Tag: YouTube

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, The Dog Stars, The Imitation Game, The Path of the Loner, and a verse from the Yajur Veda

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, The Dog Stars, The Imitation Game, The Path of the Loner, and a verse from the Yajur Veda

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on September 26, 2021

Sunday Supplement #20 (September 26th, 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:

“If I stop to kick every barking dog, I am not going to get where I’m going.”

– Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Book of the Week:

The Dog Stars – Peter Heller

A few movies and books were highlighted over quarantine, like Contagion and Stephen King’s The Stand. While both discuss relevant issues, a story that deals with a similar situation in a different way is Peter Heller’s The Dog Stars.

While the above stories focus on the downfall of civilization, this novel picks up long after a flu pandemic wipes out most of the population. It follows the narrative of Hig, who continues his existence in semi-isolation in that hangar of a small abandoned airport. He lives with his dog, Jasper, and a recluse military man, Bangley, while they attempt to survive and find purpose.

The small cast of characters allows for a deeper exploration of what it means to be truly alone. Hig meets additional characters along the way, and each brings something unique to the narrative that makes a fascinating read.

Thankfully, the novel isn’t a downer. The book takes a unique situation and fully explores it from a point of view that isn’t all about chaos. Its narrative provides an introspective read that is well worth checking out. The Dog Stars was nominated for the Arthur C. Clarke Award and the Andrew Carnegie Medal in 2013. It might not be the most famous novel about a pandemic, but it might be one most deserving of a read.

Movie of the Week:

The Imitation Game

During World War II, mathematical genius Alan Turing attempts to crack the German Enigma code with his fellow mathematicians. Turing faces adversity in the workplace and is ostracized for his antisocial behavior and his private life.

A ranked compilation of unproduced scripts floating around Hollywood is released. “The Black List” is famous in the movie industry, and many brilliant screenplays have topped it over the years. The Social Network and Juno are some of the highlights from past years. Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon were linked with the role of Alan Turing at various stages, but Benedict Cumberbatch eventually landed the leading role.

The film has a well-rounded cast supporting Cumberbatch with Keira Knightley, Charles Dance, Mark Strong, and Matthew Goode all giving commanding performances. The Imitation Game received eight Academy Award nominations in a tough year and only won one. It arguably should have won more, but Best Writing – Adapted Screenplay for Graham Moore was the only Oscar win.

The Imitation Game has an intricate story that encompasses many different themes to help flesh out the plot. The personal struggles of Turning and Knightley’s Joan Clarke are central to the film and give it an extra dimension of depth that shouldn’t be overlooked. It is a movie worth seeing and one that warrants more than one watch for film buffs.

Brainfood of the Week:

Miyamoto Musashi – The Path of the Loner — video by Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger is a YouTube channel that creates videos exploring different people and ideas of history with the aim of making content that inspires, resonates, and entertains. The tagline of the channel is, “In search of…”

In this video, Einzelgänger recounts the story of Miyamoto Musashi and the legacy he left behind. Musashi was born in the 16th century and embarked on a warrior’s pilgrimage, “musha shugyō,” when he was fifteen. He traveled independently, practicing his sword skills while engaging in a series of duels to the death. Once Musashi gained Ronin status, he faced his most challenging opponent Sasaki Kojiro and won. He then renounced lethal duels and later retired and used his time to pass on his wisdom.

Musashi wrote about the path of the warrior— the samurai way of discipline, focus, restraint, and honor. He compiled 21 principles on how a warrior should live in his work Dokkōdō.

After giving a brief summary of Musashi’s life, the video explores Musashi’s Dokkōdō and its application to the modern-day. There are many lessons about honor, focus, and society that are well worth the look.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Only actions with perseverance can ensure success.”

– Yajur Veda

There are four sections of the Hindu Vedas, and they have many verses and passages worth checking out. The one above, from the Yajur Veda, discusses perseverance and its rewards. I always keep an eye out for passages that jump out to me or those that I come across that remind me to keep pursuing my interests and goals. I smile when synchronicities occur right when I need a sign, and I believe that the universe provides these moments when you most need them.

