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Jane Howard, City of Thieves, Love Actually, Brené Brown, and an African Proverb

Sunday Supplement #84 (December 18th, 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:

“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.”

– Jane Howard

Book of the Week:

City of Thieves – David Benioff

David Benioff is probably best known for adapting and bringing Game of Thrones to the screen for HBO. I was curious to look into his writing past, and City of Thieves stood out.

Benioff’s novel was a New York Times bestseller and recaptured his grandfather’s experience of World War II in Russia.

During the Nazi’s siege of Leningrad, Lev Beniov gets arrested for looting and thrown into jail along with an army deserter, Kolya.

Instead of execution, Lev and Kayla are given the chance of a pardon if they complete the impossible task of securing a dozen eggs for a Soviet colonel.

The coming-of-age story tells a tale of adventure, strife, companionship, and war and is excellently written by Benioff.

Movie of the Week:

Love Actually

Richard Curtis has a long screenwriting career which includes movies, including About Time, which I featured in Sunday Supplement #34

That being said, Curtis has only directed a handful of movies. Love Actually is probably his best-known of those few and is a Holiday season classic.

Love Actually follows the lives of eight couples dealing with their various love lives in a loosely connected web of a narrative set during a frantic month of Christmas in London, England.

Not all the storylines involve happy narratives, but there are many laughs and memorable moments throughout the film.

There’s a reason this movie is considered a Holiday classic, and while it might not be a movie to sweep the Oscars, it’s worth checking out.

Brainfood of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfOE5ykj7EQ&t=325s

Know Your Worth and Where You Belong | Brené Brown

I’ve featured Brené Brown in a few previous Sunday Supplements. She is the author of multiple number-one New York Times bestsellers and is an expert on vulnerability, courage, and empathy.

In this video, Brené discusses how our worth and belonging are not negotiated with other people but are carried inside our own hearts. Doing otherwise gives away your belonging.

Brown highlights Maya Angelou’s quote, “You are only free when you realize you belong no place—you belong every place—no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.”

As a social scientist, Brown initially couldn’t grasp the meaning of the quote, knowing that there is suffering in the absence of love and belonging.

The rest of the video highlights Brené’s discovery of what it means to belong. It’s well worth checking out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A family is like a forest; when you are outside, it is dense; when you are inside, you see that each tree has its place.”

– African Proverb

I find it interesting that there tend to be multiple layers with most spiritual passages or quotes from various peoples or traditions.

This African Proverb reminds me not to judge something by its outside appearance. Families, communities, and people, in general, all have sides you can’t see from one perspective.

I also find the proverb shows how a group or community can be strong when they are together.

To maximize the strength of the forest and each tree, I think it’s important to plant the seeds you want around you and to take care of the trees in your woods.

Consider the value of yourself and those around you, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Leroy Satchel Page, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Wind River, The Science of Happiness, and a Shawnee Nation Proverb

Sunday Supplement #81 (November 27th, 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:

“Don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.”

– Leroy Satchel Page

Book of the Week:

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao – Junot Díaz

Junot Díaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao follows a teen living in New Jersey who is a nerd and wants to be the next J.R.R. Tolkien.

The book delves into the history of Oscar’s family and the curse that has haunted them for generations. It jumps between Oscar’s life in New Jersey and his family’s roots in the Dominican Republic, where he was raised.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao received critical praise and won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2008.

Díaz’s book has a fantastic mix of generational family drama, magical realism, humor, and perseverance in the face of tremendous obstacles.

Let me know if you check it out and if you enjoyed the read!

Movie of the Week:

Wind River

Oscar-nominated Taylor Sheridan wrote many great scripts, including Sicario and Hell or High Water, and is the creator of Yellowstone. He wrote and directed Wind River

Wind River follows a veteran hunter who helps an FBI agent investigate the murder of a woman on a Native American reservation in Wyoming.

Sheridan gives an interview with Rolling Stone where he discusses his reluctance to let someone else direct his script because of his relationships with reservation communities.

Sheridan’s Wind River was able to explore topics about life on reservations and give attention to missing and murdered Indigenous Women without coming off as fake or “Social Justice Warrior-y.”

Wind River is a well-done Crime-Drama with much depth in the story and the characters. It’s well worth checking out.

Brainfood of the Week:

An Experiment in Gratitude | The Science of Happiness | Participant

Participant has produced over 100 feature and documentary films and episodic series that collectively have earned 82 Academy Award nominations and 21 wins.

This video starts with the host quoting how psychologists have scientifically proven that one of the greatest contributing factors to overall happiness is how much gratitude you show.

The series did an experiment based on the findings of these psychologists. They gathered volunteers and asked them to think of somebody influential in their lives and write down why the person was so important. 

Afterward, they had them call that person. The series gave tests before and after the experiment around happiness disguised so the participants wouldn’t know what the test was about.

Check out the video and see the results! It’s a fun video and worth exploring more of the channel.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“When you arise in the morning, give thanks for the food and the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.”

– Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation Proverb

This quote from Tecumseh reminds me to maintain a perspective of gratitude and that there is always something to be grateful for.

I think this mentality can be extremely difficult to have when you’re at your lowest, but accepting the situation and looking for positive holds can help bear tough times.

Whether asking and receiving help from someone or looking for what’s in your control, you can often find something worthy of giving thanks.

This proverb also connected with Leroy Satchel Page’s quote for me. I’ve expressed in Sunday Supplement #6 how I think prayer is often asking for help or giving thanks. 

Ask for help when you need it, but always try to find the things to be grateful for. And have a blessed week ahead!

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Mandy Hale, The Old Man and the Sea, The Lives of Others, Sadhguru, and Bhagavad Gita 13:11

Sunday Supplement #74 (October 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:

“A season of loneliness and isolation is when the caterpillar gets its wings. Remember that next time you feel alone.”

– Mandy Hale

Book of the Week:

The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

The Old Man and the Sea tells the story of Santiago, an old experienced fisherman who’s gone almost three months without catching a fish.

Santiago is considered unlucky by the community. His pupil Manolin is forced to work with another boat by his parents even though he remains friends with Santiago.

The old man decides he will venture far out to sea and catch fish, confident his unlucky streak will come to pass.

Earnest Hemingway’s last major work of fiction published during his life won him a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

I read the novella a few years ago in one sitting. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and loved the story and prose. Give it a chance and see what it brings up for you.

Movie of the Week:

The Lives of Others

In 1984 East Berlin, a secret police agent is ordered to spy on a prominent playwright, who has previously escaped state scrutiny due to his international recognition.

The agent, Gerd Wiesler, and his team bug and set up surveillance equipment in the playwright Georg Dreyman’s apartment.

Wiesler becomes increasingly absorbed by the playwright’s life with the complexities between the theatrical community and the state due to conflicting motivations.

The Lives of Others won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year at the 2007 Academy Awards.

The film made $77 million from a $2 million budget and currently places at 58 on IMDb’s Top 250 list. I highly recommend checking it out.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Overcome Loneliness | Sadhguru

A student asks Sadhguru how to deal with loneliness and feelings of not belonging, not being accepted, and not being loved.

Sadhguru answers the question with many insights on attachment, freedom, and the struggles of living a non-fixed life.

He explains that the number of chemicals running through us varies and makes up a sort of chemical soup of being. How can we make this function at its highest level?

Once your way of being is not determined by anything outside you, there is no such thing as loneliness.

There are many amazing points in this video. If you enjoy the content, check out the other Sunday Supplements where I featured Sadhguru.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“…an inclination for solitary places and an aversion for mundane society; constancy in spiritual knowledge…— all these I declare to be knowledge.”

– Bhagavad Gita 13:11

When I come across passages like 13:11 in the Bhagavad Gita, I try to find the lesson or the wisdom each word imparts.

Other sections of this passage describe humbleness, nonviolence, self-control, and more under the umbrella of declared knowledge.

The messages in these seemed apparent, but the inclination for solitary places and an aversion for mundane society caused me to think a little harder.

Many gurus remain in solitude in the Hindu texts I come across. However, solitude is often a punishment in many other cultures.

That being said, I think the idea of an inclination for solitary places is wanting moments where you can seek peace and refine yourself.

When I fill my schedule with too many things (productive or not), they can be a distraction and a way to avoid reflecting and recharging.

Make time for a quiet space to reflect or meditate, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Oprah Winfrey, The Law of Attraction, Titanic, Eckhart Tolle, and Sur Al Nisa 147

Sunday Supplement #73 (October 2nd, 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:

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.”

– Oprah Winfrey

Book of the Week:

The Law of Attraction – Esther Hicks & Jerry Hicks

New York Times bestselling authors Esther and Jerry Hicks always seem to be featured in Barnes and Noble’s Self-Help/Spirituality section when I visit.

I first stumbled across their work through guided meditation videos and enjoyed the free content on YouTube provided by them.

The Law of Attraction was the first book of theirs I came across.

Esther and Jerry discuss how they learned the law of attraction in the book’s first section and go over the law of attraction in the following parts.

You might have come across the term law of attraction before, but this book is one of the best explanations and guides I’ve read.

Do a little research on the topic beforehand, and also, be prepared to put judgment aside if you pick up the book.

The Law of Attraction heavily tips toward the mystical side of spirituality, but the book’s lessons are worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Titanic 

James Cameron’s Titanic tells the story of a young aristocrat questioning her direction in life and her new relationship with a poor young artist on the doomed R.M.S. Titanic.

I was six when this film came out in theaters, but I still remember how it dominated news cycles and swept at the Academy Awards.

The three-hour movie won 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography.

Cameron is known for immense spectacle films, but the characters in Titanic don’t get lost in the scenery.

The movie does an excellent job of telling a compelling story with engaging themes against the backdrop of an ill-fated historical event.

