Tag: Bible

Karen Salmansohn, Walking to Listen, Lilo & Stitch, Elizabeth Dunn, and a Bible Passage

Karen Salmansohn, Walking to Listen, Lilo & Stitch, Elizabeth Dunn, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on June 11, 2023

Sunday Supplement #109 (June 11th, 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:

“Choose to focus your time, energy, and conservation around people who inspire you, support you, and help you grow into your happiest, strongest, wisest self.”

– Karen Salmansohn

Book of the Week:

Walking to Listen – Andrew Forsthoefel

Forsthoefel’s book recounts his decision to walk across America with the intention of listening to the stories of the people he encounters along the way.

After graduating college, Forsthoefel wasn’t quite sure what to do next and decided to take a year off to walk across the United States and hopefully have a meaningful experience.

Forsthoefel acknowledged he was able to embark on this journey in part because of his privilege as a young white man, but the people he met had many diverse perspectives.

The people who help Forsthoefel along the way, either by giving him a place to rest or sharing some wisdom from a life with much more experience, make the book an interesting read.

I didn’t think the book was amazing. However, I recommend it with a grain of salt because of the people Forsthoefel encountered and the concept and execution of his journey.

Movie of the Week:

Lilo & Stitch

Disney’s Lilo & Stitch is about a young girl who adopts a ‘dog’ from a local shelter, unaware that it’s a supposedly alien science experiment that’s taken refuge on Earth.

The young girl, Lilo, attempts to connect with the alien, Stitch, and protect him from his creators and the Galactic Federation, who chases him.

Stitch learns about the Hawaiian concept of ‘ohana – extended family’ from Lilo and must reconsider his violent nature to keep his newfound family together.

Lilo & Stitch was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, but it was unlucky to be up against Spirited Away (which I covered in Sunday Supplement #25).

That being said, the film packs a wonderful combination of drama, comedy, and action and is a movie that stands out over the years as one to remember.

Brainfood of the Week:

Helping Others Makes Us Happy – But How We Do It Matters | TED Talks – Elizabeth Dunn

Elizabeth Dunn is a social psychologist and Professor of Social Psychology at the University of British Columbia.

In her studies on generosity and joy, Dunn found a catch to helping others and the effect on the giver— how we help matters.

Early in her career, Dunn published a paper about how spending money on others promotes happiness. However, she found that the conclusion didn’t seem to apply to her.

The TED Talk focuses on Dunn’s subsequent research and findings of how connection and seeing a difference matters in our experience of helping others.

Dunn’s video is a thought-provoking watch, and while its context is focused on a larger charity level, I think it has interesting parallels to engaging with others daily.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Generous persons will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

– Proverbs 11:25

This Bible passage is shown to be true through scientific experiments like the one in the Brainfood of the Week above.

While I think much of the Bible’s wisdom comes in metaphors, it’s interesting to see the cases when science backs it up.

That being said, I tend to find many layers to different spiritual sayings and find it worthwhile to see if you can view them from different perspectives.

For me, this verse is a reminder that helping others will also lift you up. But it also reminds me that it is good to let others help you as well.

Keep those who want to support you around as friends and family but remember to reach out to others and give them a chance. And have a blessed week ahead!

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Oprah Winfrey, The Law of Attraction, Titanic, Eckhart Tolle, and Sur Al Nisa 147

Oprah Winfrey, The Law of Attraction, Titanic, Eckhart Tolle, and Sur Al Nisa 147

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 2, 2022

Sunday Supplement #73 (October 2nd, 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:

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”

– Oprah Winfrey

Book of the Week:

The Law of Attraction – Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks

New York Times bestselling authors Esther and Jerry Hicks always seem to be featured in Barnes and Noble’s Self-Help/Spirituality section when I visit.

I first stumbled across their work through guided meditation videos and enjoyed the free content on YouTube provided by them.

The Law of Attraction was the first book of theirs I came across.

Esther and Jerry discuss how they learned the law of attraction in the book’s first section and go over the law of attraction in the following parts.

You might have come across the term law of attraction before, but this book is one of the best explanations and guides I’ve read.

Do a little research on the topic beforehand, and also, be prepared to put judgment aside if you pick up the book.

The Law of Attraction heavily tips toward the mystical side of spirituality, but the book’s lessons are worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Titanic

James Cameron’s Titanic tells the story of a young aristocrat questioning her direction in life and her new relationship with a poor young artist on the doomed R.M.S. Titanic.

I was six when this film came out in theaters, but I still remember how it dominated news cycles and swept at the Academy Awards.

The three-hour movie won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography.

Cameron is known for immense spectacle films, but the characters in Titanic don’t get lost in the scenery.

