Tag: Improvement Pill

Confucius, Ready Player One, CODA, Improvment Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Confucius, Ready Player One, CODA, Improvment Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 22, 2023

Sunday Supplement #128 (October 22nd, 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:

“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go as long as you don’t stop.”

– Confucius

Book of the Week:

Ready Player One – Ernest Cline

Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One is a Science Fiction novel set in 2044, where people feel most alive when engaging in the virtual world of OASIS.

OASIS is a virtual reality simulator that functions as an MMORPG and a virtual world. Most people spend their time in OASIS rather than in the real world.

Wade Watts is a teenager who loves the OASIS world and devotes his time to studying the founder James Halliday’s life and interests in the hopes of completing the massive easter egg hunt in the virtual world, leaving the winner with a massive fortune and control over OASIS.

Stephen Spielberg directed the 2018 film adaptation of the novel. I think the movie did an excellent job adapting the story, but the book is worth checking out.

Ready Player One is a solid read with a lot of 80s nostalgia that culminates in a fun adventure in an interesting world with a good message at its heart.

Movie of the Week:

CODA

Set in Gloucester, Massachusetts, high-school student Ruby is torn between helping her parents’ struggling fishing business and her pursuit of Berklee College of Music.

As a CODA (Child of Dead Adults), Ruby feels the weight of responsibility for helping her parents communicate with the community.

There were many excellent movies that came out in 2021/22, and CODA came out on top for Best Picture at the Academy Awards that year.

CODA also won in the categories of Best Adapted Screenplay (Sian Heder) and Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (Troy Kotsur).

While I wouldn’t have picked CODA as the Best Picture winner for the year, there is a lot to appreciate in this heartfelt and uplifting story.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Increase Your Self-Confidence – The “Yes And…” Rule | Improvement Pill

The video starts with emphasizing an exercise you can do each week that drastically increases confidence, creativity, social skills, etc.

When the revelation was improv classes, I was a little hesitant about where the video was going. However, the video went on to highlight why the practice is so helpful.

The tips Improvement Pill goes over are valuable for social interactions and building self-confidence.

Awareness of these tools is something worth watching the video for, even if you decide you don’t want to sign up for improv classes.

I’ve featured Improvement Pill in a few previous Sunday Supplements. Their channel has over three million subscribers and focuses on teaching practices that can help change your life.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Believe in people, but believe in yourself a hundred times more.” (人を信じよ、しかし、その百倍も自らを信じよ)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb is an excellent reminder of how much power we have over our own lives.

Self-belief is one of the most important things we can have for ourselves. It changes many things about ourselves, including how we interact with others.

I think other people can be a blessing and a great source of support. However, we should always remember our own abilities to pick ourselves up and move forward.

With self-belief, you can move in the direction you want without letting discouragement from others weigh you down. Their belief is extra wind in your sails.

Believe in yourself, keep moving forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Alia Bhatt, Gwendy’s Button Box, Rounders, Improvement Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Alia Bhatt, Gwendy’s Button Box, Rounders, Improvement Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on July 16, 2023

Sunday Supplement #114 (July 16th, 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:

“Whatever you do, do with determination. You have one life to live; do your work with passion and give your best. Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor, or a mother, be passionate to get the best result.”

– Alia Bhatt

Book of the Week:

Gwendy’s Button Box – Stephen King and Richard Chizmar

It’s been a few months since I featured a Stephen King novel, but since this week’s theme is about passion, I want to highlight Gwendy’s Button Box.

Most people assume King is strictly a horror offer. This novel, written with Richard Chizmar, is a brilliant coming-of-age tale about Gwendy Peterson.

The novel starts with twelve-year-old Gwendy exercising on the local Suicide Stairs of Castle Rock when a mysterious man presents Gwendy with a magical button box.

Gwendy is tasked with protecting the box and must battle the temptation to test the dangerous contents the box holds.

King is a brilliant author and crafts a wonderful small-town tale. His work fires my passion for literature and writing, and I highly recommend his work.

Movie of the Week:

Rounders

Poker became a mainstream game in the last twenty years, and Rounders was one of the first movies to feature the game and its underground world.

David Levien and Brian Koppelman wrote the script about a young, reformed gambler who must return to playing high-stakes poker to help a friend pay off a debt while trying to balance his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school.

Matt Damon and Edward Norton star in the film, and the supporting cast features terrific performances from John Turturro, John Malkovich, Martin Landau, and Gretchen Mol.

John Daly directed the film that remains a legacy in the poker world and is still a brilliant story and excellent film.

Brainfood of the Week:

How To Find Your Passion | Improvement Pill

This video starts by debunking the assumption that only one thing can be our passion. The truth is that many things can be your passion. You can have more than one.

The two things you need to do to discover your passions. The first is that you must change where you get your dopamine from.

Dopamine is the chemical released by our brain that motivates us to do something. It is accompanied by pleasure and is easy to get from outside substances.

