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Sophocles, Mindset, Half Nelson, TED-Ed, and a Bible Passage

Sophocles, Mindset, Half Nelson, TED-Ed, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 19, 2023

Sunday Supplement #97 (March 19th, 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 were to offer a thirsty man all wisdom, you would not please him more than if you gave him a drink.”

– Sophocles

Book of the Week:

Mindset – Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

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

Dweck’s book Mindset delves into how a fixed mindset (those who believe that abilities are fixed) are less likely to succeed than those with a growth mindset (those who believe abilities can be developed).

While the outcomes behind these findings might seem obvious, the extent to which they are accurate and how mindsets are developed is extraordinary.

In Dweck’s book, she covers how these different mindsets can be picked up from various sources and at various times in your life.

I highly recommend checking this book out, if only to familiarize yourself with Dweck’s research findings and seeing how you’ve been influenced and how you influence others.

Movie of the Week:

Half Nelson

Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden’s film Half Nelson follows a junior high school teacher with a drug habit and the friendship he forms with one of his students after she discovers his secret.

Ryan Gosling plays the teacher, and Shareeka Epps plays the student. Both give outstanding performances, and Gosling was nominated for an Oscar for the role.

Half Nelson avoids many of the inspirational clichés of the teacher-student genre and instead offers a glimpse of those trying to get by and doing their best.

The film isn’t on many best-movies lists, but the performances of Epps, Gosling, and Anthony Mackie, combined with a nuanced script, make it worth putting on your watch list.

Brainfood of the Week:

4 Things All Great Listeners Should Know | TED-Ed

This TED-Ed video starts with a quote from Laurie Buchanan, Ph.D., “When we listen, we hear someone into existence.”

The video then delves into what studies about what excellent listening requires and how it can improve our relationships and develop our worldview.

There are four tips about what great listening looks like in the video, including asking questions to confirm understanding and asking for a moment to reflect.

The video breaks down the different tips and provides valuable tools worth picking up to see if you’re utilizing the best methods for connection.

I’ve featured TED-Ed videos on a few other Sunday Supplements. Check them out if you enjoyed this video!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Where there is no guidance, the people fall. But in an abundance of counselors, there is victory.”

– Proverbs 11:14

I picked this Bible passage because of its link to the quote at the beginning of the Supplement. For me, the standout of the verse is focused on what makes a good counselor.

The idea of a counselor or someone who gives guidance can often get scrambled when the person offering help thinks they know what’s best for the person receiving without listening.

What everybody needs sometimes is not someone who tells them what they should do but someone who can listen to what the person needs.

The space for conversation allows for the needs to arise, and only then can they be addressed.

Don’t jump to conclusions; listen to yourself and others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jackie Chan, Harry Potter Series, A League of Their Own, Simon Sinek, and an African Proverb

Jackie Chan, Harry Potter Series, A League of Their Own, Simon Sinek, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 12, 2023

Sunday Supplement #96 (March 12th, 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:

“Sometimes it takes only one act of kindness and caring to change a person’s life.”

– Jackie Chan

Book of the Week:

Harry Potter Series – J.K. Rowling

The Harry Potter Series tells the story of a boy whose parents were murdered by a dark wizard. The boy is sent to live with his uncaring non-magic relatives, and on his 11th birthday, he re-enters the magical world.

There is much controversy around J.K. Rowling and her books, but it cannot be argued that they are some of the most successful novels in history.

The Harry Potter series was a fantastic addition to my childhood. I still often revisit the world of Harry Potter and find much to appreciate.

The story encapsulates the battle of good and evil over its seven books and has many wonderful lessons along the way.

If you have only seen the movies, you are missing out. The series is well worth checking out for anyone who loves adventure, magic, and an epic battle of good vs evil.

Movie of the Week:

A League of Their Own

The film, A League of Their Own, follows the fictional journey of two sisters who join the real-life first female professional baseball league.

Geena Davis and Lori Petty play the two sisters. They struggle to help the league succeed while their rivalry as sisters and players increases.

Penny Marshall brilliantly directs the film and gets the most from the story and the star-studded cast. In addition to Davis and Petty, Tom Hanks, Rosie O’Donnell, and Madonna shine.

A League of Their Own is a well-told glimpse at a side of American history not portrayed with much entertainment and heart packed in.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Power of Kindness | Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is an inspirational speaker and the author of multiple best-selling books. In this video, he discusses the power of kindness.

