Tag: quote

Ansel Adams, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, The Lost City of Z, Insider Tech, and a Quran Passage

Ansel Adams, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, The Lost City of Z, Insider Tech, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 21, 2023

Sunday Supplement #106 (May 21st, 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:

“In wisdom gathered over time, I have found that every experience is a form of exploration.”

– Ansel Adams

Book of the Week:

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars – Christopher Paolini

Christopher Paolini is probably best known for his Inheritance Cycle series and was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the youngest author of a bestselling book series.

Almost a decade after the last novel in his famous Inheritance Cycle series, Paolini published the adult Sci-Fi novel To Sleep in a Sea of Stars.

To Sleep in a Sea of Stars follows xenobiologist Kira Navárez in 2257 as she discovers an ancient alien technology that covers her body.

Different parties want the technology that has bound itself to Navárez, and the xenobiologist finds herself in an outbreak of war that threatens Earth and its colonies.

The novel is a beautiful exploration of science fiction and humanity. Rarely do I read books around a thousand pages and am completely fulfilled with the entire journey.

Movie of the Week:

The Lost City of Z

David Grann’s New York Times bestseller The Lost City of Z was adapted to the 2016 film of the same name starring Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller, and Tom Holland.

The film follows British explorer Percy Fawcett and his explorations to the Amazon in the early 1900s to find a supposed ancient lost city.

The Lost City of Z was not a financial success, but it received praise from critics. The acting and cinematography, in particular, were outstanding.

I don’t think the film is for everyone, but if you enjoy a slower-paced film with historical context and an intriguing story, check this one out.

Brainfood of the Week:

This Incredible Animation Shows How Deep The Ocean Really Is | Insider Tech

This Insider Tech video starts with the question, “Just how deep does the ocean go?” The following animation gives a perspective of how deep the ocean actually is.

If you took the highest point on land and submerged it, you would still have more than a mile between you and the deepest point in the oceans.

The video breaks down some of the history of human exploration in the oceans and the animals that live in its depths.

At the end of the video, Insider Tech discusses the Challenger Deep trench and how scientists estimate there are potentially thousands of marine species we have yet to discover.

Insider Tech’s YouTube page has over 4 million subscribers and shares videos regularly about technology.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“If you have the power to go beyond the bounds of the heavens and the earth, go beyond them!”

– Surah Ar-Rahman 55:33

This passage from the Quran is often quoted in the context of space travel but is often interpreted as meaning you cannot escape Allah’s (God’s) grasp.

I think there is worth in looking into both the call to explore and the idea that we cannot escape Allah’s (God’s) grasp.

The latter is one I believe is something that holds us to our actions. Whether or not you believe in a God, I think we have to answer for our actions in some way.

For the former on exploration, I think it is a call to search far and wide for meaning. Maybe we come back to the realms of earth and heaven, but I believe we were meant to explore.

Explore yourself and the world, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Anatole France, Moonwalking with Einstein, Dark City, Sprouts, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Anatole France, Moonwalking with Einstein, Dark City, Sprouts, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 14, 2023

Sunday Supplement #105 (May 14th, 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:

“An education isn’t how much you’ve committed to memory or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don’t.”

– Anatole France

Book of the Week:

Moonwalking with Einstein – Joshua Foer

Joshua Foer’s journey of writing Moonwalking with Einstein started with his curiosity for tangible evidence of who was the smartest person in the world.

His quest led him to the realm of mental athletes and the world of competitive memorization.

Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Foer’s research into these societies, his subsequent initiation, and his quest to compete in the U.S. Memory Championship.

The book breaks down a few of the critical components of memory that have been taught and forgotten throughout history.

Foer’s book is primarily a memoir/non-fiction, but it is entertaining and has excellent insight into the tricks of memory and the world around them.

Movie of the Week:

Dark City

John Murdock wakes up alone in a strange hotel and discovers he’s wanted for a series of murders. The problem is that he doesn’t remember if he committed them.

The film Dark City brilliantly explores the concepts around memory and personal identity and what it means when both are tampered with.

Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, and Kiefer Sutherland star in the Alex Proyas-directed and co-written movie about memory and identity.

Dark City came out a year before The Matrix and was ultimately overshadowed and forgotten in the wake of the immensely successful Matrix films.

If you enjoy films that explore areas of existentialism, check out this Sci-Fi Noir film that offers a thought-provoking narrative worth checking out.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Memory Palace: Can You Do It? | Sprouts

The Memory Palace is a technique to remember facts, numbers, or other things and has been around since ancient times (known as the Method of Loki).

