Tag: Quran

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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Antonio Brown, The Way of the Superior Man, Garden State, Angela Lee Duckworth, and a Quran Passage

Antonio Brown, The Way of the Superior Man, Garden State, Angela Lee Duckworth, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 8, 2023

Sunday Supplement #87 (January 8th, 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 journey is never-ending. There’s always going to be growth, improvement, adversity; you just gotta take it all in and do what’s right, continue to grow, continue to live in the moment.”

– Antonio Brown

Book of the Week:

The Way of the Superior Man – David Deida

I almost didn’t check out this book because of the title, but a friend whose recommendations I trust put The Way of the Superior Man on my radar.

David Deida’s book is a mixed bag for me because some of the language he uses is dated and oversimplifies certain topics.

However, many excellent takeaways from his book share wisdom for communication, relationships, and life purpose.

I recommend The Way of the Superior Man with a grain of salt, but it’s worth the read and has some moments of excellent insight into how to show up and be your best self.

Movie of the Week:

Garden State

Garden State follows a young man who returns home for his mother’s funeral after being estranged from his family for a decade.

The movie has wonderful performances from Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, and Peter Sarsgaard.

Braff wrote, directed, and starred in the 2004 film Garden State during his run on the ABC show Scrubs.

His writer/directorial debut earned a spot at Sundance Film Festival and was nominated for the Grand Jury prize.

Brainfood of the Week:

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance | Angela Lee Duckworth | TED Talks

Angela Lee Duckworth is a MacArthur Fellow, New York Times bestselling author, and psychology professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this TED Talk, Duckworth discusses how she left a consulting job when she was 27 years old to teach seventh graders in a New York public school.

Her experience as a teacher led her to study psychology and search for the qualities that separate people who succeed in their various fields.

Duckworth explains how her studies and analysis led her to the findings that grit was a determining factor in successful individuals.

The six-minute video is certainly worth a watch, and it goes into more detail about the findings of Duckworth’s studies.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do not lose heart of despair— if you are true believers, you have the upper hand.”

– Surah Ali ‘Imran 3:139

This passage from the Quran reminds me of the importance of belief.

Belief doesn’t have to be religion, but faith that things will work out can get you through tough times.

For me, belief and faith don’t have to be blind, but they should be there even in dark times. You can accept the situation and look for opportunities to move forward.

The ability to believe is something truly powerful. It can be misused, but a healthy faith can be one of your best allies.

Give yourself the support you need, cultivate your beliefs, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Aldous Huxley, Love in the Time of Cholera, Seven Samurai, The School of Life, and Surah Al-Baqara 2:286

Aldous Huxley, Love in the Time of Cholera, Seven Samurai, The School of Life, and Surah Al-Baqara 2:286

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on November 13, 2022

Sunday Supplement #79 (November 13th, 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:

“Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.”

– Aldous Huxley

Book of the Week:

Love in the Time of Cholera – Gabriel García Márquez

The Nobel Prize-winning author Gabriel García Márquez wrote many acclaimed works and has received much recognition for his contribution to literature and journalism.

Love in the Time of Cholera is one of Márquez’s better-known novels and focuses on two lovers over five decades, from the 1880s to the 1930s.

The story focuses mainly on an unnamed port city in Colombia and follows the lives of Florentino Ariza and Fermina Daza.

They both fell in love when they were young, but Fermina eventually chose to marry a wealthy, upper-class doctor with some pressure from her family. Fifty years later, after Fermina’s husband’s death, Florentino declares his love again.

Love in the Time of Cholera has much depth in its pages. Many themes around love and aging are beautifully explored and well worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Seven Samurai

Akira Kurosawa received an Honorary Award from the Academy in 1990 for cinematic accomplishments that inspired, delighted, enriched, and entertained worldwide audiences and influenced filmmakers throughout the world.

I featured Kurosawa’s Yojimbo in Sunday Supplement #70, and in that post, I also mentioned his film Seven Samurai.

Seven Samurai tells the story of a poor village under attack recruiting seven unemployed samurai to defend the people and the town.

Kurosawa’s writing and directing, combined with a legendary performance by Toshirô Mifune, helped create a film that will forever be a classic.

The film has been remade multiple times for Western audiences, including twice as The Magnificent Seven, but the original shouldn’t be overlooked.

Brainfood of the Week:

Wisdom | The School of Life

This video starts with The School of Life describing wisdom not as a stable state but as an aspiration or goal worth striving for.

