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Ernest Hemingway, Our Man in Havana, Hamilton, Dr. Russ Harris, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Ernest Hemingway, Our Man in Havana, Hamilton, Dr. Russ Harris, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 14, 2024

Sunday Supplement #153 (April 14th, 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:

“Never mistake motion for action.”

– Ernest Hemingway

Book of the Week:

Our Man in Havana – Graham Greene

A few years ago, I went on a binge of reading Graham Greene books. I plan to return to his works soon because the ones I read had beautiful prose and sharp narratives.

Our Man in Havana follows Wormold, a vacuum cleaner in Cuba in the late 1950s, as he accepts the offer of a side job in espionage to help support his teenage daughter.

Wormold’s dull reports threaten to deplete the extra income he received from MI6, so he starts embellishing his accounts. The proceeding events spiral with effect.

Graham was shortlisted for the Nobel Prize in Literature several times and received the Shakespeare Prize and the Jerusalem Prize.

I’ve read about five of Graham’s books, but Our Man in Havana is my favorite. The novel is a fantastic mix of espionage and political satire.

Movie of the Week:

Hamilton

I’m not a big musical person. I’ve greatly enjoyed some of the classics and featured musicals in previous Sunday Supplements, but I’m a harsh critic of the genre.

Hamilton is a blast from start to finish. While it isn’t the pinnacle of historical accuracy, I think it accomplishes what it set out to achieve and can make history engaging for those who don’t typically seek it out.

The musical follows the stories of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr as each navigate the years of America’s founding fathers. This version captures a live Broadway production from Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.

There’s so much to appreciate about the musical, including the writing and choreography, but my favorite highlights are the performances of Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry, Daveed Diggs, and Jonathan Groff.

Hamilton holds the record for most Tony Award nominations, and this recording received the 2021 Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded). 

Brainfood of the Week:

The Choice Point: A Map for a Meaningful Life | Dr. Russ Harris

Dr. Russ Harris is a psychotherapist, medical practitioner, and bestselling author of The Happiness Trap.

In this video, Harris breaks down our decisions (conscious or unconscious) into actions that move us toward our desired life or away from it.

When life is going well, choosing actions that move us toward the life we want is easier. However, life isn’t always easy, and we can get caught up in negative thoughts and feelings.

Harris’s video discusses identifying values and becoming more aware of the choice points of our actions. He doesn’t go into more detail since the video promotes his book and his classes, but identifying whether your choices align with your values seems to be the goal.

Dr. Harris’s channel has some interesting videos, not all of which end on cliffhangers. I’m curious to check out his book. The video was a good reminder of the consequences of our actions if we aren’t conscious and in alignment with our values.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Those who see action in inaction and inaction in action are truly wise amongst humans. Although performing all kinds of actions, they are yogis and masters of all their actions.”

– Bhagavad Gita 4:18

This Bhagavad Gita passage can be broken down in a few different ways. The two that stand out to me are that inaction can be a choice, and there can be senseless action.

The second one reminds me of the Hemingway quote. Often, we can mistake mindless action as meaningful. Sometimes, we need to move forward, but other times, it’s better to think about the best way to move forward before acting.

On the other hand, we can often refrain from making a choice, which itself becomes a choice. By not making a decision, we think we can avoid a situation.

I think some of the most challenging decisions we face are meaningful action and knowing the right time to act.

Do the best you can, make conscious choices, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Ray Bradbury, The Century Trilogy, Office Space, Steve Jobs, and an African Proverb

Ray Bradbury, The Century Trilogy, Office Space, Steve Jobs, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 28, 2024

Sunday Supplement #142 (January 28th, 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:

“I know you’ve heard it a thousand times before. But it’s true – hard work pays off. If you want to be good, you have to practice, practice, practice. If you don’t love something, then don’t do it.”

– Ray Bradbury

Book of the Week:

The Century Trilogy – Ken Follett

The historical epics Fall of Giants, Winter of the World, and Edge of Eternity comprise Ken Follett’s #1 New York Times bestselling The Century Trilogy.

Follett’s novels follow five families (Welsh, English, American, German, and Russian) and their fortunes through the 20th century.

I’m a big fan of Follett’s work, and you can expect a well-crafted and researched story when you pick up one of his historical epics.

I featured his The Pillars of the Earth novel in Sunday Supplement #47, where he decided to break free from his thrilled typecast and write the historical epic he always wanted.

Follett has since delved deep into the veins of the historical fiction genre with many epic books since then. The Century Trilogy is one of his best works.

Movie of the Week:

Office Space

Emmy-winner Mike Judge, creator of Silicon Valley, Beavis and Butt-Head, and King of the Hill, wrote and directed the 1999 cult classic Office Space.

Office Space follows the plan of three workers who hate their jobs as they decide to rebel against the company.

