My Foundations

Oct 19, 2022
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These are the books, writers, life experiences, and other weird shit that’s made me into the person I am today. Let me know what else I should read, who else I should follow, and what else I should try as I keep growing.

Note: This page will be continually updated as I grow.

Books that shaped my worldview

I’ve loved reading since I was like 6. I’ve always read anything I can get my hand on. Literature, pop fiction, narrative history, nonfiction, and poetry. Everything. But there are only a few books that have left such an inspiration that I’m better for having read them. These are those books:

  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

  • The Last Lion Series

  • Braiding Sweetgrass

  • Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom

  • The Second Mountain (also the inspiration for this newsletter’s title)

  • The Three Marriages: Reimagining work, self, and relationships

  • How to Change Your Mind

  • Simple Habits for Complex Times

  • The Artist’s Way

Writing Influences

I’ve wanted to be a writer for a long time. As a voracious reader, writing always felt like a natural extension. Then reality stepped in and slammed me in the face. This shit is hard!

So this time, I decided to sign up for Write of Passage and give it a go. And in the process, I’ve found some amazing mentors, editors, friends, and inspiration. These people have already taught me that writing can be fun. That it’s a group sport. That great pieces come from the Personal, Observational, and Playful aspects, and others can help me refine that. So in no particular order, these are the writers who are helping me set the foundation for my own writings.

Experiences that made me who I am today

It’s not all reading that’s made me who I am today. Sometimes it’s a person or an experience that’s shaped me.