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Ginni Rometty, Thinking in Bets, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sprouts, and a Japanese Proverb

Ginni Rometty, Thinking in Bets, Safety Not Guaranteed, Sprouts, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on November 19, 2023

Sunday Supplement #132 (November 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:

“Someone once told me growth and comfort do not coexist. And I think it’s a really good thing to remember.”

– Ginni Rometty

Book of the Week:

Thinking in Bets – Annie Duke

Annie Duke went from being awarded a National Science Foundation Fellowship after graduating with a double major in English and Psychology at Columbia University to being a World Series of Poker Champion.

Since conquering the poker world, Annie Duke has delved into business consulting, philanthropy, and authored two books, among other notable accomplishments.

Thinking in Bets is Annie Duke’s book about how to make better decisions, moving away from biased thinking, and better vetting of information around you.

In her book, Duke uses business, sports, politics, and poker examples to share tools that will help your decision-making process.

I’ve only recently read Thinking in Bets, but it is a book I know I will come back to. I highly recommend reading it for a solid guide to decision-making.

Movie of the Week:

Safety Not Guaranteed

Colin Trevorrow directed the Derek Connolly script about three magazine employees on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel.

Audrey Plaza stars as the disillusioned intern Darius, who finds a spark when she takes a more active role in the assignment to interview Kenneth, played by Mark Duplass.

The 2012 “Comedy” has some pretty dark moments, but it is an intriguing story that looks at modern society and explores themes of regret, love, and trust.

Safety Not Guaranteed might not be for everyone, but I’d put it in the category of a quirky downer movie that packs a thought-provoking punch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Growth vs. Fixed Mindset | Sprouts

The Sprouts video starts by defining and showing examples of a growth mindset vs. a fixed mindset and how we can switch between the two or be one or the other in different areas.

It highlights how a fixed mindset believes that skills and talents are set and avoids failure, while a growth mindset thrives on learning and embraces challenges.

Sprouts highlights Carol S. Dweck’s work in the area of fixed and growth mindsets and shows how each mindset is developed and experienced.

I featured Carol S. Dweck’s book on the subject in Sunday Supplement #97 if you find the Sprouts video interesting and want to delve deeper into the mindsets.

I’ve also featured Sprouts videos in previous Sunday Supplements if you want to check out more. Sprouts makes educational videos about psychology, pedagogy, and child development.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Continuance is power.” (継続は力なり)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese Proverb reminds me of the power of not giving up. If you stop moving forward in a race, you will never get to the finish line.

Sometimes, you need to stop, reflect, and gather your strength, but you should never give up on your goals and dreams.

I think it can be daunting when you look at how far you have to go in whatever journey you decide to undertake, but each step forward counts.

Shifting your perspective from how far you have to go to knowing that each positive action you take will bring you toward achievement is a reminder of the power of continuance.

Work through the uncomfortable moments, continue to grow, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Amelia Earhart, Unlimited Power, Coach Carter, Sprouts, and a Guinean Proverb

Amelia Earhart, Unlimited Power, Coach Carter, Sprouts, and a Guinean Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 28, 2023

Sunday Supplement #107 (May 28th, 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:

“The most effective way to do it is to do it.”

– Amelia Earhart

Book of the Week:

Unlimited Power – Anthony Robbins

I remember Tony Robbins being spoofed a lot when I was growing up. The self-help genre had a rep of just a bunch of hot air in most circles.

Thankfully, I found my way to the self-help genre in my early twenties. While some of it can be hot air, there are gems out there that share profound information for self-improvement.

I shared Tony Robbins’s Awaken The Giant Within in Sunday Supplement #30. In that post, I describe how I’m not a fan of his voice or seminars, but his books are gold.

Unlimited Power was Tony Robbins’s first published self-help book. I think Awaken the Giant Within is better, but Unlimited Power is worth the read.

The prompts Robbins provides in the book help get you out of your comfort zone, and his information is full of valuable tips and tools for making positive steps in your life.

Movie of the Week:

Coach Carter

I’m a big fan of the sports genre in film. I think there are many life lessons that can be explored throughout the metaphor of sports.

Coach Carter is a fictional story about the real-life basketball coach Ken Carter and his decision to bench his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.

Samuel L. Jackson plays Carter in the film, and he returns to the high school where he achieved great heights on the court.

Carter is dismayed by the state of the athletic program and the expectations of his students. He implements a rigorous program to help the students on the court and in the classroom.

The film is a pretty straightforward narrative, but the lessons around expectations and internal motivation leave a lasting impression that makes it more than a sports movie for me.

Brainfood of the Week:

Societal Expectations and Internal Desires | Sprouts

Sprouts starts their video by defining motivation as the experience of wanting something or wanting to avoid something.

They explain the breakdown of motivation into two contrary forces: extrinsic and intrinsic. 

Extrinsic motivation drives thinking and behavior from the outside through rewards, while intrinsic motivation comes from within and is a form of natural curiosity.

The video offers an example of a child left to explore and a child guided by rules. It’s an oversimplified example, but it shows both benefits and downfalls.

I’ve featured an excellent book on the topic with a better breakdown of the subject in Sunday Supplement #97 – Mindset by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.

Sprouts makes educational videos about psychology, pedagogy, and child development. I’ve featured them in previous Sunday Supplements and enjoy their content.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow.”

– Guinean Proverb

This Guinea Proverb is straightforward but can be a powerful reminder not to slip into the mindset that bad times will always last.

I think these simple messages hold powerful truths that we can often forget when we find ourselves feeling low.

When I come across proverbs, verses, and quotes like these, I try to pause and reflect on how to move forward.

For this proverb, I think of the concept of spring and ask myself, besides knowing the spring will come, is there anything I can do in the winter to help take care of myself and prepare?

