Tag: Atomic Habits

Octavia Butler, The Power of Habit, Remember the Titans, James Clear, and a Bible Passage

Octavia Butler, The Power of Habit, Remember the Titans, James Clear, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 15, 2023

Sunday Supplement #127 (October 15th, 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:

“First, forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not.”

– Octavia Butler

Book of the Week:

The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg is a journalist and nonfiction author. He reported for The New York Times and received the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting in 2013.

Part of Duhigg’s reporting that won him the Pulitzer Prize contributed to the basis for the book The Power of Habit.

Duhugg reported on how Target figured out a teenager was pregnant before her parents knew and how they advertised products to entice her patronage.

In the book, Duhigg goes over many case studies that exhibit how habits play a role in our personal lives, work lives, and the institutions around us.

I picked up a few extremely valuable insights from this book and highly recommend it to anyone looking to understand habits better.

Movie of the Week:

Remember the Titans

Remember the Titans is based on the true story of a football coach, Herman Boone, and his first year at the newly integrated T.C. Williams High School.

Denzel Washington stars as coach Boone and shares the screen with a brilliant supporting cast that includes Will Patton, Wood Harris, Ryan Hurst, and a young Hayden Panettiere.

Boaz Yakin directs the well-crafted screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. The film is excellently executed to let the actors and the story take center stage.

The film explores themes of racism, stereotypes, and discrimination in 1971 in Alexandria, Virginia.

Remember the Titans tells a powerful story from American history and has been on many top sports film lists over the years.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Get 1% Better Every Day – James Clear | APB Speakers

APB Speakers has been around for over 50 years as a global speaker and entertainment agency. The APB hosts unedited content from leaders, innovators, and celebrities.

In this video, bestselling author and speaker James Clear explains how small habits and little decisions transform us daily.

Clear breaks down four stages of habit formation: noticing, wanting, doing, and liking. He explains how every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.

The video is only eight minutes long, and I can’t recommend watching it enough for those looking to start a new journey or end an old habit.

I’ve featured James Clear in Sunday Supplement #8 and Sunday Supplement #72. Check those posts out if you want to learn more about Clear’s work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A sluggard’s appetite is never filled, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.”

– Proverbs 13:4

This Bible passage is a good reminder to be aware of our actions and to be intentional with our time.

I think when we let our focus slip, we can find ourselves overindulging in activities that we wouldn’t ordinarily want to stew in.

Diligence allows for awareness and reflection of our actions. When we are intentional about what we do, we define parameters that are easier to navigate.

For me, this passage shows how laziness can often result in excess of what we don’t want, and diligence can result in specific results.

Reflect on the habits you want to build or eliminate, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Arnold H. Glasow, On Writing, Rocky, Escaping Ordinary, and a Japanese Proverb

Arnold H. Glasow, On Writing, Rocky, Escaping Ordinary, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on September 25, 2022

Sunday Supplement #72 (September 25th, 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:

“Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”

– Arnold H. Glasow

Book of the Week:

On Writing – Stephen King

Stephen King’s On Writing is a part memoir part masterclass by one of the bestselling authors of all time.

The book is divided into five sections, one narrating his life “C.V.,” one explaining “What Writing Is,” one describing a writer’s “Toolbox,” one giving advice “On Writing,” and the last discusses King’s thoughts on the accident where he was struck by a van “On Living: A Postscript.”

While the book tends to be viewed as a go-to manual for writers, the book offers more than just a writing guide.

King became one of the most successful writers in history, and it’s interesting to see that was his goal when he was young.

The first chapter is worth reading just to see the background King gives on his life growing up and his early journey as a writer.

On Writing should be on every writer’s shelf, but it is also worth checking out for readers looking for life insights from a prolific author.

Movie of the Week:

Rocky

The movie Rocky has become a part of American pop culture over the years but often for the iconic character’s underdog story and a classic score.

Many haven’t seen the film or forgotten how brilliant the original movie was. Sylvester Stallone wrote a phenomenal script that has wonderful depth in its characters.

A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a lottery chance of fighting the world heavyweight champion when the champion’s original opponent drops out.

The film beautifully captures the struggling Rocky Balboa as he navigates his life to the best of his abilities while receiving little respect from those around him.

Once the opportunity to face the champ comes to his doorstep, people from the neighborhood pay attention. Rocky isn’t fooled but strives to fight for his self-respect.

The film won three Oscars, including Best Picture. Rocky should be on any movie lover’s list, and the extraordinary story behind the film deserves a look too.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Become 37.78 Times Better at Anything (Atomic Habits Summary) | Escaping Ordinary (B.C. Marx)

In Sunday Supplement #8, I highlighted James Clear’s Atomic Habits. The New York Times bestseller is one of my favorite tools for self-improvement.

