and an African Proverb

Michael Jordan, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Illusionist, Quirkology, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 18, 2024

Sunday Supplement #171 (August 18th, 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:

“Limits like fear are often just an illusion.”

– Michael Jordan

Book of the Week:

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd – Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is one of the best-selling fiction writers of all time, with over 2 billion works sold from 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is one of her most famous novels. The novel’s point of view character is Dr. Sheppard of the English country village of King’s Abbot.

Dr. Sheppard recounts being called to certify the death of a wealthy widow who committed suicide a year after her abusive husband’s demise. Twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd, the man she planned to marry, gets murdered.

Recently retired Belgian detective Hercule Poirot takes up the case and uses his “little grey cells” to solve the case.

If you enjoy The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, check out any of Christie’s novels. I’ve read about twenty of them, all of which were excellent. I also featured one of the film adaptations of her novels in my first Sunday Supplement. 

Movie of the Week:

The Illusionist

Director/writer Neil Burger’s The Illusionist was adapted from the short story “Eisenheim the Illusionist” by Steven Milhauser.

The film follows the story of Eisenheim and Princess Sophie. In late-1800s Vienna, the son of a carpenter falls in love with Princess Sophie. 

Because of their class difference, they are separated. Eisenheim then disappears to pursue his passion for magic. He returns years later, and the two cross paths again, but Sophie is betrothed to the Crown Prince Leopold.

The Illusionist is a fantastic film. Ed Norton stars as Eisenheim, with standout supporting performances from Rufus Sewell, Jessica Biel, and Paul Giamatti. I highly recommend it.

Brainfood of the Week:

10 Amazing Illusions | Quirkology

I wrote about the theme of illusion in one previous post, Sunday Supplement #94, and featured an illusion video for the Brainfood of the Week.

In my YouTube browsing, I came across this video from Quirkology and thought it worth sharing. Psychologist, author, and magician Richard Wiseman created the channel. 

The video has some fun illusions worth checking out. One spoiler is that the last one can leave you a little dizzy.

I found the video a fun reminder that things aren’t always as they appear to be. Sometimes, it can be fun to be tricked, but it can also be beneficial not to make assumptions.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Examine what is said, not who is speaking.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb is a powerful reminder not to get caught in the illusion of a speaker over their words.

Many people can make confident claims about various topics, but it is up to you to vet what they are saying.

Conversely, someone you believe can add no value to your life might say something with great wisdom.


Don’t find yourself stuck or led astray by illusions, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Omar Khayyam, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Perfect Days, Einzelgänger, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Omar Khayyam, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Perfect Days, Einzelgänger, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 11, 2024

Sunday Supplement #170 (August 11th, 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:

“Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.”

– Omar Khayyam

Book of the Week:

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance – Robert M. Pirsig

Robert M. Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a fictionalized autobiography of a 17-day motorbike journey with his son in 1968.

During the trip, the father examines how we live as a species and meditates on the meaning of quality. He recounts an earlier form of himself’s pursuits of this information and how he views the experience of life at the present moment.

Pirsig’s book is dense, and I recommend it only for those interested in tackling a challenging read.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance received 121 rejections before being accepted by a publisher who didn’t believe the book would sell. It’s sold over 5 million copies so far.

Movie of the Week:

Perfect Days

The Wim Wenders film written by Takuma Takasaki and Wenders follows the life of Hiriyama, a man who cleans public toilets in Tokyo, lives a life in simplicity, and encounters that lead him to reflect on himself.

I found it a slow-burn story with a powerful reflection of life. Sometimes, people watch movies for intense action with extreme highs and despairing lows. This isn’t that kind of movie.

Koji Yakusho portrays Hiriyama brilliantly, embodying a man who finds tranquility and beauty in his simple existence yet doesn’t block out the sadness and frustrations of life.

Perfect Days was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Yakusho won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s a film worth checking out for those whose interest has been piqued.

Brainfood of the Week:

Don’t Worry, Everything is Out of Control | Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger’s YouTube channel creates videos that explore different people and ideas of history with the aim of inspiring, resonating, and entertaining.

In this video, Einzelgänger discusses how our busy lives can lead to stress, exhaustion, and burnout, which can cause illness and depression. He then highlights Taoist writings that offer solutions that can help relieve stress.

There are five different Taoist antidotes Einzelgänger goes over in the video. The two I’ll preview here are to stop looking for happiness and the internal law.

The video explains how worrying about getting or not getting happiness leads us to forever look outside of ourselves for it. The internal law explains how it’s not the world that decides how we feel; it’s our minds.

I’ve featured Einzelgänger’s channel in previous Sunday Supplements. If you enjoyed this video, check out the other posts or his channel on YouTube.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Nature doesn’t make long speeches. A whirlwind doesn’t last all morning. A cloudburst doesn’t last all day. Who makes the wind and rain? Heaven and earth do. If heaven and earth don’t go on and on, certainly people don’t need to.”

– Tao Te Ching (Verse 23)

The Tao Te Ching is a central Taoist text associated with the philosopher Lao Tzu. Taoism holds that humans should live in balance with the universe (the Tao – the Way).

In this verse of the Tao Te Ching, I’m reminded to live in the moment. We can often get lost in thoughts of the past or worries of the future, but our world exists in the present.

I don’t believe we should completely ignore the past and future. Gathering clouds can be plans for the future, and storms can leave destruction in their path to remember them by.

However, this verse reminds us not to dwell too long on events outside our immediate control. It’s nice to connect to the moment you’re in.


Remember to ground yourself in the present moment when you’ve been caught up in a narrative that has pulled you away from it, and have a blessed week ahead!

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