Pursue the little things that help you move forward and gain momentum, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Anatole France, Moonwalking with Einstein, Dark City, Sprouts, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Anatole France, Moonwalking with Einstein, Dark City, Sprouts, and a Bhagavad Gita Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on May 14, 2023

Sunday Supplement #105 (May 14th, 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:

“An education isn’t how much you’ve committed to memory or even how much you know. It’s being able to differentiate between what you know and what you don’t.”

– Anatole France

Book of the Week:

Moonwalking with Einstein – Joshua Foer

Joshua Foer’s journey of writing Moonwalking with Einstein started with his curiosity for tangible evidence of who was the smartest person in the world.

His quest led him to the realm of mental athletes and the world of competitive memorization.

Moonwalking with Einstein recounts Foer’s research into these societies, his subsequent initiation, and his quest to compete in the U.S. Memory Championship.

The book breaks down a few of the critical components of memory that have been taught and forgotten throughout history.

Foer’s book is primarily a memoir/non-fiction, but it is entertaining and has excellent insight into the tricks of memory and the world around them. 

Movie of the Week:

Dark City

John Murdock wakes up alone in a strange hotel and discovers he’s wanted for a series of murders. The problem is that he doesn’t remember if he committed them.

The film Dark City brilliantly explores the concepts around memory and personal identity and what it means when both are tampered with.

Rufus Sewell, Jennifer Connelly, William Hurt, and Kiefer Sutherland star in the Alex Proyas-directed and co-written movie about memory and identity.

Dark City came out a year before The Matrix and was ultimately overshadowed and forgotten in the wake of the immensely successful Matrix films.

If you enjoy films that explore areas of existentialism, check out this Sci-Fi Noir film that offers a thought-provoking narrative worth checking out.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Memory Palace: Can You Do It? | Sprouts

The Memory Palace is a technique to remember facts, numbers, or other things and has been around since ancient times (known as the Method of Loki).

I’m posting this video as the Brainfood of the Week because it’s a valuable technique to learn. 

Joshua Foer discusses it in Moonwalking with Einstein, but I thought I’d include a short video of how the method works for those who don’t want to read the book.

Sprouts is a YouTube channel with over a million subscribers. They feature educational videos about psychology, pedagogy, and child development.

I featured another one of Sprouts’ videos in Sunday Supplement #92. Check it out if you liked this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Anger leads to clouding of judgment, which results in bewilderment of memory. When memory is bewildered, the intellect gets destroyed; and when the intellect is destroyed, one is ruined.”

– Bhagavad Gita 2:63

This passage from the Bhagavad Gita reminds me how important it is not to allow emotions to overtake the reasoning side of the brain.

Emotions are good indicators of how certain things are affecting us. However, getting permanently caught up in our emotions leaves us powerless to change our situation.

The Bhagavad Gita passage focuses on anger and how that emotion can affect our memory and, in turn, our intellect.

Anger can be one of the worst emotions to get lost in. It is often in these times when we make our worst decisions.

Think about how your memories affect your current experiences, decide how you want to move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Oscar Wilde, Blink, Men in Black, Sprouts, and a Zen Proverb

Oscar Wilde, Blink, Men in Black, Sprouts, and a Zen Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 12, 2023

Sunday Supplement #92 (February 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.

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

Quote of the Week:

“Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.”

– Oscar Wilde

Book of the Week:

Blink – Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is a bestselling author, journalist, staff writer for The New Yorker, and public speaker.

In his New York Times bestselling book Blink, Malcolm Gladwell directs how we often think without thinking during choices that seem to be made instantly.

Blink highlights examples from psychologists who learned to predict whether a marriage will last (I featured one of their books in Sunday Supplement #69), an expert tennis coach who knows when players will double fault, as well as other intriguing cases.

The book addresses why some people are brilliant decision-markers while others end up stumbling into error.

Blink directs how our brains work in different situations and how the best decisions can appear inexplicable at first glance. It’s a fascinating book worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Men in Black

The 1997 film Men in Black follows an NYPD officer as he joins a secret organization that polices and monitors extraterrestrial interactions on Earth.

On the surface, Men in Black comes off as an entertaining Science Fiction Action Comedy movie. However, many deeper themes give the film an extra dimension.

The existential questions over what we assume about our world and our unconscious biases about those around us are at the core of the entertaining narrative.

The mentor figure of Tommy Lee Jones and the hero, young officer Will Smith brilliantly bring the movie’s depth to life in an exciting film for a thoughtful popcorn movie night.

Brainfood of the Week:

Experiential Learning: How We All Learn Naturally | Sprouts

Sprouts defines experiential learning as learning through experience or learning through reflection on doing and argues that it is the most natural and powerful form of education.

The video uses the example of learning to walk to show how we start out naturally doing this. It breaks down how our brain reflects on failure to help us understand how to succeed.

Musicians often perform better on most tests, regardless of what the tests measure, because of their experience of not being put off by failure.

The concept of experiential learning is pretty basic, as is the video, but it’s a powerful reminder of how we should embrace failure and see what we can learn from it.

Sprouts is a YouTube channel with over a million subscribers that makes educational videos about psychology, pedagogy, and child development.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Obstacles do not block the path. They are the path.”

– Zen Proverb

This Zen Proverb reminds me to think of the obstacles in my life from a different perspective.

Usually, when I think of an obstacle, I think of something that blocks a path or prevents someone from moving forward.

The proverb gives me the perspective of viewing obstacles as a chance to learn, deciding how to best move forward, and learning from the experience.

Sometimes obstacles can seem like hindrances, but I think in the end, they help us challenge ourselves and bring out our best.

Think about how an obstacle might be helpful, and have a blessed week ahead!

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