In this YouTube video, B.C. Marx breaks down the book with an engaging presentation. The animation and voice-over on the video are excellent.

In the book, Clear reveals practical strategies that help form good habits, break bad ones, and master tiny behaviors that lead to massive change.

Clear explains how your daily systems and routines, as well as how you view yourself, control how effective you are at building good habits or promoting bad habits.

In the video, B.C. Marx summarizes Atomic Habits, breaks down the habit-building system in it, and explains how he uses the book in his life.

B.C. Marx’s channel only has eight videos, but he has over 500 thousand subscribers because of the quality of his content. See if you like this video, and check out Escaping Ordinary.

Remember to check out James Clear’s Atomic Habits as well!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Even dust, when piled up, becomes a mountain.” (ちりも積もれば山となる)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb reminds me of the power of consistently making good decisions for yourself.

Whether deciding to exercise for ten minutes or devoting a half hour each day to a hobby or goal, the long-term results are often staggering.

Tim Ferriss often says on his podcast, “People overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in ten.”

Conversely, letting your ship stray slightly without correction can land you far off from where you want to go.

This Japanese proverb is an excellent reminder of how our decisions over time can be something that let us down or bring us great benefits.

Think of the decisions you can make or habits you can build that will help you benefit in the long term, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Barbara Hall, Childhood’s End, Eddie the Eagle, Matt Cutts, and a Japanese Proverb

Barbara Hall, Childhood’s End, Eddie the Eagle, Matt Cutts, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 17, 2022

Sunday Supplement #49 (April 17th, 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:

“The path to our destination is not always a straight one. We go down the wrong road, we get lost, we turn back. Maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.”

– Barbara Hall

Book of the Week:

Childhood’s End – Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke is probably most known for his A Space Odyssey series, but his entire bibliography of over 50 novels, novellas, and short story collections is worth checking out.

His standalone novel Childhood’s End tells the story of Earth’s citizens after the Overlords appear suddenly over every city.

The alien entities are superior to humans in every capacity. They benevolently take the reins of the human race, unify the earth, eliminate poverty, and end war.

As humanity begins to enter a golden age, questions arise around the cost of the Overlords and their forced Utopia. It’s clear the Overlords have a plan, but the endgame is a mystery.

Many elements of the story raise questions about the purpose of life, the future of the human race, and the problems of a Utopian society.

Childhood’s End was nominated for a retroactive Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2004, 50 years after its original publication, and it still reads brilliantly today.

Movie of the Week:

Eddie the Eagle

Eddie the Eagle tells the story of Michael “Eddie” Edwards and his journey to becoming an Olympic athlete.

The film is a fictionalized account of the true story of Edwards and drifts away from actual events with certain narratives, but the simple movie hits its mark.

Taron Egerton and Hugh Jackman star as Eddie and coach Bronson Peary. The real-life Eddie confirmed that Bronson is a fictional character but helped bring out the message of his story.

Eddie the Eagle is a film that you can watch with the family. The overall message of trying for something and giving it your all might come through cheesy at times, but it’s fun and uplifting.

This movie is on my list of pick-me-ups. It is worth adding to your watchlist and checking out on a day when you need a lighthearted and positive message.

Brainfood of the Week:

TED-Ed | Matt Cutts – Try Something New for 30 Days

Matthew Cutts is a software engineer whose resume includes former Administrator of the United States Digital Service as well as various roles at Google.

Cutts got in a rut but found inspiration in Morgan Spurlock’s 30-day experiments. However, instead of taking on various social experiments, he looked to things he always wanted to do.

The software engineer went on to take on multiple 30-day challenges.

Cutts found the months were much more memorable instead of flying by. His self-confidence also grew from the completion of each 30-day challenge.

In the video, Cutts prompts you to think about something you’ve always wanted to add to your life and try it for the next 30 days.

In Sunday Supplement #8, I highlighted James Clear’s Atomic Habits. His book is an excellent resource for building or removing habits.

What’s something you’d like to try for the next 30 days?

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“We’re fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance.”

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb reminds me of the foolishness of doing something or not doing something depending on how we’d be seen.

The quote brings to mind the image of a school dance where people are lined up against the walls and an empty dance floor in the middle.

For a long time, I would be one with my back against the wall pretending that any social engagement was stupid or pointless.

Finally, I realized that I would never go anywhere or accomplish anything if I didn’t try.

This Japanese proverb is a perfect push for us to get out on the dance floor. The best part is that we get to decide what music to listen to and what moves to make.

Check off something on your to-do list, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Maya Angelou, Michael A. Singer, City of God, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and verse 122 of the Dhammapada

Maya Angelou, Michael A. Singer, City of God, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and verse 122 of the Dhammapada

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 1, 2021

Sunday Supplement #12 (August 1st, 2021)

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:

“You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.”

