Skip to content

Tag: Hugo Weaving

Judy Blume, The Alchemist, V for Vendetta, Freedom in Thought, and an African Proverb

Sunday Supplement #27 (November 14th, 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:

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”

– Judy Blume

Book of the Week:

The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The Alchemist tells the story of a shepherd boy who travels from Spain to Egypt searching for a treasure buried near the pyramids. Santiago quests for his personal legend and meets many different people and challenges along the way. He doesn’t know what the treasure is and pursues many different avenues along his adventure. 

There are many lessons that Santiago and the reader learn throughout the journey, and the importance of listening to our hearts is one of the most important.

I won’t spoil too much of the story, but I want to highlight one part from the book in this post. When Santiago makes the first leap into the unknown, he travels to a land where he doesn’t know the language. Santiago gets robbed and becomes stuck without any means to get back to his home country.

What’s incredible about this part of the journey is the reminder of the capacity for humans to land on their feet after falling. It is a lesson that gets repeated throughout the story and is one that we all should remember.

The Alchemist is one of the few books I’ve read multiple times. It always picks me out of a rut when I pick the book back up. I encourage you to give this short novel a read. Let me know what you think!

Movie of the Week:

V for Vendetta

This movie would have been perfect for a 5th of November post, but it is worth watching regardless of the time of year. The film is rated R for a reason and shouldn’t be watched on a whim, but the story, cinematography, and acting are superb.

V for Vendetta is set in a future Britain ruled by tyranny. A freedom fighter disguised behind a Guy Fawkes mask plots to expose and overthrow the government with the help of a young woman. The story is based on the graphic novel written by Alan Moore and illustrated by David Lloyd. While the movie received some criticism from the fans of the source material, the film on its own is a brilliantly executed motion picture.

The Wachowski’s adapted the graphic novel, and their friend, James McTeigue, directed it. Influence from The Matrix can be seen in the style of the movie. And on the acting side, Natalie Portman, Hugo Weaving, Stephen Rea, Stephen Fry, and John Hurt all give outstanding performances in their respective roles.

It’s worth repeating that the movie’s R rating is warranted. The violence and content of the film are graphic at times, but I believe that content serves a purpose. I don’t agree with some extremes, but that is one of the points in the movie.

V for Vendetta is a movie I recommend with some caution, but its lessons and warnings are captured brilliantly. It currently resides at 170 on IMDB’s Top Rated Movies list.

Brainfood of the Week:

Buddha – Conquer Fear, Become Free — Freedom in Thought

Freedom in Thought is a YouTube channel that breaks down philosophical concepts and explores them through dialogue.

In this video, the concept discussed is based on a quote from the Buddha in the Dhammapada. The Buddha says a wise person is beyond fear, and as a result, is truly free.

The video then uses a Zen story to set up an example that explores the Buddha’s words.

During a Japanese civil war, an army took control of different villages. In one village, everyone fled except for a Zen master. The general went to the temple to get the Zen master to submit to his will. He brought out his sword and said, “Fool, don’t you see? I’m the type of man that can put a sword through you without blinking an eye.” The master calmly replied, “Don’t you see? I’m the type of man who can have a sword put through him without blinking an eye.”

As long as we fear something, we are controlled by that thing. True freedom is to be without fear.

In a dialogue between a monk and a student, the video discusses different facets of fear and how to overcome them. It shows how fear is blinding and controlling. A person who is afraid projects what they are scared of and sees the world through a lens.

The source of fear is our desire to protect ourselves from pain. When we are afraid, we block ourselves from understanding and growth. We must accept pain and fate and focus on our actions and not the outcomes we can’t control.

There are many videos on Freedom in Thought worth exploring. Try this one out to see if it is something that you enjoy.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“The unborn baby that fears criticism will never be born.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb is a great reminder for me and my creative pursuits. At times, I’ve not started a projected or have been tempted not to finish because I thought my idea was terrible. I realize looking back on those times I was just scared of the reception my writing would receive. 

I always worked on finishing my projects no matter what, but I wouldn’t always let others see what I wrote. I’ve since worked on removing the barriers I’ve kept up to keep me safe. Every time I put myself out there, regardless of reception, I’ve learned something and grown.

An important lesson from this quote for me is to keep putting myself out there. I want to keep pushing myself to grow and experience new things, knowing that fear can hinder these. and I continue to work on being more comfortable with being uncomfortable. Baby steps helped me move along, but I’m working on taking more incredible leaps and knowing I’ll be okay.

Step outside your comfort zone, and have a blessed week ahead!

1 Comment

Dr. Glenn Doyle, Personality Isn’t Permanent, Hacksaw Ridge, Marcus Aurelius, and 1 Corinthians 13:2

Sunday Supplement #17 (September 5th, 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:

“When we base our worth on something that fluctuates, like our mobility, our body size, and shape, or our productivity, we’re setting ourselves up to feel like crap when life throws us a curveball… Our inherent worth is NOT tied to how attractive or useful we are to someone else.”

