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Emily Dickinson, Elevation, The Shawshank Redemption, The Dodo, and Romans 15:4

Sunday Supplement #32 (December 19th, 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:

“Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all.”

– Emily Dickinson

Book of the Week:

Elevation – Stephen King

I’ve featured two Stephen King books in the Sunday Supplements, Cujo in Sunday Supplement #19 and Eyes of the Dragon in Sunday Supplement #4.

Stephen King fans will know the affiliation of the number 19 in his works, so I felt it appropriate to dedicate a passage on the 19th to King.

I’ve given two different sides of King’s writing so far, and Elevation falls to his more positive side. If there is a single book in his canon that breaks his stereotype, this would be the one I’d encourage non-horror fans to give a chance.

Elevation tells the story of Scott Carey, who starts steadily losing weight at an increasingly alarming rate, even though there doesn’t seem to be a difference in his physical appearance.

Carey doesn’t want to raise the alarm, but he trusts his local doctor, who worries about the eventual outcome of the process. In the meantime, Carey builds a relationship with the couple next door who experience prejudices of the small Maine town of Castle Rock because of their sexual preferences.

As Carey comes to see the reality of his neighbors’ situation and his own, he starts to try and help the community.

I’ve read over 40 Stephen King novels, and this one (146 pages hardcover) was one of the most surprising and enjoyable. If you check it out, let me know!

Movie of the Week:

The Shawshank Redemption 

Stephen King features again with the adaptation of his novella Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption.

The 1994 adaptation of King’s novella follows the bond two men create through common acts of decency while imprisoned and their eventual redemption.

When asked what my favorite movie is or what I think the best movie ever made is, I usually answer Casablanca, Citizen Kane, or The Shawshank Redemption.

IMDB lists the film as number one on their Top 250 movies list, which backs up my claim why the film is one of the best ever made.

There is a big difference between the novella and the film, but the narrative’s overall message of redemption and hope isn’t lost.

The film didn’t do well at the box office and was nominated for seven Oscars but didn’t win one. This snub amazes me, but the film’s recognition in film culture makes up for the lack of awards.

If you haven’t seen The Shawshank Redemption, put it at the top of your list. The movie might become your favorite film ever.

Brainfood of the Week:

Human Chain Rescues Dog Stranded in Canal | The Dodo

The Dodo is one of my favorite Youtube channels to indulge randomly. Their channel aims to create a place for everyone who loves animals and cares about their wellbeing. They host uplifting videos about animals, their owners, and their stories.

In this video, a few total strangers in Almaty, Kazakhstan, come together to form a human chain to rescue a stranded dog in a canal.

Everyone once in a while, I find myself Googling or searching on YouTube “random acts of kindness” to give me a boost. What I find always lifts my spirits.

This particular video shows me the power of one person deciding to do something that makes a difference. That one act can give other’s courage to join.

Moments like these restore my faith in humanity. They can be small or big, but they always remind me that we have the power to make a difference in the world.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

– Romans 15:4

When I feel down, it can be hard for me to be positive or remember good times. This Bible passage reminds me that I have made it through every difficult period in my life.

Every time we go through enduring times, blinders can block us from seeing the light of the good times in our life. It can also be tough to believe that there will be more enjoyable moments in our lives in the future.

Our current situation might be the most challenging situation we’ve encountered, but our life experience should teach us that we’ve survived everything we’ve faced.

In moments where I haven’t faced challenges the way I hoped I would, or the results didn’t go my way, I’ve felt down or discouraged. However, when I have time to reflect, I’ve found that there usually are lessons for me to learn from each failure.

In the end, I find and choose hope. This passage perfectly reminds me that there is always something to learn and that we always have reason to hope for good times.

Find something you can learn from, find the hope from that lesson, and have a blessed week ahead!

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James Altucher, Cujo, The Full Monty, ‘Sup Beautiful People, and an African Proverb

Sunday Supplement #19 (September 19th, 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:

“Honesty is the fastest way to prevent a mistake from turning into failure.”