I’m posting this video as the Brainfood of the Week because it’s a valuable technique to learn.

Joshua Foer discusses it in Moonwalking with Einstein, but I thought I’d include a short video of how the method works for those who don’t want to read the book.

Sprouts is a YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. They feature educational videos about psychology, pedagogy, and child development.

I featured another one of Sprouts’ videos in Sunday Supplement #92. Check it out if you liked this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.”

– Bhagavad Gita 2:63

This passage from the Bhagavad Gita reminds me how important it is not to allow emotions to overtake the reasoning side of the brain.

Emotions are good indicators of how certain things are affecting us. However, getting permanently caught up in our emotions leaves us powerless to change our situation.

The Bhagavad Gita passage focuses on anger and how that emotion can affect our memory and, in turn, our intellect.

Anger can be one of the worst emotions to get lost in. It is often in these times when we make our worst decisions.

Think about how your memories affect your current experiences, decide how you want to move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Moliére, Tales of the South Pacific, A River Runs Through It, Psych2Go, and a Bible Passage

Moliére, Tales of the South Pacific, A River Runs Through It, Psych2Go, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 7, 2023

Sunday Supplement #104 (May 7th, 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:

“If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble.”

– Moliére

Book of the Week:

Tales of the South Pacific – James A. Michener

James A. Michener’s Tales of the South Pacific is a Pulitzer Prize-winning collection of sequentially related short stories about the Pacific campaign in World War II.

Michener wrote these fictional stories based on anecdotes he collected while stationed as a US Navy lieutenant commander.

The short stories have powerful narratives covering a variety of persons and events from the Pacific from the American perspective while offering an insight into the Islanders’ experience.

Tales of the South Pacific is a fantastic novel that, while written in 1946, offers a brilliantly deep look into the experience of the war and its effect.

The book was loosely adapted to the Broadway musical South Pacific, but I highly recommend checking out the novel.

Movie of the Week:

A River Runs Through It

Robert Redford’s A River Runs Through It is based on the 1976 semi-autobiographical novella by Norman Maclean.

The film is set in Montana, and the story follows the two sons of a Presbyterian minister as they grow up and come of age during World War I to the early era of the Great Depression.

Many themes are explored in the narrative of A River Runs Through It, including family help and helplessness, and eternal nature vs. human frailty.

The film is beautifully brought to life from the adapted script by Richard Friedenberg and stars Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn, and Emily Lloyd.

A River Runs Through It won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for Best Music – Original Score and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Brainfood of the Week:

5 Things About Grief No One Really Tells You | Psych2Go

This video from Pysch2Go is an excellent reminder of the complicated grieving process and gives five points that can often be ignored.

One of the sayings often offered to someone grieving is to stay strong. This can often be a step of avoidance or denial.

Another point from the video is that acceptance can be more complicated than admitting a loss. The process isn’t always straightforward and can happen more than once.

Check out the video for the complete insight into the five things about grief that no one really tells you. They are helpful and are worth the look.

I’ve featured Pysch2Go videos in a few previous Sunday Supplements. Their mission is to make psychology and mental health more accessible to everyone.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again, and you will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away.”

– John 16:22

I’ve found Bible passages (and many spiritual passages) to be sources of comfort or wisdom through their metaphors in relation to our life experiences.

This verse reminds me of the importance of grieving. We all experience moments of loss, but sometimes we suppress it instead of making time to process it.

By giving ourselves time and space to grieve, we give ourselves permission for the feelings of loss to be seen.

I’ve found that only by fully embracing moments of loss for a period am I able to heal and move forward back on a path of joy.

Give yourself time to grieve, heal, move forward in love and joy, and have a blessed week ahead!

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John Amatt, Fairy Tale, The Wizard of Oz, National Geographic, and a Japanese Proverb

John Amatt, Fairy Tale, The Wizard of Oz, National Geographic, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 30, 2023

Sunday Supplement #103 (April 30th, 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:

“Adventure isn’t hanging off a rope on the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude we must apply to the day-to-day obstacles of life.”

– John Amatt

Book of the Week:

Fairy Tale – Stephen King

I’ve featured Stephen King in a few previous Sunday Supplement posts, but with the theme being adventure this week, I wanted to give his work another shoutout.

Many people might solely associate Stephen King with the horror genre, but I believe his work is typically much more than that.

Fairy Tale is one of King’s most recent books and tells the story of a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the outcome has the highest stakes for both.

The novel topped many bestseller lists and is a brilliant story with compelling characters in a fun, page-turning adventure.