The movie does an excellent job of telling a compelling story with engaging themes against the backdrop of an ill-fated historical event.

Brainfood of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzARLjSuPBQ

Gratitude: A Powerful Tool for Conscious Manifestation | Eckhart Tolle

It’s been a while since I’ve featured an Eckhart Tolle video, but this one is an excellent breakdown of gratitude and the power of being grateful.

The video starts with Tolle addressing the question, “Is there some type of discipline that is needed to be successful with conscious manifestation? If so, can you describe what the discipline is that is needed?”

Tolle responds with, “To be aware of yourself and your own state of consciousness.”

He then explains the importance of gratitude, that it can be a powerful transformational tool and one of the most powerful tools for manifesting better things in your life.

Tolle defines gratitude as acknowledging the good in your life right now. He cautions against approaching gratitude as a comparison.

The rest of the video covers ways to be grateful in the moment. It’s worth watching, and if you enjoy the video, check out more of Eckhart Tolle’s work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Why would Allah cause you to suffer if you are grateful and believe? God is always responsive to gratitude, the All-Knowing.”

– Sur Al Nisa 147

When I first came across this Quran passage, it was interesting that I thought it could have easily been something I read in the Bible.

Many of the passages I encounter in various religions or spiritual practices seem drawn from the same source.

In this Quran passage, I’m reminded of the power of gratitude and how being grateful effects your life.

The Oprah Winfrey quote at the beginning of the post also depicts the benefits of gratitude and the hells of ingratitude.

Reminders like these help prompt me to be more aware of my thoughts, whether I’m thinking positively or negatively, and how being grateful brings joy.

Remember things you are grateful for, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Rachel Wolchin, A Wizard of Earthsea, The Last Duel, The Art of Improvement, and Proverbs 24:16

Rachel Wolchin, A Wizard of Earthsea, The Last Duel, The Art of Improvement, and Proverbs 24:16

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 13, 2022

Sunday Supplement #44 (March 13th, 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:

“It’s not how we make mistakes, but how we correct them that defines us.”

– Rachel Wolchin

Book of the Week:

A Wizard of Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin was an American novelist whose career spanned from the late 1950s until her death, aged 88 in 2018.

Le Guin was the first woman to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards for best novel for her work The Left Hand of Darkness.

A Wizard of Earthsea is the first novel in her classic Earthsea Cycle series. It tells the story of Ged, the greatest wizard in the archipelago of Earthsea, when he was a reckless youth known as Sparrowhawk.

In his quest for knowledge and power, the young Ged meddles with dangerous dark secrets and releases a wicked shadow upon the land.

The novel then follows Sparrowhawk as he journeys forward to master the words of power and eventually face the shadow he loosed upon Earthsea.

There are other novels in the series worth reading, but the first one can be read as a standalone and is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

The Last Duel

Ridley Scott came out with two films in 2021. While House of Gucci received more attention at the box office, The Last Duel came and went without much notice or praise.

The movie tells the story of Sir Jean de Carrouges’s duel to the death with his squire Jacques Le Gris after Carrouges accuses Le Gris of raping his wife, Marguerite.

The Last Duel gets broken up into three chapters. The first tells Carrouges’s version of events, the second tells Le Gris’s, and the third tells Marguerite’s.

Oscar-nominated writer Nicole Holofcener and Oscar-winning writers Ben Affleck and Matt Damon penned the script for this medieval tale.

Adam Driver, Matt Damon, and Ben Affleck all put in brilliant performances, and Jodie Comer stole the show in the final chapter as Marguerite.

While this film didn’t make much of an impression upon its release, it was one of the best films of the year, in my opinion. It told a simple story in a clever way.

If you’re interested in a lengthy period piece, put the film on your to-watch list.

Brainfood of the Week:

This is How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure | The Art of Improvement

The Art of Improvement is a YouTube channel that makes videos on self-care and self-improvement techniques. I’ve previously featured the channel’s videos in Sunday Supplement #30 and #34.

In this video, the topic is how to overcome failure. The video starts with a story about Picasso sketching on a napkin. A woman sees him about to throw it away and says she’ll pay for it.

When Picasso says the napkin will cost her $20,000, the woman protests how can he charge that much for something that took him two minutes to draw. Picasso responded that it took him 60 years to make.

The lesson of the story is that mastery takes time. The video then explains how we need to be able to make mistakes without giving up to move forward with a practice.

Failure ultimately becomes something people can fear. The comfort of the known becomes a safety net that we adapt to avoid trying new things that could prompt failure.

The video later explains the Stoic philosophy around the sphere of choice. Broken down, it falls into the categories of things we can control (internal) and things we can’t control (external).

We must learn to focus exclusively on the internals and let go of all things we cannot control.