Sinek starts by stating that acts of kindness/acts of generosity are how simple it is to make people feel good.

He discusses the science behind the chemical our bodies produce, oxytocin, and how that occurs through acts of kindness and generosity. Witnessing an act of generosity actually increases our levels of oxytocin as well.

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in a few other Sunday Supplements as well. If you like this short two-minute video, check out more of his work.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”

– African Proverb

This African Proverb makes me smile and reminds me of the power one person or one action can have.

In the proverb, the mosquito obviously can be viewed as a pest one would not spend the night with.

The negative repercussions are clear, but it should also be a reminder of how one person can leave a lasting impression.

I paired this proverb with Jackie Chan’s quote because I believe small acts of kindness can positively affect someone’s life.

Look out for a chance to give a small act of kindness, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Mahatma Gandhi, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Intouchables, Einzelgänger, and a Chinese Proverb

Mahatma Gandhi, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Intouchables, Einzelgänger, and a Chinese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 5, 2023

Sunday Supplement #95 (March 5th, 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:

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

Book of the Week:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is narrated in the first-person from the perspective of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old boy who investigates the death of a neighbor’s dog.

Christopher is described as a mathematician with some behavioral difficulties. The book refers to Asperger syndrome, which is an autism spectrum disorder today.

Haddon’s novel is a thought-provoking exploration of being observed as an outsider and seeing the world differently.

Christopher’s journey in the novel goes beyond the mystery of the neighbor’s dog and has a powerful story worthy of its praise and awards.

The novel is considered Haddon’s first novel published for adults. It also has an edition meant for children.

Movie of the Week:

The Intouchables

A young man, recently released from prison, is challenged by a wealthy quadriplegic man to become his caregiver.

This French film has a simple premise, but the characters bring out the best of this wonderful and heartfelt story.

François Cluzet and Omar Sy star as the wealthy aristocrat and the young man, but the supporting cast of Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, and Grégoire Oestermann make the most of every scene they are in.

There is an American remake with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. I haven’t seen it, but when a foreign film is remade for America, I think it signals that the original is worth seeing.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Less You Seek, The More You’ll Find | The Happiness Paradox | Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger’s video starts with an example of how trying to reject negative mental spaces often makes things worse.

If you try to chase happiness directly, you often find it escapes your grasp. Conversely, if you stop searching, you might find it more easily.

Einzelgänger explores The Happiness Paradox in depth in his 12-minute video. He goes over philosophers’ perspectives as well as recent scientific studies.

The video goes over how The Happiness Paradox works, gives examples of research into the paradox, and provides alternative strategies for living with meaning.

I’ve featured Einzelgänger’s channel in previous Sunday Supplements. If you enjoy the content, check out the other videos I’ve posted or his channel on YouTube.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A person without a smiling face must not open a shop.”

– Chinese Proverb

This Chinese Proverb has a surface-level interpretation and one that prompts me to think much deeper about my engagement with others.

On the surface, the proverb explains how a business will likely perform poorly if the person behind the counter doesn’t have a smile.

Customers might not want to engage with a standoffish or frowning business owner. However, the deeper thought behind the proverb makes me think about how my demeanor affects my engagement with others.

I don’t think you should pretend to be happy all the time, but I think being closed off can prevent or discourage others from reaching out.

Try to welcome others in your life with a smile, and have a blessed week ahead!


16 Comments
Stephen Hawking, Invisible Man, The Last King of Scotland, Bright Side, and a Quran Passage

Stephen Hawking, Invisible Man, The Last King of Scotland, Bright Side, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 26, 2023

Sunday Supplement #94 (February 26th, 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.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”

– Stephen Hawking

Book of the Week:

Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953 and is on many best novels lists of the 20th century.

The book is told from the point of view of an unnamed Black man who lives in hiding at the start of the novel and recounts his life up to that point.

Without spoiling the entire plot, the novel covers the narrator’s time in school, living and working in New York City, and making speeches at rallies for an activist group.

There are many themes in the book around identity, illusion, and race that are brilliantly explored in the vivid narrative. 

Ellison’s novel is on so many best novels lists for a reason. If you haven’t checked it out yet, put it on your list.

Movie of the Week:

The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland is based on the events of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s regime during the 1970s.

The 2007 film follows Scottish med school graduate Nicholas Garrigan as he goes from working at a missionary clinic to becoming Idi Amin’s personal physician.

