Sunday Supplement #114 (July 16th, 2023)
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:
“Whatever you do, do with determination. You have one life to live; do your work with passion and give your best. Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor, or a mother, be passionate to get the best result.”
– Alia Bhatt
Book of the Week:
Gwendy’s Button Box – Stephen King and Richard Chizmar
It’s been a few months since I featured a Stephen King novel, but since this week’s theme is about passion, I want to highlight Gwendy’s Button Box.
Most people assume King is strictly a horror offer. This novel, written with Richard Chizmar, is a brilliant coming-of-age tale about Gwendy Peterson.
The novel starts with twelve-year-old Gwendy exercising on the local Suicide Stairs of Castle Rock when a mysterious man presents Gwendy with a magical button box.
Gwendy is tasked with protecting the box and must battle the temptation to test the dangerous contents the box holds.
King is a brilliant author and crafts a wonderful small-town tale. His work fires my passion for literature and writing, and I highly recommend his work.
Movie of the Week:
Poker became a mainstream game in the last twenty years, and Rounders was one of the first movies to feature the game and its underground world.
David Levien and Brian Koppelman wrote the script about a young, reformed gambler who must return to playing high-stakes poker to help a friend pay off a debt while trying to balance his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school.
Matt Damon and Edward Norton star in the film, and the supporting cast features terrific performances from John Turturro, John Malkovich, Martin Landau, and Gretchen Mol.
John Daly directed the film that remains a legacy in the poker world and is still a brilliant story and excellent film.
Brainfood of the Week:
How To Find Your Passion | Improvement Pill
This video starts by debunking the assumption that only one thing can be our passion. The truth is that many things can be your passion. You can have more than one.
The two things you need to do to discover your passions. The first is that you must change where you get your dopamine from.
Dopamine is the chemical released by our brain that motivates us to do something. It is accompanied by pleasure and is easy to get from outside substances.
If we receive our dopamine from outside sources, we are less likely to pursue activities that naturally release the chemical in our bodies.
Check out the video to see the rest of the breakdown. And I’ve also featured Improvement Pill in other previous Sunday Supplements. Their videos are excellent sources of knowledge.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Beginning is easy; continuing is hard.”
– Japanese Proverb
This Japanese Proverb is a straightforward message that highlights how it’s easy to take the first steps, but it’s challenging to finish the journey.
For me, knowing that the journey is hard allows you to embrace the challenges that come along the way.
If you know something will be hard, you won’t be surprised when you encounter obstacles. Instead, you can expect them and be in the right mind space to take them on when they come.
I enjoy proverbs like these because they remind you what you’re getting into. If you know that and still want to take on the challenges, you’re on the right path.
Pursue your passions, don’t give up, and have a blessed week ahead!
I had no idea that King wrote anything other than horror! This story sounds a bit reminiscent of Pandora’s box and I’m going to see if my library has this one. Loved the Japanese proverb too (so true)! Great post Drew! I hope you have a wonderful week!
He’s got quite a few novels that aren’t horror. I think they’re some of his best too. I think you’ll like this one if you check it out!
Thanks for reading and commenting, Jodie!