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:
“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.”
My 6th-grade teacher gave me Fahrenheit 451 to read. It was one of those door-opening moments in the world of literature, and it’s one of the few books I’ve read more than once.
The dystopian novel follows fireman Guy Montag, whose job is to burn books that the government has outlawed.
Montag’s life changes when he meets a neighbor who reads books. He then embarks on his own journey of reading, which leads him to flee the city after he is caught.
Fahrenheit 451’s depiction of books filtered out because of people losing interest and the government’s controlling of narratives through media is one of many eery but poignant themes.
Ray Bradbury’s classic won a “Retro” Hugo Award in 2004 and should be on everyone’s classics-to-read list.
1993’s Philadelphia follows Andrew Beckett as his law firm fires him because of his HIV condition and his subsequent wrongful dismissal lawsuit headed by a small-time homophobic lawyer, Joe Miller, as his only willing advocate.
Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) brilliantly directs the Ron Nyswaner screenplay. Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington bring the story to life as Beckett and Miller.
I was only two years old when this movie came out, but watching it later gave me an interesting glimpse into the culture at the time.
Philadelphia won two Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Tom Hanks, and was nominated for an additional three Oscars, including Best Writing.
Brainfood of the Week:
Why Acceptance is Freedom | Sadhguru
I’ve featured Sadhguru in several previous Sunday Supplements. He is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers.
In this video, Sadhguru discusses how our personalities can be like filters of likes and dislikes based on our preferences.
The danger of this comes from judging people and situations through our lenses of experience. You can carry many psychological wounds from slights you held onto for years.
Through total acceptance, you can remove the judgment from people and situations.
I find Sadhguru’s videos thought-provoking. They are worth watching and reflecting on. If you enjoy this one, check out my other posts.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“Spilt water won’t go back into its tray.” (覆水盆に返らず)
– Japanese Proverb
This Japanese proverb has a Western cousin: “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” I think it’s pretty straightforward, but I like the Japanese Proverb’s translation.
I like the image of trying to force something like water or milk back into its container after it has been spilled.
I find myself guilty of trying to make things perfect or not acting until I think things are in the perfect conditions for action.
This proverb reminds me to think about what is the best usage of our time and energy. Once you’ve accepted something, you can decide how to move forward.
Accept the situation, move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!
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 this post that enriches your week ahead!
Quote of the Week:
“Life is difficult. This is a great truth, one of the greatest truths. It is a great truth because once we truly see this truth, we transcend it. Once we truly know that life is difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is no longer difficult. Because once it is accepted, the fact that life is difficult no longer matters.”
– M. Scott Peck
This quote reminds me of a passage I read in The Courage to Be Happy. In the book, the sequel to The Courage to Be Disliked —which I highlighted in Sunday Supplement #7— a philosopher explains to the youth who visits him that people often forget a question that eliminates the past and allows the questioner to take control in the present.
“What should I do now?”
For me, The M. Scott Peck quote is an example of how acceptance can bring us to the present moment. I find myself sometimes in a slump or depressed, but when I remember to accept the present, I’m able to move forward, knowing I have a choice.
Neil Gaiman is a prolific author gathering even more mainstream recognition through the popular adaptations of his works like Good Omens andAmerican Gods. He started his writing career as a journalist conducting interviews and writing reviews for publications like The British Fantasy Society. His breakthrough in creative wiring came from the massive success of his comic series Sandman. Since his initial breakout, he’s written multiple bestselling novels, comics, and screenplay adaptations.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane is one of my favorite Gaiman novels. The story follows a middle-aged man returning to his hometown to attend a funeral. While he’s there, he visits his childhood home and begins remembering his past. When he was a young boy, he had a childhood friend, Lettie Hempstock, who lived with her mother and grandmother in a magical world that coincides with the main character’s own. The protagonist remembers an adventure with Lettie that changed his childhood and is the focus of much of the novel. The narrative is truly extraordinary and is a perfect example of the power of the fantasy genre.
