Sunday Supplement #168 (July 28th, 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:
“Always do what you’re afraid to do.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
Book of the Week:
1Q84 – Haruki Murakami
Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 is one of his most critically divisive novels. It is over 1000 pages, depending on the edition you pick up, so I recommend it with a grain of salt.
The novel has a dual narrative between childhood friends Aomame and Tengo. Aomame begins to notice strange changes in her world (a fictional 1984 Japan) and embarks on a journey to discover what is real.
Tengo is a math tutor tasked with re-writing a novel by a girl he finds to be an account of her life in a cult. When he follows this thread, his world collides with Aomame again.
For me, reading Murakami’s prose is an experience akin to experiencing a dream. IQ84 isn’t one of my favorite Murakami novels, but it delivers on its epic scale and is worth the look for those interested.
I’ve featured Haruki Murakami’s books in three previous Sunday Supplements, and I highly recommend checking out his work.
Movie of the Week:
I watched Benny & Joon a little while ago and was delighted at the film’s scale and its delivery of a heartfelt story. There don’t seem to be as many smaller movies like these lately.
The story follows a mechanic, Benny, who takes care of his sister, Joon. He struggles with her doctor’s opinion that Joon should live in an assisted living facility.
When Benny loses a bet to his friend, he takes on another roommate in the form of Sam, an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
Benny finds the living situation surprisingly effective when Sam and Joon form a bond, but he still struggles with living his own life in fear of Joon’s safety.
The Jeremiah S. Chechik directed, Barry Berman and Lesley McNeil written film has a standout cast that includes Aidan Quinn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Johnny Depp, and Julianne Moore.
Brainfood of the Week:
Troubled By Fear? Just Change Your Channel! – Sadhguru
I’ve featured Sadhguru in a handful of previous Sunday Supplements. He is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers.
In this video, Sadhguru responds to a question about how to overcome fear. He then discusses how fear can be excessive imagination about things that are not happening.
We can project imaginary scenarios that cause fear instead of overcoming what exists in the present.
Sadhguru advises working on gardening your thought patterns to produce different scenarios in your mind.
I think the video is an interesting reminder to control our thoughts instead of letting narratives run wild in our minds without our choosing.
Closing Spiritual Passage:
“If you feel like you’re losing everything, remember, trees lose their leaves every year, yet they still stand tall and wait for better days to come.”
– Japanese Proverb
This Japanese proverb reminds me not to let fears spiral out of control. I think when things don’t go as you hoped or planned, it’s easy to feel lost or worthless.
Whenever you get stuck in a bad situation, good times can feel so far away, and it might feel like you’ll never find your way back.
It’s easy to get wrapped up in negative thoughts, but it’s worth remembering that time will pass and things will change.
I think this proverb is a perfect example of the passage of time and how even when things seem bleak, there will be better times ahead. We shouldn’t dwell on what we cannot control.
Don’t let fear run amok, take action, and have a blessed week ahead!