It can be a challenge to pursue your passion or keep on the path towards your goals, but I believe that perseverance has its rewards. When I encounter difficulties or setbacks, I try to be kind to myself and remind myself that hard work pays off, even if it’s in ways I didn’t expect. If you genuinely believe that what you are working on has meaning for you, keep going for it and don’t give up.

Take a moment to appreciate your hard work, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Maxime Lagacé, Who Moved My Cheese?, The Matrix, Eckhart Tolle, and a Zen Proverb

Maxime Lagacé, Who Moved My Cheese?, The Matrix, Eckhart Tolle, and a Zen Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on September 12, 2021

Sunday Supplement #18 (September 12th, 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:

“Self-esteem begins with self-understanding, grows with courage and perseverance, and ends with confidence.”

– Maxime Lagacé

Book of the Week:

Who Moved My Cheese? – Dr. Spencer Johnson

Dr. Spencer Johnson was a bestselling author and physician. He wrote a series of children’s books, Value Tales, and was most famous for his book Who Moved My Cheese? The self-help book hit the New York Times Bestseller list multiple times and the Publishers Weekly Hardcover nonfiction list.

Who Moved My Cheese? follows two mice, Sniff and Scurry, and two “Littlepeople,” Hem and Haw, who live in a maze and search for cheese for nourishment and happiness. Each mouse and Littleperson has their own personality, which affects how they pursue the cheese in the maze. The cheese is a metaphor for what you want in life: a loving relationship, a good job, money, possessions, health, or spiritual peace of mind.

Throughout the story, the cheese continually moves. The cheese factories stop producing cheese, and each character responds differently. The mice are quick to search for new cheese, while the Littlepeople are reluctant to embrace change. Eventually, one of the Littlepeople plucks up the courage to dive back into the maze and leaves notes on the wall for the other Littleperson to follow.

The allegory of Who Moved My Cheese? is brilliant for those experiencing being stuck. It is a reminder of what happens when you choose to embrace change and the new opportunities that result. It is a short read but has many powerful messages throughout. Check it out if you’re in a rut or are looking for a motivational read.

Movie of the Week:

The Matrix

With The Matrix Resurrections coming out later this year, I thought it’d be fun to look back at the first Matrix movie. The Wachowskis wrote and directed a brilliant film that is a visual masterpiece that makes you think. Many action movies that come out nowadays don’t require much engagement. The Matrix treats its audience as intelligent beings and poses questions and riddles that allow for a philosophical exercise wrapped in a Sci-Fi/Action storyline.

Thomas A. Anderson is a programmer for a software company who has a double life as a computer hacker. His alter-ego Neo searches for the answer to the question “What is the Matrix?” and finds out the rabbit hole goes much deeper than he could have imagined.

The film presents many existential questions, like “What is real?” Neo explores this question and embarks on a journey from Nihilism to Enlightenment. The YouTube channel, The Take, has a fantastic video that breaks down the themes and structure of the movie. They show Neo’s Hero’s Journey with the main stops being Dreaming, Destruction, Reconstruction, Self-Knowledge, Doubt, Belief, and Love. The video is a beautiful deconstruction of the film and adds a greater depth to those who’ve seen the movie before.

If you haven’t seen The Matrix, it is definitely worth checking out. It can be a little intense, so read up on it a bit before you give it a watch. If you’ve seen it before, check out The Take’s video and see if that gives you a different perspective for your next viewing.

Brainfood of the Week:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBA8W3ldPrA&list=WL&index=40

The Challenge of Self-Esteem – Eckhart Tolle Teachings

I’ve covered Eckhart Tolle in Sunday Supplement #7, but he is a person worth revisiting. He is a spiritual teacher, public speaker, and best-selling author. Tolle’s #1 New York Times bestselling book The Power of Now has Deepak Chopra’s endorsement, “One of the best books to come along in years. Every sentence rings with truth and power.”

