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Tag: kindness

Lao Tzu, Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?, The Iron Giant, Mark Kelly, and a Japanese Proverb

Sunday Supplement #181 (October 27th, 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:

“Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.”

– Lao Tzu

Book of the Week:

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? – Dr. Julie Smith

Clinical psychologist Dr. Julie Smith answered a patient’s question, “Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?” with this debut novel.

Smith discusses while some people need and could benefit from a trained psychologist or psychiatrist, there are many everyday tools that you can use to help improve your mental health outside of a therapist’s office.

Psychologists use these tools to help their patients, and Smith wanted to write a book that shares the basics for anyone to pick up.

I’ve encountered most of the principles and teachings in Smith’s book, but I think it’s an excellent guide for those interested in taking control of their mental well-being.

Movie of the Week:

The Iron Giant

Brad Bird (writer/director of Ratatouille and The Incredibles) made his first writer/director debut with the 1999 animated film The Iron Giant.

The story is set during the Cold War in the 1950s and follows a young boy, Hogart, who befriends a giant alien robot from outer space. A paranoid government agent leads the charge of finding and destroying Hogart’s new friend.

Jennifer Aniston, Vin Diesel, and Christopher McDonald are just a few of the voice actors involved in the production.

Although The Iron Giant flopped at the box office, it went on to become a classic in animation. I highly recommend checking it out.

Brainfood of the Week:

How One Act of Kindness a Day Can Change Your Life | TEDx – Mark Kelly

Mark Kelly’s podcast What I Know Now introduces listeners to inspirational leadership and personal development stories.

In this video, Kelly discusses his journey of looking for more ways to perform acts of kindness and how that benefits the giver as well as the receiver.

The TEDx Talk is a six-minute video, but it’s an interesting story with an important message about incorporating acts of kindness into your day for yourself and others.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“One kind word will warm for three months of winter.” (つの優しい言葉は冬の三カ月を温める)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb has a fairly straightforward message of how kind words can have positive effects long after they are spoken.

However, I particularly enjoy the words used to describe the effect of one kind word spoken. For me, winter in this proverb describes a time when you are isolated, and the warmth of a kind word offers connection, comfort, and hope.

The proverb reminds me of moments when someone has gone out of their way to say something kind to me. They may never know the impact of their actions, but I remember how much they helped, and I try to pass that on when I can.


Look for moments where you can be kind, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jackie Chan, Harry Potter Series, A League of Their Own, Simon Sinek, and an African Proverb

Sunday Supplement #96 (March 12th, 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:

“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.”

– Jackie Chan

Book of the Week:

Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter Series tells the story of a boy whose parents were murdered by a dark wizard. The boy is sent to live with his uncaring non-magic relatives, and on his 11th birthday, he re-enters the magical world.

There is much controversy around J.K. Rowling and her books, but it cannot be argued that they are some of the most successful novels in history.

The Harry Potter series was a fantastic addition to my childhood. I still often revisit the world of Harry Potter and find much to appreciate.

The story encapsulates the battle of good and evil over its seven books and has many wonderful lessons along the way.

If you have only seen the movies, you are missing out. The series is well worth checking out for anyone who loves adventure, magic, and an epic battle of good vs evil.

Movie of the Week:

A League of Their Own

The film, A League of Their Own, follows the fictional journey of two sisters who join the real-life first female professional baseball league.

Geena Davis and Lori Petty play the two sisters. They struggle to help the league succeed while their rivalry as sisters and players increases.

Penny Marshall brilliantly directs the film and gets the most from the story and the star-studded cast. In addition to Davis and Petty, Tom Hanks, Rosie O’Donnell, and Madonna shine.

A League of Their Own is a well-told glimpse at a side of American history not portrayed with much entertainment and heart packed in.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Power of Kindness | Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is an inspirational speaker and the author of multiple best-selling books. In this video, he discusses the power of kindness.

Sinek starts by stating that acts of kindness/acts of generosity are how simple it is to make people feel good.

He discusses the science behind the chemical our bodies produce, oxytocin, and how that occurs through acts of kindness and generosity. Witnessing an act of generosity actually increases our levels of oxytocin as well.

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in a few other Sunday Supplements as well. If you like this short two-minute video, check out more of his work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”

– African Proverb

This African Proverb makes me smile and reminds me of the power one person or one action can have.

In the proverb, the mosquito obviously can be viewed as a pest one would not spend the night with.

The negative repercussions are clear, but it should also be a reminder of how one person can leave a lasting impression.

I paired this proverb with Jackie Chan’s quote because I believe small acts of kindness can positively affect someone’s life.

Look out for a chance to give a small act of kindness, and have a blessed week ahead!

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