Brainfood of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzARLjSuPBQ

Gratitude: A Powerful Tool for Conscious Manifestation | Eckhart Tolle

It’s been a while since I’ve featured an Eckhart Tolle video, but this one is an excellent breakdown of gratitude and the power of being grateful.

The video starts with Tolle addressing the question, “Is there some type of discipline that is needed to be successful with conscious manifestation? If so, can you describe what the discipline is that is needed?”

Tolle responds with, “To be aware of yourself and your own state of consciousness.”

He then explains the importance of gratitude, that it can be a powerful transformational tool and one of the most powerful tools for manifesting better things in your life.

Tolle defines gratitude as acknowledging the good in your life right now. He cautions against approaching gratitude as a comparison.

The rest of the video covers ways to be grateful in the moment. It’s worth watching, and if you enjoy the video, check out more of Eckhart Tolle’s work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Why would Allah cause you to suffer if you are grateful and believe? God is always responsive to gratitude, the All-Knowing.”

– Sur Al Nisa 147

When I first came across this Quran passage, it was interesting that I thought it could have easily been something I read in the Bible.

Many of the passages I encounter in various religions or spiritual practices seem drawn from the same source.

In this Quran passage, I’m reminded of the power of gratitude and how being grateful effects your life.

The Oprah Winfrey quote at the beginning of the post also depicts the benefits of gratitude and the hells of ingratitude.

Reminders like these help prompt me to be more aware of my thoughts, whether I’m thinking positively or negatively, and how being grateful brings joy.

Remember things you are grateful for, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Arnold H. Glasow, On Writing, Rocky, Escaping Ordinary, and a Japanese Proverb

Sunday Supplement #72 (September 25th, 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:

“Success isn’t a result of spontaneous combustion. You must set yourself on fire.”

– Arnold H. Glasow

Book of the Week:

On Writing – Stephen King

Stephen King’s On Writing is a part memoir part masterclass by one of the bestselling authors of all time.

The book is divided into five sections, one narrating his life “C.V.,” one explaining “What Writing Is,” one describing a writer’s “Toolbox,” one giving advice “On Writing,” and the last discusses King’s thoughts on the accident where he was struck by a van “On Living: A Postscript.”

While the book tends to be viewed as a go-to manual for writers, the book offers more than just a writing guide.

King became one of the most successful writers in history, and it’s interesting to see that was his goal when he was young.

The first chapter is worth reading just to see the background King gives on his life growing up and his early journey as a writer.

On Writing should be on every writer’s shelf, but it is also worth checking out for readers looking for life insights from a prolific author.

Movie of the Week:

Rocky

The movie Rocky has become a part of American pop culture over the years but often for the iconic character’s underdog story and a classic score.

Many haven’t seen the film or forgotten how brilliant the original movie was. Sylvester Stallone wrote a phenomenal script that has wonderful depth in its characters.

A small-time Philadelphia boxer gets a lottery chance of fighting the world heavyweight champion when the champion’s original opponent drops out.

The film beautifully captures the struggling Rocky Balboa as he navigates his life to the best of his abilities while receiving little respect from those around him.

Once the opportunity to face the champ comes to his doorstep, people from the neighborhood pay attention. Rocky isn’t fooled but strives to fight for his self-respect.

The film won three Oscars, including Best Picture. Rocky should be on any movie lover’s list, and the extraordinary story behind the film deserves a look too.

Brainfood of the Week:

How to Become 37.78 Times Better at Anything (Atomic Habits Summary) | Escaping Ordinary (B.C. Marx)

In Sunday Supplement #8, I highlighted James Clear’s Atomic Habits. The New York Times bestseller is one of my favorite tools for self-improvement.

In this YouTube video, B.C. Marx breaks down the book with an engaging presentation. The animation and voice-over on the video are excellent.

In the book, Clear reveals practical strategies that help form good habits, break bad ones, and master tiny behaviors that lead to massive change.

Clear explains how your daily systems and routines, as well as how you view yourself, control how effective you are at building good habits or promoting bad habits.

In the video, B.C. Marx summarizes Atomic Habits, breaks down the habit-building system in it, and explains how he uses the book in his life.

B.C. Marx’s channel only has eight videos, but he has over 500 thousand subscribers because of the quality of his content. See if you like this video, and check out Escaping Ordinary.

Remember to check out James Clear’s Atomic Habits as well!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Even dust, when piled up, becomes a mountain.” (ちりも積もれば山となる)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb reminds me of the power of consistently making good decisions for yourself.

Whether deciding to exercise for ten minutes or devoting a half hour each day to a hobby or goal, the long-term results are often staggering.

Tim Ferriss often says on his podcast, “People overestimate what they can do in a year and underestimate what they can do in ten.”

Conversely, letting your ship stray slightly without correction can land you far off from where you want to go.

This Japanese proverb is an excellent reminder of how our decisions over time can be something that let us down or bring us great benefits.

Think of the decisions you can make or habits you can build that will help you benefit in the long term, and have a blessed week ahead!

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