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Kemi Sogunle, Daring Greatly, Magnolia, The School of Life, and a Bible Passage

Sunday Supplement #150 (March 24th, 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:

“Embrace vulnerability so that you can be set free from fear.” 

– Kemi Sogunle

Book of the Week:

Daring Greatly – Brené Brown

I’ve featured a few Brené Brown quotes and videos in previous Sunday Supplements, but this is the first time I’ve featured one of her books.

Daring Greatly is a New York Times bestseller that delves into vulnerability and shame. It is an excellent self-help book with many gems worth picking up.

Brené Brown highlights Theodore Roosevelt’s The Man in the Arena quote and uses it as a guidepost for overcoming shame, embracing vulnerability, and daring greatly.

For me, the best parts of the book were where Brown broke down the origins of fear, shame, and guilt, which helped me understand how to embrace vulnerability.

I recommend checking out Brené Brown’s talks to get an idea of her work. If you like what she speaks about, check out this book. 

Movie of the Week:

Magnolia

Paul Thomas Anderson is probably best known for There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Licorice Pizza, but I think Magnolia is arguably his best film.

Magnolia features an ensemble cast that includes Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Alfred Molina, Melora Walters, and John C. Reilly.

The film is a mosaic of interrelated characters in the San Fernando Valley attempting to find happiness, forgiveness, and meaning.

I’ve only seen this film a couple of times because it is a tough watch. The acting, directing, and writing are brilliant, though.

I recommend Magnolia with the warning that it is a bit of a downer, but it is a powerful film you’ll likely remember long after watching it.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Importance of Vulnerability | The School of Life

I’ve featured The School of Life in ten previous Sunday Supplements. They make content from psychologies, philosophers, and writers devoted to helping people live calmer and more resilient lives.

This video starts by discussing how we often can look to hide from vulnerability to avoid mockery and humiliation. We try to appear more normal or extraordinary than we are.

Ultimately, vulnerability can be a natural route to connection and respect. It’s humanizing and helps us relate to others.

There is a bad type of vulnerability, though, where it seeks to take advantage of others and comes from a selfish place.

This School of Life video is a nice introduction to the topic of vulnerability. I highly recommend their channel.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

– John 14:2

This passage from the Bible has often been claimed to refer to heaven having endless availability to those worthy of a place.

I came across another interpretation that I thought was an interesting metaphor proclaiming that God’s house has many religions/spiritual traditions.

When I consider the overlap between these traditions, this concept of multiple spiritual practices/religions all touching on a similar message seems plausible.

It can be comfortable to exclude others or view those outside your circles as wrong or unsafe. However, we should try to remain vulnerable and open to including other people and ideas.

Try to face your fears, move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Maya Angelou, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Hitch, Carol Dweck, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Sunday Supplement #149 (March 17th, 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:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

– Maya Angelou

Book of the Week:

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon

Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001.

The novel follows two Jewish cousins before, during, and after World War II. Kavalier is a young artist who smuggled himself out of Nazi-invaded Prague. He joins his cousin in Brooklyn, and the two delve into the emerging comic book scene.

The cousins partner to make their own comics, and the novel follows their journey from youth to adulthood while pursuing this craft.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, which had amazing depth. The growth of the characters throughout the story was brilliantly explored.

For those interested in a classic American fiction novel, I highly recommend The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

Movie of the Week:

Hitch

One of my favorite Rom-Coms, Hitch, hasn’t always received the best review. I still think it is worth the watch.

The film follows a “date doctor” who falls in love with a cynical columnist while he helps a shy account try to woo an heiress. 

The “date doctor” is a man, played by Will Smith, who helps other men get dates with women. I think the criticism the movie gets is usually misplaced about this concept.

My favorite element of the movie is how the story pokes fun, and sometimes in a serious fashion, about the gender roles and societal norms of the dating world.

Even though this movie doesn’t get a lot of love, I recommend it and would be curious to discuss it with anyone interested.

Brainfood of the Week:

Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck | Stanford Alumni

Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck researched the power of mindset and how we think about our talents and abilities can significantly influence our success.

Dweck discusses studies on students who exhibit a growth mindset by viewing “failure” as an opportunity to learn more versus students who viewed failure as a judgment passed on them.

The students with a fixed mindset responded that they were more likely to cheat on following exams, find others who did worse to make them feel better, or avoid more tests.

I’ve featured Carol Dweck’s book on growth and fixed mindsets in Sunday Supplement #97. If you enjoyed this video, check it out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Knowing other people is intelligence; knowing yourself is wisdom. Overcoming others takes strength; overcoming yourself takes greatness. Contentment is wealth.”