They state that there are many strands woven into wisdom. Realism is one, gratitude another, politeness, humor, and self-acceptance are some others.

The video breaks down each thread it mentions and discusses how each attribute helps contribute to wisdom.

In breaking down realism, they explain how knowing something might be difficult allows for acceptance and a calm demeanor when tackling challenging tasks.

There is much more in the full video, and I highly recommend giving it a watch. If you enjoy it, I’ve featured The School of Life in a few previous Sunday Supplements.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear.”

– Surah Al-Baqara 2:286

This passage from the Quran reminds me of how we can feel overwhelmed at various points in our lives, but we always seem to make it through those times.

These difficult moments can seem like burdens, but the more time passes, the more I can see the lessons in the experiences.

I’ve mentioned it before in previous Sunday Supplements, but many passages from spiritual texts could often be swapped without anyone’s notice.

This Quran passage seems to me like a universal message that wouldn’t be out of place in the Bible, the Vedas, or any Buddhist texts.

Know that any challenge in your life is one you can handle, and have a blessed week ahead!

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

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

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 2, 2022

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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Michael J. Fox, Transitions, The Prince of Egypt, Simon Sinek, and Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5

Michael J. Fox, Transitions, The Prince of Egypt, Simon Sinek, and Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 21, 2022

Sunday Supplement #67 (August 21st, 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:

“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.”

– Michael J. Fox

Book of the Week:

Transitions – William Bridges

William Bridges was a distinguished authority on change and transition. He spoke and advised on how people should approach transition and sold over a million copies of his books.

Transitions is Bridges’ bestselling book that lays out a guide for understanding and successfully adapting to change.

His process talks about three stages of change: the ending, the neutral zone, and the new beginning. In the book, Bridges shows how each can be embraced to have productive movement forward.

The edition I read had two parts: The Need for Transition and The Transition Process. The first part discussed various topics like relationships, careers, and general life changes.

The second part broke down Bridge’s roadmap for navigating change. I found the first section a little confusing until reading the second part. The second part was brilliant.

Transitions’ subheading is Making Sense of Life’s Changes. I found the book extremely helpful on that front and highly recommend it to those interested in tips on dealing with change.

Movie of the Week:

The Prince of Egypt

The Book of Exodus received a brilliant adaptation from DreamWorks Pictures in the animated movie The Prince of Egypt.

The film starts with the birth of Moses and follows his journey, becoming a prince and ultimately leading the Jewish people out of Egypt.

Val Kilmer and Ralph Fiennes voice Moses and Ramses. They star in the film and provide a brilliant focal point in the narrative.

The rest of the cast, including Michelle Pfeiffer, Sandra Bullock, Danny Glover, Jeff Goldblum, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, and Steve Martin, help shape the world brilliantly.

The movie only won one Oscar for Best Music – Original Song, but the film would have easily won Best Animated Film of the Year if the category had been around.

Some animated movies truly capture the brilliance of what a film can convey, and The Prince of Egypt is one of them.

Brainfood of the Week:

Navigate and Embrace Change | Simon Sinek

In this video, Simon Sinek gets asked, “Should people continuously change?”

Sinek responds to the first question by stating that he thinks the answer is always yes— to view ourselves or our organizations as works in progress.

He talks about the infinite mindset of constant improvement. Sometimes it’s small changes, and sometimes it’s bigger. There’s always the opportunity to improve something.

There are more questions throughout the video that Sinek addresses.

Sinek discusses the fear behind sudden changes as opposed to incremental changes. He goes on to explain how this affects individuals and companies.

While the latter half of the video veers toward business, there is much to take away from Sinek’s answers on how to approach change and how to recognize how others approach it.

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in three previous Sunday Supplements. If you like this video, check out the others.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Indeed, with hardship [will be] ease.”

– Surah Ash-Sharh 94:5

This passage from the Quran reminds me of moments of tranquility that can occur from dealing with a hardship.

One of the other English translations of the passage substitutes ease with relief.

I think of the moments when waiting for a response or an outcome after I’ve put in the work and have to accept what comes next.

If there is a challenge or a hardship as a result, after processing my feelings, there comes a moment where I realize I have control over what I do next.

Sometimes I wallowed in a pit of negative emotions for a long time, but, thankfully, I eventually remembered that I could choose how to move forward.

I think there is great power in acceptance and realizing we have control over our actions.

I believe one of the most powerful feelings can be when you’ve done your best in a difficult situation and can accept whatever happens.

Embrace the changes in your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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