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Viktor Frankl, The Really Hard Problem, Catch Me If You Can, Existentialism, and Dhammapada 103

Viktor Frankl, The Really Hard Problem, Catch Me If You Can, Existentialism, and Dhammapada 103

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 8, 2022

Sunday Supplement #52 (May 8th, 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 there is meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering.”

– Viktor Frankl

Book of the Week:

The Really Hard Problem: Meaning in a Material World – Owen J. Flanagan

Owen Flanagan has the title of James B. Duke Professor ad Duke University, which is only given to a few faculty members with extraordinary records of achievement.

Flanagan teaches Philosophy and Neurobiology and has written extensively on the problem of consciousness and the meaning of life with regard to science and philosophy.

In The Really Hard Problem, Flanagan addresses how meaning is still possible in a material world without needing a supernatural explanation.

The Duke University professor uses concepts from philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and evolutionary biology to outline his findings and beliefs. Flanagan also draws on practices from non-theistic spiritual traditions like Confucianism, Buddhism, and Stoicism.

The book outlines the concept of eudaimonia and how we can live a meaningful life through parameters like being moral, having true friends, opportunities to express our talents, experiencing beauty, and having trust.

Flanagan’s work is a brilliant insight into a human spiritual experience that doesn’t shy away from science. His books are worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Catch Me If You Can

Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can is based on the autobiography of con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. 

The movie opens with FBI agent Carl Hanratty (played by Tom Hanks) escorting Frank Jr (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) back to the United States.

Various meaningful moments of Frank Jr’s life are revisited to show how the young man became a notorious check forger. Along his journey, he took on the alias of a pilot, doctor, and lawyer as he conned millions of dollars with forged checks.

The story brilliantly explores honesty in interpersonal relationships as well as the upside and downside of wealth and fame versus being seen and loved for who you are.

There aren’t many movies that delve into moral themes deeply while having an adventurous and entertaining story as the vessel.

Catch Me If You Can didn’t win any Oscars and was only up for two categories at the Academy Awards in 2003. Regardless, it’s worthy of remembering and watching years later.

Brainfood of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDz7xZkaoFk

Existentialism: Finding Meaning in Suffering | Freedom in Thought

The video opens with the question, “What does suffering mean to you?”

Viktor Frankl’s life and beliefs and Existentialism become the focus of the video to answer and find meaning in the question. 

Frankl is an Austrian neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, writer, and Holocaust survivor. He famously wrote the book Man’s Search For Meaning, chronicling his time as a prisoner and his psychotherapeutic method of logotherapy.

The video discusses how essentialism was a widespread belief before World War II. The belief states that we are all born with an essence and a purpose. 

However, many questioned this belief after the atrocities of WWII. It was hard to believe in a predestined meaning if all experiences were suffering.

Existentialism then became a wider spread philosophy. Its core concept is that we are born without a purpose and are left to define our own.

Some people believe this to be a depressing viewpoint because there is no ultimate or objective meaning. Others see it as a beautiful and liberating philosophy where we can have infinite amounts of meaning. 

Frankl’s philosophy allowed him to find meaning in his suffering.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation – just think of an incurable disease such as inoperable cancer – we are challenged to change ourselves.”

Life isn’t about avoiding suffering or stress at all costs. Finding meaning in suffering or finding something worth suffering for is a worthy goal.

The video delves into more positive sides of Existentialism, and I encourage you to view the whole thing. If you enjoy their breakdown of philosophical concepts, I feature another Freedom in Thought video in Sunday Supplement #27.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Greater in battle than the man who would conquer a thousand-thousand men is he who would conquer just one— himself.”

– Dhammapada 103

The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings from the Buddha and is one of the most widely read and known Buddhist scriptures.

This verse reminds me of the true power of having control over oneself.

There are many external obstacles and achievements to navigate in life, but one person is always with you along the way.

