Tag: Simon Sinek

Katori Hall, 1984, Harold and Maude, Simon Sinek, and a Bible Passage

Katori Hall, 1984, Harold and Maude, Simon Sinek, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 12, 2024

Sunday Supplement #157 (May 12th, 2024)

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:

“Follow your intuition, listen to your dreams, your inner voice to guide you.”

– Katori Hall

Book of the Week:

1984 – George Orwell

There are many classic books that I’ve heard of and thought I’d eventually get around to reading. Finally getting to a novel like 1984 is a reminder that the classics genre is there for a reason and should be perused more than while you’re in high school.

George Orwell’s dystopian 1949 novel 1984 takes place in Great Britain, known as Airstrip One, a province of the totalitarian superstate Oceania. Much of the world is fighting a perpetual war.

Big Brother, a dictatorial leadership, leads Oceania and controls the masses through the Party’s Thought Police.

Winston Smith is a worker at the Ministry of Truth who secretly hates the Party. He starts a relationship with a colleague, Julia, and they attempt to join a resistance group called the Brotherhood.

1984 is on many Top Books lists. I found it to be a satirical cautionary tale. It’s an engaging read and one I found well worth passing along as a recommendation.

Movie of the Week:

Harold and Maude

I’ll start by saying this film probably isn’t for everyone. Harold and Maude is a dark comedy about a young man obsessed with death who meets a septuagenarian obsessed with life.

The movie follows the classic trope of an older mentor guiding a youth, but it does it with a brilliantly crafted story.

Bud Cort captures the spirit of Harold brilliantly while Ruth Gordon stuns as Maude. And Harold’s mother, played by Vivian Pickles, is a worthy shout-out for a supporting role.

Harold and Maude is a movie that makes many top lists for classic films, and I believe it stands the test of time and is worth recommending.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Art of Listening | Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is a bestselling author and speaker on business leadership. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and has an imprint at Penguin Random House.

This video starts with Sinek explaining that the art of listening isn’t just hearing others’ words but understanding their meaning.

Sinek discusses the importance of giving someone the space to feel heard and, in doing so, creating trust.

For me, a highlight from this video is when Sinek discusses Deeyah Khan’s documentary White Right: Meeting the Enemy. It’s fascinating what genuine listening can accomplish.

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in several previous Sunday Supplements. If you enjoyed this video, check out the other posts.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is a folly and shame unto him.”

– Proverbs 18:13

I’m a big fan of this Bible passage because its message is one that I prioritize in my rules for engaging with others.

Less seriously, I think we can get excited by what we want to share or say and often don’t fully listen to others when engaging in conversation.

However, if we genuinely want to connect with someone, we have to listen and leave space for not needing to respond.

A more serious lesson from this passage is passing judgment before hearing someone else’s side. It can be very easy to dismiss someone’s side based on our own, and it’s worth working on hearing others before judging them.

Make space for listening, and have a blessed week ahead!

Jeanne Moreau, Start With Why, Adaptation, Einzelgänger, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 10, 2024

Sunday Supplement #148 (March 10th, 2024)

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:

“Life is an accomplishment and each moment has a meaning and you must use it.”

– Jeanne Moreau

Book of the Week:

Start With Why – Simon Sinek

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in many previous Sunday Supplement posts, but mainly as a Brainfood of the Week post.

This is the first time I’ve posted about his books. I only read the book a few weeks ago, but it’s easily one of my favorite nonfiction books.

In Start With Why, Sinek breaks down different historical people and companies and how they created a lasting impact.

Sinek’s examination of how so many companies fail to act from a place that resonates with the people they want to attract is profound.

I cannot recommend this book more highly because it gives an excellent insight on where we should operate from as people and through industry.

Movie of the Week:

Adaptation

Charlie Kaufman is known for his bizarre and existential movies, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich.

Kaufman’s screenplay Adaptation is my favorite movie of his. It is excellently directed by Spike Jonze and has a brilliant cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Adaptation tells the story of a screenwriter who suffers from writer’s block as he struggles to adapt Susan Orlean’s nonfiction book The Orchid Thief.

If you haven’t seen any of Kaufman’s work, a forewarning: his stories are bizarre. The humor and satire about the Hollywood industry in this movie are fantastic.

Kaufman’s movies are hard to summarize, but if you like quirky movies, give this one a try. The final act is an interesting meta-critique of Blockbuster films. Let me know what you think.

Brainfood of the Week:

Stop Trying to Get It And You’ll Have It | The Backwards Law | Einzelgänger

This video discusses Alan Watts’ Backwards Law. It also discusses other philosophers, such as Arthur Schopenhauer and writers, like Mark Manson, in relation to the law.

The Backwards Law states the more we pursue something, the more we achieve the opposite of what we truly want and the more disappointed we feel.

Einzelgänger states the difference between external pursuits and internal desires. Wanting to run marathons and working toward it is a good thing, whereas setting a goal as a benchmark for happiness is a trap.