Tolle has a YouTube channel where he posts clips of his talks. In this video, he talks about the challenge of self-esteem and how to avoid a negative perception.

The video beings with Tolle explaining how we often live in a conceptual reality and identify with how we are thinking. How we see ourselves is rooted in typically rooted in our thoughts. The image of self often comes from comparison related to ego. We tend to rank ourselves based on material things or abilities to gauge our existence against others.

Tolle maintains that the only healthy perspective of self-esteem comes from a deeper place of presence. When you are aware of simply being, no narrative is required to justify your existence. His beliefs around this remind me of those moments when I am conscious and in the moment. I am not thinking but am feeling present and am in awe of the world.

Those moments don’t happen as often as I want, but I know they are there, and I focus on doing my best each day to build the habit of being present. I still plan for the future, but the less I worry about it, and the more I have faith that things will work out, the more I find myself at peace. Tolle is one of the authors I enjoy most, and I think his material is well worth checking out. Let me know what you think!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place.”

– Zen Proverb

This Zen proverb reminds me that everything happens for a reason. That is a challenging perspective to have when many things in life are always sad or horrible on one level. After I’ve processed more difficult times, I try to remind myself that I get to choose how I view the event and how I want to move forward.

That perspective allows me to take control of my life and my thoughts. I can reframe a painful experience as one I can learn from. I’m not always able to do this, but I try to catch myself when I am depressed. I try to be kind and remind myself that I can choose how I want to continue.

I hope this passage rings true with you, and I hope you see countless beautiful snowflakes in your future.

Have a blessed week ahead!

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Bethany Hamilton, Exhalation, The Last Dance, Nietzsche, and a Buddhist Proverb

Bethany Hamilton, Exhalation, The Last Dance, Nietzsche, and a Buddhist Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 15, 2021

Sunday Supplement #14 (August 15th, 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 this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Strive to find things to be thankful for, and just look for the good in who you are.”

– Bethany Hamilton

Book of the Week:

Exhalation – Ted Chiang

I’ve only read a few story collections, but I find them a fantastic alternative to novels. They usually contain short stories, novellas, and/or novelettes. All are excellent mediums for an author to explore a narrative without worrying about hitting a specific word or page count.

My experience with short stories, novellas, and novelettes is typically excellent. There is no excess filler, and they are perfect for a one-sitting read. Ted Chiang’s Exhalation is a brilliant collection of these types of narratives and provides truly remarkable reading experiences.

In Sunday Supplement #11, I highlighted the film Arrival. The Academy Award-winning movie is based on a short story by Ted Chiang. It is not included in this collection of his short stories, but there are many as brilliant as the novella Arrival is based on (“Story of Your Life.”)

My favorite stories from the collection are “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate,” “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling,” and “Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom.” Each explores a fascinating world with a story that taps deep into the human experience. They all made it to the finalists of the Hugo Awards, with “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” winning the prize.

Chiang has won four Nebula awards, four Hugo awards, and four Locus awards for his works. His Exhalation collection is a great place to start, and you go through whichever stories call out to you. The stories are unique and fulfilling, and there should be a few in there that will leave a lasting impression.

Movie of the Week (Miniseries):

The Last Dance

All of the Sunday Supplements so far highlight films. I haven’t highlighted television because I think they have their highs and lows and suffer from a lack of proper awareness around when they should end. A lot of TV shows continue well past a natural expiration date because they make money. The miniseries is a unique alternative in that it can explore a story over multiple episodes but has a balance of a finite time period.

I think some of the best visual stories have been told through the miniseries medium. The Last Dance is one of those special miniseries that reaches the highest level of visual storytelling.

The story captures a unique period in sports history that had a worldwide impact. Michael Jordan shouldn’t need an introduction, but for those who don’t know, he is arguably the best basketball player to ever play the sport and is one of the most talented athletes of all time. His influence on basketball broke through international barriers and created a new benchmark for modern sports icons.