The cast is an all-star ensemble that includes Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Ajay Naidu, David Herman, Gary Cole, and John C. McGinley.

Judge’s Office Space brilliantly and hilariously captures some of the tedious and baffling idiosyncrasies of a workplace.

There’s a positive message at the end of searching for work that fulfills you in some fashion. I recommend it for those looking for a lighthearted comedy.

Brainfood of the Week:

Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address | Stanford

Steve Jobs, the former CEO of Apple and Pixar Animation, gave the Commencement Address at Stanford’s 2005 graduation. He told three stories from his life.

The first story was about connecting the dots. Jobs recounted his experience with college, dropping out, attending the classes he wanted, and later seeing the dots connect.

Jobs’ second story was about love and loss. He talks about his time at Apple, getting fired, and relationships.

The last story was about death. Jobs would wake up and ask himself, “If today were the last day in my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today.” He knew he needed to change something if the answer was “no” for too many days in a row.

The commencement speech is just over 15 minutes, but it is worth the time from your day. Give it a watch if you get the urge.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“You cannot work for food when there is no food for work.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb reminds me of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Physiological needs, such as food, water, shelter, and sleep, are at the bottom of the pyramid.

On the next level of the pyramid are safety and security needs: health, employment, property, and social ability.

Love and Belonging with friendship, family, intimacy, and a sense of connection are on the next tier, with Self-Esteem (confidence, achievement, individuality, respect) above that.

The top of the pyramid is Self-Actualization, where we experience purpose, meaning, creativity, etc. This African proverb speaks to the necessity of having a base level of sustenance to be able to achieve more.

Make sure you’re meeting your base needs, work on the things that give meaning to your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Iyanla Vanzant, The Myth of Digital Democracy, The Social Dilemma, Simon Sinek, and the Bhagavad Gita

Iyanla Vanzant, The Myth of Digital Democracy, The Social Dilemma, Simon Sinek, and the Bhagavad Gita

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on November 20, 2022

Sunday Supplement #80 (November 20th, 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:

“The journey into self-love and self-acceptance must begin with self-examination. Until you take the journey of self-reflection, it is almost impossible to grow or learn in life.”

– Iyanla Vanzant

Book of the Week:

The Myth of Digital Democracy – Matthew Hindman

The Myth of Digital Democracy researches internet usage data with the aim of seeing what voices are most heard and if the public sphere is more inclusive.

The data describing web traffic and voice distribution was the most interesting aspect of the book for me.

Hindman’s book is a fascinating insight into how the internet works in these areas, but I think his conclusions are somewhat biased.

The Myth of Digital Democracy was published in 2008 by the Princeton University Press. Hindman’s sequel, The Internet Trap, was published in 2018.

Matthew Hindman’s book is one I’d recommend with a grain of salt. I found the research and data intriguing but didn’t entirely agree with the author’s conclusions.

Movie of the Week:

The Social Dilemma

A significant number of the human population uses some form of social media, and The Social Dilemma reveals how those platforms operate.

The documentary explored the dangerous effects of social networking, with many experts weighing in on platforms they helped create.

It does a brilliant job of weaving a dramatic narrative through the technical information to show how social media can negatively affect its users.

The Social Dilemma received praise for its content and won two Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program.

I think there are many benefits to social media and the internet, which is echoed in the documentary, but it’s worth being aware of how you engage with them. 

Brainfood of the Week:

Simon Sinek on How Reflection Informs Personal Growth | Capture Your Flag

Capture Your Flag is a career documentary interview series with up-and-coming leaders that shares knowledge to help better plan, pursue, and achieve life and career aspirations.

This is a clip from a 2012 interview with Simon Sinek where Sinek answers the question, “What role has reflection played in shaping your personal growth?”

Sinek defines self-reflection as the ability to look at oneself critically— not overly critical and not full of hubris.

“The ability to say I can take some responsibility for the outcome of that, good or bad. And I can learn to do that again, or I can learn to spot those situations and avoid them in the future.”

The short video is well worth the watch.

I’ve featured bestselling author and public speaker Simon Sinek in previous Sunday Supplements. Check them out if you like this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For those who have conquered the mind, it is their friend. For those who have failed to do so, the mind works like an enemy.”

– Bhagavad Gita 6:6

I’ve heard this verse before and have come across many variations of the same theme, but it is still one of my favorite reminders for mindfulness and self-reflection.

The Bhagavad Gita passage highlights how mastering your thoughts makes the mind a friend, but having no control allows it to be an enemy.

I find that control over my mind mainly pertains to if I consciously decide if I want to pursue a train of thought or not.

When I’m a conquerer of my mind, I recognize quickly that I do not need to pursue a negative train of thought if I don’t want to.

I don’t think you always need to control your thoughts, especially when they are happy or creative, but the ability to turn the control switch on is extremely powerful.

Keep track of your thoughts, and have a blessed week ahead!

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