There are more tidbits in the video that I do not cover here. It’s only seven minutes and worth the watch to pick them up.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For the righteous fall seven times and rise again.”

– Proverbs 24:16

This bible passage makes me think about how we respond to our mistakes. I think it’s easy to view the quote as a simple reminder never to give up, but it can say much more.

I’m drawn to the word rise when I read this verse. When I searched the meaning of the word rise, I found the definition of moving from a lower position to a higher one.

For me, I think that means more than getting up when you fall. It means to rise above where you were before you fell.

I think that we can learn much from our mistakes. Even if all we can do is move on, not worry about the past, and look to the road ahead, we have made progress and have risen.

How we handle our falls shapes our perception of our lives. I’m working on seeing the opportunities to rise when I encounter my trip-ups.

Find the opportunity to rise from a perceived fall, 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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Mark Twain, The Pleasures of Reading, Murder on the Orient Express, Mr. Money Mustache, and Matthew 22:39

Mark Twain, The Pleasures of Reading, Murder on the Orient Express, Mr. Money Mustache, and Matthew 22:39

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 16, 2021

Sunday Supplement #1 (May 16th, 2021)

This is my first blog post. In it, I will discuss a quote worth pondering, 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:

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks and starting on the first one.”

– Mark Twain

Book of the Week:

The Pleasures of Reading in an Age of Distraction – Alan Jacobs

This book dismisses what has been referred to as the “right books” or “classic books” you should be reading. Jacobs gives an informative account of reading in America and delves into the many ways reading has been made into a dull affair. He then disarms this notion with the knowledge of how beneficial it is to read at whim, whether that is Harry Potter on repeat, Jane Austen, or comic books. His witty 162-page book about books helps remind any reader or former reader of the joy of reading a good book.

Reading Jacobs’s book helped me dismiss negative notions I had about what books I was reading. It also aided me in picking up a steady reading habit. I currently read a book a week on average. I mix it up between non-fiction and fiction, and I will provide recommendations for both in the future.

Movie of the Week:

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Murder on the Orient Express follows detective Hercule Poirot as he is tasked to solve a murder on the Orient Express train service. The train is stopped by heavy snowfall, and a body is found in a compartment the following morning. Poirot investigates his remaining fellow passengers to find out who the murderer is.

The film is an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s classic novel helmed by Sidney Lumet. I love Lumet’s films, but I wondered if his movie would do my favorite Christie work justice. I read that the recent Branagh version wasn’t great, so I set my bar lower in case time wasn’t kind to the 1974 version. Thankfully, Lumet brought the story to life faithfully and wonderfully on the screen, and the age of the film helped make the look more realistic for the 1935 setting.

In Lumet’s book Making Movies, he discusses a few interesting details about the production of this classic film. The all-star cast was full of movie and theatre heavyweights, including Albert Finney, Lauren Bacall, Ingrid Bergman, Sean Connery, Jacqueline Bisset, Michael York, and Vanessa Redgrave. Lumet revealed in his book that both the theater and film icons were in awe of each other and needed to be prompted by the director to speak up at the first reading.

Another great story relating to acting was the choice Ingrid Bergman made in regards to who she was going to play. Lumet wanted her to play Countess Andrenyi, but Bergman was adamant over the role of Greta. She went on to win the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. That would be the only award the movie won at the 1975 Academy Awards, but with films like The Godfather: Part II and Chinatown in the mix, it had tough competition.

Although Murder on the Orient Express might not be the most remembered film from that year, it certainly is one worth watching. If you’re looking for an excellent classic mystery film, check it out!

Brainfood of the Week:

Tim Ferriss’s interview with Pete Adeney (Mr. Money Mustache) on his podcast The Tim Ferriss Show.

Both Ferriss and Adeney are bloggers. Tim is famous for his “life hack” posts and interviewing many top performers across various industries. He also has six best-selling self-help books on various topics. Adeney runs a famous blog with a focus on tips and lifestyle advice to maximize your finances.

In the podcast interview, you learn about Adeney’s life going up, his early career in tech, and retiring at age 30. All of this is explained in further detail thanks to Tim’s insightful questioning and Adeney’s candid and meaningful answers.

The 2-hour interview is worth checking out and is perfect for listening to on a walk or the commute to work.

Closing Prayer/Passage:

Matthew 22:39 – Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

I wasn’t raised under any denomination, but I did go to Catholic school and a Jesuit high school and college. This passage always stuck with me throughout the years.

In the past year, I was shown how this phrase indicates that you must love yourself to love your neighbor. If you don’t have love for yourself, you won’t have any to give.

Make sure you’re filling your cup first, so you are full and can give to others.

Have a blessed week ahead!

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