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Paulo Coelho, The 4-Hour Workweek, The Birdcage, Emily Esfahani Smith, and Ecclesiastes 3:12

Paulo Coelho, The 4-Hour Workweek, The Birdcage, Emily Esfahani Smith, and Ecclesiastes 3:12

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on June 12, 2022

Sunday Supplement #57 (June 12th, 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:

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.”

– Paulo Coelho (Matthew 6:21)

Book of the Week:

The 4-Hour Workweek – Timothy Ferriss

I’ve featured Tim Ferriss in seven different Sunday Supplements, but they all were in the Brainfood of the Week Category with interviews he’s conducted on The Tim Ferris Show.

In addition to being a brilliant interviewer, Ferriss is famous for his “life-hack” blog posts and bestselling books on various topics.

Tim’s The 4-Hour Workweek is the first of his bestselling self-help books. It delivers anecdotes and how-tos on eliminating unnecessary work and maximizing results.

I haven’t always been a fan of Ferriss’s tone on his podcast and in his writing, but I’ve liked him more in the past year or two since his deeply personal podcast episode.

The 4-Hour Workweek is a throwback to his days when he came off out of touch at times with different audiences, but some of the content he covered was excellent.

The book’s time management and work negotiation sections were some of my favorite and had tips I continue to use today.

Read with a grain of salt, but there is sure to be something useful you add to your own routine.

Movie of the Week:

The Birdcage

Mike Nichols’s The Birdcage was adapted from Jean Poiret’s play and starred Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, and Dianne Wiest.

The story follows a cabaret owner and his drag queen companion as they agree to put on a false straight front so their son can bring his fiancée’s right-wing parents to meet the family.

The film carries a comedic tone throughout but champions LGBTQ+ issues in serious moments at a time (1996) when it was taboo to cover them.

Williams and Lane star as the partners and parents pretending to play it straight. The story utilizes both actors’ brilliance to help the film shine.

The Birdcage was nominated for only one Academy Award (Best Art Direction-Set Decoration) and arguably missed out because of the movie’s story.

Nichols’s movie stands the test of time and is one to check out for many reasons, including one of Robin Williams’s best performances.

Brainfood of the Week:

TED Talks: There’s More to Life Than Being Happy | Emily Esfahani Smith

In this TED Talk, Emily Esfahani Smith discusses her journey from the pursuit of achieving happiness by achieving success to finding out how to live a life of meaning. 

Smith went to graduate school for positive psychology to find out why she and others struggled despite achieving success. 

Data showed Smith that chasing happiness can make people unhappy. 

Suicide rates reached a 30-year high in America. Even though life has improved objectively by nearly every conceivable standard, more people feel hopeless, depressed, and alone.

Research shows that this despair comes from a lack of meaning in life. Is there more to life than being happy? And is there a difference between being happy and having meaning in life?

How can we each live more meaningfully? Smith spent five years interviewing hundreds of people and reading through thousands of pages of psychology, neuroscience, and philosophy.

Smith found what she calls the four pillars of a meaningful life— Belonging, Purpose, Transcendence, and Storytelling.

In the video, Smith details each pillar and how they affect our lives. 

This Ted Talks is genuinely one of the best videos I’ve come across about the meaning of life. Please take the time to give it a watch.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.”

– Ecclesiastes 3:12

This bible passage reminds me not to chase happiness and to look for the moments to help others when I have the opportunity.

The words ‘be joyful’ don’t describe a state achieved through outside influences. In Ecclesiastes, the words read to me of an emotion that comes from within.

I believe we can be affected by outside influences, consciously or unconsciously, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But we can always choose or work on choosing how to respond.

And when we go about our lives, I believe we have the ability to tap into whatever emotion we want. For me, this Ecclesiastes passage reminds me to tap into joy.

The other part of the passage reminds me that acts of service ‘doing good’ are our most powerful ways to contribute and experience life.

I believe doing good can come in small acts as well as grand acts, and sometimes it’s the small acts that can make a massive difference in someone else’s life.

Act from joy, watch for the moments to do good, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Pythagoras, The Four Agreements, Dead Poets Society, Jordan Peterson, and Lamentations 3:40

Pythagoras, The Four Agreements, Dead Poets Society, Jordan Peterson, and Lamentations 3:40

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 30, 2022

Sunday Supplement #38 (January 30th, 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:

“No one is free who has not obtained the empire of himself. No man is free who cannot command himself.”

– Pythagoras

Book of the Week:

The Four Agreements – Don Miguel Ruiz

Don Miguel Ruiz was born to parents who belonged to the Toltecs of Mexico. Rather than follows his family’s footsteps in the traditions of the Toltecs, Miguel chose to attend medical school and become a surgeon.

