Tag: Academy Awards

Alphonse Karr, Discipline Equals Freedom, Flight, Eckhart Tolle, and an African Proverb

Alphonse Karr, Discipline Equals Freedom, Flight, Eckhart Tolle, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 6, 2022

Sunday Supplement #39 (February 6th, 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:

“Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses.”

– Alphonse Karr

Book of the Week:

Discipline Equals Freedom – Jocko Willink

Jocko Willink is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, host of a top-rated podcast, and co-founder of a multimillion-dollar leadership and management company.

Before Willink moved onto these areas in his life, he spent the majority of his adulthood as a Navy SEAL. In Discipline Equals Freedom, he describes the mental and physical disciplines he learned that allowed him to create freedom in his life.

The self-help book is written in a field manual style with short essays on the obstacles of achieving ownership of your life and how to overcome those barriers.

I came across Jocko Willink in a Tim Ferriss podcast episode and didn’t enjoy it much. Years later, I saw him in another interview and heard him talk about how the lessons he learned in recent years and being a father changed many of his attitudes toward things. This reflection made me curious to check out some of his work.

Discipline Equals Freedom might not be for everyone. There are a few elements of the book that I won’t incorporate into my life. However, there were nuggets of wisdom that stuck out brilliantly.

One of the chapters emphasized the power of saying “good” to an initially perceived negative situation so that you can find the positive or the lesson hidden in it. I’m working on including that in my everyday life.

Check Willink out to see if he’s someone you can vibe with, and if so, give his books or his podcast a chance.

Movie of the Week:

Flight

Flight follows an alcoholic airline pilot who saves almost every passenger and crew member on a malfunctioning aircraft destined to crash. A subsequent investigation into the accident beings to question if there was anything amiss with the state of the pilot.

Writer John Gatins worked on the script for ten years before it eventually got made. Denzel Washington starred as the pilot, and Robert Zemeckis expertly directed the movie with a surprisingly low budget of $31 million. Both Washington and Zemeckis took a massive pay cut to get the film made.

The movie received two Academy Award nominations, one for Best Actor in a Leading Role (Washington) and one for Best Writing – Original Screenplay (Gatins). Many good films came out in 2012, but Flight arguably should have received more Oscar recognition.

The film received some criticism for its portrayal of pilots and the physics of flying a plane, but it received many plaudits for its depiction of alcoholism.

Flight is rated R and has some intense scenes, but it tells a remarkable story in an extraordinary way.

Brainfood of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z6WfKS_edY&list=WL&index=61

How Presence Helps You Face Life’s Challenges | Eckhart Tolle

This post marks the fourth time I’ve picked an Eckhart Tolle video for the week’s Sunday Supplement. Check out Sunday Supplement #7 if you want more background on Tolle and a recommendation for a long-form podcast interview with him.

The bestselling self-help author explains the exact benefit of being present when facing life’s challenges in this video.

Tolle discusses how external events can cause challenges, but a greater part of challenges are due to the unobserved mind. Your mind can create a narrative around external circumstances, and much unhappiness is caused by dysfunctional narratives.

When the unobserved mind takes over, you cannot separate what is actually happening from your interpretation of what is happening.

Tolle then discusses the awareness and alertness of being in situations and not judging them. You are just seeing what is happening and accepting it or deciding how you want to respond.

The video wraps up with some examples that show how everyday little challenges can help build your awareness.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Every misfortune is a blessing.”

– African Proverb

This African Proverb reminds me of the power of looking for different perspectives after experiencing situations that leave you disappointed, depressed, upset, or lost.

I don’t think emotions should be suppressed, but I believe after we’ve acknowledged our feelings and let them process, we can decide how we view what happened.

On one level, things will always be sad or cruel, but there is always a perspective where you can find a blessing in what happened.

Maybe after loss, it’s having an appreciation for those around you and forming closer bonds with those people. For anger, maybe it’s a chance for letting go. And with disappointment, it could be knowing you did your best the opportunity to try again or for something else.

I don’t always have the composure at the moment to find the blessing in misfortune, and sometimes it takes a while for me to pick myself up. However, quotes like these remind me of the opportunity to find the good in our lives.

