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Tag: David Benioff

Leonardo da Vinci, The Richest Man in Babylon, 25th Hour, The School of Life, and a Dhammapada Verse

Sunday Supplement #135 (December 10th, 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:

“I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection.’Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.”

– Leonardo da Vinci

Book of the Week:

The Richest Man in Babylon – George S. Clason 

George S. Clason started a map-making company in the early 1900s and was the first to publish a road atlas of the United States and Canada.

Clason also authored a series of pamphlets distributed by insurance companies and U.S. banks in the early 1920s.

These pamphlets, centered around financial advice in the form of parables set in ancient Babylon, were compiled and became the book edition of The Richest Man in Babylon.

The Richest Man in Babylon has sold over 2 million copies and has been in print for over 90 years. It is considered a classic for wealth management.

While the key lessons in The Richest Man in Babylon are pretty simple, the stories are excellent and might provide a deeper impression for those principles to sink in.

Movie of the Week:

25th Hour

Spike Lee’s 25th Hour follows a convicted New York drug dealer, Montgomery Brogan, as he reevaluates his life in the 24 hours before facing a seven-year jail term.

The film has an all-star cast of Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, Brian Cox, and Barry Pepper.

Spike Lee brilliantly directs this film, and it is on the top tier of my list of Spike Lee Joints. 

Game of Thrones show writer David Benioff wrote the novel and the script the film is based on. But don’t let that put you off; the novels of his I’ve read are excellent, and this movie is, too.

Brainfood of the Week:

Why Introspection Matters | The School of Life

The School of Life makes content from psychologists, philosophers, and writers devoted to helping people lead calmer and more resilient lives.

This video starts with explaining the parable of Androcles and the Lion. You might have heard of it in some form or another, but the main point is the lion with the thorn in its paw.

In this telling of the story, the video shows how a thorn can cause a significant amount of pain, and we don’t always know how to get it out or need help to get it out.

Without reflection or asking for help, it can be easy to slip into avoidance of the pain or snap out at others.

I’ve featured a number of The School of Life videos. They tend to be short but impactful clips on various topics worth exploring. Check out these other posts if you’ve liked this one.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Speak the truth; yield not to anger; when asked, give even if you only have a little. By these three means can one reach the presence of the gods.”

– Dhammapada 224

This Dhammapada verse reminds me to reflect on the principles I hold. The values this verse implores are ones I find I always take a pause when I’m tested.

I think this is the power of taking a pause and reflecting on your actions. You have a moment to decide what you truly want to do rather than just going along with whatever mood you’re in.

Sometimes, you can find yourself in survival mode, and these moments of reflection can be challenging. But I find that through reflection, you are able to get a better handle on things.

The principles that the verse speaks to are great guides for having bliss in your life, and I think ones that any God would approve of.

Reflect on how you want to show up each day and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jane Howard, City of Thieves, Love Actually, Brené Brown, and an African Proverb

Sunday Supplement #84 (December 18th, 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:

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”

– Jane Howard

Book of the Week:

City of Thieves – David Benioff

David Benioff is probably best known for adapting and bringing Game of Thrones to the screen for HBO. I was curious to look into his writing past, and City of Thieves stood out.

Benioff’s novel was a New York Times bestseller and recaptured his grandfather’s experience of World War II in Russia.

During the Nazi’s siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov gets arrested for looting and thrown into jail along with an army deserter, Kolya.

Instead of execution, Lev and Kayla are given the chance of a pardon if they complete the impossible task of securing a dozen eggs for a Soviet colonel.

The coming-of-age story tells a tale of adventure, strife, companionship, and war and is excellently written by Benioff.

Movie of the Week:

Love Actually

Richard Curtis has a long screenwriting career which includes movies, including About Time, which I featured in Sunday Supplement #34

That being said, Curtis has only directed a handful of movies. Love Actually is probably his best-known of those few and is a Holiday season classic.

Love Actually follows the lives of eight couples dealing with their various love lives in a loosely connected web of a narrative set during a frantic month of Christmas in London, England.

Not all the storylines involve happy narratives, but there are many laughs and memorable moments throughout the film.

There’s a reason this movie is considered a Holiday classic, and while it might not be a movie to sweep the Oscars, it’s worth checking out.

Brainfood of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfOE5ykj7EQ&t=325s

Know Your Worth and Where You Belong | Brené Brown

I’ve featured Brené Brown in a few previous Sunday Supplements. She is the author of multiple number-one New York Times bestsellers and is an expert on vulnerability, courage, and empathy.

In this video, Brené discusses how our worth and belonging are not negotiated with other people but are carried inside our own hearts. Doing otherwise gives away your belonging.

Brown highlights Maya Angelou’s quote, “You are only free when you realize you belong no place—you belong every place—no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.”

As a social scientist, Brown initially couldn’t grasp the meaning of the quote, knowing that there is suffering in the absence of love and belonging.

The rest of the video highlights Brené’s discovery of what it means to belong. It’s well worth checking out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A family is like a forest; when you are outside, it is dense; when you are inside, you see that each tree has its place.”

– African Proverb

I find it interesting that there tend to be multiple layers with most spiritual passages or quotes from various peoples or traditions.

This African Proverb reminds me not to judge something by its outside appearance. Families, communities, and people, in general, all have sides you can’t see from one perspective.

I also find the proverb shows how a group or community can be strong when they are together.

To maximize the strength of the forest and each tree, I think it’s important to plant the seeds you want around you and to take care of the trees in your woods.

Consider the value of yourself and those around you, and have a blessed week ahead!

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