The ESPN docuseries tells the story of Michael Jordan’s last season with the Chicago Bulls. The ten episodes give an inside look into Michael Jordan’s story, from a child in North Carolina to a world-renowned superstar. The series bounces around different periods of his life and the lives of those who shared his spotlight. It is an astounding piece of storytelling that is able to touch on more than just basketball.

For those who haven’t seen this series, regardless of if you’re a fan of basketball or not, it should be on your to-watch list.

Brainfood of the Week:

Academy of Ideas’ video “Nietzsche and Psychology: How To Become Who You Are”

Academy of Ideas is a channel on YouTube with over a million followers that explains the ideas of history’s great thinkers. This video from their Channel goes over Nietzsche’s beliefs about each of us having a deep and abiding nature we are meant to discover.

—At the bottom of us, really deep down, there is, of course, something unteachable, some granite of spiritual fatum [personal fate or destiny], of predetermined decision and answer to predetermined selected questions. Whenever a cardinal problem is at stake, there speaks an unchangeable, “this is I.”—

The video delves into Nietzsche’s explanations of how studying familial, societal, and human history can help us understand our present. The knowledge of where we come from helps our awareness of primitive drives and impulses as well as our ancient instincts for survival and flourishing as a species.

Nietzsche believes that through this study, we can comprehend the competing forces in one’s psyche in a manner that allows one to strive with single-minded devotion towards a heroic goal that gives meaning to our lives.

There is a lot to be gained from watching/listening to the video. When I watch it, I am encouraged to learn more about my history and am reminded to stay in touch with my heart and conscience. If you check it out, let me know what you think!

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Enough is a feast.”

– Buddhist Proverb

This Buddhist proverb hits me in two different ways.

The first is to be grateful for what I have. The more consistently I practice gratitude, the more I find my days colored a little brighter. I try to spend a few minutes in the morning meditating and wrap that up with a small gratitude exercise. I think of three big things I’m thankful for, three small things, and spend a few minutes with that feeling before getting out of bed. It’s a great way to start my day, and I never regret doing it.

The other reminder from this proverb is that if enough is a feast, excess can make you sick. One of the things I do periodically is a deep clean of my apartment. If there is anything that I haven’t been using regularly and can’t see myself using in the future, I donate or sell it. Removing the clutter from my environment is surprisingly refreshing and reminds me of what’s important in my life.

Remind yourself of the things you are grateful for and have a blessed week ahead!

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Theodore Roosevelt, Being Mortal, Kingdom of Heaven, Simon Sinek, and 2 Timothy 2:15

Theodore Roosevelt, Being Mortal, Kingdom of Heaven, Simon Sinek, and 2 Timothy 2:15

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on August 8, 2021

Sunday Supplement #13 (August 8th, 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 this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”

– Theodore Roosevelt

Book of the Week:

Being Mortal – Atul Gawande

Atul Gawande is a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a professor at both Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, and a bestselling author. A quick Google search shows many other awards and associations Gawande is connected with, including the MacArthur Fellowship (“Genius Grant”).

In Being Mortal, a #1 New York Times bestseller, Gawande explores how the advancement of modern medicine doesn’t always sync with human and spiritual needs, especially in the later years of life. The breakthroughs in medicine and surgery have allowed humans to live much longer than previous generations, but Gawande poses that the cost is often overlooked.

His father’s experience with cancer prompted Gawande to research and write Being Mortal. Often, a medical condition requiring surgery can be viewed as something just being broken, and the solution is to fix it. However, what happens if the surgery isn’t wholly successful is often overlooked. Is an additional couple of years of life worth it if that person is bedridden because of a partially successful surgery?

Gawande goes over many different scenarios often misjudged in modern medicine and provides insight into how best to handle doctor visits and surgery decisions. It is an invaluable book that should be read by anyone looking to understand healthcare and how to best advocate for themselves or on behalf of others.

