Here are some good references I have come to appreciate~ updated 7/13/2026
Books I enjoyed ————————-
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Book by Eckhart Tolle
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom – Book by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food – Book by Ben Hewitt
The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change – Book by Rebecca Solnit (This book is actually incredibly boring, although it aligns with my personal philosophy through world experiences)
The Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga’s Ethical Practice – Book by Deborah Adele
Medium (reading platform) Reads I enjoyed —————–
Not Everyone Deserves Access to You Alexa Simon (this read was awesome, many perspectives to consider)
Growth is Losing Interest in Certain Things Alexa Simon
I’m a Psychologist and Emotional Intelligence is Ruining Your Life: Why Being “Self-Aware” Can Be a Prison Constantin Patrascu
Most People Don’t Want Growth – They Want Comfort Alexa Simon
Short Moments, Present Moments Jud Brewer MD PhD
You’re Not Burned Out. You’re Architecting the Wrong Life. Virendra Bhavsar
Ten Lessons I’ve Learned from 80 Years on This Planet Gary Buzzard
lessons i’ve learned in 2025 letters from rosie
How I Learned to Love Being Alone Without Fear – A Deep Transformation Through Solitude Alexa Simon
your past does not define your present janelle
Deep Community: Finding New Roots of Belonging Ashley L. Crouch
Other References —————–
I am a big fan of Alan Watts – (1915-1973) a British and American writer, speaker, and self-styled “philosophical entertainer”, known for interpreting and popularising Buddhist, Taoist, and Hindu philosophy for a Western audience. He has a lot of spoken sessions recorded you can listen to. When I left christianity, I was first guided by his philosophy and understanding of the world.
Camp Conrad Chinnock Rag Program – This is a program rooted from the YMCA that I started taking part in when I was 12 year old when I took on the challenge of the green rag at Camp Conrad Chinnock (a summer camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes). Each rag stands for something that the ragger (you, me, anybody) at the time can focus on and challenge theirself with. This rag is mentored by an older/experienced ragger or staff and tied at a beautiful ceremony at raggers point, to guide the ragger forward in the challenge they take down the hill in their personal life.
The rag is an outward expression of an inward goal, once you feel you have completed the challenge of the rag (at least a year for first three rags, or more for the more advanced rags) you can move on to the next rag in the progression. You are not judged by others on the completion, it is a choice within yourself to move on. While we moved on to the next rag, we are always accomplishing our prior rags as well.
The first three rags focus on ones personal self.
Green is physical health, you cannot help others if you don’t help your human body first via nutrition, exercise and physical habits (which is also helpful for me being Type 1 Diabetic),
Blue is mental, loyalty to be one’s best self and supportive of a higher power (country, community, and oneself),
Silver is spiritual via self-acceptance, spiritual growth (personal philosophy/whatever that looks like to you) and following a well rounded life,
The next rags I got in my later teens, those which start looking at those and helping the world around you which took years to feel ready for the next,
Brown is a dedication to service to others by giving back to their community and helping those around them,
Gold is the focus of care/understanding and welfare of everyone around us via compassion, tolerance and service to humanity,
Red is a sacrifice of ones time, talent and personal will, (which I love this rag, while I am on my purple now, I am noticing the challenge of expanding on my personal will and sharing my talents for those around me)
Purple which is the challenge to consider your personal purpose in this life, a journey, (this is the rag I got last year in 2025, in which I am focusing on my journey to become a teacher in the schools and being a light in this world)
Lastly, White, which I will not get for many years, and I am not completely sure about the goal of this, but it encapsulates all the prior rags, in addition to having a lifetime goal focusing on some specific community.
This program was from the YMCA so there is reference of God, but I tell anyone who asks me to mentor them on their rag (in religion or not), that the term God is synonymous with Love. Love is the greatest thing, and will be the light to guide you in the dark. The rag program is a great reference to better oneself for themselves and the greater good. Which we are all growing towards as a collective humanity. To calibrate their heart and moral compass to goodness and guide them to being the best they can be while on this planet. It helps with personal philosophy, and acts as a mirror of oneself and guides them to be the person they want to be.
I’m honored I have gotten to take part in such a beautiful program to challenge myself and grow, with the support of those around me. 🙂
I will be true, for there are those who trust me,
Raggers Creed
I will be pure, for there are those who care,
I will be strong, for there is much to suffer,
I will be brave, for there is much to dare,
I will be friend to all, the foe and the friendless,
I will be giving but forget the gift,
I will be humble, for I know my weakness,
And I will look up, and laugh, and love and lift~