For a moment, think about your happy place. Where is that? However, getting to a place of self-happiness not only takes time but also plenty of resources. Reading self-help books on happiness creates different perspectives on how to approach the whole concept of happiness. As your (un)official happiness partners, we’ve compiled some best-seller, practical, and invaluable self-help books for your library. All you need is to read and share your views.
What are self-help books?
They provide valuable information and insights on how to improve different aspects of your life. However, not all information provided in these books is useful or helpful for everyone. It is important to carefully consider the content of each book before spending your time and money on it.
Our Winners…
In a crowd of deserving and valuable books, the following made the cut. They are some of the best self-help books on happiness, based on our findings:
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work by Shawn Achor.
The Book in Three Sentences: To be successful, you need to train your brain to see the glass as half full instead of half empty. The Happiness Advantage teaches readers how to do just that by implementing the seven principles of positive psychology.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive guide on happiness, this is the book for you. Shawn Achor draws from his experience as a Harvard lecturer and Positive Psychology expert to provide readers with actionable steps they can take to improve their happiness; by conquering sorrowful habits.
The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin
Popular blogger Gretchen Rubin takes on the challenge of improving her own happiness by following ancient wisdom and modern science for one year. The Happiness Project is the result of that experiment, in which Rubin shares what she learned about creating a happier life for herself. You can learn too how best to revamp your life, redefine your daily habits to find your happy place.
This book is perfect for anyone who wants to make some changes in their life but doesn’t know where to start. Gretchen Rubin’s relatable writing style and honest account of her own happiness journey makes this book a must-read.
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
In The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle teaches readers that the key to happiness is living in the present moment and letting go of their attachments to the past and future.
This book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to live in the present moment and let go of their attachments to the past and future. Eckhart Tolle’s teachings are based on his own personal experiences with enlightenment. This makes the book a must-read for anyone interested in spirituality.
The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama
Have you seen any images of Dalai Lama? If not, it’s highly recommended. Dalai Lama radiates a contagious smile in all his images. You’ll pick on it too!
A Nobel Prize winner, Dalai Lama is one of the most revered religious leaders in the world. In The Art of Happiness, he shares his secrets for a happy and fulfilling life. In fact, he tells the audience that happiness is our sole purpose in this life. He says, “the very motion of our life is towards happiness” and it’s hard to argue with a person who serves happiness and smiles despite the pain experienced as the Tibet leader.
Can a person with a traumatic past find happiness? Research indicates that compassion for other people’s suffering is a ranking factor toward personal happiness. Therefore, it’s not surprising the book mentions affection, closeness and reaching out to one another as a shared human nature. Bringing joy and pleasure to fellow human beings should be everyone’s purpose. Dalai Lama’s book offers the answers to cultivate virtues such as empathy, even when at an advantageous point. Through conversations, meditation, and stories, he tells us how to overcome everyday defeat, and smile while at it!
This book is perfect for anyone who wants to learn how to be happy and fulfilled. Dalai Lama’s teachings are based on his own personal experiences with happiness, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in spirituality. True happiness emanates internally, and this is a read that makes you introspect, reflect, reckon and rethink your life choices and perspectives.
Do you know that Dalai Lama does not believe in love? Start on this book and you’ll get to understand his assertions.
The Art of Happiness, Dalai Lama
Too Many…
The Alchemist by Paul Coelho
It’s a book definitely worth your time if you aim to understand how fate works. Most people often wonder how destiny pans out but the book highlights the power of going ahead to reach out into the unknown.
Favorite quote: It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.
Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
The human brain remains a source of mystery to scientists. However, in this book, there is a clear depiction on how the two brain systems keep fighting for control of behavior and actions. If one is not careful, it can lead to poor decisions, loss of memory among others. But the book provides practical solutions.
Favorite quote: Nothing in life is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Mason
If you want to hear and confront the uncomfortable truths most people keep hidden, this is a highly recommended read. The author avoids the subtle urge to sugarcoat how to address common challenges in life but it’s all worth it.
Favorite quote: The desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And, paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive experience.
12 Rules for Life by Jordan Peterson
One of the books highly recommended for the young people. The content focuses on how to help any young person find a foundation by upholding simple principles of life and live fully while at it. In one sentence, I refer to the book as refreshing.
Favorite quote: You can only find out what you actually believe (rather than what you think you believe) by watching how you act. You simply don’t know what you believe, before that. You are too complex to understand yourself.
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
Well, this is a masterpiece. If you want to get ahead in life, this is the book for you. It explores historical quarrels and provides a framework on how you can apply the lessons in real life.
Favorite quote: If you are unsure of a course of action, do not attempt it. Your doubts and hesitations will infect your execution. Timidity is dangerous: Better to enter with boldness. Any mistakes you commit through audacity are easily corrected with more audacity. Everyone admires the bold; no one honors the timid.
How To Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie
Worry is one of the leading cause of physical and mental illness. The book addresses the trait by offering simple but actionable techniques on how to overcome anxiety and excess worrying.
Favorite quote: Today is our most precious possession. It is our only sure possession.
These are only a few of the many self-help books available on happiness. If you’re looking for a more comprehensive guide, we recommend The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor or The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. Compliment these books with a dose of Dalai Lama’s spirituality and let their teachings be a guide towards a purposeful life of happiness and personal fulfillment.
As you can see, self-help books on happiness come in all shapes and sizes. There is no one-size-fits-all solution to happiness, but these books offer valuable insights that can help you on your own journey to self-happiness. We hope you find these books helpful and that they provide you with the information you need to create a happier life for yourself. Thanks for reading!
Have a reading week ahead!
What are some of your favorite self-help books on happiness?