Movie of the Week:

Kingdom of Heaven (Director’s Cut)

Balian mourns the death of his wife and child when his estranged father shows up with an offer for Balian to join him and find solace and salvation in Jerusalem. Balian’s intended journey is thrown into chaos when his estranged father, the lord of Ibelin, passes his title to his son. The lordship comes with power and land that puts Balian at the forefront of the Crusades. He must decide what kind of ruler he will be in the face of enemies and adversaries.

I highlighted Ridley Scott’s The Martian in Sunday Supplement #7 and briefly touched on his poor run of films in the eyes of critics. Kingdom of Heaven fits in that time period but shouldn’t be considered a flop because the movie Scott made never received a theatrical release. Instead, a considerably edited version of the film became the movie that most people saw or passed over.

In the Director’s Cut introduction, Ridley Scott explains how his three-hour movie was cut down to just over two hours. One of the consequences of the cuts was a diminished storyline for a crucial character. Eva Green’s Sibylla becomes a side character that comes off as weak with no purpose in the theatrical version. In the director’s cut, her story is fully fleshed out and excellently explores the conflict of a woman in her position. Sibylla’s character was crucial to the story, and the theatrical cut suffers for her diminished role.

The original film is truly a masterpiece of Cinema and thankfully was released as a director’s cut. The depiction of Christians and Muslims in the movie is beautifully explored, and the full story should be a classic in film history. The cast is full of brilliant performances, including Liam Neeson, Eva Green, David Thewlis, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Jeremy Irons, Edward Norton, Brendan Gleeson, and Orlando Bloom.

I highly recommend this film.

Brainfood of the Week:

A Simon Sinek clip on “The Paradox of Being Human – Individuals and Groups”

This is a quick clip where Simon Sinek talks about the paradox of putting the individual or the community first. There is no definitive answer because it’s a paradox, but Sinek explains how to be in touch with both in this short clip. It is an interesting way to view a relationship predicament that is prevalent across society.

Sinek is an inspirational speaker and bestselling author. He spoke at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in 2016 and later launched a new imprint at Penguin Random House, Optimism Press. The Press aims to find authors from the business world, the nonprofit world, the military, politics, education, the clergy, and elsewhere to offer direction on building a more optimistic world.

Simon’s YouTube page is a fun place to start to get an idea of his work. If you enjoy his content, his books are a great next place to look.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

– 2 Timothy 2:15

When I break this passage down, I think of holding oneself accountable without shame— to be satisfied with one’s presentation.

I believe this happens when you fully accept yourself and can honestly say you’ve done your best. For me, part of that comes from being in touch with my emotions. I believe that feelings can be an internal compass and a way to know when you are in line with your purpose. That doesn’t mean I let my emotions control me, but I do my best not to shut anything out.

We might not always be at our best, though. And the quote from Theodore Roosevelt at the top of the page reminds me of that— “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” I believe if we live by this principle, we can speak without shame.

This is a work in progress for me but something I will always strive to align with.

Be easy on yourself, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Thomas Edison, Atomic Habits, Bad Boys (1983), Sadhguru, and Matthew 7:12

Thomas Edison, Atomic Habits, Bad Boys (1983), Sadhguru, and Matthew 7:12

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on July 4, 2021

Sunday Supplement #8 (July 4th, 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 this post that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

– Thomas Edison

Book of the Week:

Atomic Habits – James Clear

James Clear is an expert on habit formation. The New York Times, Entrepreneur, and Time are a few of the many publications that featured his work. Clear’s work has also been used by teams in the NFL, NBA, and MLB. His website receives millions of monthly visitors where he writes about habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement.

Clear’s book, Atomic Habits, was a New York Times bestseller. The book helped me quit smoking and get back in shape. I accomplished both before, but I found myself burning out at various points. I would eventually use my willpower to push myself back to my best, but I struggled. Atomic Habits broke down concepts that made it easier to improve in areas of my life that I wanted to build up while letting go of things that weren’t good for me.

In the book, Clear goes over topics like identity, which help with starting good habits or breaking bad ones. For smoking, I always viewed myself as a smoker trying to quit smoking. He explains how that frame of mind is rooted in identity and makes it hard to stop. The shift of implementing the identity that I’m not a smoker was a simple concept with profound results.