However, after a near-death experience, Ruiz devoted himself to the mastery of the ancient ancestral wisdom of the Toltecs and later on decided to pass on the knowledge he learned.

The Four Agreements has spent over a decade on The New York Times bestseller list.

Ruiz’s personal growth/self-help book is a wonderful journey that explores the highest principles in the Toltec teachings.

The book breaks down and discusses the four agreements: be impeccable with your word, don’t take anything personally, don’t make assumptions, and always do your best. Ruiz explains each agreement and has other chapters that help introduce and support the teachings and how to apply them to everyday life.

There are elements of spirituality in the book that might not align with everyone’s practices, but the roots of the lessons Ruiz writes about can apply to everyone. Each agreement shows the reader a helpful way of viewing themselves and the world around them.

The Four Agreements is a short read but a powerful one. It’s well worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Dead Poets Society

The 1989 film Dead Poets Society only won one Academy Award, but it is a movie that resonates beyond the year it came out.

The film follows maverick teacher John Keating, who takes the position of poetry teacher at an all-boys boarding school. The students at Welton Academy are expected to excel in their studies and become future lawyers and doctors. Keating encourages his students to pursue what fills them with joy, against the wishes of some parents and other faculty.

Robin Williams stars at John Keating. I’ve mentioned Williams’ work in Sunday Supplement #23 and Sunday Supplement #36, and a worthy movie list could include most of the late actor’s work.

In Dead Poets Society, Williams shines in one of his best roles. His improvisation skills are impeccable, and the film’s message is exemplified in his acting.

The film received four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Acting in a Leading Role. It only won for Best Writing – Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen but arguably should have won at least one more.

Check out the movie if it sounds like something you’d enjoy, and see what categories you think it should have won.

Brainfood of the Week:

Jordan Peterson’s interview on The Tim Ferriss Show

Jordan Peterson is a controversial figure in some circles, but his views on most subjects are worth a listen even if you end up not agreeing with him. 

Peterson is a clinical psychologist, professor at the University of Toronto, and author of three bestselling self-help books and more than one hundred scientific papers that have transformed the modern understanding of personality.

I’ve highlighted five other Tim Ferriss interviews in the Sunday Supplements, and that is because I think he is one of the best hosts for the medium of interview podcasts.

Tim and Jordan discuss mythology, the Bible, mental health, and much more in this interview. One of my favorite parts of the interview is when Peterson challenges Ferriss’ views on psychedelics. This part of the interview raised valid points for both sides and exemplified a healthy way to debate. 

There are many grains of wisdom in this interview, and with a grain of salt, there is a lot to learn from Jordan Peterson.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”

– Lamentations 3:40

I didn’t have the healthiest exposure to Christianity as a kid (Catholic school), but I’m happy to find dissect and learn from the teachings in the Bible years later. The nuggets of wisdom in the religions and spiritual practices of the world are amazing.

I’m reminded of the necessity and usefulness of reflecting on our practices and beliefs in this passage. And for the second part of the passage, I believe it represents returning to love.

When I combine the two statements, I’m left with contemplating my actions and seeing if they align with love.

I think many religions and spiritual practices can be disfigured their interpretations, but when I find verses like this one, I’m reminded of how much wisdom is between the lines.

Some of the Bible’s passages are simple and profound. This one helps me remember to reflect and make sure I’m aligned with love.

Allow your actions to come from a place of love, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Anne Frank, The Obstacle is the Way, Mrs. Doubtfire, Absolute Motivation, and a Japanese Proverb

Anne Frank, The Obstacle is the Way, Mrs. Doubtfire, Absolute Motivation, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 16, 2022

Sunday Supplement #36 (January 16th, 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:

“Whoever is happy will make others happy too.” 

– Anne Frank

Book of the Week:

The Obstacle is the Way – Ryan Holiday

Ryan Holiday dropped out of college at 19 to apprentice under Robert Greene, author of The 48 Laws of Power. Holiday went on to advise multiplatinum musicians and bestselling authors. He is a media strategist and bestselling author whose campaigns have been used as case studies by Google, YouTube, and Twitter.

The Obstacle is the Way is Holidays bestselling book that breaks down Stoicism and the principles laid down by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

The book breaks down into three parts. The first discusses and analyses perception. The second focuses on action. And the third highlights will. Each has specific components that showcase the value of each term and how others used them to make their lives better.

The book’s subheading reads The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph.

Holiday’s guide to Stoicism with examples of the famous people who’ve used its practices (i.e., John D. Rockefeller, Amelia Earhart, Ulysses S. Grant, and Steve Jobs) is a brilliant read. A grain of salt should be added with the principles, but it is a self-help manual well worth putting on your list of books to read.