I believe some of the most important life lessons are learning to be happy with yourself and being fully conscious of your actions.

The Dhammapada verse reminds me that personal growth and well-being are two things worthy of a lifetime commitment.

Catch yourself in the moment, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Henry David Thoreau, The Graveyard Book, El Mariachi, The School of Life, and Ecclesiastes 5:3

Henry David Thoreau, The Graveyard Book, El Mariachi, The School of Life, and Ecclesiastes 5:3

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 1, 2022

Sunday Supplement #51 (May 1st, 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 usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”

– Henry David Thoreau

Book of the Week:

The Graveyard Book – Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book focuses on the coming of age of Nobody Owens. 

Bod’s story differs from most normal boys in that he’s raised and educated by the ghosts of the graveyard where he lives.

There are adventures and dangers in the graveyard, including a portal to the city of ghouls, but in the land of the living, the man who killed Bod’s family is looking to finish the job.

Neil Gaiman is a successful author, comic book creator, and screenwriter, with numerous awards, accolades, and adaptations of his work.

However, when the prolific author came up with the idea for The Graveyard Book, he thought he wasn’t at the skill level to write the book.

In a The Tim Ferriss Show episode, Gaiman recalls the story of how he came up with the story and the wait for the right moment to give the idea justice.

I featured Neil Gaiman in a few of my Sunday Supplements but only once for Book of the Week. The Graveyard Book deserves the nod for this week and is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

El Mariachi

I’m not always a fan of Robert Rodriguez’s films, but I respect his work and his journey as a filmmaker and creator.

In Sunday Supplement #5, I featured his interview on The Tim Ferriss Show. In the episode, Rodriguez covers his breakthrough into the industry and what he’s learned along the way.

Rodriguez also goes into a bit of the story behind the making of his film El Mariachi, told in full in his book Rebel Without a Crew. 

When Rodriguez was in college, he decided to take one of his breaks to film his first feature film in Mexico. He raised $7,000, partly by volunteering for a clinical pharmaceutical research trial, and wrote the script. 

Rodriguez virtually, as a one-person crew, shot and edited the entire film with some help from friends and their connections.

The ambitious filmmaker drove to Hollywood to shop the finished product, hoping to sell it to the Spanish language market. He ended up making a deal with Columbia Pictures, resulting in a spot at Sundance.

El Mariachi tells the story of a traveling mariachi who finds himself on the run from a gang trying to kill him after he’s mistaken for a hitman.

Desperado, featuring Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek, is the American reboot (directed by Rodriguez), but the original is worth watching to see the start of Rodriguez’s journey.

Brainfood of the Week:

What is Success? | The School of Life

The School of Life’s channel consists of content from psychologists, philosophers, and writers devoted to helping people lead calmer and more reliant lives.

In this video, the topic is success and how it often gets defined versus what it actually is.

The clip states how the word success is used a lot regarding money, status, fame, and power. However, the dictionary defines success differently.

Success is more neutral and less value-laden than we tend to assume. It means doing anything well, excelling at something.

This definition can encompass many activities. It can be attributed to major milestones but also to little wins that often get overlooked.

The video goes on to explain how no one can be successful at everything. There is too much out there for us to experience in one lifetime. 

Therefore it’s essential we definite the areas of our lives where we want to be successful.

I featured a The School of Life video in Sunday Supplement #33. If you like this short clip, check out their other videos.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For a dream comes with much business and a fool’s voice with many words.”

– Ecclesiastes 5:3

This bible quote reminds me to focus on work that’s important to me and to keep putting one foot in front of the other.

I try to jump in on a project instead of sounding it out too much. I’ve learned the necessity of preparation, but I’ve also experienced plans always discussed but never executed.

Henry David Thoreau’s quote works its way into this passage in my mind through the idea that success comes when you are busy doing what you love.

Success to me has to be personal, just as a dream is personal. Both Thoreau and the Bible quote emphasize the utility of personal action.