– Tao Te Ching

I read Ursula K. Le Guin’s translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching a few months ago. I found its verses beautiful and thought-provoking.

This verse reminds me how vital self-work is to living a full life. We often look outside of ourselves for examples of growth, but working to better oneself can bear the most fruit.

We don’t always have control over external situations, but we do have control over how we respond to them.

I think working on yourself, healing your past traumas, and understanding your behaviors are some of the best uses of our time.

Continue to work on yourself, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jeanne Moreau, Start With Why, Adaptation, Einzelgänger, and an African Proverb

Sunday Supplement #148 (March 10th, 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:

“Life is an accomplishment and each moment has a meaning and you must use it.”

– Jeanne Moreau

Book of the Week:

Start With Why – Simon Sinek

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in many previous Sunday Supplement posts, but mainly as a Brainfood of the Week post.

This is the first time I’ve posted about his books. I only read the book a few weeks ago, but it’s easily one of my favorite nonfiction books.

In Start With Why, Sinek breaks down different historical people and companies and how they created a lasting impact.

Sinek’s examination of how so many companies fail to act from a place that resonates with the people they want to attract is profound.

I cannot recommend this book more highly because it gives an excellent insight on where we should operate from as people and through industry.

Movie of the Week:

Adaptation

Charlie Kaufman is known for his bizarre and existential movies, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich.

Kaufman’s screenplay Adaptation is my favorite movie of his. It is excellently directed by Spike Jonze and has a brilliant cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Adaptation tells the story of a screenwriter who suffers from writer’s block as he struggles to adapt Susan Orlean’s nonfiction book The Orchid Thief.

If you haven’t seen any of Kaufman’s work, a forewarning: his stories are bizarre. The humor and satire about the Hollywood industry in this movie are fantastic.

Kaufman’s movies are hard to summarize, but if you like quirky movies, give this one a try. The final act is an interesting meta-critique of Blockbuster films. Let me know what you think.

Brainfood of the Week:

Stop Trying to Get It And You’ll Have It | The Backwards Law | Einzelgänger

This video discusses Alan Watts’ Backwards Law. It also discusses other philosophers, such as Arthur Schopenhauer and writers, like Mark Manson, in relation to the law.

The Backwards Law states the more we pursue something, the more we achieve the opposite of what we truly want and the more disappointed we feel.

Einzelgänger states the difference between external pursuits and internal desires. Wanting to run marathons and working toward it is a good thing, whereas setting a goal as a benchmark for happiness is a trap.

The video explores how the theory works in practice, not just in concept, and there are many gems from this video worth picking up.

I’ve featured Einzelgänger’s channel in previous Sunday Supplements. If you’ve enjoyed this video, check out the other posts or his channel on YouTube.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A person is a person because of other people.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb, which Desmond Tutu has quoted, refers to the word/philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”

For me, this proverb reminds me how important community and our own actions are to the shaping of lives.

So many things can impact our lives, but people are probably the most impactful on other people’s lives. Whether these are people in our lives, the people we see on television, or the people we read about in books, they can influence our perceptions.

I think it’s essential to filter other people’s influences on us to ensure we’re allowing the best to get through. Knowing that our actions and others can have significant effects is also important.

Make sure you see the meaning in your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jürgen Klopp, Rules of Civility, Waking Ned Devine, Marlo Anderson, and a Dhammapada Verse

Sunday Supplement #147 (March 3rd, 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:

“Life is too short not to celebrate nice moments.”

– Jürgen Klopp

Book of the Week:

Rules of Civility – Amor Towles

New York Times bestselling author Amor Towles’s debut novel Rules of Civility allowed him to retire early and write full-time.

Rules of Civility starts its story on New Year’s Eve in a hole-in-the-wall jazz bar in 1937 New York’s Greenwich Village.

On that night, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent meets Tinker Grey, a handsome banker who catalyzes Katey’s journey into the upper crust of New York society.

This novel reminded me of classic American novels like The Great Gatsby and The Natural. It felt like reading a book from the time it depicted, with beautiful prose as its guide.

I’ve only read this bestselling novel of Towles, but I’m looking forward to reading his other bestselling novels since there was much to appreciate from his first.

Movie of the Week:

Waking Ned Devine

The Kirk Jones written and directed film follows the story of a small Irish village after one of their citizens is reported to have won the Irish National Lottery.

Elderly best friends Jake O’Shea and Michael O’Sullivan, played by Ian Bannon and David Kelly, along with Jackie’s wife Annie (Fionnula Flanagan), plot to discover the winner’s identity.

After finding local resident Ned Devine dead at home holding the lottery ticket, Jackie has a dream that the deceased Ned wants to share the winnings with his friends.