Movie of the Week:

Mrs. Doubtfire 

Robin Williams provided much joy to many people throughout his life. As an actor, Mrs. Doubtfire is arguably his best work.

The script, written by Anne Fine, Randi Mayem Singer, and Leslie Dixon, follows an actor after a bitter divorce and his attempts to spend time with his kids. He disguises himself as a female housekeeper and gains employment under his former wife to take care of the kids while she’s at work.

The movie brilliantly showcases both comedy and drama throughout. The story takes the complexity of the characters’ situations and doesn’t try to downplay the seriousness. Instead, the film focuses on the emotions of each scene while bringing out the absurdity and sadness in the right places.

Mrs. Doubtfire only received one Oscar nomination for Best Makeup. The film won the category, but it got snubbed in many other categories. The acting was superb from all involved, including Sally Field, Pierce Brosnan, Harvey Fierstein, Lisa Jakub, Matthew Lawrence, and Mara Wilson.

Chris Columbus directed this masterpiece, but Robin Williams steals the show. If you haven’t seen the movie, check it out. And if it’s been a while, it’s worth putting on the to-watch list again.

Brainfood of the Week:

Matthew McConaughey – This Is Why You’re Not Happy | Absolute Motivation

Absolute Motivation is a YouTube channel that aims to enhance the human experience by creating thought-provoking and actionable content that helps exercise, stimulate, and expand the mind and consciousness.

In this video, Absolute Motivation uses a speech from Matthew McConaughey that emphasizes the necessity of playing like an underdog and focusing on joy rather than happiness.

McConaughey is an Oscar-winning actor and philanthropist. His career and life journey is incredible and can be glimpsed through his memoir Green Lights. 

His speech explains how happiness can be an emotional response to an outcome and can be rooted in a cause and effect standard that we raise every time we attain it. Because happiness can become result-oriented, we can often be let down frequently and depressed.

However, we find joy in doing what we love, no matter the outcome. Joy is not a response but an experience and a constant process. And gratitude can be a shortcut to joy and can help your focus shift toward what you have, which grows.

Pursuing joy doesn’t mean ignoring failure. But, you can analyze and dissect what makes us happy and what makes us sad. We can see what helps us and what hurts us. Then we can move toward success and joy from what we learn.

McConaughey explains the importance of finding your priorities and getting rid of the things, places, and people that don’t serve those priories or drag you down from what’s meaningful to you. He expresses how vital it is to define what success means for you and to move in that direction.

Get rid of the excess and focus on what’s important to you. Give yourself a break and eliminate what doesn’t help you. 

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“The festival afterwards.” (後の祭り)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb stands for not dwelling on something after the incident has already happened. Even if you regret something, the event has already passed, and it’s too late to change the outcome.

For me, this isn’t something sad. The proverb reminds me that, after processing the emotions, there isn’t any point in dwelling on the negatives. If I experience sadness when the scars get rubber, that’s okay. But I do get to choose how I move forward.

There is a lot of power in choosing how you want to view an event. Something sad or depressing will always be that way on one level, but you can also reframe the experience on another level and learn a valuable lesson.

The festival afterwards reminds me to find the silver lining in the cloud. The knowledge or perspective I gain can help me grow and find peace and happiness.

Find happiness in your perspective on life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Joyce Meyer, The Chronicles of Prydain, Good Will Hunting, Hugh Jackman, and a Zen Proverb

Joyce Meyer, The Chronicles of Prydain, Good Will Hunting, Hugh Jackman, and a Zen Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 17, 2021

Sunday Supplement #23 (October 17th, 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:

“Don’t wait for everything to be perfect before you decide to enjoy your life.”

– Joyce Meyer

Book of the Week:

The Chronicles of Prydain – Lloyd Alexander

I usually recommend a single book for this portion of the Sunday Supplement, but I’m recommending a Young Adult series this week. The Chronicles of Prydain consists of five books set in Prydain, a fictional country ruled by a High King who oversees several smaller kingdoms. Lloyd Alexander wrote the novels, and in the introductions of the books, he tells how he was inspired by Welsh folklore he became immersed in while receiving army combat intelligence training in World War II.

The first book, The Book of Three, follows Taran, an “assistant pig-keeper,” as he loses charge of caring for Hen Wen, a magical pig, and follows it into the forest, beginning his hero’s journey. On his adventure, he meets Prince Gwydion, son of the High King of Prydain, who is in pursuit of Hen Wen to consult the pig’s prophetic visions. The two team up, and after befriending a creature called Gorge, Taran gets captured by the “Cauldron-Born,” the undead warriors of the Horned King. While imprisoned, Taran befriends a princess held hostage, Eilonwy, and they escape captivity. They find the legendary sword Dyrnwyn in their retreat and later meet up with the rest of Taran’s group. Ffleeddur Fflam, a kind by birth who chooses to be a bard, joins their troop, and together with the companions (later joined by the dwarf Doli), determines to stop the plans of the Horned King and his maser Arwan.

