Tag: Einzelgänger

Helen Keller, Mindfulness, In the Mood for Love, Why Silence is Power, and Sahih al-Bukhari 6126

Helen Keller, Mindfulness, In the Mood for Love, Why Silence is Power, and Sahih al-Bukhari 6126

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on July 10, 2022

Sunday Supplement #61 (July 10th, 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:

“Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.”

– Helen Keller

Book of the Week:

Mindfulness – Mark Williams and Danny Penman

Oxford professor Mark Williams is one of the leading thinkers on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. He teamed up with award-winning journalist Danny Penman to write Mindfulness.

The book explains simple and straightforward practices from Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy to help dissolve anxiety, stress, exhaustion, and unhappiness.

Mindfulness’s subtitle is An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World.

The mindfulness meditation program is broken down and explained in a way anyone can do. The time the practice requires is only 10-20 minutes per day.

One of my favorite things about this book is that it doesn’t rely on spirituality or religion to explain the benefits of meditation.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many spiritual traditions include meditation, but I find it promising that science has found a way to separate the practice from religion.

There are many different books, apps, and videos that explain and provide lessons for meditation. It’s worth checking Mindfulness out to see if it resonates for you.

Movie of the Week:

In the Mood for Love

One of my favorite films is Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love. It tells the story of two neighbors who befriend each other after suspecting the extramarital activities of their spouses.

The film beautifully shows the platonic relationship of the two neighbors as they question and reenact situations they believe formed their spouses’ relationship.

Everything in the movie is choreographed exquisitely. The music and the cinematography enhance the brilliant acting from leads Maggie Cheung and Tony Chui-Wai Leung.

The film premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2000 and received a nomination for the Palme d’Or. Tony Leung won Best Actor, becoming the first Hong Kong actor to win the award.

Much of the movie is explored through scenes without dialogue. Some of the best sequences occur through close attention to mannerisms and non-verbal exchanges.

I’ve found that there aren’t many movies that leave lasting impressions on their viewers. This movie is one that I find myself often visiting over the years.

In the Mood for Love is well worth checking out if you’re looking for a movie that explores the human experience in a subtle and profound manner.

Brainfood of the Week:

Why Silence is Power | Priceless Benefits of Being Silent | Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger is a YouTube channel that creates videos exploring different people and ideas of history with the aim of making content that inspires, resonates, and entertains.

I’ve featured three of Einzelgänger’s videos in previous Sunday Supplements.

This video explores the advantages of silence in creativity, mental health, spiritual and religious practice, and other everyday situations. It breaks down into four parts.

Silence can also send a powerful message. In conversation, pausing or choosing not to speak can give a person strength. In protest, silence can express what discourse cannot.

Studies have shown that silence relaxes the mind, enhances sleep, and lessens insomnia. Excessive input of noise is detrimental to our ability to function.

All of these topics are explored in more depth in the video. On the surface, the necessity of silence is obvious, but Einzelgänger’s video has many insights worth picking up.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak what is good or keep silent.”

– Sahih al-Bukhari 6126

Sahih al-Bukhari is one of the six major collections of Hadith, based on the Islamic prophet Muhammed’s teachings, sayings, traditions, and practices.

The whole passage starts with, whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should not hurt his neighbor. The second part says whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should serve his guest generously.

The third and last part of the passage is the one I’ve highlighted above. It reminds me of the saying, “If you can’t say something kind, don’t say anything.”

Words have much power, but I believe silence equally holds great power. Many great speeches exist, but a single word or silence can be just as profound.

The passage above from the Hadith reminds me that speaking isn’t always necessary. Silence is a tool that can be louder than words.

Explore and look for moments of silence, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Albert Einstein, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Dope, Ride the Wind, and a Rwandan Proverb

Albert Einstein, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, Dope, Ride the Wind, and a Rwandan Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 15, 2022

Sunday Supplement #53 (May 15th, 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:

“Life is like a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.”

– Albert Einstein

Book of the Week:

The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin – Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography contains various aspects of the founding father’s life, including early stories, thought processes, beliefs, and plans.