There are many valuable strategies and systems that Clear explains in his book. One of my favorites is akin to the Edison quote above. Clear gives the metaphor of an ice cube melting to signify one’s dreams and goals. You can work for a long time to melt the ice cube. You can bring the temperature up to 31.9 degrees, and it will still be an ice cube. But you are so close to making water from your efforts. Don’t give up!

Atomic Habits is one of my favorite self-help/self-improvement books. It is an enjoyable read as well. There are many true stories from various inspirational people that will entertain and motivate. Check it out!

Movie of the Week:

Bad Boys (1983)

A Chicago youth Mick O’Brien plans to rob a rival’s drug deal. The heist goes horribly wrong, and O’Brien is sent to a juvenile detention center. He must face the consequences of his actions and decide if the path he’s currently on is one he wants to continue. The story gets more intricate as the film continues, but that is a quick summary without too many spoilers.

Sean Penn stars as Mick O’Brien in his first film released after the iconic Fast Times at Ridgemont High. His role as Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High created the possibility of being typecast as a comedic actor, but Penn made the deliberate decision to go in a different direction with Bad Boys. Penn’s performance was assisted with a brilliant supporting cast. Reni Santoni, Jim Moody, Esai Morales, Ally Sheedy, and Clancy Brown are some of many who brought immense quality to the screen.

Bad Boys was a small film and didn’t get too much recognition when it came out, but it received mostly favorable reviews. A testament to the quality of the script and Sean Penn’s performance is that actors like Tom Cruise and Kevin Bacon auditioned for the lead role.

It could have been a simple movie, but instead, it allowed for depth in the narrative, which resulted in complex characters and a powerful story. Even though the film isn’t well known, Bad Boys deserves to be recognized.

Brainfood of the Week:

A conversation with Sadhguru led by Angella Nazarian.

Sadhguru is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. He is a spiritual leader and founder of the Isha Foundation, a non-profit spiritual organization with over 9 million volunteers. Sadhguru’s YouTube page features many videos where he discusses spirituality, perception, and various other topics. His videos have just shy of 1 billion views in total.

Angella Nazarian is a philanthropist, bestselling non-fiction author, and conference organizer. She co-founded Looking Beyond, a non-profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of children and young adults with special needs, and Visionary Women, a non-profit community, focused on engaging conversations with innovative leaders and funding high-impact initiatives for women and girls.

In this video, Nazarian speaks with Sadhguru about vision, willingness, and joy. Sadhguru discusses how willingness can be tested when other people do not act in accordance with one’s beliefs. However, it ultimately our choice in how we respond or react. This culminates in a direct link with how we experience joy.

Sadhguru’s discussion is a great lesson and reminder of how we can shape our world.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Therefore whatever you desire men to do for you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”

– Matthew 7:12

There are a few bible passages I can quote off the top of my head. Matthew 7:12 one of them. But I didn’t know about the final part— “for this is the law and the prophets.” This part reminded me of the law of attraction. The basic principle of the law of attraction is positive thoughts bring positive experiences, and negative thoughts bring negative ones.

It always sticks out to me when different religions or philosophies I come across repeat similar passages. More often than not, you can find the same messages in different religions or spiritual practices. However, quotes like think positively don’t always have a positive reception when I’m not doing well. That is something I want to change.

In my first Sunday Supplement, I quoted Matthew 22:39— “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” I discussed how if you don’t love yourself, you won’t be able to love your neighbor. I then talked about filling your cup so you can help others. Matthew 7:12 reminds me that assisting others in filling their cup can fill yours as well. I believe in this way, Matthew 22:39 is linked to Matthew 7:12.

Trying to balance the two and knowing when I’m balanced is the goal I’m setting for myself going forward. I also plan on re-reading Atomic Habits to help me with that objective.

Be kind to yourself and others, and have a blessed week ahead!

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