First and foremost, what you are describing is metacognition - thinking about the way you think. Hopefully that will aid you in your search for things!

Secondly, here are some of my favorite influential material:

- Li Ka-Shing, Tips on Life. My takeaway: invest in yourself. https://addicted2success.com/success-advice/asias-richest-ma...

- Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture. My takeaway: don't limit yourself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7zzQpvoYcQ

- Guy Kawasaki, Make Meaning. Aimed for startups, but equally applicable in life. My takeaway: Have the proper motivations for doing things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQs6IpJQWXc

- Admiral William H. McRaven, Make your bed. My takeaway: if you want to change the world, start by changing yourself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxBQLFLei70

- David Foster Wallace, This is Water. My takeaway: Take a big picture view, and don't sweat the small stuff. https://fs.blog/2012/04/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/

- “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I'll meet you there. When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.”― Rumi

- Man's Search for meaning. My takeaway: We make meaning. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4069.Man_s_Search_for_Me...

- "All the livin that you're saving, won't buy your dreams for you" - Townes Van Zandt

- Idiot wind by Bob Dylan My takeaway: Your reaction to things can be just as bad as the actual thing. https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/57330/

- Stoicism and Marcus Aurelius, Seneca. My takeaway: Focus on what matters. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5617966-a-guide-to-the-g... (read this one first for a good foundation)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/97411.Letters_from_a_Sto...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30659.Meditations

- Buddhism. Our takeaway: Meditation is important, the doctrine of emptiness (not nihilism!) is super interesting.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/104949.How_to_See_Yourse...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammapada
https://www.shambhala.com/the-pocket-dalai-lama-14965.html
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25942786-the-mind-illumi...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3346233-buddhism

- Leonardo Da Vinci My take away: There is a beautiful intersection between tech and art. Great things could not exist without a little of both. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34684622-leonardo-da-vin...

- The Alchemist My takeaway: It's not the destination it's the journey. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/865.The_Alchemist

- Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. My takeaway: Seek out quality, whatever the hell that is! https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/629.Zen_and_the_Art_of_M...

- Why we sleep. My takeaway: go the fuck to bed. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34466963-why-we-sleep

- Anti-Cancer Diet. My takeaway: don't eat shit.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1886829.Anticancer_A_New...

- Non-violent communication. My takeaway: You can (and should) communicate your needs respectfully. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/560861.Non_Violent_Commu...

- Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela. My takeaway: There is a difference between institutionalized action and individual action. Forgiveness is the only path forward.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/318431.Long_Walk_to_Free...

- A people's history of the US. My takeaway: Things are getting better. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2767.A_People_s_History_...