I’m glad when I come across quotes like these because they remind me that I have the power to define and achieve success/my dreams.

Take a step or two on your personal goal’s path, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Henry Ford, Money Master the Game, Gattaca, Wayne Dyer, and a Rig Veda Passage

Henry Ford, Money Master the Game, Gattaca, Wayne Dyer, and a Rig Veda Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 24, 2022

Sunday Supplement #50 (April 24th, 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:

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right.”

– Henry Ford

Book of the Week:

Money Master the Game – Tony Robbins

I featured Tony Robbins’ Awaken the Giant Within in Sunday Supplement #30. His work in the self-help genre has touched millions and was the doorway to self-improvement for me.

When I heard that Robbins wrote a financial self-help book, I knew I had to check it out.

Money Master the Game used extensive research and one-on-one interviews with some of the most legendary financial experts in the world, including Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio, to develop a 7-step blueprint for financial freedom.

Robbins broke down complex financial principles into easily digestible concepts. The book takes readers of every income level through steps to help create a lifetime income plan.

I majored in business and found this book more informative than most textbooks I was forced to read throughout college.

The book is on the longer side and takes time to get through, but it is worth checking out. 

Robbins’ Unshakable is the more condensed sequel to Money Master the Game for those looking for a shorter read.

Movie of the Week:

Gattaca

Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca is set in the distant future where eugenics is commonplace and ensures children possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. 

Society experiences genetic discrimination, where those conceived outside the eugenics program cannot partake in higher positions in society.

Vincent Freeman, played by Ethan Hawke, dreams of becoming an astronaut and going to space. By adopting a validated citizen’s identity, Freeman attempts to achieve his dream.

The film brilliantly explores themes of eugenics and freedom of self-determination.

There are so many beautiful elements of Niccol’s film to enjoy. Hawke gives a powerful performance as Freeman, as does Jude Law in the role of Freeman’s friend Jerome/Eugene.

Gattaca was only nominated for one Academy Award, but it stands the test of time as a thought-provoking and magnificent science fiction story.

Brainfood of the Week:

Dr. Wayne Dyer on the Art of Manifestation | SuperSoul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network

I’ve featured Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sunday in Sunday Supplement #43 and am excited to have it in the Sunday Supplement again.

Winfrey’s series features exclusive interviews with top thinkers, authors, and spiritual leaders and explores themes like happiness, personal fulfillment, spirituality, and conscious living.

In this clip, Oprah’s guest is Wayne Dyer. In Sunday Supplement #22, I featured Dyer’s quote, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Winfrey and Dyer discuss manifestation and how it is different from the law of attraction. Dyer explains how we all have within us this amazing capacity to manifest anything into our lives.

The main lesson is that we attract into our lives what were are, not what we want.

If you say, “You are depressed,” your attention focuses on depression and more things to be depressed about. Feeling depressed can be okay because feelings change.

You get what you are rather than what you want. So, let negative feelings pass, but move towards an identity of happiness.

If you like this clip, check out more of Wayne Dyer’s work and more of Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sunday episodes. I’m sure I’ll feature both again in the future.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“When there is harmony between the mind, heart, and resolution, then nothing is impossible.”

– Rig Veda

The Vedas are a body of religious texts originating in ancient India that compose some of the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. I feature them regularly as closing spiritual passages.

This passage refers to the idea that we can achieve anything if our mind, heart, and resolution are in harmony.

I’m reminded of the moments of flow when you have complete faith and trust what will happen next.

There have been moments in sports or in life where I know that I can achieve an outcome or reach a goal, and it’s happened.

This idea of manifestation has many crossovers in many different religions and philosophies.

The Rig Veda passage exemplifies the perfect state of being for bringing the possibilities you wish to see into your life.