If we receive our dopamine from outside sources, we are less likely to pursue activities that naturally release the chemical in our bodies.

Check out the video to see the rest of the breakdown. And I’ve also featured Improvement Pill in other previous Sunday Supplements. Their videos are excellent sources of knowledge.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Beginning is easy; continuing is hard.”

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese Proverb is a straightforward message that highlights how it’s easy to take the first steps, but it’s challenging to finish the journey.

For me, knowing that the journey is hard allows you to embrace the challenges that come along the way.

If you know something will be hard, you won’t be surprised when you encounter obstacles. Instead, you can expect them and be in the right mind space to take them on when they come.

I enjoy proverbs like these because they remind you what you’re getting into. If you know that and still want to take on the challenges, you’re on the right path.

Pursue your passions, don’t give up, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Amit Kalantri, War and Peace, Lion, Improvement Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Amit Kalantri, War and Peace, Lion, Improvement Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 1, 2023

Sunday Supplement #86 (January 1st, 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.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“A birth-date is a reminder to celebrate the life as well as to update the life.”

– Amit Kalantri

Book of the Week:

War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

When Covid-19 first settled in, I decided to go to my bookshelf and tackle the volumes I had bought but had ignored over the years. I’m glad I finally got to War and Peace.

The book was first published in 1869 after being published serially in the years before. It has survived and been considered a classic for almost 200 years because of its quality.

War and Peace mixes a fictional narrative with historical events of France’s invasion of Russia and the impact of the war on Tsarist society.

Tolstoy follows five Russian aristocratic families throughout the book and brilliantly captures the lifetime of the characters.

The book offers an incredible glimpse of humanity and all of the celebrations and struggles of the characters. If the book has ever piqued your interest, check it out.

Movie of the Week:

Lion

A five-year-old boy, Saroo, gets separated from his brother one night and can’t find his way home. An Australian couple ends up adopting him, and 25 years later, Saroo sets out to find his lost family.

The film is based on the true story of Saroo Brierley and his book A Long Way Home. The book was adapted by Luke Davies and directed by Garth Davis.

Lion follows the periods of the young Saroo getting lost and his older counterpart, grown up and wanting to reconnect with his past.

While the young actors perform amazingly in their roles, Dev Patel shines as the adult Saroo. The story’s weight rests on his shoulders, and he carries it brilliantly.

Lion was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role (for Patel— not Lead Role for some bizarre reason), and Best Adapted Screenplay.

The film didn’t win any Oscars in a great year of Cinema, but it should have. And it’s definitely worth a place in the history of great films.

Brainfood of the Week:

This Simple Idea Will Make You Happier | Improvement Pill

The theme of this week’s post is celebrating your wins and setting new goals. This Improvement Pill video is fantastic for helping you create a positive game plan.

I won’t spoil the beginning of the video, but it should get you to watch the rest of the five-minute clip.

The video then explains how our internal “translator” is responsible for how we perceive the events of our lives. If we have a negative setting, we get negative experiences, while a positive setting creates positive experiences.

And one of the best things about the video is its follow-through of showing how you can change your settings.

I’ve featured Improvement Pill in three previous Sunday Supplements. Their channel has over three million subscribers and focuses on teaching practices that can help change your life.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“With hardship comes pleasure, and with pleasure comes hardships.” (苦あれば楽あり)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb was a fun one to dissect. At first glance, I thought of the example of completing a task and the good feeling that comes afterward.

The second half of the proverb reminded me that some good things are worth the hardship required to achieve them.

And when I look at the proverb in its entirety, I see that hardships can be a blessing and sometimes bring out the best in you.

Take stock of your life, appreciate what you’ve accomplished, look at what you want to achieve and what you want to eliminate moving forward, and have a blessed year ahead!

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Marilyn Monroe, Watership Down, The Truman Show, Improvement Pill, and an African Proverb

Marilyn Monroe, Watership Down, The Truman Show, Improvement Pill, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 7, 2022

Sunday Supplement #65 (August 7th, 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:

“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

– Marilyn Monroe

Book of the Week:

Watership Down – Richard Adams

When Hazel’s brother Fiver experiences a terrifying vision of their warren’s imminent destruction, the rabbits must convince others to flee.

Their adventure takes on many twists and turns and delves into a few deeper themes like authoritarianism and power structures.

Richard Adam’s research of rabbits and warrens helps provide a reading experience that feels like a realistic insight into the life of a rabbit.

After getting rejected by numerous publishers, the book was published by Collings and won the Carnegie Medal and Guardian Prize.

Adam’s book might be cataloged as a young adult or children’s novel, but it is an epic masterpiece that all ages can enjoy.

Movie of the Week:

The Truman Show

In The Truman Show, Jim Carrey plays Truman Burbank, an insurance salesman who discovers that his whole life is a reality TV show.

Burbank grew up living a life that, unbeknownst to him, takes place on a massive set populated by actors for a reality television show about him.

When Truman suspects his life is off, he must decide whether to be passive or fight back.

