Tag: books

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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Charles Kettering, The Surrender Experiment, About Time, A Complete Guide to Goalsetting, and Surah At-Tawbah 126

Charles Kettering, The Surrender Experiment, About Time, A Complete Guide to Goalsetting, and Surah At-Tawbah 126

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 2, 2022

Sunday Supplement #34 (January 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:

“You can’t have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time.”

– Charles Kettering

Book of the Week:

The Surrender Experiment – Michael A. Singer

In Sunday Supplement #12, I highlighted Michael Singer’s The Untethered Soul. That book is one of my favorite self-help/spirituality books and is one that gave me many tools to improve my life.

The Surrender Experiment is Singer’s autobiography that recounts his life from his early years as a loner and a searcher to his life as a computer program engineer that made him a multi-millionaire.

Throughout Singer’s journey, he stayed true to his spiritual and humanitarian efforts, which allowed him to put aside conflicting beliefs, let go of worries, and transform misdirected desires.

Many self-help books can appear to be a lot of advice from people coming off like they’re selling something. Michael Singer’s work passes on what has worked in his life without skipping over the contentious parts.

This book is a fantastic insight into Singer’s extraordinary life and is the perfect introduction to his guide to living in The Untethered Soul.

Movie of the Week:

About Time

Richard Curtis, the writer/director of About Time, has over 60 movies credited to his name. Of those are classics like Notting Hill, Love Actually, and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

While About Time isn’t one of Curtis’ Oscar-nominated films, it is definitely one of his best and deserves a view.

The film tells the story of Tim as he turns 21 and learns from his father that he can travel in time and change what happens in his life. He decides to use his abilities to get a girlfriend but finds more difficulties in this task than he imagined. The lessons he learns along the way make a beautiful movie.

Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, and Bill Nighy star in the leading roles with solid supporting performances from Margot Robbie and Lydia Wilson. Each contributes to the well-written story in memorable ways.

About Time is a brilliant romantic comedy that provides a beautiful message for the New Year. The viewer has to put aside the logistics of time travel in the movie, but it allows for a special film to be seen if that is done.

Brainfood of the Week:

A Complete Guide to Goal Setting — The Art of Improvement (Jack Heimbigner)

I featured The Art of Improvement on Sunday Supplement #30, and the channel makes another appearance for this post.

In this video, Jack Heimbigner goes over the importance of milestones and goal setting. We often fail to follow through with our plans, but the video explains why this happens and how to avoid that outcome.

Heimbigner breaks down S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goal setting. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant/relatable, time-bound, evaluate, and reward. Check out the video to see how each category is used to help achieve and manage your goals.

The video wraps up with the C.S. Lewis quote, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

I believe goal setting is a valuable tool to help yourself move forward. The Art of Improvement video is a fantastic tool to help you plan for the new year.

I’d also recommend checking out Sunday Supplement #8 and my blurb about Atomic Habits to help with setting achievable goals

Have fun with your goal-setting for 2022!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do they not see that they are tried once or twice every year? Yet they neither repent nor do they learn a lesson.”

– Surah At-Tawbah 126

This passage from the Quran reminds me of the importance of reflecting and learning from my actions. The end of the year is the perfect time for looking back at what’s happened, seeing the lessons that can be gleaned, and planning for the year ahead.

My birthday is on December 27th, and I usually dedicate time on that day to reflect on the past year and plan for the year ahead. I did an intention setting for the year ahead, but I put the yearly reflection aside for later.

I’ve since looked at my past year, celebrated my wins, and saw areas where I could improve. One of the exercises I did was a value and goal alignment. I looked at my values and goals and saw where I fell short and where I could adjust for the following year.

The simplest way to ensure I’m on track is to plan my schedule with activities and routines that reflect my values and goals. The above Art of Improvement video also helped me create a plan for 2022.

I always find it exciting when synchronicity strikes in my life. And the timing of coming across the Quran passage reminded me how vital it is to look at the year’s past tests and learn from them.

Reflect on the past year, learn and plan, move forward, and have a blessed year ahead!

