Tag: passion

Nadia Comăneci, The Dark Tower Series, The Theory of Everything, Sadhguru, and Matthew 6:21

Nadia Comăneci, The Dark Tower Series, The Theory of Everything, Sadhguru, and Matthew 6:21

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 7, 2024

Sunday Supplement #139 (January 7th, 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:

“Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don’t lose the passion and the love for what you do.”

– Nadia Comăneci

Book of the Week:

The Dark Tower Series – Stephen King

If you’re new to my blog, you might not have seen me feature Stephen King before. For those who have read the blog consistently, I apologize for another Stephen King entry.

I’ve featured eight Stephen King books before this, but The Dark Tower Series was the start of my reading King’s works. They are arguably his magnum opus, and many of his other stories tie into the world of The Dark Tower.

Roland Deschain, a member of a knightly order known as “gunslingers” and the last of the line of “Arthur Eld” (his world’s analogue of King Arthur), attempts to seek the Man in Black in a world that has “moved on.”

Roland’s journey crosses over many worlds, including our own. The tale blends dark fantasy, science fiction, western, and horror genres.

There’s no easy way to describe The Dark Tower in short, which is surprisingly one of his lesser-read works. I believe it to be his best writing and can’t recommend it more highly.

Give the series a try (read at least the first two books). King spent over thirty years completing the series, which should show how important it was to him.

Movie of the Week:

The Theory of Everything

Stephen Hawking was a theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author who was the director of research at the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at the University of Cambridge.

The Theory of Everything is a 2014 film that captures Hawking and his wife, Jane Wilde’s relationship, as they met at University in the 1960s through their struggle with Hawking’s diagnosis of motor neuron disease.

Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones star as Stephen Hawkins and Jane Wilde. Redmayne won the Oscar for Best Actor, and Jones was nominated for Best Actress.

The film was nominated for three additional Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay.

Anthony McCarten adapted the script from Jane Hawking’s novel Traveling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen. It’s a powerful story and beautifully captured in the 2014 film.

Brainfood of the Week:

Playfulness and Passion | Sadhguru

Sadhguru is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers and over 1.5 billion video views.

Sadhguru begins the video by talking about how playfulness can often be frowned upon as childish. He then explains how being too serious makes everything about you.

Approaching problems with a sense of playfulness will also help you not get overwhelmed by the difficulties you encounter. By being playful, you are not becoming entangled in the problem.

At the end of the video, Sadhguru talks about passion and being consumed by it. He discusses how burning passion opens up new possibilities.

I’ve featured Sadhguru in a few previous Sunday Supplements. If you like this video, check the other posts out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

– Matthew 6:21

This Bible passage from the Book of Matthew discusses how we shouldn’t store our treasures on earth but should store them in heaven. It then states the verse above.

I believe this verse speaks to the passions and love we have in our lives.

Whether toward the ones we love or our pursuits of meaningful achievements, the treasures should be in the doing and not tied to the outcomes.

As I’m starting my 2024 journey, I’m focusing on bringing as much love to the people in my life and my passions as possible.

Bring love and passion to the treasures of your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Alia Bhatt, Gwendy’s Button Box, Rounders, Improvement Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Alia Bhatt, Gwendy’s Button Box, Rounders, Improvement Pill, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on July 16, 2023

Sunday Supplement #114 (July 16th, 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:

“Whatever you do, do with determination. You have one life to live; do your work with passion and give your best. Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor, or a mother, be passionate to get the best result.”

– Alia Bhatt

Book of the Week:

Gwendy’s Button Box – Stephen King and Richard Chizmar

It’s been a few months since I featured a Stephen King novel, but since this week’s theme is about passion, I want to highlight Gwendy’s Button Box.

Most people assume King is strictly a horror offer. This novel, written with Richard Chizmar, is a brilliant coming-of-age tale about Gwendy Peterson.

The novel starts with twelve-year-old Gwendy exercising on the local Suicide Stairs of Castle Rock when a mysterious man presents Gwendy with a magical button box.

Gwendy is tasked with protecting the box and must battle the temptation to test the dangerous contents the box holds.

King is a brilliant author and crafts a wonderful small-town tale. His work fires my passion for literature and writing, and I highly recommend his work.

Movie of the Week:

Rounders

Poker became a mainstream game in the last twenty years, and Rounders was one of the first movies to feature the game and its underground world.

David Levien and Brian Koppelman wrote the script about a young, reformed gambler who must return to playing high-stakes poker to help a friend pay off a debt while trying to balance his relationship with his girlfriend and his commitments to law school.

Matt Damon and Edward Norton star in the film, and the supporting cast features terrific performances from John Turturro, John Malkovich, Martin Landau, and Gretchen Mol.

John Daly directed the film that remains a legacy in the poker world and is still a brilliant story and excellent film.

Brainfood of the Week:

How To Find Your Passion | Improvement Pill

This video starts by debunking the assumption that only one thing can be our passion. The truth is that many things can be your passion. You can have more than one.

The two things you need to do to discover your passions. The first is that you must change where you get your dopamine from.

Dopamine is the chemical released by our brain that motivates us to do something. It is accompanied by pleasure and is easy to get from outside substances.

