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Tag: compassion

Susan Sontag, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Boyhood, Eckhart Tolle, and a Quran Passage

Sunday Supplement #174 (September 8th, 2024)

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:

“Compassion is an unstable emotion. It needs to be translated into action, or it withers.”

– Susan Sontag

Book of the Week:

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde – Robert Stevenson

Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a well-known work of English literature and a pivotal book in the history of the gothic/horror genre.

The novella, published in 1886, follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates the connection between a murderous criminal named Edward Hyde and Utterson’s friend Dr. Henry Jekyll.

Utterson believes that Mr. Hyde is blackmailing Dr. Jekyll after Jekyll covers for the brutal acts of the murderer.

Finding a work of art that lasts for decades or centuries is a beautiful experience. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stevenson’s novella and highly recommend it.

Movie of the Week:

Boyhood

Richard Linklater’s 2014 film Boyhood depicts the childhood and adolescence of Mason Evans Jr., from ages six to 18, as he grows up in Texas with divorced parents.

Linklater filmed the movie from 2002 to 2013. The project began without a completed script, and Linklater allowed all pivotal actors to participate in the writing process to help incorporate their experiences into their characters’ stories.

Ellar Coltrane portrayed Mason, Ethan Hawke portrayed Mason’s dad, Patricia Arquette portrayed Mason’s mom, and Lorelei Linklater portrayed Mason’s sister. Each had a phenomenal performance.

Boyhood was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year. Arquette won for Best Performance of an Actress in a Supporting Role.

When I first saw it, it felt like a unique experience in Cinema history. The story, acting, and directing are brilliant. It’s almost three hours long and well worth the watch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Guide to Overcoming People Pleasing | Eckhart Tolle

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher, public speaker, and bestselling author. I’ve featured some of his videos and books in previous Sunday Supplements.

In this video, Tolle answers a question from an audience member about growing in a different (spiritual) direction than a family member and how to handle that situation.

Tolle states our happiness or fulfillment does not depend on any other human’s acceptance of who we are.

Tolle explains how conditions of society and environments can lead to judgments of others. He encourages understanding, compassion, and acceptance.

If you enjoy the video, check out some of the other posts where I’ve featured his work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Indeed, Allah is with those who are righteous and those who do good.”

– Surah Al-Ankabut 29:69

This passage from the Quran is an interesting litmus test for determining whether one’s actions qualify for God’s approval.

Many religious messages are twisted by those who claim to be followers to justify their actions or what they think is righteous and good.

I think we must reflect on our thoughts and actions and ensure they align with what is righteous and what is good.

Many different verses and passages from various religions speak about righteousness and goodness. Seek those sources that help you be your best self.


Have compassion for yourself and others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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

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 Supplement #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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Jack Kornfield, Armistead Maupin, Moonlight, Daryl Davis, and Surah Ghafir 40:60


Sunday Supplement #6 (June 20th, 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:

“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.”

– Jack Kornfield

Book of the Week:

Tales of the City – Armistead Maupin

Armistead Maupin was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina. He served as a naval officer in the Mediterranean and had a tour in Vietnam before returning home and working as a reporter for a newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1971, Maupin took a job with the Associated Press in San Francisco and moved out to the West Coast. Because of this move to the more open San Francisco, he announced his homosexuality publicly in 1974.

Tales of the City also came out in the mid-70s when Maupin joined the Pacific Sun newspaper. The story started as a serial and took off when Maupin brought it over to the San Francisco Chronicle after the Pacific Sun folded. Tales of the City, the novel, was published in 1978 after the success of the serial.

Tales of the City is full of adventure and packed with a lot of laughs. It starts with the narrative of Mary Ann Singleton as she visits a friend living in San Francisco in 1976. She decides to stay in the city and make the move permanent during her trip. The novel proceeds to follow Mary Ann as she navigates her way through this exciting new city and tries to make it home. The people she meets float in and out of her life, and those same people have their own narratives throughout the novel that tie everything together.