Garrigan realizes how naive he was when he started his journey and realizes few are willing to help him escape the country as events escalate.

Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Idi Amin. The rest of the brilliant cast is rounded out by James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, David Oyelowo, Gillian Anderson, and Simon McBurney.

Whitaker’s performance alone is worth watching the movie for, but the film itself is well-written and has much to appreciate. 

Brainfood of the Week:

11 Optical Illusions That Will Trick Your Eyes | Bright Side

For this week’s Brainfood of the Week, I decided to share a fun video that goes over 11 different illusions that challenge the brain.

Some of the illusions are ones you might have encountered before, but there are sure to be a few that have you scrolling back to see what you missed.

I think this video is a fun reminder that everything we encounter isn’t always as it appears.

Bright Side is an amazing YouTube channel with over 44 million subscribers that uploads three videos daily. 

Their channel covers a variety of great topics, including recent discoveries, space exploration, true stories, valuable tips, fun tests, riddles, and more.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Know that the life of the world is only play and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the broth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure; whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.”

– Surat Al-Hadid 57:20

I don’t prescribe to any religion in particular, but I find many passages from various religious texts contain much wisdom.

In this passage of the Quran, the emphasis on the illusion of the world is a fascinating look at how we can mistakenly place great emphasis on things or thoughts.

Regardless of whether or not you have faith in a God or an afterlife, the example of how fickle a perspective can be should give us pause in our own beliefs.

This Quran verse reminds me to continue to grow, have patience and understanding, and not be disillusioned with my own narrative.

Try to be patient and understanding, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Nelson Mandela, Will, A Few Good Men, Cory Booker, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Nelson Mandela, Will, A Few Good Men, Cory Booker, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 19, 2023

Sunday Supplement #93 (February 19th, 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.

I hope you take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“It always seems impossible until it is done.”

– Nelson Mandela

Book of the Week:

Will – Will Smith & Mark Manson

I only read Will Smith’s autobiography the other week, but it’s still fresh in my mind as a reminder of perseverance and growth. It helps that the book is wildly entertaining too.

For those that don’t know, Will Smith is a Grammy Award-winning musician, Academy Award-winning actor, and NAACP winner.

Smith covers his journey from his youth in Philadelphia to his career as a hip-hop artist, conquering Hollywood, and all the struggles in between.

Mark Manson, the #1 New York Times bestseller of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, pens Smith’s autobiography and helps it flow while still being authentically in Smith’s voice.

I don’t put too many books on my must-re-read list, but this is one of them.

Movie of the Week:

A Few Good Men

Rob Reiner’s A Few Good Men follows a military lawyer assigned a case of two Marines accused of murder despite their claims of being under orders.

Tom Cruise stars as the military lawyer, and Demi Moore, Wolfgang Bodison, Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, and Jack Nicholson all give phenomenal supporting performances.

The actors are so brilliant in the film because of the writing by Aaron Sorkin. The story and the characters are wonderfully crafted to supply a compelling drama.

A Few Good Men was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor in a Supporting Role (for Nicholson).

I typically put this film on once a year, and I always find it worth the watch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Cory Booker Interview | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

I wouldn’t usually recommend a politician in a brainfood of the week since I don’t know much about politics.

However, Tim Ferriss’s podcast interview with Cory Booker is one of the more memorable episodes I’ve come across.

The interview was conducted in 2017, so it’s a bit dated, but the conversation has much worth tuning in for.

Booker talks about his mentors, receiving a Rhodes Scholarship, his participation in a hunger strike to draw attention to urban development issues, and much more.

I’ve featured Tim Ferriss’ podcast on many previous Sunday Supplements, but I’m still finding more that are worth highlighting. This is one of them.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“You have the right to work but never to the fruit of work. You should never engage in action for the sake of reward, nor should you long for inaction.”

– Bhagavad Gita 2:47

This passage from the Bhagavad Gita makes me question the purpose behind my actions.

I think it’s an interesting prompt to consider whether or not you would pursue something if the result isn’t guaranteed.

I don’t think that means we shouldn’t want to achieve our goals, but it helps me focus more on the love of the process.

Thinking about why you’re truly engaged in any endeavor is an interesting insight into what you really want. Sometimes our surface-level wants often have much deeper needs.

Think about what you truly love in your life, nurture it, and have a blessed week ahead!

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