If we receive our dopamine from outside sources, we are less likely to pursue activities that naturally release the chemical in our bodies.

Check out the video to see the rest of the breakdown. And I’ve also featured Improvement Pill in other previous Sunday Supplements. Their videos are excellent sources of knowledge.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Beginning is easy; continuing is hard.”

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese Proverb is a straightforward message that highlights how it’s easy to take the first steps, but it’s challenging to finish the journey.

For me, knowing that the journey is hard allows you to embrace the challenges that come along the way.

If you know something will be hard, you won’t be surprised when you encounter obstacles. Instead, you can expect them and be in the right mind space to take them on when they come.

I enjoy proverbs like these because they remind you what you’re getting into. If you know that and still want to take on the challenges, you’re on the right path.

Pursue your passions, don’t give up, and have a blessed week ahead!

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T.D. Jakes, The Fountainhead, Fever Pitch (1997), Simon Sinek, and a Japanese Proverb

T.D. Jakes, The Fountainhead, Fever Pitch (1997), Simon Sinek, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 27, 2022

Sunday Supplement #42 (February 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:

“If you can’t figure out your purpose, figure out your passion. For your passion will lead you right into your purpose.”

– T.D. Jakes

Book of the Week:

The Fountainhead – Ayn Rand

Before any readers jump to conclusions about what I think about this book, know that I don’t agree with Ayn Rand’s Objectivism or the protagonist’s viewpoint in this novel.

The Fountainhead tells the story of Howard Roark, a single-minded young architect who navigates the 1920s New York, refusing to compromise the visions of his work.

The novel follows several different characters, including Peter Keating, a former classmate of Roark and nemesis who turns to Roark whenever encountering design problems, controversial Dominique Francon, and anti-Roark columnist Ellsworth Toohey.

Dominique Francon is one of the most controversial characters of the book and alternates between helping Roark and undermining him.

Ayn Rand’s novel came out in 1943 and is held in admiration or contempt by most. While I don’t enjoy the politics that came from the book or agree with them, I think the novel is brilliant. The prose is beautiful, and the story is epic.

Regardless of your conclusions, The Fountainhead elicits many thoughts and feelings throughout. It is a great novel and worth the read.

Movie of the Week:

Fever Pitch (1997)

The original British version of Fever Pitch tells the story of Paul Ashworth and his love of football. The origins of Paul’s love for the game and his team, Arsenal, were rooted in childhood and a figure in his life that he could always count on.

When Paul meets Sarah Hughes, a fellow English/Literature teacher at his primary school, Paul’s love of football begins to clash with his new relationship.

The movie explores relationship dynamics, childhood trauma, and love of sports in an insightful and hilarious way. The acting brilliantly supports the script with the likes of Colin Firth as Paul, Ruth Gemmell as Sarah, and Mark Strong as Paul’s friend Steve.

Author and screenwriter Nick Hornby penned the hilarious rom-com based on his non-fiction book of the same name. The book reads differently than the movie and is more of a football nerds’ book, while the film is a fun watch that most can enjoy.

The British author is known for High Fidelity and About a Boy. He also adapted the screenplays for An Education, and Brooklyn.

Fever Pitch is Hornby’s first book but isn’t widely known outside the United Kingdom. The movie was remade starring Drew Barrymore and Jimmy Fallon about the Boston Red Sox. I haven’t seen the American version, but I recommend checking out the British version.

Brainfood of the Week:

Where Passion Comes From | Simon Sinek

In Sunday Supplement #13 and #26, I feature a Simon Sinek video. He is an inspirational speaker and author of multiple best-selling books.

In this video, Sinek discusses passion and where it comes from. He explains that passion is an output, not an input.

We feel passion when were are involved with something deeply personal. You can’t do what you’re passionate about, but you find something that you believe in, which will cause you to experience passion.

Sinek explains how we’re all passionate, but we aren’t all passionate about the same thing. Society can pressure us to have a vision or find our bliss, but trying to fit everyone into the same expectation is an unfair standard.

Sinek then answers the question, “How do you find what you believe in?” You don’t have to have a vision; you have to find one. If you find something that resonates with you, follow it and find a way to use your talents/gifts to contribute to it.

The video is an interesting look at what passion means at how we can pursue our passions. It’s a short video and worth the watch.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Even monkeys fall from trees” (猿も木から落ちる)

– Japanese Proverb

I love this saying. I think this captures the concept of getting up after falling down brilliantly. The slight humor in the situation is exactly how I think we should view our stumbles.

We should always learn from mistakes, but when we embarrass ourselves, we should laugh and climb again without worry.

Fear of falling or failure can paralyze many. I often take baby steps when attempting something new, but I always embrace the moments where I leap and encourage myself regardless of the outcome.

I think it’s vital to approach life with the perspective that even the great can slip up. We shouldn’t be afraid. We should keep pursuing our adventures with joy.

I’m glad I came across this proverb in a post by Caitlin Sacasas on the language learning site Fluent in 3 Months. It brought a much-needed smile to my day, and I hope it does for you too.

Encourage yourself or another to keep pursuing their dream, and have a blessed week ahead!

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