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Tag: Brendan Gleeson

Leo Tolstoy, The City and the Stars, 28 Days Later, Sadhguru, and a Bible Passage

Sunday Supplement #116 (July 30th, 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:

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

– Leo Tolstoy

Book of the Week:

The City and the Stars – Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur C. Clarke is one of the legends of science fiction. His novel 2001: A Space Odyssey is probably his most well-known due to the Stanley Kubrick adaptation.

However, his bibliography of over 50 novels, novellas, and short story collections has many gems worth exploring.

The City and the Stars is set in the future city of Diaspar. Humanity built the Utopian city that ended up being the last refuge from alien invaders.

For a millennia, its protective dome shuts out the creeping decay and danger from the world outside. A Unique, born into the human population, sets out to test the city’s boundaries.

I’ve featured another Arthur C. Clarke novel in Sunday Supplement #49 worth checking out if you like the brilliant and thought-provoking The City and the Stars

Movie of the Week:

28 Days Later

Danny Boyle’s 28 Days Later follows a London bike courier, Jim, after he wakes up from a coma one month after a zombie-like virus was unleashed in the UK.

Jim, played by Cillian Murphy, has no idea what transpired during his coma and has to adapt quickly with the help of survivors Selena (Naomie Harris) and Frank (Brendan Gleeson).

I’m not a huge fan of horror or zombie movies, but this film is a brilliant story about humanity in chaos and the will to survive.

The popular show The Walking Dead (adapted from the comics) took part of the premise of 28 Days Later for their story, which is a testament to the concept of the story.

I never watched The Walking Dead, but I can’t imagine it explores the premise more profoundly than 28 Days Later. Check the film out, and let me know what you think.

Brainfood of the Week:

Resisting Change is Resisting Life | Sadhguru

Sadhguru is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers and over 1.5 billion video views.

In this video, a woman asks Sadhguru about change and how she looked forward to change when she was younger but avoided it as she grew older.

Sadhguru discusses the comfort zones we create as we get older and how change creates disturbances in those comfort zones.

When we resist change, we create suffering through non-acceptance of life and what we can do about it.

I’ve featured Sadhguru videos in a few previous Sunday Supplements. Check them out if you enjoyed this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

– Ecclesiastes 3:1

This Bible passage could have many different interpretations. For me, I think of learning to accept situations and changing how you view them.

A classic example is a rainy day being miserable for some, but if you wear the appropriate clothes and have an umbrella, it can still be beautiful.

The seasons change, and this Bible quote reminds me to stay aware of the seasons in our life and to adjust appropriately.

It’s easy to wallow in bad times, but after accepting and processing any situation, it’s time to move forward.

See what situations you can positively change your approach to, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Theodore Roosevelt, Being Mortal, Kingdom of Heaven, Simon Sinek, and 2 Timothy 2:15

Sunday Supplement #13 (August 8th, 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:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

Book of the Week:

Being Mortal – Atul Gawande

Atul Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a professor at both Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and a bestselling author. A quick Google search shows many other awards and associations Gawande is connected with, including the MacArthur Fellowship (“Genius Grant”).

In Being Mortal, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Gawande explores how the advancement of modern medicine doesn’t always sync with human and spiritual needs, especially in the later years of life. The breakthroughs in medicine and surgery have allowed humans to live much longer than previous generations, but Gawande poses that the cost is often overlooked.

His father’s experience with cancer prompted Gawande to research and write Being Mortal. Often, a medical condition requiring surgery can be viewed as something just being broken, and the solution is to fix it. However, what happens if the surgery isn’t wholly successful is often overlooked. Is an additional couple of years of life worth it if that person is bedridden because of a partially successful surgery?

Gawande goes over many different scenarios often misjudged in modern medicine and provides insight into how best to handle doctor visits and surgery decisions. It is an invaluable book that should be read by anyone looking to understand healthcare and how to best advocate for themselves or on behalf of others.

Movie of the Week:

Kingdom of Heaven (Director’s Cut)

Balian mourns the death of his wife and child when his estranged father shows up with an offer for Balian to join him and find solace and salvation in Jerusalem. Balian’s intended journey is thrown into chaos when his estranged father, the lord of Ibelin, passes his title to his son. The lordship comes with power and land that puts Balian at the forefront of the Crusades. He must decide what kind of ruler he will be in the face of enemies and adversaries.

I highlighted Ridley Scott’s The Martian in Sunday Supplement #7 and briefly touched on his poor run of films in the eyes of critics. Kingdom of Heaven fits in that time period but shouldn’t be considered a flop because the movie Scott made never received a theatrical release. Instead, a considerably edited version of the film became the movie that most people saw or passed over.

In the Director’s Cut introduction, Ridley Scott explains how his three-hour movie was cut down to just over two hours. One of the consequences of the cuts was a diminished storyline for a crucial character. Eva Green’s Sibylla becomes a side character that comes off as weak with no purpose in the theatrical version. In the director’s cut, her story is fully fleshed out and excellently explores the conflict of a woman in her position. Sibylla’s character was crucial to the story, and the theatrical cut suffers for her diminished role. 

The original film is truly a masterpiece of Cinema and thankfully was released as a director’s cut. The depiction of Christians and Muslims in the movie is beautifully explored, and the full story should be a classic in film history. The cast is full of brilliant performances, including Liam Neeson, Eva Green, David Thewlis, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Jeremy Irons, Edward Norton, Brendan Gleeson, and Orlando Bloom.

I highly recommend this film.

Brainfood of the Week:

A Simon Sinek clip on “The Paradox of Being Human – Individuals and Groups”

This is a quick clip where Simon Sinek talks about the paradox of putting the individual or the community first. There is no definitive answer because it’s a paradox, but Sinek explains how to be in touch with both in this short clip. It is an interesting way to view a relationship predicament that is prevalent across society.

Sinek is an inspirational speaker and bestselling author. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and later launched a new imprint at Penguin Random House, Optimism Press. The Press aims to find authors from the business world, the nonprofit world, the military, politics, education, the clergy, and elsewhere to offer direction on building a more optimistic world.

Simon’s YouTube page is a fun place to start to get an idea of his work. If you enjoy his content, his books are a great next place to look.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

– 2 Timothy 2:15

When I break this passage down, I think of holding oneself accountable without shame— to be satisfied with one’s presentation.

I believe this happens when you fully accept yourself and can honestly say you’ve done your best. For me, part of that comes from being in touch with my emotions. I believe that feelings can be an internal compass and a way to know when you are in line with your purpose. That doesn’t mean I let my emotions control me, but I do my best not to shut anything out. 

We might not always be at our best, though. And the quote from Theodore Roosevelt at the top of the page reminds me of that— “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” I believe if we live by this principle, we can speak without shame.

This is a work in progress for me but something I will always strive to align with.

Be easy on yourself, and have a blessed week ahead!

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