Because of its original serial format, the chapters are short and snappy. The characters come from a wide array of backgrounds, and there is something to connect you with all of them. It is a fun read and one that is perfect for the beach this summer. 

There have been a few adaptations of Maupin’s work over the years, the latest on Netflix with Laura Linney starring, but I’d say the book should be your first experience with the story. The Tales of the City series spans nine novels, so if you enjoy the first, there’s plenty more to follow!

Movie of the Week:

Moonlight

I saw Moonlight in theaters without knowing anything about the movie. A friend told me to see it, and I’m glad I did. There haven’t been too many films in recent years that fully explore how much the medium of filmmaking can depict. This movie was an experience that few encapsulate.

Moonlight is told in three parts. The story focuses on the character Chiron at three seminal points in his life. A different actor plays Chiron in each segment, but each brings a considerable presence to the screen. The timeline covers Chiron at ages 11, 17, and 25. Each part depicts his struggle with his identity and sexuality and the experiences of isolation, abuse, and neglect. 

Barry Jenkins directed and wrote the film. He adapted the screenplay from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, took the non-linear story, and crafted it into three linear parts. Jenkins and McCraney grew up in the same area but did not meet during childhood. They had mutual experiences that helped Jenkins tap into the story he wanted to tell. In particular, Jenkins allowed and utilized a lot of the film to be revealed in silence. The emotions each actor conveys throughout the movie are more powerful than words. And when the characters do speak, their dialogue has immense weight.

The acting is a masterclass from all who were involved. Each actor who played the different ages of Chiron shone. The same can be said for the actors who played Chiron’s friend Kevin. Mahershala Ali won the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, and Naomie Harris was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role. While it’s clear why both of these actors were highlighted, everyone in the film deserves to be recognized.

Moonlight expertly explores and depicts what can be seen on the surface vs. what’s underneath. It is a fantastic film that hits on many levels. The ending left me wanting more closure, but I still think the movie is one of the best I’ve seen in theaters in the last decade.

Brainfood of the Week:

*Might need a Spotify account to access

Joe Rogan’s interview with Daryl Davis on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience

Joe Rogan is someone who divides opinion. He is a stand-up comedian, an actor, and a martial artist who regularly comments for the UFC. Rogan’s life story is an interesting one, but that isn’t why he’s part of this post.  Rogan was one of the first people on the podcasting scene and created a massive platform over the years. While I’m not a fan of some of the episodes, he has conducted great interviews with many different people. An example of one of the better ones is his conversation with Daryl Davis.

Daryl Davis’s father was a Department of State Foreign Service officer, so he grew up moving around the world and lived in different countries during his childhood. When he moved back to the States, he experienced his first encounters with racism. In the podcast, Davis describes the initial incident as one that stuck with him, ingrained with the question “Why?”.

While Davis initially found his calling as a Blues and R&B musician, he came across another path that has changed many lives. He recounts a meeting with a Ku Klux Klan member that ultimately grew into a friendship. From that point on, Davis became an activist (although he might not use those words) in the fight against racism. To date, he has influenced over 200 Ku Klux Klan members to leave the brotherhood.

Davis’s story is amazing, and the podcast interview on The Joe Rogan Experience is worth the listen. There are great stories and powerful messages delivered throughout the episode. 

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Call upon me, I will respond to you.”

– Surah Ghafir 40:60

This passage from the Quran reminds me of the power of prayer and how it is a good thing to ask for help when you need it. Asking for help is something I still need to work on, but reminding myself that it is okay is a good place to start. 

Prayer is also something I’ve worked to incorporate into my life. I was told that prayer can be divided into two types: thank you and please help. I gravitate toward gratitude in my prayers, but the above passage is also a reminder for me to ask for help when I need it.

Have a blessed week ahead, be compassionate with yourself, and ask for help if you need it!

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