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Tag: Rig Veda

Henry Ford, Money Master the Game, Gattaca, Wayne Dyer, and a Rig Veda Passage

Henry Ford, Money Master the Game, Gattaca, Wayne Dyer, and a Rig Veda Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 24, 2022

Sunday Supplement #50 (April 24th, 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:

“Whether you think you can or can’t, you are right.”

– Henry Ford

Book of the Week:

Money Master the Game – Tony Robbins

I featured Tony Robbins’ Awaken the Giant Within in Sunday Supplement #30. His work in the self-help genre has touched millions and was the doorway to self-improvement for me.

When I heard that Robbins wrote a financial self-help book, I knew I had to check it out.

Money Master the Game used extensive research and one-on-one interviews with some of the most legendary financial experts in the world, including Warren Buffett and Ray Dalio, to develop a 7-step blueprint for financial freedom.

Robbins broke down complex financial principles into easily digestible concepts. The book takes readers of every income level through steps to help create a lifetime income plan.

I majored in business and found this book more informative than most textbooks I was forced to read throughout college.

The book is on the longer side and takes time to get through, but it is worth checking out. 

Robbins’ Unshakable is the more condensed sequel to Money Master the Game for those looking for a shorter read.

Movie of the Week:

Gattaca

Andrew Niccol’s Gattaca is set in the distant future where eugenics is commonplace and ensures children possess the best hereditary traits of their parents. 

Society experiences genetic discrimination, where those conceived outside the eugenics program cannot partake in higher positions in society.

Vincent Freeman, played by Ethan Hawke, dreams of becoming an astronaut and going to space. By adopting a validated citizen’s identity, Freeman attempts to achieve his dream.

The film brilliantly explores themes of eugenics and freedom of self-determination.

There are so many beautiful elements of Niccol’s film to enjoy. Hawke gives a powerful performance as Freeman, as does Jude Law in the role of Freeman’s friend Jerome/Eugene.

Gattaca was only nominated for one Academy Award, but it stands the test of time as a thought-provoking and magnificent science fiction story.

Brainfood of the Week:

Dr. Wayne Dyer on the Art of Manifestation | SuperSoul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network

I’ve featured Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sunday in Sunday Supplement #43 and am excited to have it in the Sunday Supplement again.

Winfrey’s series features exclusive interviews with top thinkers, authors, and spiritual leaders and explores themes like happiness, personal fulfillment, spirituality, and conscious living.

In this clip, Oprah’s guest is Wayne Dyer. In Sunday Supplement #22, I featured Dyer’s quote, “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.”

Winfrey and Dyer discuss manifestation and how it is different from the law of attraction. Dyer explains how we all have within us this amazing capacity to manifest anything into our lives.

The main lesson is that we attract into our lives what were are, not what we want.

If you say, “You are depressed,” your attention focuses on depression and more things to be depressed about. Feeling depressed can be okay because feelings change.

You get what you are rather than what you want. So, let negative feelings pass, but move towards an identity of happiness.

If you like this clip, check out more of Wayne Dyer’s work and more of Oprah Winfrey’s SuperSoul Sunday episodes. I’m sure I’ll feature both again in the future.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“When there is harmony between the mind, heart, and resolution, then nothing is impossible.”

– Rig Veda

The Vedas are a body of religious texts originating in ancient India that compose some of the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. I feature them regularly as closing spiritual passages.

This passage refers to the idea that we can achieve anything if our mind, heart, and resolution are in harmony.

I’m reminded of the moments of flow when you have complete faith and trust what will happen next.

There have been moments in sports or in life where I know that I can achieve an outcome or reach a goal, and it’s happened.

This idea of manifestation has many crossovers in many different religions and philosophies.

The Rig Veda passage exemplifies the perfect state of being for bringing the possibilities you wish to see into your life.

Take a step on the path of whom you want to be, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Brené Brown, The War of Art, Slumdog Millionaire, Weiyang Xie, and a Rig Veda Passage

Brené Brown, The War of Art, Slumdog Millionaire, Weiyang Xie, and a Rig Veda Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 23, 2022

Sunday Supplement #37 (January 23rd, 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:

“Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love.”

– Brené Brown

Book of the Week:

The War of Art – Steven Pressfield

Steven Pressfield’s life story is incredible. He was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, while his father was stationed in the Navy in 1943. Pressfield graduated from Duke University and joined the Marine Corps afterward.