The subsequent four novels follow Taran and each of the main characters established in the first book. Taran starts as a disgruntled young teenager who slowly learns to challenge and reframe his perceptions and thoughts about the world as he grows in each book. Each character has their own journey and contributes to each other’s growth in unique ways.

While this series is found in the Y/A or children’s sections of most libraries and stores, there is much to learn and enjoy from these books. I’ve read it in the last year, and it is one of my favorite ventures away from my usual reading patterns. I can’t recommend it more highly.

Movie of the Week:

Good Will Hunting

Good Will Hunting tells the story of Will Hunting, a 20-year-old South Boston janitor and unknown maths genius who becomes the patient of a therapist and student of a renowned advanced mathematics professor as a part of a deferred prosecution agreement after he assaults a police officer. The movie delves into his relationships with the therapist, the professor, his girlfriend, and his friends and how he starts to face the task of confronting his past and thinking about his future for the first time in his life.

This film is a brilliant story that shook up Hollywood at the script stage. Matt Damon (Will Hunting) and Ben Affleck (Will’s friend Chuckle) wrote the screenplay early on in their acting pursuits, and it was this movie that launched their careers. At first, it was hard for the young actors to get the film made because they were adamant they would be playing a couple of the lead roles in the movie. Finally, the script got into the hands of Robin Williams (Dr. Sean Maguire), and he signed on, which gave them the star power to get the green light for production.

After the long wait for the movie to get made, the outcome was Oscar glory for Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. They both won the Academy Award for Best Writing – Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen. The film was nominated for seven additional Oscars, including Best Picture, and won one other category, Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Robin Williams.) 

In an interview with Graham Norton, Damon talked about the experience of winning the Oscar at 27 years old and how he had the grateful realization that he didn’t screw over anyone to get the award. He explained how much he appreciated that he didn’t pursue the award his whole life trying to fill a hole. It’s an interesting perspective given that resonates with a message in the film about intimacy. I encourage you to watch the movie and find the link. It’s a brilliant story and sits high on many top film lists for a reason.

Brainfood of the Week:

Hugh Jackman Interview on The Tim Ferriss Show 

I’ve featured an interview from The Tim Ferriss Show in four other Sunday Supplements (#1, #5, #9, and #12.) Each interview is worth checking out, and this will be another brilliant one from the massive catalog of interviews conducted by Tim Ferriss. While the guests are the highlights from the podcast, Tim is a superb conductor for creating a fantastic flow and excellent dialogue with his guests.

In Sunday Supplement #1, I cover a brief background on Tim, so I’ll focus on Hugh Jackman and his interview for this post.

Hugh Jackman is an Academy Award-nominated actor, Golden Globe and Tony Award-winning performer, and philanthropist. He is often touted as one of the kindest people in Hollywood and makes an impression as much off-screen as he does on-screen.

In this episode of The Tim Ferriss Show, Tim asks questions about Jackman’s past and how he got into acting, his morning routine with his wife, and his faith and meditation practices. The interview takes a journey that paints a wonderful picture of Jackman’s life and how he got to the point where he is today. There are so many brilliant nuggets of wisdom to pick up from the interview, and it is also highly entertaining.

Check it out. It certainly won’t be a waste of your time.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Be master of mind rather than mastered by mind.”

– Zen Proverb

This quote reminds me of how the mind can be one of the most powerful tools in our arsenal if appropriately utilized. At our best, our minds can guide us and help us along the journeys we set for ourselves and the paths we want to explore. The experiences we encounter can be scary or exciting entirely depending on how we view the situation. Our thoughts and beliefs can all be our conscious decision if we learn to choose that way.

On the opposite side is an uncontrolled mind that directs our thoughts without our conscious input. I’ve noticed these reins most when I’ve come out of a funk or a binge and realized I had been in a hole for a certain amount of time without realizing I was there. Micheal Singer, who I highlighted in Sunday Supplement #12, discusses how we are like moviegoers at movie theaters in his book The Untethered Soul. We can get caught up in an emotional scene and get lost in the narrative, but if we pull back, we realize that we are conscious beings in control of how we view the picture.  

This control is something I’ve worked on over the past few years of my life. It’s an interesting habit to build and one that has brought some amazing experiences. The Zen proverb above reminds me of the two relationships you can have with your mind. I believe the former is the experience we are meant to have.

Choose something next and exciting to do, and have a blessed week ahead!

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