The video explores how the theory works in practice, not just in concept, and there are many gems from this video worth picking up.

I’ve featured Einzelgänger’s channel in previous Sunday Supplements. If you’ve enjoyed this video, check out the other posts or his channel on YouTube.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A person is a person because of other people.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb, which Desmond Tutu has quoted, refers to the word/philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”

For me, this proverb reminds me how important community and our own actions are to the shaping of lives.

So many things can impact our lives, but people are probably the most impactful on other people’s lives. Whether these are people in our lives, the people we see on television, or the people we read about in books, they can influence our perceptions.

I think it’s essential to filter other people’s influences on us to ensure we’re allowing the best to get through. Knowing that our actions and others can have significant effects is also important.

Make sure you see the meaning in your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Andrew Carnegie, Creativity, Inc., Locke, Simon Sinek, and a Quran Passage

Andrew Carnegie, Creativity, Inc., Locke, Simon Sinek, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 14, 2024

Sunday Supplement #140 (January 14th, 2024)

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:

“No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it.”

– Andrew Carnegie

Book of the Week:

Creativity, Inc. – Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Co-cofounder of Pixar Animation Studios, Ed Catmull, tells his journey from childhood to retirement.

At first, his mission was to make a fully computer-animated feature film. He accomplished that goal relatively early and had to find another mission to drive him through his later career.

Catmull’s later mission was to be the best leader possible for the people who worked at Pixar to ensure the employees’ and the company’s success.

The book is a dissection of how Pixar became a powerhouse of animation, but it focuses on the business and management side.

If you’re looking for a biography, this isn’t it. The book has some great stories about Pixar and Steve Jobs, but it very much reads like a business book.

Movie of the Week:

Locke

Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders and writer of Eastern Promises, wrote and directed the 2013 Tom Hardy solo-performance film Locke.

The movie clocks in at just under an hour and a half and follows Tom Hardy as Ivan Locke, a dedicated family man and successful construction manager, who receives a phone call on the eve of the biggest challenge of his career that threatens to ruin his carefully constructed life.

It’s not often you see a film with only one actor portrayed throughout, with all the supporting characters only featuring as voice actors.

Supporting cast members Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott, and Tom Holland stand out with their voice acting, but Tom Hardy makes the film work with his performance as Locke.

The film follows Locke behind the wheel of his car as he handles the crisis he created by taking ownership of his actions. It’s worth checking out.

Brainfood of the Week:

Be a Better Leader | Simon Sinek

Sinek is a bestselling author and speaker. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and has an imprint at Penguin Random House, Optimism Press.

I come across his videos every now and then and usually take the time to check them out. You’ll probably see me feature one of his books soon.

In this video, Sinek answers three questions: How do we become leaders? How do you create teaming? And, As a leader, how do you enforce accountability?

Sinek answers each question with some gems that are worth picking up. My favorite is not pretending like you know all the answers. Be open about needing help from time to time. Be open about not knowing everything and needing to find out.

Check out the short five-minute video if you are interested, and if you like it, check out the previous Sunday Supplements, where I’ve featured Sinek’s content.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Believers, why do you profess that which you do not practice? It is most loathsome in the sight of Allah that you should say what you do not do!”

– Surah As-Saf 61: 2-3

I think this passage from the Quran is pretty straightforward, but the intensity with which the statement is made stands out for me.

Not practicing what you preach is a common phrase, and many stories exemplify the maxim.

For me, this Quran passage is a reminder to be impeccable with your word. It is a reminder to think carefully before speaking.

If you want to be a person who can be counted on, be careful of the promises you make. If you don’t want to be a hypocrite, keep true to your word.

Lead by example and keep your word, give credit to others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Willie Stargell, The Great Santini, Holes, Simon Sinek, and Riyad as-Salihin 322

Willie Stargell, The Great Santini, Holes, Simon Sinek, and Riyad as-Salihin 322

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on October 8, 2023

Sunday Supplement #126 (October 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.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“There’s nothing a value more than the closeness of friends and family, a smile as I pass someone on the street.”

– Willie Stargell

Book of the Week:

The Great Santini – Pat Conroy

Pat Conroy’s The Great Santini is a coming-of-age novel that follows Ben Meecham’s life in a fictional military town in South Carolina under the strict rule of his father, Wilbur Meecham.

Wilbur “Bull” Meecham calls himself the Great Santini, and Conroy describes the man as a warrior without a war.

The Meecham family struggles as newcomers to fit into the small South Carolina town, and the novel explores this dynamic through Ben’s time in high school.

The Great Santini was adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Robert Duvall, Blythe Danner, and Michael O’Keefe.

Conroy is a brilliant author. I’ve featured two other Pat Conroy books; this is the third novel I believe is of the highest quality of storytelling.

Movie of the Week:

Holes

New York Times bestseller, National Book Award Winner, and Newbery Medal-winning novel Holes by Louis Sachar was adapted into the 2003 film five years after publication.

