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Tag: Jesse Itzler

Desmond Tutu, Cloud Atlas, Jerry Maguire, David Goggins, and a Buddhist Saying

Sunday Supplement #35 (January 9th, 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:

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

– Desmond Tutu

Book of the Week:

Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell

David Mitchell is a multiple award-winning British author listed in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2007. His writings have been adapted into critically acclaimed films, and he has gone on to work on screenplays with the Wachowskis’. His novel, The Bone Clocks, was praised as one of the best novels of 2014 by Stephen King.

Cloud Atlas interlocks six different stories over six different time periods. The novel starts with an American notary traveling from the Chatham Isles to his home in California in the 1850s. The action moves over to Belgium in the 1930s and follows a disinherited composer who finds his way into an apprenticeship of an infirm maestro.

The novel then explores a troubled reporter in the 1970s who stumbles upon a story that threatens her life. In modern-day England, there is another narrative that follows a vanity press publisher hoodwinked by his brother. And the final two stories are set in a Korean superstate in the near future and a post-apocalyptic Iron Age set in Hawaii during the last days of history.

Cloud Atlas is a whopper of a novel, but it is one of the most brilliantly constructed narratives I’ve read. The book works its way through each story, setting up the characters and the drama, then works its way backward to conclude each narrative.

Mitchell’s novel was nominated for the Nebula Award of Best Novel, the Booker Prize, the Locus Award for Best SF Novel, and the Arthur C. Clarke Award. This book doesn’t always receive the highest praise, but it is worth checking out. 

Movie of the Week:

Jerry Maguire

Cameron Crowe’s Jerry Maguire won one Oscar and made over $270 million worldwide on a $50 million budget.

The film follows super sports agent Jerry Maguire, as he has a moral epiphany about his line of work and gets fired for expressing his feelings in a mission statement. Maguire then decides to put his new philosophy into practice by starting an independent agency with the only athlete who stays with him and a former colleague.

Cuba Gooding Jr. won the lone Oscar for the film in the category of Best Actor in a Supporting Role. His performance was brilliant but shouldn’t have been the only one recognized at the Oscars. Tom Cruise received a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role but didn’t win, and Renée Zellweger got snubbed entirely.

Jerry Maguire tells an entertaining story with great depth. The themes involved around redemption and love are expertly explored. The film also provides many laughs and a few tear-shedding moments. More likely than not, you’ve heard some of the famous lines from the movie quoted in your life, whether you’ve seen the film or not.

If you haven’t seen this movie yet, it’s worth adding to your list.

Brainfood of the Week:

David Goggins interview on the Rich Roll Podcast

Rich Roll’s podcast is a long-form interview with thought leaders, high performers, and positive change-makers all across the globe. The conversations are designed to help unlock and unleash our best, most authentic selves.

I featured a Jesse Itzler episode from the Rich Roll Podcast in Sunday Supplement #3. A cool connection between Itzler and David Goggins is that Itzler asked Goggins to live with him for a month to help him achieve new levels of mental and physical toughness. 

Itzler’s book about the experience, Living with a SEAL, hit #1 on the New York Times and LA Times bestsellers lists.

David Goggins is the only member of the US Armed Forces to complete SEAL training, US Army Ranger School, and Air Force Tactical air controller training. 

After several of his friends died in Afghanistan, Goggins set out to honor their memory by taking on the ten most difficult endurance challenges on the planet. He did this to raise funds and awareness for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, which gives college scholarships and grants to the children of fallen special-ops soldiers.

In the interview with Rich Roll, Goggins talks about his experiences overcoming physical, academic, and emotional problems, his Navy SEAL background, and his endurance challenges.

The discussion between Goggins and Roll has many gems and is a perfect source of motivation and thought-provoking prompts. Check out David Goggins’ Can’t Hurt Me autobiography/self-help book if you like the interview.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Conquer anger with non-anger. Conquer badness with goodness. Conquer meanness with generosity. Conquer dishonesty with truth.”

– Buddhist Saying

In Sunday Supplement #13, I mentioned Teddy Roosevelt’s quote about doing what you can, with what you have, where you are. When I came across the Desmond Tutu quote, I remembered Teddy Roosevelt’s words and this Buddhist saying.

Tutu’s words build on Roosevelt’s advice in relation to how we can contribute to the good in the world. For me, the Buddhist quote is a how-to guide in following up on Tutu’s quote.

I don’t think it’s easy to always be at your best or in a good state, but I believe practicing the ability to control your actions is crucial to building a better way of life.

We can’t control what other people do, but we can control how we respond to different situations and others.

Take a breath in difficult times, choose how you want to respond, and have a blessed week ahead!

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David Suzuki, Walter Mosley, Stand and Deliver, Jesse Itzler, and Surah Ar-Ra’d 24


Sunday Supplement #3 (May 30th, 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 this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“The way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore… if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity— then we will treat each other with greater respect. Thus is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective.”