Movie of the Week:

The Wizard of Oz

The Wizard of Oz is another classic in Cinema history, but it took a little time to attain its acclaim status. The film came out toward the end of the Great Depression and barely made back its budget.

The film was adapted from L. Frank Baum’s novel and tells the story of a young woman swept away to the magical Land of Oz, where she must embark on a quest with three new friends to see the Wizard who can return her home and fulfill the others’ wishes.

Despite not being the most commercially successful, the film won two Academy Awards and became a hit after a TV run in the 1950s.

The Wizard of Oz was one of the first movies to use color to promote a fantasy setting. The history of the film is worth checking out, and despite some controversy, it is still a pivotal movie in Cinema and stands up to a modern watch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Why Is It Important to Explore? | National Geographic

National Geographic was founded in the late 1800s as a scholarly journal but is now a popular magazine. Their work inspires people to care about the planet and focuses on science, exploration, and adventure.

In this video, the question of why it’s important to explore is given to scientists, photographers, journalists, and filmmakers who work with National Geographic.

Some of the people who answer the question are marine ecologist Clare Fieseler, anthropologist Emily Ainsworth, and environmentalist Juan Martinez.

The short two-minute video stuck out to me because of the different answers that were given. It’s also a fun reminder to check out some of National Geographic’s work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Only staying active will make you want to live a hundred years.”

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb is fairly straightforward, but I think it’s an excellent reminder of how important it is to continue to be active and adventurous.

Like the John Amatt quote, I don’t think being adventurous has to be some daring physical feat, but I do believe it means pushing yourself outside your comfort zone.

In the context of this proverb, being active to me means being conscious, not passive.

Some days can go by without much awareness, but we should create as many engaging moments as possible.

Look for adventure in your life, stay active, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Gabrielle Bernstein, Man’s Search for Meaning, Drive My Car, Daily Stoic, and a Kenyan Proverb

Gabrielle Bernstein, Man’s Search for Meaning, Drive My Car, Daily Stoic, and a Kenyan Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 23, 2023

Sunday Supplement #102 (April 23rd, 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:

“The way we experience the world around us is a direct reflection of the world within us.”

– Gabrielle Bernstein

Book of the Week:

Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E. Frankl

Man’s Search for Meaning frequently appears whenever I peruse lists for best self-help books or similar searches on the most influential books ever published.

Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist and a Holocaust survivor. His memoir Man’s Search for Meaning recounts his time in various concentration camps and what he learned.

In the book, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering, but we can choose how to cope, find meaning, and move forward with purpose.

Frankl’s theory of logotherapy (the primary human drive as the pursuit of meaning, not pleasure) is explained in the book.

Reading about Frankl’s experiences is enough for a recommendation of this book, but it also provides a perspective worth taking a look at.

Movie of the Week:

Drive My Car

The 2021 film Drive My Car won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film and was nominated for Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi wrote and directed the film about a renowned stage actor and director who learns to cope with a personal loss after accepting an offer to direct a production of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya.

Hamaguchi adapted the screenplay from Haruki Murakami’s collection of short stories, Men Without Women. Murakami is one of my favorite authors (although I’ve only featured him in Sunday Supplement #5), and this film brilliantly captures his writing.

The film explores themes of trauma, grief, guilt, and recovery in a way that honors Murakami’s writing and provides a special cinematic experience.

I highly recommend checking it out.

Brainfood of the Week:

5 Life Changing Journaling Habits from the Stoics | Daily Stoic

The intro of this video is of Ryan Holiday discussing his journaling journey and the different prompts you can focus on for journaling.

Holiday then moves on to the video’s main focus, which is a general guide of five tips for journaling.

One of my favorite parts is when Holiday discusses the Anne Frank quote, “Paper is more patient than people.” He goes on to discuss the utility of journaling in this context.

I featured Ryan Holiday’s book The Obstacle is the Way on Sunday Supplement #36. His Daily Stoic YouTube channel has over a million subscribers.

The video is worth checking out, and if you like it, check out more of his work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“He who refuses to obey cannot command.”

– Kenyan Proverb

This Kenyan proverb reminds me of the necessity and value of listening to others and keeping an open mind.

I sometimes find myself tuning out when someone offers advice or tells of their experience, which I don’t think has any connection with me.

When my mind wanders, I try to snap back to the present moment and listen without judgment. It’s in these moments that I find a connection.

I think it’s sometimes difficult to listen to others with an open mind, but I think it’s worth doing so even if you later reflect that there wasn’t something to gain.

The exercise of reflecting on ideas from outside ourselves helps us continue to grow and be open to new information.

Be open to new information, reflect on how we want to move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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