Reframe something you perceived as unfavorable, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Pythagoras, The Four Agreements, Dead Poets Society, Jordan Peterson, and Lamentations 3:40

Pythagoras, The Four Agreements, Dead Poets Society, Jordan Peterson, and Lamentations 3:40

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 30, 2022

Sunday Supplement #38 (January 30th, 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:

“No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself. No man is free who cannot command himself.”

– Pythagoras

Book of the Week:

The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

Don Miguel Ruiz was born to parents who belonged to the Toltecs of Mexico. Rather than follows his family’s footsteps in the traditions of the Toltecs, Miguel chose to attend medical school and become a surgeon.

However, after a near-death experience, Ruiz devoted himself to the mastery of the ancient ancestral wisdom of the Toltecs and later on decided to pass on the knowledge he learned.

The Four Agreements has spent over a decade on The New York Times bestseller list.

Ruiz’s personal growth/self-help book is a wonderful journey that explores the highest principles in the Toltec teachings.

The book breaks down and discusses the four agreements: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best. Ruiz explains each agreement and has other chapters that help introduce and support the teachings and how to apply them to everyday life.

There are elements of spirituality in the book that might not align with everyone’s practices, but the roots of the lessons Ruiz writes about can apply to everyone. Each agreement shows the reader a helpful way of viewing themselves and the world around them.

The Four Agreements is a short read but a powerful one. It’s well worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Dead Poets Society

The 1989 film Dead Poets Society only won one Academy Award, but it is a movie that resonates beyond the year it came out.

The film follows maverick teacher John Keating, who takes the position of poetry teacher at an all-boys boarding school. The students at Welton Academy are expected to excel in their studies and become future lawyers and doctors. Keating encourages his students to pursue what fills them with joy, against the wishes of some parents and other faculty.

Robin Williams stars at John Keating. I’ve mentioned Williams’ work in Sunday Supplement #23 and Sunday Supplement #36, and a worthy movie list could include most of the late actor’s work.

In Dead Poets Society, Williams shines in one of his best roles. His improvisation skills are impeccable, and the film’s message is exemplified in his acting.

The film received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Acting in a Leading Role. It only won for Best Writing – Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen but arguably should have won at least one more.

Check out the movie if it sounds like something you’d enjoy, and see what categories you think it should have won.

Brainfood of the Week:

Jordan Peterson’s interview on The Tim Ferriss Show

Jordan Peterson is a controversial figure in some circles, but his views on most subjects are worth a listen even if you end up not agreeing with him.

Peterson is a clinical psychologist, professor at the University of Toronto, and author of three bestselling self-help books and more than one hundred scientific papers that have transformed the modern understanding of personality.

I’ve highlighted five other Tim Ferriss interviews in the Sunday Supplements, and that is because I think he is one of the best hosts for the medium of interview podcasts.

Tim and Jordan discuss mythology, the Bible, mental health, and much more in this interview. One of my favorite parts of the interview is when Peterson challenges Ferriss’ views on psychedelics. This part of the interview raised valid points for both sides and exemplified a healthy way to debate.

There are many grains of wisdom in this interview, and with a grain of salt, there is a lot to learn from Jordan Peterson.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”

– Lamentations 3:40

I didn’t have the healthiest exposure to Christianity as a kid (Catholic school), but I’m happy to find dissect and learn from the teachings in the Bible years later. The nuggets of wisdom in the religions and spiritual practices of the world are amazing.

I’m reminded of the necessity and usefulness of reflecting on our practices and beliefs in this passage. And for the second part of the passage, I believe it represents returning to love.

When I combine the two statements, I’m left with contemplating my actions and seeing if they align with love.

I think many religions and spiritual practices can be disfigured their interpretations, but when I find verses like this one, I’m reminded of how much wisdom is between the lines.

Some of the Bible’s passages are simple and profound. This one helps me remember to reflect and make sure I’m aligned with love.

Allow your actions to come from a place of love, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Brené Brown, The War of Art, Slumdog Millionaire, Weiyang Xie, and a Rig Veda Passage

Brené Brown, The War of Art, Slumdog Millionaire, Weiyang Xie, and a Rig Veda Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 23, 2022

Sunday Supplement #37 (January 23rd, 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:

“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”

– Brené Brown

Book of the Week:

The War of Art – Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield’s life story is incredible. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, while his father was stationed in the Navy in 1943. Pressfield graduated from Duke University and joined the Marine Corps afterward.

