Books can help. In my very first article here I mentioned that it was a book that helped me get on the right path to heal from burnout. That particular book did not talk about burnout, it did not tackle any mental health issue at all. Nonetheless, it was the perfect book to read, because it focused on finding inner happiness, and this is exactly what you should focus on if you want to heal from burnout or just in general stay positive.
We always think “when I reach my goal, I’ll be really happy.” “I’m going to be so happy when we get married.” “I’m going to be happy when I finish building my house.” Happiness, however, is not measured by things you obtain and it can also not depend on other people. True happiness comes from within.
If your happiness depends on the building of your house, what will happen if construction is paused due to covid? What will happen to that coveted happiness that is supposed to happen at your wedding if this highly anticipated event is postponed or even canceled?
Happiness is not a circumstance. If it depended on other people, that would place too much pressure on them now, wouldn’t it? “Dear wife, I will only be happy if you do this … , and if you wake up in a good mood today … bla bla bla …” Yeah right, poor wife, what a burden to bear. That is a lot of pressure on someone else …
“I will be happy when I find my man.” ? βοΈ To me, that translates into dumping a huge responsibility for your happiness on this poor man that you have not even met yet …
Regardless of what other people do or what circumstances are, you cannot place your happiness into such fickle hands, because – as we all know – life happens …
We have to enjoy the ride, not wait to reach our destination to finally be happy. And so, to be truly happy, we have to be in charge. We cannot allow anyone to be in control of our happiness. Granted, that certain actions by loved ones make us happy, and that is wonderful; but in general, our happiness is our own choice and it always should be.
Finding inner happiness, though, is not always easy, especially when life throws those pesky little (or big) obstacles at us.
There are some ways to keep your happiness, by doing these simple things:
- Be grateful
- Focus your attention on things you can control
- Meditate
- Eat healthy
- Be true to yourself
- Don’t dwell in the past
And then, there are books that will help you find happiness. Two books I read and which I really recommend are the following, May Cause Miracles and Judgment Detox, both by Gabrielle Bernstein. I mentioned them in previous articles, and I repeat it, because these books are effective.
Not only does May Cause Miracles come with great, in depth explanations and real life examples, Gabrielle also adds daily assignments. You have to do these assignments for 40 days. They don’t take long, so you can always make time for them. I usually did them at the end of the day, or in the early evening.
One thing that also struck me in this book was Gabrielle’s honesty about herself.
Do the exercises work? Yes, you can expect changes if you do the assignments every day. Simple changes in our thinking and action can work miracles, and this is what Gabrielle aims for with May Cause Miracles.
The Judgment Detox is a six-step practice that will help you release the beliefs that hold you back from living your life. Kundalini yoga, tapping (the Emotional Freedom Technique), meditation, prayer, and metaphysical teachings are easily explained, so that you can apply them in your daily life.
Judgment, resentment, and resistance are negative energies that hold us back from living our lives. This book teaches you to let go of those feelings and make room for compassion, freedom, peace, and happiness.
If this sounds a little “out there” for you, let me tell you that years ago I used to be skeptical about such books as well … until I read May Cause Miracles … It fell into my hands at a time when I needed it.
The Universe Has Your Back is a third book I bought by the same author, and this one shows you how to turn difficult experiences into learning and how you can heal from them. You can ride your energy and inner power to find strenght when you are down, and release the blocks that keep us from happiness, security, and clear direction. Find safety in the face of uncertainty, and strength when you are down. This is another honest and powerful read, by Gabrielle Bernstein.
Another Great book is How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, by Dale Carnegie.
Do you know anyone who doesn’t worry? Have you sometimes thought that people who never fret seem a little irresponsible? But what if we didn’t have to worry? What is the point of worrying anyway? It doesn’t change anything and all you are doing is putting negative thoughts out there, besides making yourself sick with worry …
It isn’t easy to let go of worry, especially if you have a bad feeling about something. I can relate … I think that sometimes, though, we worry too much; and this book can help you see the thin line between worrying excessively or responsibly.
Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor E. Frankl is another incredible read! I can’t think of anyone who hasn’t wondered “what’s my purpose in life?” “Why am I here?” I have asked myself this question several times. Some people never find the answer …
This book can show you how you can find your purpose, giving new meaning to life. Once you know your purpose, it opens up the power of positive thinking and lights up the path to inner happiness.
Victor E. Frankl survived the Nazi death camps. He lost his parents, brother, and pregnant wife … Based on his experience, Frankl says that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose.
This is a powerful book, definitely worth a read!