– Dr. Glenn Doyle

Book of the Week:

Personality Isn’t Permanent – Benjamin P. Hardy

Benjamin P. Hardy is an organizational psychologist and bestselling author. His blog posts have received over 100 million views and have been featured by the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, Forbes, Fortune, and other esteemed publications.

In Personality Isn’t Permanent, Hardy analyzes and debunks misconceptions around personalities that have become popular assumptions over time. He explains why tests like Myers-Briggs and Enneagram can be psychologically destructive and are misunderstood for personal application. The purpose of going over the misconceptions is to show how they don’t root anyone in a stuck pattern of behavior.

From there, Hardy shows how to break free of past misconceived personality limitations. He shows how to design a current identity based on the desired future self and reframing past traumatic experiences. He also breaks down how to enhance your subconscious to overcome addictions and limiting patterns and how to become confident in defining your life’s purpose.

The book is a fun and quick read and mixes in studies and statistics with true stories of intentional self-transformation. Some of these stories include examples of Vanessa O’Brien, who quit her corporate job and set the Guinness World Record for a woman climbing the highest peak on every continent in the fastest time; Ken Arlen, who instantly quit smoking through a change in his identity narrative; and, Andre Norman, who became a Harvard fellow after his fourteen-year prison sentence.

Personality Isn’t Permanent is well worth the read and contains many inspirations for breaking free from your past to become the person you want to be.

Movie of the Week:

Hacksaw Ridge

Desmond Doss enlists in the Army as a conscientious objector with the aim to save lives as a medic rather than take lives as a rifleman. He faces abuse and ostracization from the Army and his peers in basic training. Doss fights for his beliefs and right to serve and ultimately proves to himself and his peers that these beliefs were worth upholding.

I’m not a big fan of war movies, but the genre has produced many brilliant films in the past that show more than a dramatization of events.

Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Desmond Doss, who served in the Battle of Okinawa and refused to kill people. He became the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

There is much to admire about this movie in addition to its story. The acting from Andrew Garfield (Desmond) and Hugo Weaving (Desmond’s Father) is superb. Teresa Palmer, Rachel Griffiths, and Luke Bracey also steal many of the scenes they’re in and add to a well-rounded cast that carries the film.

The movie was nominated for six Oscars, winning two—Best Achievement in Film Editing and Best Achievement in Sound Mixing. The other notable categories were Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role, and Best Achievement in Directing.

It isn’t a film that you watch casually on a Saturday night, but if you do decide to watch it, you’ll experience a movie that does more than just pass the time.

Brainfood of the Week:

Marcus Aurelius – How to Build Self-Discipline (Stoicism) — Philosophies for Life

Philosophies for Life is a YouTube channel that breaks down philosophers’ works for a modern audience. Their channel has just shy of 30 million views and animates videos based on great thinkers like Plato, Friedrich Nietzsche, Aristotle, and Immanuel Kant.

In this video, Philosophies for Life looks at Marcus Aurelius’s autobiographical writings, Meditations. Aurelius was the Emperor of Rome from 161AD to 180AD and was considered the last of the five good emperors. His Meditations autobiography contains key insights on building self-discipline, and the video goes over ten important points from the writings.

Aurelius highlights the importance of finding your purpose by having a clear understanding of your goals and the tasks that fit within them. The biggest source of self-discipline is having a reason to do the task. If you don’t know what to do, start with what interests you. Build a practical plan of action to achieve your goals and be fully committed. Believe in yourself. 

Mini milestones are a great way to keep you on your intended path and help you reach your outcome. They help you achieve your goals and avoid succumbing to being overwhelmed. Each day is a new chance to reset and move forward. Remembering that you have power over your mind, not outside events, helps you stay disciplined.

These are just a few of the topics the video discusses. You can always pick up a copy of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, but I find these videos helpful and quick motivational boosters. 

I hope you enjoy the video and gain something from it!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.”

– 1 Corinthians 13:2

In my research on this quote, I saw that versions of this passage replaced charity with love. In this context, it reminded me that love is something you can give as well as receive.

I’ve posted many times about the necessity of love in our lives to help give us meaning. This can be in the form of friendships, intimate relationships, and community. Being more aware of myself and my actions helps me connect in these different relationships and helps me connect with what’s around me. An act of kindness, whether given or received, often shines a light on my day.

I’m glad I came across this passage because it reminds me that accomplishments by themselves can mean little. I hope you find personal meaning in this passage as well. 

Thank you to all my friends and family who have been there in my life.

Have a blessed week ahead!

2 Comments
2021 © Drew Alexander Ross