– David Suzuki

Book of the Week:

Devil in a Blue Dress – Walter Mosley

Mosley’s first novel in the Easy Rawlins series was an Edgar Award Nominee for Best First Novel (1991). It follows Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins, a Black World War II veteran living in the Watts area of Los Angeles in the late 1940s. He knows the neighborhood and is asked by a White man at a bar to locate a White woman known to visit jazz clubs in the area. The job turns out to be even more complicated than it initially appears. Blackmail, extortion, and secrets are just some of the many obstacles Easy runs into. 

The book is a classic in the private detective genre and delves into many different subjects, including race, money, sex, violence, and survival. It is the first of fifteen novels in the series, spanning decades of Los Angeles history and culture.

Mosley was awarded the National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters in 2020 in recognition of his contributions, which include more than sixty critically acclaimed books covering various subjects and genres. His Easy Rawlins series offers an intelligent and captivating read for those who pick up the books. You don’t have to read the series sequentially, but Devil in a Blue Dress is a brilliant way to start. 

* Devil in a Blue Dress was also adapted into a movie starring Denzel Washington, Don Cheadle, Tom Sizemore, and Jennifer Beals.

Movie of the Week:

Stand and Deliver

Ramón Menéndez’s Stand and Deliver is based on the true story of a high school teacher, Jaime Escalante. In the 1980s, James A. Garfield High School performed below grade-level expectations and did not have high expectations placed on the student body. Escalante became a mathematics teacher at the East Los Angeles school and galvanized his students to excel in academics. He recognized the untapped potential of the class and made it a goal for the students to take AP Calculus by their senior year.

Edward James Olmos portrayed Jaime Escalante and was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the 1989 Academy Awards. He was also the reason why co-star Lou Diamond Phillips landed the role of Angel. Their characters’ relationship is one of the highlights of the film and one of the many highlights in their respective careers.

In an interview with The Hudson Union, Phillips explained how he was on the verge of moving back home to Texas because he couldn’t book a part and was running out of money. His famous role in La Bamba was in the bag, but it hadn’t been released yet, so no one knew who he was. Phillips caught a break, though, and got cast in a guest role on Miami Vice. He shot one scene with Olmos, and Olmos told him to get in touch with Menéndez about being in Stand and Deliver.

The interactions between Escalante and the students make the film, but the true story it’s based on makes it more than just a film. The movie is inspirational and is a great reminder of how expectations placed on us and from ourselves can affect how we view our lives. It also shows the power of believing in yourself and having others believe in you.

I’ve highlighted Los Angeles in a few posts now and twice in this week’s Sunday Supplement. Part of the reason for that is I’ve lived in Los Angeles for four years now, and I like to watch and read about the history of where I live. I also worked and volunteered at schools in Los Angeles for three of the years I’ve lived here. This film is one of my favorite depictions of the city and an educational setting.

An outside source of validation for the movie is that the Library of Congress selected Stand and Deliver for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2011.

Brainfood of the Week:

Rich Roll’s interview with Jesse Itzler on his podcast The Rich Roll Podcast.

Rich Roll is a vegan ultra-endurance athlete who changed his life at 40 after struggling with drugs, alcohol, and unhealthy living. His podcast is just one of the many ways he provides inspiration and information.

Jesse Itzler has an unbelievable biography. He came out of college with a recording contract under Delicious Vinyl records as a songwriter/artist. During this time, he made it into the Billboard 100, made music hits for sports franchises, and won an Emmy. After that, he found success as an entrepreneur, creating and selling companies like Marquis Jet and Zico Coconut Water. He and his wife, Sara Blakely (founder of Spanx), were part of a group that purchased the Atlanta Hawks in 2015. 

In the interview description, Roll asks the question: how does this guy have such an extraordinary life?—watch and learn. 

There are certain principles and perspectives Itzler shares that are nuggets of wisdom you can incorporate into your life. He tells many hilarious stories and gives insights into how he views life and the decisions that have improved his way of thinking.

Check out the interview; I’m sure you’ll pick up at least one useful tool from it.

Closing Prayer/Passage:

“Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home.”

– Surah Ar-Ra’d (24)

In high school, I had my first exposure to the Muslim religion through one of my best friends. I didn’t have many deep thoughts at the time, but looking back, I’m grateful for this exposure. And I’m glad to have had examples of good people from all faiths in my life.

There are literal breakdowns of passages and prayers, but I enjoy the metaphorical examinations as well. For me, this passage speaks to the benefits of reflecting and responding vs. reacting. The final home is the excellence of peace. It isn’t something I always embody, but I continue to work on incorporating that mind state.

Have a blessed week ahead, and may you find peace in it!

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