The story follows Stanley Yelnats, a thirteen-year-old boy with a curse on his family, as he is wrongfully convicted and sent to a detention camp where the boys are mysteriously tasked to dig holes in the desert to build character.

A movie adaptation of a novel can always be hit or miss, but Sachar wrote the screenplay, and Andrew Davis brought the story to the screen with an all-star cast of legends and newcomers.

Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voigt, and Shia LaBeouf stand out in the excellent adaptation, and you’re likely to recognize some quality cameos as well.

Holes is a fun movie that has an engaging and entertaining story with a deeper core of themes around consequences, destiny, and friendship. Check it out if you haven’t seen it!

Brainfood of the Week:

The Importance of Human Connection | Simon Sinek

I recently featured a Simon Sinek video, and even though I liked to vary up the content, this video was perfect for the week’s theme.

Sinek is a bestselling author and speaker. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and has an imprint at Penguin Random House, Optimism Press.

In this video, Sinek discusses the shift of functioning virtually and how virtual communication doesn’t fulfill everything an in-person human connection does.

One aspect in particular Sinek highlights is trust. He talks about how building trust happens in little moments of connecting with someone in person.

The short video mainly focuses on the benefits of working in-person versus virtually, but there are good reminders of how we need human connection in our lives regardless.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“The person who perfectly maintains the ties of kinship is not the one who does it because he gets recompensed by his relatives (for being kind and good to them), but the one who truly maintains the bonds of kingship is the one who persists in doing so even though the latter has severed the ties of kinship with him.”

– Riyad as-Salihin 322

Riyad as-Salihin is a selection of Hadith (a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval of the prophet Muhammad as transmitted through chains of narrators), in this case, by Imam Yahya bin Sharaf an-Nawawi.

This passage reminds me of how important it is to check in on those we consider family, even when it’s been a while since you’ve spoken.

I think it’s easy to let time pass by and believe that you’ve fallen out of touch with someone who was once close to you.

However, in those moments when a person randomly pops into your head, I think it’s a chance to reach out to let them know you were thinking about them. You never know if a kind word is exactly what that person needs at that moment.

Cherish the connections to others in your life, reach out to a friend or family member, and have a blessed week ahead!

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John D. Rockefeller, Cold Mountain, Chariots of Fire, Simon Sinek, and a Bible Passage

John D. Rockefeller, Cold Mountain, Chariots of Fire, Simon Sinek, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on September 10, 2023

Sunday Supplement #122 (September 10th, 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:

“I do not think that there is any other quality so essential to success of any kind as the quality of perseverance.”

– John D. Rockefeller

Book of the Week:

Cold Mountain – Charles Frazier

Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain alternates back and forth between the stories of W.P. Inman, a Confederate deserter, and Ada Monroe, a minister’s daughter from Charleston who moved to the rural mountain community where Inman is from.

Inman and Monroe only knew each other briefly before Inman went off to war, but the hope of seeing Ada again drives Inman to desert and make his way back to Cold Mountain.

The story follows Inman’s journey and Ada’s struggles to run a farm, with flashbacks of their history together interspersed throughout.

Cold Mountain became a bestseller, won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction, and was adapted into a successful Academy Award-winning film.

The book might be dated in a few places, but the narrative and writing style are worth checking out. It’s a well-written novel and Frazier’s debut.

Movie of the Week:

Chariots of Fire

The 1982 Academy Award Best Picture winner follows two British track athletes determined to win in the 1924 Olympics.

Devout Christian Eric Liddel struggles against the interferences in his running journey of the obligations of his faith. Harold Abrahams, an English Jew, battles adversity and prejudice in his journey.

In addition to winning Best Picture, the film won an Oscar for Best Costume Design and Best Writing – Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

Chariots of Fire had an all-star cast, with Ian Holm receiving a nomination for Best Actor in a Supporting Role.

The Hugh Hudson film is a classic in cinema worth checking out and has an iconic soundtrack permeating pop culture since the movie’s release.

Brainfood of the Week:

What to Do When You Want to Give Up | Simon Sinek

Simon Sinek is a bestselling author and speaker. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and has an imprint at Penguin Random House, Optimism Press.

In this video, Sinek talks about his struggles writing his book Leaders Eat Last and how he got to the point where he couldn’t do it.

Sinek got to the point where he was going to give up. He called a friend for advice. The story about the friend is told in full in the video.

The message from Sinek is how important it can be to have someone in your corner. Reach out if you need help; don’t always take things on alone.

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in previous Sunday Supplements, and I find his videos informative and motivational. Check them out if you enjoyed this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

– 2 Chronicles 15:7

This Bible passage reminds me to keep moving forward and pursuing the things you want in your life.

It can be easy to take a break from your goals and dreams, and sometimes, it’s necessary to rest and recharge.

However, you can’t take a permanent vacation without becoming weak in some way. Whether physically or mentally, you need to keep challenging yourself to stay strong.

The Bible passage reminds me not to get too down on myself when things aren’t going as planned and to continue working on my goals.

Keep growing and persevering, and have a blessed week ahead!

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