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The Dalai Lama, All Quiet on the Western Front, Rain Man, The School of Life, and an African Proverb

The Dalai Lama, All Quiet on the Western Front, Rain Man, The School of Life, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on December 26, 2021

Sunday Supplement #33 (December 26th, 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 these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”

– The Dalai Lama

Book of the Week:

All Quiet on the Western Front – Erich Maria Remarque

The German novel about World War I was written by veteran Erich Maria Remarque and published in serial form in Vossische Zeitung magazine in 1928.

All Quiet on the Western Front was released in America the following year in book form and became the best-selling work of fiction for that year.

The story focuses on a German perspective of the war. A room of schoolboys is encouraged by their schoolmaster to partake in the glorious war on behalf of their country. The boys are moved by the call of patriotism and sign up for the army. From the point of view of an ‘unknown soldier,’ the novel then explores the horror and disillusionment of life in battle.

I remember reading this book in high school, and it hit me how there are two sides to every story, even in war. At the time, I probably had most of my knowledge of Germany in war influenced by World War II films. I can think back now to my reading All Quiet on the Western Front as one of the early seeds planted for the curiosity of perspective and learning others’ stories.

The book was adapted to a movie fairly quickly in Hollywood and won the Best Picture Oscar at the Academy Awards in 1930.

I’m looking forward to re-reading this novel again, and I’d encourage anyone else interested to give it a chance.

Movie of the Week:

Rain Man

The 1989 Academy Awards had many great movies nominated for Best Picture, including Stand and Deliver (highlighted in Sunday S upplement #3), but it’s clear why Rain Main came away with the Oscar.

The story follows a selfish Los Angeles yuppie, Charlie Babbitt, as he learns his estranged father left his fortune to an autistic savant brother, Raymond, he didn’t know existed. Charlie then absconds with his brother and sets out on a cross-country trip to bring his brother back to Los Angeles in the hopes of gaining what he believes is his rightful fortune.

Tom Cruise played Charlie Babbitt, and Dustin Hoffman played Raymond. The film won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for Barry Levinson, Best Writing – Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen for Ronald Bass and Barry Morrow, and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Hoffman.

In recent years, I’ve found that there aren’t many films, especially Hollywood movies, that have great depth outside of Independent Cinema. The ones that make it to mainstream attention are clearly worth watching, but many brilliant concepts and subjects get overlooked by the mainstream.

Rain Man is a remarkable film with tremendous character growth that gets depicted through a heartfelt and brilliant story. The movie is a classic, and one that stands remains relevant.

Brainfood of the Week:

Self Compassion — The School of Life

The School of Life is a YouTube channel consisting of psychologists, philosophers, and writers devoted to helping people lead calmer and more reliant lives.

The channel shares ideas on understanding ourselves better, improving our relationships, taking stock of our careers, and deepening our social connections. Another aspect focuses on the outcome of finding serenity and growing more confident in facing challenges.

The School of Life offers films, online psychotherapy, online classes, and a range of books, e-books, and games. They publish a new video on their channel every Wednesday and have an audience of over seven million subscribers.

This video goes over the importance of self-compassion and provides a routine that you can use to engage in self-care.

The recording explains how most humans survive by becoming highly adept at self-criticism for not working hard or being smart enough. This behavior is so we don’t fall behind in life, but the behavior can sometimes become excessive and harmful.

The antidote to being hard on ourselves is self-compassion. However, we can be suspicious of this balancing tool because it can often look like self-pity.

A way to healthily combat depression and self-hatred is self-care.

The School of Life suggests taking time for a 15-minute self-compassion exercise or meditation. The aim is to adopt a kindly perspective on your life and correct the negative flow of your wort self-accusations.

The video is an interesting look at how important self-compassion is and one way of actively engaging in supporting ourselves.

Give the video a watch and see if it clicks for you, but, regardless, make sure to be compassionate to yourself and make self-care a top priority.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“One who loves you loves you with your dirt.”

– African Proverb

A friend recently told me that things don’t need to be perfect to be good.

I think we can get upset at times when we see something that is unfair, or we see something or someone that has the potential to be better.

When we focus on our thoughts of what could be better, we fail to validate the moment that is right in front of us.

When I read this proverb, I’m reminded of the meaning of unconditional love.

I don’t believe that means we need to validate bad behavior, but I hope to be able to see through the dirt more as I grow.

See if you can find a moment to be compassionate, and have a blessed week ahead!

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