I loved how the novel explored a child’s experience of his parent’s struggling relationship through a fantastical setting. On the protagonist’s adventure with Lettie, he brings back evil from the magical world that takes real roots in his own life. The battle he faces with the new caretaker puts immense pressure on his family and has the reader invested in the outcome of the struggle.
There aren’t many novels I like to re-read, but this is one of them. The Ocean at the End of the Lane is perfect for anyone searching for a great fantasy book or a perfect introduction to Neil Gaiman’s fantastic writing. It won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel in 2014 and is a brilliant piece of fiction.
In the early 1920s, a British bacteriologist volunteers to aid a small Chinese village fighting a cholera epidemic and threatens to divorce his wife for adultery unless she accompanies him on the trip or her lover decides to marry her.
The 2007 Academy Awards recognized some brilliant films, including The Departed, Dreamgirls, Little Miss Sunshine, and The Last King of Scotland. However, The Painted Veil wasn’t nominated for a single category. From the screenplay and the acting to the cinematography and the score, there is so much to appreciate in the film. I still don’t know why it wasn’t nominated.
The actors had a lot to work with as the script was adapted from W. Somerset Maugham’s play. Edward Norton and Naomi Watts exude immense presence as the married couple struggling in their relationship and their purpose in life, while Toby Jones, Anthony Wong Chau Sang, and Liev Schreiber are equally commanding in their roles.
One aspect that helps the story’s depth is the focus on themes of alienation and self-realization. This is explored in a brilliant scene between Edward Norton and Anthony Wong Chau Sang that addresses colonialism and a native perspective of China’s situation in the context of Norton’s own journey. The intricacy of the narrative makes for a worthwhile viewing and encompasses different facets of the character’s lives in a rich period and setting.
Naomi Watts is the standout in the film. Her internal journey throughout the movie is powerful and creates a great character arc. This is only one of many highlights of the film deserving of praise, though. If you watch the film, let me know what aspect you enjoyed most.
Brainfood of the Week:
TED-Ed Talk with Maurice Ashley on Working Backward to Solve Problems
Maurice Ashley is a chess grandmaster, author, and commentator. Ashley was born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, and was already playing chess at 12 when his family moved to the United States. He earned the title of grandmaster in 1999 and went on to found the Harlem Chess Center. Ashley coached youth from the area, including the Raging Rooks of Harlem and the Dark Knights— both won national championships.
In this video, Ashley describes techniques grandmasters use to look ahead in matches. His favorite is retrograde analysis and describes the method’s recipe as “to look ahead, it pays to look backward.”
Many fields use retro-analysis, including law, science, medicine, insurance, stock market services, politics, and career planning.
Ashley breaks down his opinion on the best use of retro-analysis in the video and how it can apply to everyone. The idea is to think ahead to an outcome or scenario that you know, practice solving it, and then work to get to that point. It is a brilliant technique to envision how you want your life to look like in the future and create a plan to get there.
If you gain nothing else from this video, it will certainly make you a better proofreader.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“The one who loves all intensely begins perceiving in all living beings a part of himself. He becomes a lover of all, part and parcel of the Universal Joy. He flows with the stream of happiness and is enriched by each soul.”
– Yajur Veda.
This quote comes from the Yajur Veda, one of the four sections of the Hindu Vedas. For me, it taps into the power of acceptance and choice. When we chose love, we can put aside our judgment and look to see what’s truly there. This is a practice I’ve been working on when an initial judgment pops into my mind. I notice it, then try to listen, aware I do not know what is going on from that person’s perspective.
The acceptance and choice of love also should be aimed towards the individual. I’m practicing being kind to myself and supporting myself when I’m down. Instead of judging my dips and funks, I’ve accepted them and worked on choosing to move forward without negative pressure. I recognize the harmony I experience when I accept my situation and am able to look for the beauty in what’s around me. I will continue to work on this mindset and hope others find the love in their lives as well.
Take a moment to notice the beauty that surrounds you, and have a blessed week ahead!