The book is divided into four parts. The first recounts his early life, including his fondness for reading and his apprenticeship with his brother, a Boston printer.

After a dispute with his brother, Franklin left for New York, Philadelphia, London, and back to Philadelphia. Franklin continues his own writing and publication pursuits all the while.

In part two, Franklin goes over thirteen virtues he wishes to perfect and his practice of keeping a notebook to keep track of his offenses.

Parts three and four continue recounting Franklin’s later years. He writes about his study of languages, his beliefs around the essentials of all religions, and his government involvement.

Many brilliant little pieces of wisdom can be picked up by reading the Autobiography. One of my favorites is leaving someone an “out” in an argument.

The book can be dry at times, but it is worth pursuing to get an insight into one of the founding father’s thoughts on life in the 1700s.

Movie of the Week:

Dope

Rick Famuyiwa’s is a brilliant coming-of-age comedy/drama. The film follows Malcolm, a geek living in a tough neighborhood, interested in hip-hop but not living the gangster culture.

Malcolm and his friends are more interested in school, and Malcolm sets his sights on Harvard. However, his college plans get interrupted when he attends a private party and ends up with a backpack full of drugs.

The movie follows Malcolm and his friends as they get caught in the situation of being forced to sell the drugs while trying to get finish school and get into college.

Rick Famuyiwa wrote and directed the film. He crafted an entertaining and engaging story that explores themes of race and self-acceptance packaged in a wild ride.

Dope didn’t make a huge impact in theaters, but it made $17 million off a $7 million budget and received an 88% critics rating and 83% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie might not be for everyone (rated R), but the trailer is worth checking out to see if it’s something you’d want to put on your watch list.

Brainfood of the Week:

Let It Go, Ride the Wind | The Taoist Philosophy of Lieh Tzu

This video discusses the Taoist references to the life of Lieh Tzu. The Taoist sage is described as one who rode the wind with an admirable indifference to normal things.

The Liezi text is the primary source for the information in the video. It explores philosophical themes like the nature of reality, the purpose of life, and the workings of the mind.

The tendency of human beings to stand in their own way is a theme explored throughout the Liezi. The attempts to control the uncontrollable and fearing change are prominent.

There is an introduction in the video to Lieh Tzu, followed by a story of the legend of the Yellow Emperor and how he managed to learn to ride the wind like Lieh Tzu.

The video constantly reminds the viewer of the metaphors explored in the texts of a mental state where we move lightly through life when external circumstances don’t weigh us down.

Many miracles are possible during this flow state. It’s when we doubt or overthink that we find ourselves failing or incapable of action. Worrying about outcomes burdens our experience.

The video explores much more of the Liezi text and the principles of Lieh Tzu.

Einzelgänger narrates and animates this video. I’ve featured his videos in previ o us Sunday Supplements and believe his channel is well worth checking out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“If you are building a house and a nail breaks, do you stop building, or do you change the nail?”

– Rwandan Proverb

This Rwandan Proverb reminds me of how often we can get caught up in minor matters when we should continue moving forward.

The perspective the proverb shows is a fantastic example of looking at the scale of a small problem in the context of a larger goal.

I think it’s easy in a moment to feel frustrated with something that goes against our wishes. Whether it’s a person or an outcome, we can get wrapped up in something outside ourselves.

Sometimes the best thing to do is to move on with our days. Every moment passes, and it’s not worth letting something small negatively affect our course.

The Rwandan proverb creates the perfect image for me to remember to pick up another nail rather than quitting work on my house.

Move past little things in your way, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Bruce Lee, Can’t Hurt Me, Amadeus, The Power of Letting Go, and Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:159

Bruce Lee, Can’t Hurt Me, Amadeus, The Power of Letting Go, and Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:159

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 13, 2022

Sunday Supplement #40 (February 13th, 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:

“Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them.”