What follows is a hilarious comedy where the whole village bands together to attempt to convince a Claim Inspector Michael is Ned Devine.

The film had a budget of $3 million and went on to make $55.3 million at the box office. I found it a charming story that celebrates life with a good dose of humor in the mix.

Brainfood of the Week:

Celebrate Every Day | Marlo Anderson | TEDxFargo

Marlo Anderson is the founder of National Day Calendar, host of the Tech Ranch, and has been involved in many local and state committees in North Dakota.

In this TEDx video, Anderson discusses the importance of celebrating every day. He talks about how when we are young, we are more adventurous but can become more secluded as we get older.

The National Day Calendar celebrates one new thing each day, with the aim to cultivate appreciation and break you out of an unconscious routine.

Celebrating each day comes with a perspective shift that helps you tap into the positive possibilities of events around you, regardless of whether the event is good or bad.

The video is a great reminder of how we can choose to celebrate more if we want and that our actions and attitudes can spread to the environment and people around us.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Therefore, one should not be negligent, nor be addicted to sensual pleases; for he who is established in mindfulness, through cultivation of tranquility and insight development practice, experiences supreme happiness.”

– Dhammapada 27

When I first came across this Dhammapada verse, I thought it was a bit of a downer. Some translations read, “Unwise, foolish people waste their lives celebrating auspicious times.”

After reflecting on the verse, I saw the importance of the words around addiction and relating celebration and appreciation to only sensual pleasures or favorable moments.

I think what the verse aims to instill is a practice of being balanced in good times and bad and not being carried away by either.

By achieving this type of balance, I believe we can appreciate and celebrate the little moments in life that we often overlook. 

We can still and should celebrate our big achievements, but the celebrations themselves and momentous occasions shouldn’t be our focus.

Look to celebrate and appreciate the little things you experience each day, and have a blessed week ahead!

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George Eliot, Barsoom/Mars Series, Big Fish, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and a Quran Passage

Sunday Supplement #146 (February 25th, 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:

“Adventure is not outside man; it is within.”

– George Eliot

Book of the Week:

Barsoom/Mars Series – Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote the Barsoom books in the early 20th century. The first story appeared in serial form in 1912 for The All-Story magazine before being published as a novel.

Burroughs’s novels follow John Carter in the first few books, a Civil War veteran who gets transported to the dying planet of Mars.

Carter gets thrown into the mix of different cultures and species and finds allies and enemies to fight with and against.

There are 11 novels in the series, and I highly recommend them. For me, this is the epitome of the science fiction and adventure genre.

I nerded out when I started reading these books. They are pretty simple and quick reads but offer an entertaining story each time.

Movie of the Week:

Big Fish

I’ve featured two Tim Burton movies in previous Sunday Supplements, but Big Fish is hands down my favorite that he’s made.

The film’s narrative bookends are a frustrated son’s attempts to discover the true story of his dying father’s life because his father has always previously told him the tall tale version.

Big Fish jumps between the present relationship between the son (played by Billy Crudup) and his father (played by Albert Finney) and the tall tales featuring the young father (played by Ewan McGregor). 

The film is based on the novel by Daniel Wallace. Tim Burton brilliantly brings the story to life, and it is a movie I’ve watched over the years and have always enjoyed.

Brainfood of the Week:

What Adventure Means to People Who Do It for a Living | Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity

The Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is Canada’s leader in arts and culture. They exist to inspire artists and leaders to make their unique contributions to society.

Life-long adventurers from around the globe gather for the Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival in Alberta, Canada. In this video, some adventures discuss what adventure means to them.

Joe Riis (conservationist & filmmaker), Bruce Kirkby (author), Cedar Wright (climber & filmmaker), Pete McBride (photographer), and Cecile Skog (adventurer) are some of the people who speak on adventure.

A takeaway from most of the people who feature in the short video is pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. I think that’s an essential thing to remember in your life. 

Check out the short video to hear some interesting takes on adventure, and give the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity a look if you want to check out more of their stuff.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do what is beautiful. Allah loves those who do what is beautiful.”

– Quran 2:195

To me, this Quran passage is a quite simple reminder to pursue beautiful things in life. That can be different things for different people, but I focus on the call to action in the verse.

Often, we can be passive in our lives. We can let days, weeks, months, or years slip by while falling into an unfulfilling routine.

The call to action of doing what is beautiful is a reminder to check in on yourself and ask if you are pursuing beauty in your life.

When I think of beauty, I think of moments where I am present and appreciative of my life. I find beauty in pursuing the activities that bring me joy, learning, and growing.

Pursue beauty, adventure within and without, and have a blessed week ahead!

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