Take a step on the path of whom you want to be, 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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Andy Warhol, The Mindbody Prescription, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Alan Watts, and a Buddhist Parable

Andy Warhol, The Mindbody Prescription, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Alan Watts, and a Buddhist Parable

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 10, 2022

Sunday Supplement #48 (April 10th, 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:

“Perception precedes reality.”

– Andy Warhol

Book of the Week:

The Mindbody Prescription – John E. Sarno

John E. Sarno has a historic career in medicine, graduating with degrees from Michigan and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in the mid 20th century.

Sarno famously came up with the term tension myositis syndrome to encompass a psychosomatic condition that produces body pain, usually back pain.

In his national bestseller, The Mindbody Prescription, Sarno outlines how our minds and bodies operate in unison on multiple levels.

One of the topics Sarno dissects is the phenomenon of the ulcer that highlights this connection. 

Ulcers were a common medical ailment until they were discovered to be caused by stress. When this research came through, the number of ulcer cases significantly dropped.

Sarno explains how our minds, when undergoing immense stress, can trigger physical pain in our bodies, culminating in various ailments. 

The book delves into the mind-body connection and how we can prevent sickness and injury through proper care of both our minds and bodies. 

It is an intriguing read and worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Everything Everywhere All at Once

The A24 film Everything Everywhere All at Once is one of the best theater-going experiences I’ve had in a long time.

The movie follows a Chinese immigrant woman who gets recruited on a strange adventure. She is the only person who can save the world by connecting with other versions of herself in different universes to stop a being from destroying them all.

Everything Everywhere All at Once might sound like an overwhelming movie, but the writer-directors excellently guide the viewers along the bizarrely amazing journey.

Currently, this film boasts a 97% critics score and a 96% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. 

Themes in the movie like generational trauma, metaphysics, and nihilism vs. optimism are brilliantly explored throughout.

Everything Everywhere All at Once is still in theaters, and it is worth seeing if you have the chance to go and see it.

Brainfood of the Week:

Alan Watts – Perception | T&H Inspiration and Motivation

T&H Inspiration and Motivation’s mission is to share inspiring wisdom. The goal is to have people pause, think, and reflect. 

In Sunday Supplement #16, I featured a clip of Alan Watts discussing how life is not meant to be a journey but rather a dance.

This video clip features Alan Watts discussing perception. 

Watts explains how our attention is captured by figures rather than backgrounds and moving things rather than something relatively still. 

We attribute a higher degree of reality to these things than those we don’t notice. 

Watts described consciousness as a radar that scans the environment looking for trouble. The radar doesn’t recognize the vast space between objects.

Our eyes and our consciousness only pay attention to what we think is important. It is a myopic way of looking at things that screens out anything that isn’t immediately important. 

We are much more than this scanning system. It is okay to be on the lookout for danger, but we often make too much of it and shouldn’t be operating in those parameters all the time.

The video goes into further depth about perception and our experiences, but it is worth hearing the ten-minute clip from Watts firsthand.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Two monks return to their monastery from a trip abroad. The road is muddy, and they reach an intersection where a beautiful woman wearing an intricate kimono waits, afraid to get her dress dirty. One of the monks walks over to her and offers to carry her across the road. The observing monk watches in horror as his brother helps the woman. The watching monk seethes all the way back to the temple. When he gets there, he chastises the other monk for touching a woman, which is forbidden. His brother tells the fellow monk that he only carried the woman for a minute while the watching monk carried her the whole day.”

– Buddhist Parable

I’ll keep this section short as the quote is long, and I think the parable speaks for itself.

This Buddhist parable is one of my favorite stories that illustrates how our thoughts influence our reality.

The seething monk spends his entire day thinking about one minute, letting that one minute affect his mood.

The other monk’s response reminds us that we can put down our thoughts and move on with our day.

Certainly, some events can linger with us and require time and space to process, but I’m reminded of this parable whenever I’ve carried a thought for too long.

Put down any thoughts weighing you down for a while, and have a blessed week ahead!

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