There are many books on the market today that can help you find happiness. These books will go into detail about how to live a happy and positive life and teach you important skills like gratitude and kindness.
The books we have selected for this list of 20 best books on being positive and happy all offer valuable lessons in living a better life!
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Table of Contents
The Art of Happiness by the Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler
The Dalai Lama and a well-known psychiatrist team up to explain how Buddhism can be applied to achieving happiness.
This book is written in a simple yet profound way that focuses on the basic tenants of Buddhism, such as meditation and compassion.
It’s easy to see how this text has been so popular throughout the years.
Happiness Becomes You: A Guide To Changing Your Life For Good By Tina Turner
In this book, Tina Turner tells her own story about happiness. Her book is easy to read and understand as she takes you through the different stages of her life and how she became happier and more positive.
This book is a great choice for someone who wants to know the secrets of living a happy life but doesn’t want to enter into any sort of new-age spirituality.
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle
Eckhart Tolle is one of the most popular spiritual thinkers out there today. His writings about living in the present and overcoming worry by focusing on positive thoughts have resonated with many people.
In this book, he uses examples from his own life and examples from world leaders to explain how we can all overcome our egos and live a happier life.
Read This For Inspiration By Ashly Perez
This is an inspirational book full of practical advice for anyone who wants to live their life to the fullest.
It features real people who overcame obstacles and achieved great things through hard work.
The author uses examples from her own life along with historical figures like Eleanor Roosevelt and Gandhi in order to show that tough times might always happen, but happiness can still be achieved.
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert
Daniel Gilbert’s book about happiness takes a scientific approach to understand what it means to be happy.
He uses research from neuroscience, social psychology, and behavioral economics in order to explain why we make the choices that determine our happiness or unhappiness.
His writing is easy to read but also thought-provoking as he discusses major ideas in psychology about how our brain works.
Edge: Turning Adversity Into Advantage By Laura Huang
Laura Huang uses her own story of bouncing back from adversity in order to show how people can overcome failure and pain.
She explains how we must look for the positive aspects in life, even when they are hidden or right in front of us.
Her book is a great choice for anyone who has had struggles and wants some advice on moving forward positively.
The Happiness Trap: Stop Struggling, Start Living by Russ Harris
This book takes a look at the major issues surrounding happiness, such as depression and anxiety. The author discusses different therapies that can be used to overcome these obstacles and finally achieve happiness.
His main advice is to learn how to let go of negative thoughts, which can help improve your life in many ways.
Uplifting Stories By Ione Butler
This book is a collection of various inspirational stories that will lift your spirits and help you see how other people overcome their problems.
You’ll read about famous figures, such as Abraham Lincoln and Helen Keller, who had to face many difficulties in life but found a way to overcome them.
There are also true stories from the author’s own life as she talks about how she has achieved happiness as well as helped others with theirs.
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
Shawn Achor has worked with many successful CEOs and found that happiness is one of the key components to running a company.
This book outlines his research on how happy people are more successful than other people, both in their personal and professional lives.
He uses evidence from neuroscience, psychology, and economics in order to support his ideas about leading a happier life and achieving success.
Dear Reader: The Comfort And Joy Of Books By Cathy Rentzenbrink
This book will inspire you to read more by reminding you of the many benefits you can get from it.
The author discusses research on how reading can improve your mental, emotional and physical health while also helping you build connections with people around the world.
Along with her own personal anecdotes, she provides practical tips on how to find time for reading, what books to choose and how to get the most out of it.
Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life by Sylvia Boorstein
Sylvia Boorstein has gathered her best advice in one book about how you can achieve happiness by living in the present moment.
Her writing is warm and full of wisdom as she explains that being mindful is what will enable you to live your life happily.
She provides lots of tips on meditation, listening to our inner voice, and more in order to make each day a happy one.
The Power Of Chōwa: Finding Your Inner Strength Through The Japanese Concept Of Balance And Harmony By Akemi Tanaka
Akemi Tanaka believes that we can increase our good feelings and happiness by following seven simple steps.
They are to: let go of anger, practice forgiveness, find compassion for others, find joy in the small things in life, live in the present moment, keep a gratitude journal and be fully engaged with your work and relationships.
She provides exercises and stories to help you with each step, along with examples of how people have achieved positive results by following her ideas.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin had an unhappy life, but after doing some research she decided to start a new project that would make her happier.
She discovered twelve areas of her life where she could increase the positive and decrease the negative in order to be happy.
Each chapter discusses one area such as marital happiness or clothing choices. Along with examples from her own life, she presents research on how other people have made changes and achieved happiness.
Deep Kindness By Houston Kraft
This book is described as “an invitation to bring mindfulness into your daily life”. It explains why practicing mindfulness will help you get the most out of every day which can then lead to more happiness.
He discusses how to practice by listening deeply, acting with generosity, and more in order to create a better society where people are kinder towards each other.
The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha
Neil Pasricha’s book discusses the author’s own journey of trying to find happiness for himself. After realizing that he had become negative and unhappy, he started reading books on the subject in order to try and change his way of thinking.
He speaks about generosity, gratitude, and other aspects in order to encourage you to focus more on positive thinking rather than negative.
Side note: We all have a choice to be either happy or miserable, luckily for us, happiness is a choice!
I Am Grapeful: All The Good Thymes I Want To Thank You For By Dillon And Kale Sprouts
Dillons and Kale Sprouts is a YouTube channel that posts videos about happy thoughts from two young boys.
This book is full of the kind comments they have to say about their family, friends, and teachers as well as small things they appreciate such as games. Along with helping you feel happier, this book will also help to put a smile on your face.
The Happiness Factor: How to Be Happy No Matter What! by Kirk Wilkinson
Kirk Wilkinson has been a psychologist for over 20 years and knows that everyone wants to be happy. He talks about the importance of being proactive in order to find happiness as it won’t just happen by itself.
Throughout this book, he provides many examples from his own clients which show how they have become happier by trying new things and removing negative people or situations from their lives.
Better, Not Perfect By Max Bazerman
Bazerman believes that there are three factors which you need to be happy in life, and they are love, work, and play.
He talks about how many people allow themselves to get caught up in perfectionism instead of focusing on what brings them joy.
He discusses why it’s important to take things less seriously by having fun every day and also how to improve your relationships.
The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky
Sonja Lyubomirsky talks about how we can change our lives and become happier if we put the time and effort into changing just a few things.
She discusses why some people are happier than others, what happiness really is, how to practice it, and many other topics which will help you achieve a better sense of happiness in your life.
Humankind A Hopeful History By Rutger Bregman
Rutger Bregman is a historian who has made it his life’s work to try and write history that works towards promoting progress in the future.
He discusses wise leaders throughout history who have tried to help us prosper as well as what people today can do to create a better society.
This book will show you how much good there already is in the world and encourage you to focus on how we can improve society rather than just what is wrong.
Positive thinking is important to live a happy life. These 20 books on being positive and happy will help you learn how to be more positive and lead a happier life. Choose the one that appeals most to you, or read them all!