After his tour in the service, Pressfield bounced around between jobs like advertising copywriter, tractor-trailer driver, oilfield roustabout, and fruit picker. He finally found his calling as an author and screenwriter but experienced periods of homelessness and living out of the back of his car while pursuing his writing career.

In The War of Art, Pressfield details the obstacles he faced in his life and how they led him to find and follow his passion for writing. His book breaks down into three parts: Resistance, Combatting Resistance, and Beyond Resistance. In each section, he titles an example of how each topic can manifest and provides short blurbs of explanation.

The non-fiction/self-help book divides opinions for most readers, but it has a 3.98 rating out of 5 on Goodreads, with over 85,000 reviews. Pressfield is most famous for his novels The Legend of Bagger Vance and Gates of Fire, a book about the Battle of Thermopylae studied at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy.

The War of Art might not be for everybody, but it is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Slumdog Millionaire

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire narrates the story of an orphan Mumbai teenager who’s a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire as he gets accused of cheating after answering each question correctly.

While the teenager, Jamal, faces each question, he recalls portions of his life story that explain how he knew the answer.

The 2008 film won eight Oscars, including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing for Boyle, and Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay for Simon Beaufoy.

Leading man Dev Patel missed out on an Academy Award nomination for his performance, but moviegoers and film-lovers didn’t overlook his acting abilities. Patel has gone on to star in many acclaimed movies since his feature debut, including films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Green Knight, and his Oscar-nominated performance in Lion.

Slumdog Millionaire shows the negativity, oppression, criticism, and bribery Patel faces in his stint on the famous show. The ultimate result of his perseverance is a reminder of the blessings of our life’s journeys and what they can teach us.

Brainfood of the Week:

TEDx Talks | Dare to Rewire Your Brain for Self-Compassion | Weiyang Xie

Weiyang Xie is a Staff Psychologist at the University Counseling Center at Notre Dame. When she first came to the US as an international student, she faced adjustment issues, self-doubt, and struggled with anxiety. These issues carried over to her professional life.

Xie’s negative self-talk took over and became overwhelming. She felt trapped in her anxiety and believed that she couldn’t reach her potential. Xie started to look into how this situation developed and found a common component in people’s anxiety being shame.

In this TEDx Talks, Xie discusses the causes and effects of shame in people’s lives and her journey of discovery in this field. She focuses on how neurobiological studies on shame revealed how neural pathways form from the repetition of habitual negative self-talk.

Xie then explains how we can resolve the emotional status quo. Research proves that being compassionate to yourself improves emotional resilience and psychological well-being. This practice helps reduce cortisol levels and lower the levels of depression and anxiety.

Beginning practices like noticing negative self-talk and combatting it with self-compassion can remove the previous mental programming and replace it with healthier thought habits. Motivating yourself through positive self-talk and embracing being a work in progress helps bring positivity for the future.

Xie closes the talk by stating that whatever you are saying to yourself, you listen. Developing positive self-talk is crucial for mental health and well-being.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“The human body is the temple of God. One who kindles the light of awareness within gets true light. The sacred flame of your inner shrine is constantly bright. The experience of unity is the fulfillment of human endeavors. The mysteries of life are revealed.”

– A Rig Veda Passage

Many different religions and spiritual practices talk about the light within. For me, this passage from the Rig Veda exemplifies this notion and gives a roadmap for finding that brilliance.

The message starts with the acknowledgment of our bodies holding spiritual power. Whether you believe in God or not, or something else entirely, the body is a miraculous being.

The Rig Veda passage then reveals that listening to your heart and body allows for true light, true knowledge.

There are many ways to translate this passage or gain meaning from the words. It sparks recognition of following your heart and gut and doing your best. When I am in tune with these elements, I find myself happy and with no regrets.

Regardless of spiritual leanings, becoming attuned with your heart and body is something worth cultivating. This passage from the Rig Veda is a brilliant guide and reminder of this practice.

Listen to your heart, be kind to yourself, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Anne Frank, The Obstacle is the Way, Mrs. Doubtfire, Absolute Motivation, and a Japanese Proverb

Anne Frank, The Obstacle is the Way, Mrs. Doubtfire, Absolute Motivation, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 16, 2022

Sunday Supplement #36 (January 16th, 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:

“Whoever is happy will make others happy too.”