– Maya Angelou

Book of the Week:

The Untethered Soul – Michael A. Singer

Michael A. Singer is a remarkable person with a wild adventure of a life story. Singer studied and taught economics, established a meditation center, and later picked up programming as a hobby, which led to the founding of the Medical Manager Corporation. WebMD later acquired his company for around $5 billion. In his autobiography, The Surrender Experiment, Singer recounts these pivotal moments.

The Surrender Experiment was a New York Times bestseller, and Singer’s follow-up book The Untethered Soul reached the number 1 spot. While his first book recounts his life story, The Untethered Soul goes over his thoughts and insights on limitations in our human experience and how to break through those barriers to become more conscious of the many opportunities around us.

The best indication I can give for the quality of the book is Deepak Chopra’s endorsement, “Read this book carefully, and you will get more than a glimpse of eternity.”

A lot of self-help and spirituality books can be wordy and fluffed up unnecessarily. In this book, Singer makes every sentence convey something thought-provoking. It is one of those books you can put down in awe after reading one paragraph.

There are many brilliant thoughts and ideas in the book. The way Singer breaks down these concepts into easily digestible content is wonderful. I had a hard time not underlining everything when I read it. I highly recommend The Untethered Soul and hope you check it out!

Movie of the Week:

City of God (Cidade de Deus)

Two kids’ paths in the favelas of Rio diverge as one becomes a kingpin while the other struggles to become a photographer.

The movie was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Director, Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

In 2004, it wasn’t a common occurrence for international films to be nominated for anything other than Best Foreign Language Film. It’s baffling that City of God wasn’t nominated in this category, but it’s no surprise that it received nominations in the other categories. If it wasn’t for Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, the movie might have won a few awards.

Even though the movie didn’t win any Oscars, it is on many top films lists and is considered one of the best movies in Cinema history.

Director Fernando Meirelles explained how because of the content and his decision to cast unknown actors, he didn’t receive any funding for the movie. He ended up backing the film with his own finances and received support across the board in production and post-production from friends he worked with for years. The result was a critically acclaimed film that made over $30 million from a $3.3 million budget.

Many movies from the early 2000s don’t stand up to a modern viewing, but this is a film that will become an ageless classic. The movie may be in Portuguese, but its story breaks through any language barriers. Its themes of poverty and choice are powerful and are based on a true story. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll have a great movie night ahead.

Brainfood of the Week:

Tim Ferriss’s first interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger on The Tim Ferriss Show.

I’ve featured Tim Ferriss’s podcast on the Blog in a few posts now— Sunday Supplement’s #1, #5,and #9. The reason for this is because Tim is an excellent interviewer and has many interesting guests from a wide variety of fields on his show.

In this episode, Tim interviews Arnold Schwarzenegger. Most people won’t need an introduction to Schwarzenegger, and the podcast does a great job of quickly highlighting Swarzenegger’s career before delving into topics and stories Arnold hadn’t spoken about before. He recounts his time growing up in Austria, moving to California, and becoming a millionaire through real estate and landscaping before his career took off.

The above highlights are just a glimpse into the whole episode. There are many more entertaining and impactful stories that Arnold shares throughout the podcast. I didn’t know too much about Schwarzenegger before listening to this interview. I knew that he was an actor and the ex-governor of California. I’m glad I gave this episode a listen because there is a lot to learn from this man who journeyed from a very small village in Austria to becoming one of the world’s most recognizable people.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Drop by drop is the water pot filled. Likewise, the wise man, gathering it little by little, fills himself with good.”

– verse 122 of the Dhammapada

The Dhammapada is one of the best-known Buddhist scriptures, consisting of a collection of Buddha’s sayings in verse form.

This particular quote reminds me of the power of consistency and focus. It’s easy to be discouraged when one focuses on the distance between where you are and when you want to be. A reason for that experience is the concentration on the gap being the focus of your perspective. Instead of entertaining that viewpoint, a reframe can be knowing each step you take on the path is one step closer to your goals. Every drop in the water pot is progress.

In Sunday Supplement #8, I recommend the book Atomic Habits for insights and strategies on starting new routines or discontinuing negative ones. It discusses a similar principle as the above quote from the Buddha in taking small steps consistently over time to reach great distances. I try to adopt this mentality with any hobby or goal I set for myself, and I’m grateful for the synchronous moments that remind me to keep moving forward.