After his tour in the service, Pressfield bounced around between jobs like advertising copywriter, tractor-trailer driver, oilfield roustabout, and fruit picker. He finally found his calling as an author and screenwriter but experienced periods of homelessness and living out of the back of his car while pursuing his writing career.

In The War of Art, Pressfield details the obstacles he faced in his life and how they led him to find and follow his passion for writing. His book breaks down into three parts: Resistance, Combatting Resistance, and Beyond Resistance. In each section, he titles an example of how each topic can manifest and provides short blurbs of explanation.

The non-fiction/self-help book divides opinions for most readers, but it has a 3.98 rating out of 5 on Goodreads, with over 85,000 reviews. Pressfield is most famous for his novels The Legend of Bagger Vance and Gates of Fire, a book about the Battle of Thermopylae studied at West Point and the U.S. Naval Academy.

The War of Art might not be for everybody, but it is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Slumdog Millionaire 

Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire narrates the story of an orphan Mumbai teenager who’s a contestant on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire as he gets accused of cheating after answering each question correctly.

While the teenager, Jamal, faces each question, he recalls portions of his life story that explain how he knew the answer.

The 2008 film won eight Oscars, including Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Achievement in Directing for Boyle, and Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay for Simon Beaufoy.

Leading man Dev Patel missed out on an Academy Award nomination for his performance, but moviegoers and film-lovers didn’t overlook his acting abilities. Patel has gone on to star in many acclaimed movies since his feature debut, including films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Green Knight, and his Oscar-nominated performance in Lion.

Slumdog Millionaire shows the negativity, oppression, criticism, and bribery Patel faces in his stint on the famous show. The ultimate result of his perseverance is a reminder of the blessings of our life’s journeys and what they can teach us.

Brainfood of the Week:

TEDx Talks | Dare to Rewire Your Brain for Self-Compassion | Weiyang Xie 

Weiyang Xie is a Staff Psychologist at the University Counseling Center at Notre Dame. When she first came to the US as an international student, she faced adjustment issues, self-doubt, and struggled with anxiety. These issues carried over to her professional life. 

Xie’s negative self-talk took over and became overwhelming. She felt trapped in her anxiety and believed that she couldn’t reach her potential. Xie started to look into how this situation developed and found a common component in people’s anxiety being shame.

In this TEDx Talks, Xie discusses the causes and effects of shame in people’s lives and her journey of discovery in this field. She focuses on how neurobiological studies on shame revealed how neural pathways form from the repetition of habitual negative self-talk. 

Xie then explains how we can resolve the emotional status quo. Research proves that being compassionate to yourself improves emotional resilience and psychological well-being. This practice helps reduce cortisol levels and lower the levels of depression and anxiety.

Beginning practices like noticing negative self-talk and combatting it with self-compassion can remove the previous mental programming and replace it with healthier thought habits. Motivating yourself through positive self-talk and embracing being a work in progress helps bring positivity for the future.

Xie closes the talk by stating that whatever you are saying to yourself, you listen. Developing positive self-talk is crucial for mental health and well-being.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“The human body is the temple of God. One who kindles the light of awareness within gets true light. The sacred flame of your inner shrine is constantly bright. The experience of unity is the fulfillment of human endeavors. The mysteries of life are revealed.”

– A Rig Veda Passage

Many different religions and spiritual practices talk about the light within. For me, this passage from the Rig Veda exemplifies this notion and gives a roadmap for finding that brilliance.

The message starts with the acknowledgment of our bodies holding spiritual power. Whether you believe in God or not, or something else entirely, the body is a miraculous being.

The Rig Veda passage then reveals that listening to your heart and body allows for true light, true knowledge.

There are many ways to translate this passage or gain meaning from the words. It sparks recognition of following your heart and gut and doing your best. When I am in tune with these elements, I find myself happy and with no regrets.

Regardless of spiritual leanings, becoming attuned with your heart and body is something worth cultivating. This passage from the Rig Veda is a brilliant guide and reminder of this practice.

