Sunday Supplement #47 (April 3rd, 2022)
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.
I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!
Quote of the Week:
“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.”
– Victor Kiam
Book of the Week:
The Pillars of the Earth – Ken Follett
Ken Follett found success as an author in the spy thriller genre. He gradually built his career over the course of a few years in the mid-1970s before becoming an international bestseller.
After a decade of building up his name in the spy thriller genre, Follett wanted to write an epic historical fiction novel.
The Pillars of the Earth focuses on the fictional town of Kingsbridge, England, set in the 12th century. It follows a monk and a man’s dream of building the greatest cathedral in the world.
While the main focus is on the characters involved with Kingsbridge, the novel’s backdrop is the war of succession in English history known as the Anarchy.
Follett brilliantly crafted a story that weaved in fictional characters with a fascinating point in English history. He also captured the development of Gothic architecture from Romanesque architecture with the construction of the church.
After solely writing and having great success in the spy thriller genre, Follett’s venture into an almost thousand-page historical epic was a risky move.
The Pillars of the Earth has sold more the 25 million copies, so it’s safe to say Follett’s bold move worked.
Movie of the Week:
The trues story around Moneyball is a fascinating insight into the technological evolution involved in sports.
Oakland Athletics’ general manager Billy Beane looked to statistical analysis promoted by Paul DePodesta (Peter Brand in the film) to assemble a competitive team with limited funds.
The movie follows the Athletics’ 2002 season as Beane and Brand look to overturn baseball’s history of scouting by making decisions based on statistical models.
Brad Pitt stars as Beane, and Jonah Hill steps up in one of his first dramatic roles as Brand. Both performances are supported by the brilliant script from Aaron Sorkin and Steve Zaillian.
The film received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Pitt, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for Hill.
While the movie’s description may suggest that you have to be a baseball fan to enjoy it, the story has enough quality for an enjoyable watch regardless of allegiances.
Brainfood of the Week:
Success Requires Patience and Persistence | Jim Rohn
Jim Rohn was a businessman whose success ultimately led to others asking him to speak at events or hold seminars.
Rohn then went on to develop his self-development business. In Sunday Supplement #30, I featured a Tony Robbins book. Robbins’ teacher was Jim Rohn.
This video is presented by the YouTube channel Motivational Stories. They aim to share lessons taught by great men and women in the form of small digestible videos.
In this clip, Jim Rohn discusses two qualities that can increase your chances of success: patience and persistence.
He describes patience as learning to handle the passing of time. It takes time to accomplish many great things, and it also takes time to change yourself.
Rohn highlights the importance of going easy on yourself as you make your journey in life. He states that lack of patience is the worst enemy of ambition.
In the video, Rohn then explains the key pointers in patience and persistence. He finishes the speech by saying the greatest gift you can give to yourself and others is personal development.
Check out the video and see if any of the information calls to you. It’s worth taking a look.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Those will be given their reward twice for what they patiently endured.”
– Surah Al-Qasas 28:54
This passage from the Quran reminds me of how there are always different ways to learn from any situation.
On the surface, I know that when you’ve worked hard to achieve something and finally reach that goal, the bliss from getting there can be even greater, knowing the process you endured.
However, I find an even greater benefit from looking back at your work and seeing that you got there in the end.
The lesson I take from this is knowing that things work out and the dots will connect when you look back.
After seeing this, I can move forward and know that I will get to the destination as long as I put one foot in front of the other.
Keep moving forward on your journey, and have a blessed week ahead!
Thank you for these beautiful, inspiring and motivating suggestions. Patience, perseverance, innovation, faith and lessons from the past do indeed contribute to personal growth. If we take the time to make room for them in our lives, our inner transformation will be great and our impact around us will be positive.
Completely agree! Thank you for the kind words 🙂