– James Altucher

Book of the Week:

Cujo – Stephen King

My first post about Stephen King was in Sunday Supplement #4 and featured his fantasy novel The Eyes of the Dragon. I wrote about that novel because it disproves the notion that King is just a horror novelist.

Cujo does have some horror elements in it, but it is much more than a scary story. In my opinion, King’s greatest talent as a writer is his ability to construct characters that have depth and make the reader care about what they go through. Even though King barely remembers writing the novel, it is still one of his best. 

I’ve read over 40 Stephen King novels, but I stayed away from Cujo for a long time because I thought it was just a horror book. I’m grateful I gave it a chance because it is one of my favorite books he’s written so far.

The story follows two families amid financial and personal struggles. Vic Trenton and his wife, Donna, are going through their own issues, while a family across town, the Chambers, deal with the abuse in theirs. Cujo, the Chambers’s Saint Bernard, has his own narrative that is struck by contracting rabies. The two families are brought together as the Cujo begins to lose control and attack.

I haven’t watched the movie, and I don’t intend to watch it because most of the adaptations of King’s novels fail to capture the magic he puts on the page. This novel has plenty of depth and will be one that hits you far differently than blurbs suggest if you give it a chance. 

Movie of the Week:

The Full Monty

This British comedy is one of my favorite movies to put on when I’m feeling down. It is about six unemployed steelworkers in Sheffield, England, who decide to make ends meet by becoming strippers. Each character has their arc, and all have lessons to learn about themselves.

The Full Monty stars some of today’s highly accomplished actors. Mark Addy (Game of Thrones) and Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, Batman Begins, and The Patriot) show early glimpses of their talent and bare it all—pun intended. Robert Carlyle (Trainspotting, The World is Not Enough) stars in the lead role of Gaz and provides great depth as a father struggling to be a positive presence in his son’s life.

The movie was penned by Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours), but it apparently took a lot of editing to make it the Oscar-nominated film it ended up being. In an interview on The Graham Norton Show, Carlyle revealed that the movie was set to be released straight to video until a lot of convincing got it a theatrical release. The result was a gross of over $250 million from a $3.5 million budget.

The Fully Monty has a lot of heart and has some poignant lessons about honesty, responsibility, having fun, and friendship. It’s a great watch and one that provides a lot of laughs.

Brainfood of the Week:

‘Sup Beautiful People – A mini-documentary of Ozro Hepworth by Logan Whorton

Ozro Hepworth grew up in the small town of Panguitch, Utah. He was a state champion in wrestling before he graduated high school and went to work in a factory. While working there, he saw an advertisement for a masseuse school and began taking classes after his overnight shifts. A year later, he became a massage therapist on cruise ships and traveled the world. 

Hepworth ended up in Los Angeles and became a yoga teacher before he moved into education. Visual impairment came into his life, along with many other challenges, and he chose positivity as his way of moving forward.

This mini-documentary is a profound glimpse into the life of a man who faced many adversities and chose to move forward. In the video, you can see bits of his journey and how he cultivated a practice of positivity to help himself and ultimately help others. It is a nine-minute mini-documentary and is worth the watch. I learned from the video how you can take any situation and choose to do something about it. 

Let me know what you picked up!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Knowledge is a garden. If it isn’t cultivated, you can’t harvest it.”

– African Proverb

This African Proverb is a reminder for me to continue to learn and grow. Knowledge is something that must be maintained. Whenever I think I’ve reached a point where I feel confident and stable with my knowledge, the universe gives me another challenge. I’ve learned to embrace these opportunities to grow.

I haven’t always seen the lessons in the past. I’ve done a lot of research and have talked with a lot of people about how to learn and move forward. Opening the door to inward reflection helped me understand myself and improve. I realized that knowledge isn’t something that is always focused on the outside. Knowledge of myself has been one of the most helpful exercises I’ve incorporated in my life.

I’m reminded to look for new experiences and opportunities to learn something new about myself, others, or the world. I find that some of my fondest memories come from areas of growth. I encourage everyone to look for those experiences.

Learn something new about yourself or others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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