– Anne Frank

Book of the Week:

The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday dropped out of college at 19 to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power. Holiday went on to advise multiplatinum musicians and bestselling authors. He is a media strategist and bestselling author whose campaigns have been used as case studies by Google, YouTube, and Twitter.

The Obstacle is the Way is Holidays bestselling book that breaks down Stoicism and the principles laid down by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

The book breaks down into three parts. The first discusses and analyses perception. The second focuses on action. And the third highlights will. Each has specific components that showcase the value of each term and how others used them to make their lives better.

The book’s subheading reads The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.

Holiday’s guide to Stoicism with examples of the famous people who’ve used its practices (i.e., John D. Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Ulysses S. Grant, and Steve Jobs) is a brilliant read. A grain of salt should be added with the principles, but it is a self-help manual well worth putting on your list of books to read.

Movie of the Week:

Mrs. Doubtfire

Robin Williams provided much joy to many people throughout his life. As an actor, Mrs. Doubtfire is arguably his best work.

The script, written by Anne Fine, Randi Mayem Singer, and Leslie Dixon, follows an actor after a bitter divorce and his attempts to spend time with his kids. He disguises himself as a female housekeeper and gains employment under his former wife to take care of the kids while she’s at work.

The movie brilliantly showcases both comedy and drama throughout. The story takes the complexity of the characters’ situations and doesn’t try to downplay the seriousness. Instead, the film focuses on the emotions of each scene while bringing out the absurdity and sadness in the right places.

Mrs. Doubtfire only received one Oscar nomination for Best Makeup. The film won the category, but it got snubbed in many other categories. The acting was superb from all involved, including Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, and Mara Wilson.

Chris Columbus directed this masterpiece, but Robin Williams steals the show. If you haven’t seen the movie, check it out. And if it’s been a while, it’s worth putting on the to-watch list again.

Brainfood of the Week:

Matthew McConaughey – This Is Why You’re Not Happy | Absolute Motivation

Absolute Motivation is a YouTube channel that aims to enhance the human experience by creating thought-provoking and actionable content that helps exercise, stimulate, and expand the mind and consciousness.

In this video, Absolute Motivation uses a speech from Matthew McConaughey that emphasizes the necessity of playing like an underdog and focusing on joy rather than happiness.

McConaughey is an Oscar-winning actor and philanthropist. His career and life journey is incredible and can be glimpsed through his memoir Green Lights.

His speech explains how happiness can be an emotional response to an outcome and can be rooted in a cause and effect standard that we raise every time we attain it. Because happiness can become result-oriented, we can often be let down frequently and depressed.

However, we find joy in doing what we love, no matter the outcome. Joy is not a response but an experience and a constant process. And gratitude can be a shortcut to joy and can help your focus shift toward what you have, which grows.

Pursuing joy doesn’t mean ignoring failure. But, you can analyze and dissect what makes us happy and what makes us sad. We can see what helps us and what hurts us. Then we can move toward success and joy from what we learn.

McConaughey explains the importance of finding your priorities and getting rid of the things, places, and people that don’t serve those priories or drag you down from what’s meaningful to you. He expresses how vital it is to define what success means for you and to move in that direction.

Get rid of the excess and focus on what’s important to you. Give yourself a break and eliminate what doesn’t help you.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“The festival afterwards.” (後の祭り)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb stands for not dwelling on something after the incident has already happened. Even if you regret something, the event has already passed, and it’s too late to change the outcome.

For me, this isn’t something sad. The proverb reminds me that, after processing the emotions, there isn’t any point in dwelling on the negatives. If I experience sadness when the scars get rubber, that’s okay. But I do get to choose how I move forward.

There is a lot of power in choosing how you want to view an event. Something sad or depressing will always be that way on one level, but you can also reframe the experience on another level and learn a valuable lesson.

The festival afterwards reminds me to find the silver lining in the cloud. The knowledge or perspective I gain can help me grow and find peace and happiness.