– Bruce Lee

Book of the Week:

Can’t Hurt Me – David Goggins

I featured David Goggins in the brainfood section of Sunday Supplement #35. In that post, I gave a brief summary of Goggins’s history for the United States Armed Forces and his subsequent journey as one of the world’s top endurance athletes.

The accompanying video in that Supplement is an interview with Goggins on The Rich Roll Podcast. Check out the video, and if you like it, check out this book.

Can’t Hurt Me is a mixture between a self-help/personal development book and an autobiography. Goggins uses stories of his past to show how one can overcome obstacles to create the person one wants to be.

Goggins grew up with poverty, abuse, and racism. He failed at various points in different areas but decided to turn his life around. He went from being overweight and depressed to becoming the only man in history to complete elite training as a Navy SEAL, Army Ranger, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller.

This book is an excellent insight into how much control we have over our minds and bodies. You don’t have to become an ultra-endurance athlete after reading it, but there is much to take away and learn from.

Movie of the Week:

Amadeus

The 1984 film Amadeus won eight Oscars and is considered one of the best movies in Cinema history.

The film tells a fictional story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the eyes of a rival composer, Antonio Salieri. The bitter rival reflects on the career of the genius composer and claims that he was the one who murdered him.

Amadeus was adapted from the stage play of the same name by screenwriter Peter Shaffer. Miloš Forman directed the film, and F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce starred as Salieri and Mozart.

Every name above won their respective Oscar, except for Hulce because he was nominated in the same category as Abraham. The film also won Best Picture.

Amadeus currently sits at #82 on IMDB’s Top Rated Movies list and boasts above a 90% in both critics and audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes.

Add this movie to your list if you’re looking for an excellent (lengthy) biopic/period piece. It’s one of my favorite films and has an epic soundtrack.

Brainfood of the Week:

Einzelgänger | Taoism – The Power of Letting Go

In Sunday Supplement #20, I featured an Einzelgänger video as the brainfood of the week. The channel creates videos that explore different people and ideas of history with the aim of making content that inspires, resonates, and entertains.

In this video, Einzelgänger discusses the idea of control in our modern society. He then offers an insight into Taoism and its philosophy of letting go.

The first way of Taoism Einzelgänger highlights is the art of non-doing. He breaks it down to knowing when to act and when not to. Control can be what combats effortless action or a flow state. And while control isn’t always a bad thing, like self-control, too much suffocates growth.

Embracing change is the next topic in the video. “The Living are soft and yielding; the dead are rigid and stiff. Living plants are flexible and tender; the dead are brittle and dry.” —Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, 11.

Not focussing on outcomes is one of the last areas Einzelgänger goes over. When we focus too much on the future, we tend to paralyze ourselves in the present with anxiety.

Einzelgänger goes into greater depth with these philosophies, and the beautiful video is well worth checking out. I provide the above to give a glimpse at what the video offers, but give it a watch and see if you take anything away from it.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“It is by Allah’s mercy that you are gentle to them, and had you been harsh and hard-hearted, surely they would have scattered from around you. So excuse them, and plead for forgiveness for them, and consult them in the affairs, and once you are resolved, put your trust in Allah.”

– Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:159

In this passage from the Quran, I’m reminded of the power of forgiveness. The two statements show the possibility of alienation if you’re too harsh and the power of resolution if you seek to forgive.

I believe that forgiveness can be for yourself as well as others. If we are too hard on ourselves or repress any negative feelings around ourselves or others, we lose the opportunity for catharsis.

For me, the most important thing is to see and acknowledge what is happening with an open mind. Look to resolve the situation and trust that everything will be okay.

I believe, if you approach situations with others of yourself in this way, regardless of if you believe in God or not, you can find peace and move forward.

Forgive yourself and someone else, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jackie Joyner-Kersee, The Dog Stars, The Imitation Game, The Path of the Loner, and a verse from the Yajur Veda

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, The Dog Stars, The Imitation Game, The Path of the Loner, and a verse from the Yajur Veda

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on September 26, 2021

Sunday Supplement #20 (September 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 I stop to kick every barking dog, I am not going to get where I’m going.”

– Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Book of the Week:

The Dog Stars – Peter Heller

A few movies and books were highlighted over quarantine, like Contagion and Stephen King’s The Stand. While both discuss relevant issues, a story that deals with a similar situation in a different way is Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars.

While the above stories focus on the downfall of civilization, this novel picks up long after a flu pandemic wipes out most of the population. It follows the narrative of Hig, who continues his existence in semi-isolation in that hangar of a small abandoned airport. He lives with his dog, Jasper, and a recluse military man, Bangley, while they attempt to survive and find purpose.

The small cast of characters allows for a deeper exploration of what it means to be truly alone. Hig meets additional characters along the way, and each brings something unique to the narrative that makes a fascinating read.

Thankfully, the novel isn’t a downer. The book takes a unique situation and fully explores it from a point of view that isn’t all about chaos. Its narrative provides an introspective read that is well worth checking out. The Dog Stars was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Andrew Carnegie Medal in 2013. It might not be the most famous novel about a pandemic, but it might be one most deserving of a read.

Movie of the Week:

The Imitation Game

During World War II, mathematical genius Alan Turing attempts to crack the German Enigma code with his fellow mathematicians. Turing faces adversity in the workplace and is ostracized for his antisocial behavior and his private life.

A ranked compilation of unproduced scripts floating around Hollywood is released. “The Black List” is famous in the movie industry, and many brilliant screenplays have topped it over the years. The Social Network and Juno are some of the highlights from past years. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon were linked with the role of Alan Turing at various stages, but Benedict Cumberbatch eventually landed the leading role.

The film has a well-rounded cast supporting Cumberbatch with Keira Knightley, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, and Matthew Goode all giving commanding performances. The Imitation Game received eight Academy Award nominations in a tough year and only won one. It arguably should have won more, but Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay for Graham Moore was the only Oscar win.

The Imitation Game has an intricate story that encompasses many different themes to help flesh out the plot. The personal struggles of Turning and Knightley’s Joan Clarke are central to the film and give it an extra dimension of depth that shouldn’t be overlooked. It is a movie worth seeing and one that warrants more than one watch for film buffs.

Brainfood of the Week:

Miyamoto Musashi – The Path of the Loner — video by Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger is a YouTube channel that creates videos exploring different people and ideas of history with the aim of making content that inspires, resonates, and entertains. The tagline of the channel is, “In search of…”

In this video, Einzelgänger recounts the story of Miyamoto Musashi and the legacy he left behind. Musashi was born in the 16th century and embarked on a warrior’s pilgrimage, “musha shugyō,” when he was fifteen. He traveled independently, practicing his sword skills while engaging in a series of duels to the death. Once Musashi gained Ronin status, he faced his most challenging opponent Sasaki Kojiro and won. He then renounced lethal duels and later retired and used his time to pass on his wisdom.

Musashi wrote about the path of the warrior— the samurai way of discipline, focus, restraint, and honor. He compiled 21 principles on how a warrior should live in his work Dokkōdō.

After giving a brief summary of Musashi’s life, the video explores Musashi’s Dokkōdō and its application to the modern-day. There are many lessons about honor, focus, and society that are well worth the look.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Only actions with perseverance can ensure success.”

– Yajur Veda

There are four sections of the Hindu Vedas, and they have many verses and passages worth checking out. The one above, from the Yajur Veda, discusses perseverance and its rewards. I always keep an eye out for passages that jump out to me or those that I come across that remind me to keep pursuing my interests and goals. I smile when synchronicities occur right when I need a sign, and I believe that the universe provides these moments when you most need them.

It can be a challenge to pursue your passion or keep on the path towards your goals, but I believe that perseverance has its rewards. When I encounter difficulties or setbacks, I try to be kind to myself and remind myself that hard work pays off, even if it’s in ways I didn’t expect. If you genuinely believe that what you are working on has meaning for you, keep going for it and don’t give up.

Take a moment to appreciate your hard work, and have a blessed week ahead!

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