Sunday Supplement #134 (December 3rd, 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:
“We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate; it oppresses.”
– Carl Jung
Book of the Week:
Timeline – Michael Crichton
Michael Crichton was a legendary author and writer. He wrote 28 novels, and his books have sold over 200 million copies. He also wrote and directed a few films and was the creator of ER.
Crichton’s most famous work is probably Jurassic Park; however, my favorite novel of his is probably Timeline.
Timeline tells the story of a group of history students who travel to 14th-century France to rescue their professor.
The students get wrapped in the workings of a secretive multinational corporation after they find an astounding discovery at a medieval site. What started as a rescue mission turned into a fight for survival over 600 years ago.
Timeline was made into a campy 2003 film starring Paul Walker, Frances O’Connor, and Gerard Butler. While it’s a fun watch, the book is lightyears better, and I recommend it for a fun read.
Movie of the Week:
I only recently saw Fiddler on the Roof, and it’s always an amazing experience to see a classic in Cinema and find that it stands the test of time.
The story follows a Jewish peasant with traditional values in pre-revolutionary Russia who contends with marrying off three of his daughters with modern romantic ideals while growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatens the village.
I’m not a huge musical fan, but the songs and numbers in Fiddler on the Roof were excellently crafted to further the story in a dramatic fashion.
The film won three Oscars (Best Music, Best Sound, and Best Cinematography) and was nominated for another five, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director.
If you haven’t seen Fiddler on the Roof, you’ve probably inadvertently come across many references to the film. It’s a classic in Cinema history for a reason.
Brainfood of the Week:
Change Your Brain: Neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman | Rich Roll Podcast
I’ve featured Rich Roll in a few previous Sunday Supplements, both as an interviewer and an interviewee.
Roll is a vegan ultra-endurance athlete who changed his life at 40 after struggling with drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy living. His podcast has been consistently among the most downloaded/listened to podcasts in recent years.
In this episode, Roll interviews neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman. I just recently featured Huberman’s podcast in Sunday Supplement #131, but this episode was worth another highlight.
Huberman discusses the process of decision-making, addiction, and much more in this episode. The link starts halfway through the episode at a point I think makes a good hook.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Indeed, Allah will not change the condition of a people until they change what is in themselves.”
– Quran 13:11
I haven’t repeated a spiritual passage in a Sunday Supplement until this one. I first highlighted this Quran passage in Sunday Supplement #22 in another post about change.
For me, this passage speaks to the necessity to change ourselves first before we can expect things around us to change.
I often think of the metaphor of butting your head into a brick wall when you could find another way around.
Sometimes, you need to break down walls, but reflecting on how you can change yourself first can be the best answer to getting unstuck from a negative perspective.
Look for ways to change yourself that will improve your life, and have a blessed week ahead!