Tag: YouTube

Jay Shetty, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Kung Fu Panda, After Skool, and a Japanese Proverb

Jay Shetty, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Kung Fu Panda, After Skool, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 16, 2023

Sunday Supplement #101 (April 16th, 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:

“If you can build a muscle, you can build a mindset.”

– Jay Shetty

Book of the Week:

The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra’s The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success discusses seven simple principles that help cultivate a mindset that brings success.

The principles have some basis in Hinduism, and Chopra breaks down each principle into actionable steps to help change your perspective and invite success.

An example of one of the principles is 6. The Law of Detachment. In this chapter, Chopra discusses the benefits of not trying to change people and force solutions, but seeing how you can adapt to each situation or move on.

Chopra has written numerous New York Times bestsellers and was described by Time magazine as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.

I’ve featured Chopra in two previous Brainfood of the Week sections and believe his work is worth checking out.

Movie of the Week:

Kung Fu Panda

The 2008 Dreamworks film Kung Fu Panda tells the story of a clumsy panda surprisingly chosen as the protector of the Valley of Peace in the wake of a villain’s pending attack.

Kung Fu Panda is a simple film with a powerful message of perspective and self-belief. It also packs many laughs and an entertaining story.

The film was also a commercial success and went on to have three sequels, multiple television show spinoffs, video games, and more.

In addition to its huge commercial success, the original Kung Fu Panda was nominated for an Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film of the Year.

I haven’t seen any of the other films or subsequent spinoffs, but I thoroughly enjoyed the original and recommend it as a fun and uplifting watch.

Brainfood of the Week:

Fixed Mindset vs. Growth Mindset – Mike Rashid | After Skool

After Skool is a YouTube channel that animates videos as the backdrop to various life lessons presented by various individuals and texts.

Former professional boxer, entrepreneur in the wellness space, and host of the Civil Mind Savage Body podcast, Mike Rashid, shares his story and perspective for this video.

Rashid breaks down the differences between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. He shares his life experience and how he embraces a growth mindset.

Lessons from the video include using problems as motivating factors and knowing that intelligence and skill can be improved with effort.

I featured After Skool in Sunday Supplement #16, and I’m glad for the opportunity to return to their channel to share this video.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“One man’s fault is another’s lesson.” (人のふり見てわがふり直せ)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proves reminds me of the usefulness of thinking about how I interpret things and what I want to gain from them.

Instead of criticizing someone else’s behavior, you can use the situation as an opportunity to correct your own.

Another’s fault can also be a chance to catch yourself before you react and an occasion to support someone else instead of putting them down.

The opportunities for pausing and thinking about how you want to interpret things can be elusive, but seeing someone else’s fault is a chance to reframe your perspective.

Work on your ideal mindset, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Mahatma Gandhi, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Intouchables, Einzelgänger, and a Chinese Proverb

Mahatma Gandhi, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Intouchables, Einzelgänger, and a Chinese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 5, 2023

Sunday Supplement #95 (March 5th, 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:

“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”

– Mahatma Gandhi

Book of the Week:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Haddon

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is narrated in the first-person from the perspective of Christopher John Francis Boone, a 15-year-old boy who investigates the death of a neighbor’s dog.

Christopher is described as a mathematician with some behavioral difficulties. The book refers to Asperger syndrome, which is an autism spectrum disorder today.

Haddon’s novel is a thought-provoking exploration of being observed as an outsider and seeing the world differently.

Christopher’s journey in the novel goes beyond the mystery of the neighbor’s dog and has a powerful story worthy of its praise and awards.

The novel is considered Haddon’s first novel published for adults. It also has an edition meant for children.

Movie of the Week:

The Intouchables

A young man, recently released from prison, is challenged by a wealthy quadriplegic man to become his caregiver.

This French film has a simple premise, but the characters bring out the best of this wonderful and heartfelt story.

François Cluzet and Omar Sy star as the wealthy aristocrat and the young man, but the supporting cast of Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot, and Grégoire Oestermann make the most of every scene they are in.

There is an American remake with Kevin Hart and Bryan Cranston. I haven’t seen it, but when a foreign film is remade for America, I think it signals that the original is worth seeing.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Less You Seek, The More You’ll Find | The Happiness Paradox | Einzelgänger

Einzelgänger’s video starts with an example of how trying to reject negative mental spaces often makes things worse.

If you try to chase happiness directly, you often find it escapes your grasp. Conversely, if you stop searching, you might find it more easily.

Einzelgänger explores The Happiness Paradox in depth in his 12-minute video. He goes over philosophers’ perspectives as well as recent scientific studies.

The video goes over how The Happiness Paradox works, gives examples of research into the paradox, and provides alternative strategies for living with meaning.

I’ve featured Einzelgänger’s channel in previous Sunday Supplements. If you enjoy the content, check out the other videos I’ve posted or his channel on YouTube.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A person without a smiling face must not open a shop.”

– Chinese Proverb

This Chinese Proverb has a surface-level interpretation and one that prompts me to think much deeper about my engagement with others.

On the surface, the proverb explains how a business will likely perform poorly if the person behind the counter doesn’t have a smile.

Customers might not want to engage with a standoffish or frowning business owner. However, the deeper thought behind the proverb makes me think about how my demeanor affects my engagement with others.

I don’t think you should pretend to be happy all the time, but I think being closed off can prevent or discourage others from reaching out.

Try to welcome others in your life with a smile, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Stephen Hawking, Invisible Man, The Last King of Scotland, Bright Side, and a Quran Passage

Stephen Hawking, Invisible Man, The Last King of Scotland, Bright Side, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on February 26, 2023

Sunday Supplement #94 (February 26th, 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:

“The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge.”