βWhen we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.β Viktor Frankl
Success Through a Positive, Mental Attitude, Napoleon Hill
Many of us are familiar with Napoleon Hill’s book “Think and Grow Rich”, but here is another one that will promote a positive mental attitude as a key to personal success.
Our mind has two parts, the positive mental attitude and the negative mental attitude, and we get to choose which one we want to empower.
As Napoleon Hill states: “Your success, health, happiness, and wealth depend on how you make up your mind!”
Customer reviews rave about this book, and although it was written a long time ago, its principles still apply very much today in the 21st Century.
Final Thoughts
Do these books help? Yes, they definitely do, and it is OK to get books for help. Although we all know that positive thinking is what keeps us going and leads us to success – and success could be anything, besides money, it could also be achieving a goal, freeing yourself of bad thoughts, letting go of a terrible past, finding a better job, finding yourself, and so much more – it is not always easy to stay tuned to the positive mind.
We often tend to turn on the radio in the negative mind station, and it takes great effort to turn that button and find the radio wave for the positive mindset. This is where these books come in. They will help us find that radio wave with little to no interference.
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Thank you for reading!
Good recommendations there. I love reading but have little to no time after the baby.
Can Cause Miracle does sounds like an interesting book. Will definitely want to look into that.
Great! I hope you like it π
I really enjoyed this post. I have been looking for positive / motivational books to read. I ahve not long finished rich dad poor dad and I highly recommend it. Thank you for an excellent article.
Hi Russ,
I heard about Rich Dad, Poor Dad, I have not read it yet but I hear it’s a great book!
Thanks for the recommendation!
I also really like The Compound Effect By Darren Hardy.
It’s about taking small actions every day to reach a very large goal, but the way it’s written is inspiring and when I’m having a hard day at work I just remember that my current job is just a stepping stone to something much bigger than myself and my crappy co-workers.
Hi Aria,
That’s what it is, just a stepping stone to something much bigger that is awaiting you π
Thank you for your comment! I will check out the book.
Oh, thanks, Christine, there are definitely titles in this list I will add to my to-read list. Especially those books of Gabrielle Bernstein. I have heard a lot about her, never read anything from her yet.
And your list of simple things is spot on as well. I pratice most of them, the only thing that I have trouble with at times is ‘don’t dwell in the past’. But we are never too old to change, so I keep on trying. π
Hi Hannie,
I think, not dwelling in the past is one of the hardest things to do, and some memories do continue popping up even if we don’t want to. I think that not dwelling on the past is an ongoing process.
Thank you so much for all you have shared here. Honestly the fact thatyou have selected these books show a sign of willingness to show to us all that a lot more would happen that would really prove that everything else is worth it. These books are hope and would help shape life for us in the right way.
They will certainly help π Thank you for your comment!
I think there is something about reading books like these that makes you feel like you’re doing something for yourself… which you are so it’s a win-win. Reading is extremely motivational for me and being motivated is sort of the opposite of being burned out. it’s a simple thing to do and an enjoyable thing to do that also produces great results but we just need to be reminded sometimes to pick up a book like this and do something great for ourselves. I appreciate your specific recommendations for these positive, motivational books.
Hi Alison,
Very true, by reading these books you are really doing something for yourself. Books like these can do so much for you and leave lasting messages and lessons. These are books to be kept and that can at times be re-read, whenever it is needed.
Books give us the opportunity to live vicariously through the lives
of people with greater wisdom than ourselves. They stimulate our brains
and help us not only solve the problems we struggle with, but also
motivate and inspire us with new ideas.
One of the great things
about people who think positively and live happy lives is that they love
to help others do the same. There are countless positive-thinking books
and these 5 are a great way to help you start living a happy life.
Hi Lucas!
It is so true that people who live happy lives love ro reach out and help others. And these books come from sources of great experience and shared wisdom that will certainly help anyone find new motivation and inspiration.
Thank you for your comment!
Hi Christine! Great article, thanks for sharing! I agree that we need to find happiness in every moment of our life and live in the present. I read the book by Carnegi, it is was very helpful for me.
All the best,
Alex
Hi Alex,
That’s great! Those books can indeed be very helpful!
Thank you for your comment π
I couldn’t agree more with you on your statement about relying your happiness on someone else. Not only are you passing pressure on them but it also seems like a manipulative thing to do to the other person; not to mention, you’d be setting your expectations too high. I think that the definition of happiness is completely different for everyone. Not everything that other people do to be happy will work on thyself. It’s a life’s journey of finding your own means of happiness. I haven’t read any of your current recommendations but will be looking forwards checking them out.
Hi Stephanie,
It is indeed a life’s journey and our own happiness is in constant progress. I do not see it as a goal, but rather something to enjoy during the ride.
Thank you for your valuable comment!