Find happiness in your perspective on life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Desmond Tutu, Cloud Atlas, Jerry Maguire, David Goggins, and a Buddhist Saying

Desmond Tutu, Cloud Atlas, Jerry Maguire, David Goggins, and a Buddhist Saying

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 9, 2022

Sunday Supplement #35 (January 9th, 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:

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

– Desmond Tutu

Book of the Week:

Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

David Mitchell is a multiple award-winning British author listed in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2007. His writings have been adapted into critically acclaimed films, and he has gone on to work on screenplays with the Wachowskis’. His novel, The Bone Clocks, was praised as one of the best novels of 2014 by Stephen King.

Cloud Atlas interlocks six different stories over six different time periods. The novel starts with an American notary traveling from the Chatham Isles to his home in California in the 1850s. The action moves over to Belgium in the 1930s and follows a disinherited composer who finds his way into an apprenticeship of an infirm maestro.

The novel then explores a troubled reporter in the 1970s who stumbles upon a story that threatens her life. In modern-day England, there is another narrative that follows a vanity press publisher hoodwinked by his brother. And the final two stories are set in a Korean superstate in the near future and a post-apocalyptic Iron Age set in Hawaii during the last days of history.

Cloud Atlas is a whopper of a novel, but it is one of the most brilliantly constructed narratives I’ve read. The book works its way through each story, setting up the characters and the drama, then works its way backward to conclude each narrative.

Mitchell’s novel was nominated for the Nebula Award of Best Novel, the Booker Prize, the Locus Award for Best SF Novel, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award. This book doesn’t always receive the highest praise, but it is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Jerry Maguire

Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire won one Oscar and made over $270 million worldwide on a $50 million budget.

The film follows super sports agent Jerry Maguire, as he has a moral epiphany about his line of work and gets fired for expressing his feelings in a mission statement. Maguire then decides to put his new philosophy into practice by starting an independent agency with the only athlete who stays with him and a former colleague.

Cuba Gooding Jr. won the lone Oscar for the film in the category of Best Actor in a Supporting Role. His performance was brilliant but shouldn’t have been the only one recognized at the Oscars. Tom Cruise received a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role but didn’t win, and Renée Zellweger got snubbed entirely.

Jerry Maguire tells an entertaining story with great depth. The themes involved around redemption and love are expertly explored. The film also provides many laughs and a few tear-shedding moments. More likely than not, you’ve heard some of the famous lines from the movie quoted in your life, whether you’ve seen the film or not.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, it’s worth adding to your list.

Brainfood of the Week:

David Goggins interview on the Rich Roll Podcast

Rich Roll’s podcast is a long-form interview with thought leaders, high performers, and positive change-makers all across the globe. The conversations are designed to help unlock and unleash our best, most authentic selves.

I featured a Jesse Itzler episode from the Rich Roll Podcast in Sunday Supplement #3. A cool connection between Itzler and David Goggins is that Itzler asked Goggins to live with him for a month to help him achieve new levels of mental and physical toughness.

Itzler’s book about the experience, Living with a SEAL, hit #1 on the New York Times and LA Times bestsellers lists.

David Goggins is the only member of the US Armed Forces to complete SEAL training, US Army Ranger School, and Air Force Tactical air controller training.

After several of his friends died in Afghanistan, Goggins set out to honor their memory by taking on the ten most difficult endurance challenges on the planet. He did this to raise funds and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which gives college scholarships and grants to the children of fallen special-ops soldiers.

In the interview with Rich Roll, Goggins talks about his experiences overcoming physical, academic, and emotional problems, his Navy SEAL background, and his endurance challenges.

The discussion between Goggins and Roll has many gems and is a perfect source of motivation and thought-provoking prompts. Check out David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me autobiography/self-help book if you like the interview.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer badness with goodness. Conquer meanness with generosity. Conquer dishonesty with truth.”

– Buddhist Saying

In Sunday Supplement #13, I mentioned Teddy Roosevelt’s quote about doing what you can, with what you have, where you are. When I came across the Desmond Tutu quote, I remembered Teddy Roosevelt’s words and this Buddhist saying.

Tutu’s words build on Roosevelt’s advice in relation to how we can contribute to the good in the world. For me, the Buddhist quote is a how-to guide in following up on Tutu’s quote.

I don’t think it’s easy to always be at your best or in a good state, but I believe practicing the ability to control your actions is crucial to building a better way of life.

We can’t control what other people do, but we can control how we respond to different situations and others.

Take a breath in difficult times, choose how you want to respond, and have a blessed week ahead!

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