Listen to your heart, be kind to yourself, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Lao Tzu, The Power of Myth, The Lord of the Rings, Simon Sinek, and the Rig Veda

Lao Tzu, The Power of Myth, The Lord of the Rings, Simon Sinek, and the Rig Veda

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on November 7, 2021

Sunday Supplement #26 (November 7th, 2021)

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 of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

– Lao Tzu

Book of the Week:

The Power of Myth – Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers

In 1988, PBS aired a six-episode series composed of interviews with Joseph Campbell. The companion book was released at the same time the series aired. The Power of Myth book has additional discussions not included in the original six-hour docuseries, but it follows a similar format.

The book is based on the interviews between Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers. The discussion revolves around Campbell’s lifework in mythology and human history. Campbell uses his own life story and the knowledge of different civilizations’ myths and cultures to present the idea of a global story we all follow— the Hero’s Journey. 

Campbell’s other works, The Hero with a Thousand Faces and The Masks of God, delve more deeply into the Hero’s Journey. However, The Power of Myth gives the main points and discusses how society has experienced struggle due to the loss of mythology and rights of passage in the modern-day.

The Power of Myth is a brilliant read that gives many insights into the universal human experience. It is well worth checking out and seeing if any of the stages apply to your life and how you can move forward.

Movie of the Week:

The Lord of the Rings (Extended Editions)

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote one of the most popular fiction trilogies in history. Peter Jackson adapted the novels into some of the most accomplished movies ever made. The story is fantasy and adventure-based, but there is so much quality that a genre pigeonhole can’t capture the whole experience.

Frodo, a Hobbit from the Shire, and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom to save Middle-Earth from the Dark Lord Sauron. Across the three films, the world of elves, men, and dwarves is explored and intricately woven into the story. The history and relationships of the people in the film are expertly depicted to give the story a more profound experience than a surface-level action flick.

So many details make these films a fantastic experience— too many to delve into in a short post. I’ll focus on two for the rest of this post.

The first is the practical effects of the films. So many movies in modern times rely on computer graphic imaging to create the effects the audience sees on the screen. Sometimes it works, but older films using this technology often appear outdated in recent times. Lord of the Rings has special effects and CGI, but they used many creative camera techniques to film in real-time and create beautiful and complex images on the screen. Fame Focus goes over some of the best effects in the movies that allowed the scale to be filmed, cities to be created, and actions sequences to be executed.

The other thing I want to touch on is the Hero’s Journey archetype of the story. The points in the journey are beautifully constructed and explored. Each character has their own journey, and many are richly created to have a whole arc. The overall story contains each point in the Hero’s Journey and helps to establish a connection with the audience. Even if you don’t like fantasy, there is something in these films that can resonate with you.

The extended editions are wonderful and fully encapsulate Tolkien’s stories, but either of Jackson’s versions is well worth watching.

Brainfood of the Week:

Simon Sinek – The Truth About Being the “Stupidest” Person in the Room

In Sunday Supplement #13, I featured a video from Simon Sinek about the paradox of being human. Sinek is an inspirational speaker and the author of multiple best-selling books.

In this video, Simon Sinek discusses the benefits of being okay with being the stupidest person in the room. He tells a story about a business meeting where he didn’t understand the concept delivered to the room. Sinek was okay with asking the presenter to repeat the presentation, and after a few questions, it was apparent the premise of the demonstration wasn’t straightforward. If he hadn’t spoken up, the rest of the group would have nodded along because they weren’t comfortable with saying they didn’t understand the presentation.

The idea of the video is that by being okay with being seen as dumb, you open the door for knowledge while being brave enough to speak up.

This video is only a couple of minutes long. It’s worth checking out to see if Simon Sinek is something you’d be interested in checking out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A person can achieve everything by being simple and humble.”

– from the Rig Veda

This passage from the Hindu Vedas reminds me of the beauty of doing something you love. I’ve looked back on my actions in the past, and a lot of them used to be based on the feedback I hoped to receive. Moving toward doing more of what I love changed how I approached things and gave me more confidence to be myself. I asked myself whether I would still do the task if no one else knew what I was doing. 

Writing, reading, and playing/watching soccer are all things I’ve done on my own. It’s fun to have company, and I enjoy sharing the things I love with others, but I would still do them independently. I believe if you have goals and dreams for making what you love into a career or a profession, you have to market yourself. But I think you should be doing what you love regardless of outside validation or not.

Like the Rig Veda passage, I often find myself the happiest and most successful doing what I love and not caring about the outcome.

Make time to do something you love and have a blessed week ahead!

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