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Tag: honesty

Douglas Adams, The Green Mile, Lord of War, Brainy Dose, and a Yiddish Proverb

Sunday Supplement #160 (June 2nd, 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:

“To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.”

– Douglas Adams

Book of the Week:

The Green Mile – Stephen King

By now, I’ve featured Stephen King in at least a dozen Sunday Supplements. He’s one of my favorite authors and a writer who I believe is often misconceived as just a horror author.

The Green Mile follows the first-person narrative of Paul Edgecombe. In 1996, Paul is an old man in a nursing home, writing about his time in 1932 as the block supervisor of Cold Mountain Penitentiary’s death row.

Edgecombe dealt with a variety of prisoners during his time at Cold Mountain, but the year John Coffey came to him, Paul was forced to witness events that challenged his beliefs.

The Green Mile is another King novel that goes against the typecast. It was originally published serially in six volumes over six months. 

You may have seen or heard about the movie. It’s one of the best adaptations of King’s work, but the novel captures a bit more of the story and is well worth checking out. 

Movie of the Week:

Lord of War

Andrew Niccol (The Truman Show, Gattaca) wrote and directed the 2005 film Lord of War, starring Nicholas Cage, Jared Leto, Bridget Moynahan, Eamonn Walker, Ethan Hawke, and Ian Holm.

The story follows an arms dealer (Cage) as he confronts the morality of his work while being chased by an INTERPOL Agent (Hawke).

I remember seeing this movie when it came out, and even though the 2006 award season was packed with many excellent films, I was surprised Lord of War missed out on nominations.

Lord of War navigates a topic not often covered in film with a point of view that shows both sides of a story and lets you decide how to view it.

Brainfood of the Week:

7 Revealing Traits of an Honest Person | Brainy Dose

Brainy Dose is an educational YouTube channel with over 2.5 million subscribers. The channel features topics ranging from self-improvement and psychology to health and interesting facts.

In this video, Brainy Dose discusses seven traits of honesty. The starting prompt is to apply the litmus test to yourself and others.

I found the video an interesting insight into what their research came up with regarding the qualities of an honest person.

I was surprised to see some qualities in the video, like maintaining strong beliefs and thick skin, but for me, the most important was owning up to your mistakes.

Brainy Dose’s content piqued my interest, and I look forward to delving into their library. If you enjoyed this one, check out their other videos.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A half-truth is a whole lie.”

– Yiddish Proverb

When I came across this proverb, I thought about the concept of a “white lie.” I think by omitting our honest opinions, we belittle ourselves and others.

If you are concerned about upsetting someone, there are ways to check in with them before giving feedback. Asking the question, “What kind of feedback are you looking for?” can help you fully understand what support another person needs.

Another half-truth scenario is when someone asks you a question, and you don’t give all the details when you know what the person is really asking.

This proverb reminds me to make sure that I’m in alignment with who I want to be. If that’s the case, my actions should reflect that, and I should be able to be honest in all situations and handle how the situation unfolds.

Think about who you want to be, bring awareness to how honest you’re being, and have a blessed week ahead!

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William Shakespeare, How to Win Friends and Influence People, Liar Liar, Sadhguru, and a Quran Passage

Sunday Supplement #99 (April 2nd, 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:

“No legacy is so rich as honesty.”

– William Shakespeare

Book of the Week:

How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie

I’ve often avoided a few books because of their titles, but in most cases, I’ve found them to be excellent reads.

How to Win Friends and Influence People was a book I knew was considered one of the godfathers of the self-improvement genre, so I eventually read it.

I was happy to find its pages filled with practical wisdom and good advice for engaging with others. The information Carnegie relayed had engaging stories from a diversity of subjects and persons.

At one point in the book, after explaining one of the tips to help others in engagement, Carnegie recalls being asked why he would do something good without expecting to receive something in return. He was appalled at the question. 

The timeless bestseller has sold over 30 million copies to date. If you’ve avoided the book before, consider putting it on your to-read list now.

Movie of the Week:

Liar Liar

The premise of Liar Liar is a pathologically lying lawyer finding himself unable to lie for 24 hours on the most important day of his career after his son makes that his birthday wish.

Liar Liar’s premise is a little corny, but Jim Carrey brilliantly stars in the leading role and gives the movie heart, depth, and many laughs.

The film made over $300 million from a $45 million budget, and Carrey received a nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy at the Golden Globes.

Liar Liar was on television quite a bit when I was a kid. It has a good message and is something I would recommend watching if you come across it.

Brainfood of the Week:

Be Truthful to Yourself | Sadhguru

Sadhguru is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers and over a billion video views.

In this video, Sadhguru discusses the necessity of being honest with yourself.

He tells a story about a man who brings an umbrella with him on a walk with a friend. It starts to rain, and the man doesn’t open the umbrella. When questioned, the man says the umbrella has holes in it, and he thought he wouldn’t need it.

The man waited for someone else to catch him in his lies. If you wait for someone else to catch you in your delusions, it might take a rainy day for you to be confronted.

I’ve featured Sadhguru in a few previous Sunday Supplements. Check them out if you enjoyed this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Surely Allah does not guide him aright who is a liar and ungrateful.”

– Surah Az-Zumar 39:3

This passage from the Quran makes me think about the paths you can find yourself on if you are dishonest.

I think it’s an interesting metaphor to look at this verse and how it describes the outcome of lying and ingratitude as a lack of guidance from God.

When you are dishonest, you create a fictitious web that you must remember every strand of; otherwise, you can get caught in your own lies.

When you are true with your words, I believe the reflection comes in the peace you feel. Even if you experience pain, you can take solace in the fact that you have been honest.

Be honest in your words and actions, 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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