Take some small consistent steps, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Thomas Edison, Atomic Habits, Bad Boys (1983), Sadhguru, and Matthew 7:12

Thomas Edison, Atomic Habits, Bad Boys (1983), Sadhguru, and Matthew 7:12

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on July 4, 2021

Sunday Supplement #8 (July 4th, 2021)

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:

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

– Thomas Edison

Book of the Week:

Atomic Habits – James Clear

James Clear is an expert on habit formation. The New York Times, Entrepreneur, and Time are a few of the many publications that featured his work. Clear’s work has also been used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. His website receives millions of monthly visitors where he writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement.

Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, was a New York Times bestseller. The book helped me quit smoking and get back in shape. I accomplished both before, but I found myself burning out at various points. I would eventually use my willpower to push myself back to my best, but I struggled. Atomic Habits broke down concepts that made it easier to improve in areas of my life that I wanted to build up while letting go of things that weren’t good for me.

In the book, Clear goes over topics like identity, which help with starting good habits or breaking bad ones. For smoking, I always viewed myself as a smoker trying to quit smoking. He explains how that frame of mind is rooted in identity and makes it hard to stop. The shift of implementing the identity that I’m not a smoker was a simple concept with profound results.

There are many valuable strategies and systems that Clear explains in his book. One of my favorites is akin to the Edison quote above. Clear gives the metaphor of an ice cube melting to signify one’s dreams and goals. You can work for a long time to melt the ice cube. You can bring the temperature up to 31.9 degrees, and it will still be an ice cube. But you are so close to making water from your efforts. Don’t give up!

Atomic Habits is one of my favorite self-help/self-improvement books. It is an enjoyable read as well. There are many true stories from various inspirational people that will entertain and motivate. Check it out!

Movie of the Week:

Bad Boys (1983)

A Chicago youth Mick O’Brien plans to rob a rival’s drug deal. The heist goes horribly wrong, and O’Brien is sent to a juvenile detention center. He must face the consequences of his actions and decide if the path he’s currently on is one he wants to continue. The story gets more intricate as the film continues, but that is a quick summary without too many spoilers.

Sean Penn stars as Mick O’Brien in his first film released after the iconic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His role as Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High created the possibility of being typecast as a comedic actor, but Penn made the deliberate decision to go in a different direction with Bad Boys. Penn’s performance was assisted with a brilliant supporting cast. Reni Santoni, Jim Moody, Esai Morales, Ally Sheedy, and Clancy Brown are some of many who brought immense quality to the screen.

Bad Boys was a small film and didn’t get too much recognition when it came out, but it received mostly favorable reviews. A testament to the quality of the script and Sean Penn’s performance is that actors like Tom Cruise and Kevin Bacon auditioned for the lead role.

It could have been a simple movie, but instead, it allowed for depth in the narrative, which resulted in complex characters and a powerful story. Even though the film isn’t well known, Bad Boys deserves to be recognized.

Brainfood of the Week:

A conversation with Sadhguru led by Angella Nazarian.

Sadhguru is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. He is a spiritual leader and founder of the Isha Foundation, a non-profit spiritual organization with over 9 million volunteers. Sadhguru’s YouTube page features many videos where he discusses spirituality, perception, and various other topics. His videos have just shy of 1 billion views in total.

Angella Nazarian is a philanthropist, bestselling non-fiction author, and conference organizer. She co-founded Looking Beyond, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young adults with special needs, and Visionary Women, a non-profit community, focused on engaging conversations with innovative leaders and funding high-impact initiatives for women and girls.

In this video, Nazarian speaks with Sadhguru about vision, willingness, and joy. Sadhguru discusses how willingness can be tested when other people do not act in accordance with one’s beliefs. However, it ultimately our choice in how we respond or react. This culminates in a direct link with how we experience joy.

Sadhguru’s discussion is a great lesson and reminder of how we can shape our world.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Therefore whatever you desire men to do for you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

– Matthew 7:12

There are a few bible passages I can quote off the top of my head. Matthew 7:12 one of them. But I didn’t know about the final part— “for this is the law and the prophets.” This part reminded me of the law of attraction. The basic principle of the law of attraction is positive thoughts bring positive experiences, and negative thoughts bring negative ones.

It always sticks out to me when different religions or philosophies I come across repeat similar passages. More often than not, you can find the same messages in different religions or spiritual practices. However, quotes like think positively don’t always have a positive reception when I’m not doing well. That is something I want to change.

In my first Sunday Supplement, I quoted Matthew 22:39— “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” I discussed how if you don’t love yourself, you won’t be able to love your neighbor. I then talked about filling your cup so you can help others. Matthew 7:12 reminds me that assisting others in filling their cup can fill yours as well. I believe in this way, Matthew 22:39 is linked to Matthew 7:12.

Trying to balance the two and knowing when I’m balanced is the goal I’m setting for myself going forward. I also plan on re-reading Atomic Habits to help me with that objective.

Be kind to yourself and others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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