Here is a little archive I have compiled of all sorts of things that have helped me along my path. I tend to forward it to people I cross paths will and are interested I self development and the "bigger picture". Hasn't been updated in a while but there is enough content to share for now - I'd like for everyone to share their own personal links to stimuli that helped a little step with their development. Here's my list for now -

Music:

"The Voyager Golden Records are phonograph records which were included aboard both Voyager spacecraft, which were launched in 1977. They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form, or for future humans, who may find them."

Compiled by Carl Sagan and committee – here are the actual songs from the disk in a playlist!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcwPMeqS97Y&index=1&list=PL4D51474AB7BE5595

Gurdjieff - De Hartmann George Ivanovich Gurdjieff was an influential early 20th century Russian mystic, philosopher, spiritual teacher, and composer of Armenian and Greek descent. Thomas Alexandrovich de Hartmann was a Russian composer and prominent student and collaborator of Gurdjieff’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rasho1zv-co

Self Awareness:

The way you currently think and behave is shaped mostly by your experiences in life and the environments you have been exposed to, whether it be family, school, friends, relationships or random one off events. You begin as a child with a brain that resembles a raw untouched playdough and each experience and interaction and event you go throughout life has moulded what your brain has become today. How can you change or improve that if you don't know why you are the way you are? Self reflection is a big part of evolving and coming to understand yourself. keep a journal. take notes. everytime you react to something, write down what you did and what event or thought brought on that reaction. the more you observe yourself, the more you can piece together the bits and pieces. and then go on to make conscious choices to change those reactions. to fully utilise your mind and the "car" you are driving, you have to first understand how it works. only then can you start to work on self improvement. A good thing to realise is that there is always room for improvement. Truths will reveal themselves to you if you seek them.

Mindfulness/Meditation

Mindfulness meditation is often practiced sitting with eyes closed, cross-legged on a cushion, or on a chair, with the back straight. (you can do it in any position really, even laying down flat) Attention may be put on the movement of the abdomen when breathing in and out, or on the awareness of the breath as it goes in and out the nostrils. You are essentially observing your thoughts and breathing. As these thoughts come up, you return to focusing on the object of meditation, the quiet and the breathing. You will notice when your mind starts to wander, but in an accepting, non-judgmental way. Meditators often start with short periods of 10 minutes or so a day. As one practices regularly, it becomes easier to keep the attention focused on breathing. With practice, awareness of the breath can be extended into mindful awareness of thoughts, feelings and actions. You will eventually be able to apply to everyday living and start to become more aware of the things going on around you and how you are feeling. we have alot of nonsense thoughts and things that float through our minds, and its really relieving when you can observe them pass like clouds and not get too caught up in them. If you struggle with staying focused, sometimes I like to just say in my mind - "inhale" as I breathe in and 'exhale" as I breathe out. Doing this even for a few minutes a day really helps with anxiety and overall well being, and more and more research is confirming this effectiveness.

Books: (I recommend reading the ones available online when you can)

Marcus Aurelius – The meditations – read online here - http://classics.mit.edu/Antoninus/meditations.html

kahlil gibran - the prophet - (you can read online free here - this is one of my favorite chapters) http://www.katsandogz.com/onjoy.html

Lao Tzu - Tao Te Ching - you can read one of many translations online here - http://www.with.org/tao_te_ching_en.pdf

henry miller - big sur and the oranges of Hieronymus Bosch

patti smith - woolgathering - just kids

jean-dominique bauby - the diving bell and butterfly

carl jung - man and his symbols

oliver sacks - the man who mistook his wife for a hat

hunter s. thompson - kingdom of fear

Documentaries: (if the links don’t work just google the titles and you should find something )

children full of life http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/children-full-of-life/

garbage warrior http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/garbage-warrior/

american nomads http://youtu.be/_QKbIb8wcz0

century of self - https://archive.org/details/TheCenturyOfTheSelf

we the tiny house people http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDcVrVA4bSQ

Vice's 'Far Out' series - Lifestyles of the remote and solitary - http://www.vice.com/en_ca/far-out

mystical brain http://www.nfb.ca/film/mystical_brain

a band called death -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5Pf3MlUo7c

when bjork met attenborough

podcasts/interviews:

radiolab - it is one of my favourite eps, on color http://www.radiolab.org/2012/may/21/

russel ackoff - http://youtu.be/MzS5V5-0VsA

robert anton wilson -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otiu6ZBHERM

oliver sacks -http://blog.ted.com/2009/09/17/what_hallucinat/

People:

Carl Jung

Rudolf Steiner

Franz Kafka

Marcus Aurelius

Plato

Kahlil Gibran

Nikola Tesla

Leonardo Da Vinci

Visual:

art archive resources:

https://artsy.net/

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/

http://www.moma.org/collection/artist_index.phphttp://www.moma.org/collection/artist_index.php

Learn:

12 dozen places to educate yourself for free - http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/11/15/12-dozen-places-to-self-educate-yourself-online/

misc.

http://stumbleupon.com

http://www.notechmagazine.com/2012/01/saving-food-from-the-fridge.html