Jim Carey brings out the best of existential undertones of the movie while using his comedic chops to keep the film adventurous.

The rest of the cast, including standouts Ed Harris, Laura Linney, and Noah Emmerich, brilliantly support the fascinating world of The Truman Show.

The film was nominated for three Oscars and currently is #142 on IMDb’s Top Rated Movies list. It is worth putting on your watch list and will make for an intriguing movie night.

Brainfood of the Week:

How To Change Your Bad Habits | Improvement Pill

I’ve featured Improvement Pill in two previous Sunday Supplements. Their channel has just shy of 3 million followers and focuses on teaching practices that can help change your life.

In this video, Improvement Pill focuses on how to change your bad habits. The video starts by discussing a negative habit loop of Internet surfing (Facebook).

The harmful habit gets reinforced by the environment and specific cues. The first step two removing a bad habit is changing your environment and/or eliminating negative cues.

Adding good cues to your routine helps reinforce good habits in your life. And making it harder to indulge in bad habits and easier to indulge in good ones reinforces your determination.

The video gives good examples of positive and negative cues and making it harder or easier to support habits.

Improvement Pill has many short videos with practical strategies for change. Check this one out to see if it’s a channel you’d like to subscribe to.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“If the rhythm of the drum beat changes, the dance steps must adapt.”

– African Proverb

This African Proverb reminds me that we aren’t always in control of the music around us. If we want to keep up with new dances, we must learn the steps.

New rhythms can help us grow and learn new things. Although, I don’t think we should mindlessly dance to the beat of others either.

I think awareness of the changing beats is vital to conscious action. We can decide how to best move forward when we recognize the music changing.

There are many levels to this African Proverb, and I’m glad for the reflection on being aware of my environment.

Notice the music playing around you, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Alan Cohen, Waking Up, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Improvement Pill, and The Bhagavad Gita

Alan Cohen, Waking Up, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Improvement Pill, and The Bhagavad Gita

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on June 5, 2022

Sunday Supplement #56 (June 5th, 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:

“There is virtue in work, and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.”

– Alan Cohen

Book of the Week:

Waking Up – Sam Harris

Multiple New York Times bestselling author Sam Harris explores how to live a spiritual life without religion in his book Waking Up.

In the book, Harris outlines his journey of spirituality, what he’s learned, and the science that backs up the practice.

A few chapters delve into different religions and modern practices. Harris outlines the useful common ground while highlighting the pitfalls.

Many spirituality books and practices believe their way is the only way or the best way to see the light. Waking Up provides a good litmus test to weed out the charlatans.

Harris outlines the essentials for living a spiritual life that isn’t reliant on religion and shows how mediation is a rational practice.

Waking Up is worth reading and keeping in mind when delving into other spirituality books and practices.

Movie of the Week:

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

John Hughes wrote and directed many classic 80s films. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is arguably one of his best.

The film follows high school senior Ferris Bueller as he fakes sick a month before graduation. He’s skipped too many times before, and if he gets caught, he won’t graduate.

Ferris’s day off includes rousing his best friend from staying home actually sick, getting his girlfriend out of school, and going on numerous adventures in the city.

While Ferris and his friends go on their adventures, the school principal attempts to catch Ferris in his lie. Ferris’s sister also attempts to track him down after seeing the support from the school about his illness.

The movie was made for $5 million and grossed over $70 million at the box office.

At the beginning and the end of the movie, Ferris Bueller states, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around every once in a while, you could miss it.”

The film stands the test of time and is worth checking out if you’re looking for a fun watch with interesting and upbeat themes.

Brainfood of the Week:

How To Meditate For Beginners – Improvement Pill

This Improvement Pill video discusses precisely how to meditate— where to meditate, what to do with your body, what to do with your mind, and how long you should do it.

The video uses information from the highly recommended book Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana.

Improvement Pill’s video does a brilliant job of highlighting the optimal ways of meditation and also gives practical advice on making it easy to get started.

Mindfulness Breathing Mediation is the type of meditation the video uses as a guide and starting point.

The cumulative benefits show themselves at different times for different people. However, a meditation practice could be an invaluable addition to your personal care routine.

I’ve featured Improvement Pill recently in Sunday Supplement #54, but I’ve watched their videos for years. Their channel is an excellent source of knowledge on self-help subjects.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.”

– The Bhagavad Gita

This passage from the Bhagavad Gita reminds me of the importance of steady meditation practice.

Having one or two times in the day where you sit or lay in silence is a beautiful way to recuperate and give your body and mind a break.

The Bhagavad Gita passage reminds me of the effects of meditation when practiced over time.

While I haven’t mastered meditation, some of the most productive and calm times in my life have been after adopting a morning and evening mediation routine.

The Brainfood of the Week is an excellent video to help start a meditation practice. I also provide video prompts in Sunday Supplements #31 and #41 worth checking out.

Make time for yourself to rest your mind and body, and have a blessed week ahead!

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