– Stephen Hawking

Book of the Week:

Invisible Man – Ralph Ellison

Ralph Ellison’s novel Invisible Man won the U.S. National Book Award for Fiction in 1953 and is on many best novels lists of the 20th century.

The book is told from the point of view of an unnamed Black man who lives in hiding at the start of the novel and recounts his life up to that point.

Without spoiling the entire plot, the novel covers the narrator’s time in school, living and working in New York City, and making speeches at rallies for an activist group.

There are many themes in the book around identity, illusion, and race that are brilliantly explored in the vivid narrative.

Ellison’s novel is on so many best novels lists for a reason. If you haven’t checked it out yet, put it on your list.

Movie of the Week:

The Last King of Scotland

The Last King of Scotland is based on the events of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin’s regime during the 1970s.

The 2007 film follows Scottish med school graduate Nicholas Garrigan as he goes from working at a missionary clinic to becoming Idi Amin’s personal physician.

Garrigan realizes how naive he was when he started his journey and realizes few are willing to help him escape the country as events escalate.

Forest Whitaker won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Idi Amin. The rest of the brilliant cast is rounded out by James McAvoy, Kerry Washington, David Oyelowo, Gillian Anderson, and Simon McBurney.

Whitaker’s performance alone is worth watching the movie for, but the film itself is well-written and has much to appreciate.

Brainfood of the Week:

11 Optical Illusions That Will Trick Your Eyes | Bright Side

For this week’s Brainfood of the Week, I decided to share a fun video that goes over 11 different illusions that challenge the brain.

Some of the illusions are ones you might have encountered before, but there are sure to be a few that have you scrolling back to see what you missed.

I think this video is a fun reminder that everything we encounter isn’t always as it appears.

Bright Side is an amazing YouTube channel with over 44 million subscribers that uploads three videos daily.

Their channel covers a variety of great topics, including recent discoveries, space exploration, true stories, valuable tips, fun tests, riddles, and more.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Know that the life of the world is only play and idle talk, and pageantry, and boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children; as the likeness of vegetation after rain, whereof the broth is pleasing to the husbandman, but afterward it drieth up and thou seest it turning yellow, then becometh straw. And in the Hereafter there is grievous punishment and also forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure; whereas the life of the world is but matter of illusion.”

– Surat Al-Hadid 57:20

I don’t prescribe to any religion in particular, but I find many passages from various religious texts contain much wisdom.

In this passage of the Quran, the emphasis on the illusion of the world is a fascinating look at how we can mistakenly place great emphasis on things or thoughts.

Regardless of whether or not you have faith in a God or an afterlife, the example of how fickle a perspective can be should give us pause in our own beliefs.

This Quran verse reminds me to continue to grow, have patience and understanding, and not be disillusioned with my own narrative.

Try to be patient and understanding, 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!

18 Comments

Sundar Pichai, Little Scarlet, A Single Man, Navajo Traditional Teachings, and a Dhammapada Verse

Sundar Pichai, Little Scarlet, A Single Man, Navajo Traditional Teachings, and a Dhammapada Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on January 22, 2023

Sunday Supplement #89 (January 22nd, 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:

“A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.”

– Sundar Pichai

Book of the Week:

Little Scarlet – Walter Mosley

Walter Mosley’s Easy Rawlins series follows Black WWII veteran Rawlins, who moved from Louisiana to Los Angeles after the war.

There are fifteen novels in the Easy Rawlins series, and Little Scarlet is book nine. You don’t have to read them in order, and Little Scarlet is one of my favorites in the series.

In the novel, Rawlins is asked by the police to investigate the murder of a Black woman right after the Watts Riots just ended.

Mosley’s novels take the best of the detective fiction genre and explore deep themes and the history of Black America in Los Angeles over a few decades of the character Rawlin’s life.

I featured Walter Mosley and his Easy Rawlins series (picking the first novel in the series) in Sunday Supplement #3. Check out the series and see where you’d want to start.

Movie of the Week:

A Single Man

Tom Ford’s A Single Man adapted Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel about an English professor George coping with the death of his partner, Jim.

George goes throughout his day in a despondent nature but has various encounters with people that provide color and illuminate different possibilities of existence.

The casting of the film was excellent. Colin Firth received an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of George, and Julianne Moore and Nicholas Hoult also shone in their roles.

A Single Man was Tom Ford’s directorial debut. The famous fashion designer brought an impeccable look to the film that aided the brilliant narrative.

While the film has a small scale, it has a rich depth to the story and characters that help capture a beautiful snapshot of life.

Brainfood of the Week:

Teachings About Balance in Life | Navajo Traditional Teachings

Navajo Traditional Teachings’ YouTube page aims to teach the culture of the people from the language, traditional teachings, and oral history passed down through the generations.

In this video, Navajo Historian Wally Brown discusses the teachings of balance and how we can take things that don’t matter and lose our balance.

Brown emphasizes the importance of not allowing things that don’t matter to rule your life. He gives the example of outside influences trying to change your values.

Another form of balance Brown discusses is how understanding a negative thing can help make it a positive and create balance.

This six-minute video has much wisdom, and the Navajo Traditional Teachings channel provides a unique insight into a great breadth of teachings.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Do not associate with evil companions; do not seek the fellowship of the vile. Associate with good friends; seek the fellowship of noble men.”

– Dhammapada verse 78

This Dhammapada verse made me think about the influences I have around me. While it discusses people, I think different mediums also can affect your life.

On one side, I see people or things wanting you and pushing you to be the best you can be.

The other side would be people or things that promote negative habits that drag you down and take you away from positive experiences.

I liked how the end of the verse was about seeking the fellowship of noble men (& women). The search is worth considering because they may require effort to find, or they may already be in your life and needed to be left in.

Consider your influences, look for positive fellowship, and have a blessed week ahead!

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