Many of us start the year with an abundance of positivity and goals for the year ahead, but without support, our positive intentions can wane. This best-seller round-up of positive thinking books will help you stay focussed and help you keep up the power of positive thinking throughout the year and well beyond January!
It seems strange that we need to teach ourselves to become a positive thinker but the reality is that you can learn the skill of positive thinking fast and easy.
There is so much negativity around us that it can be hard to cut through all the crap and find the positive things to focus on, but I am determined to continue to do better and I plan on sharing that journey here. Today I am starting with reading and how a new book can help fire us up with new ideas and how a best seller can change our mindsets for the better.
I have spent the past year doing the inner work on myself, it hasn’t been easy at times and I’m not there yet but I have identified areas that I want to work on and I’m doing lots of reading on the law of attraction and creating a positive mindset. I have made some great discoveries this past year and I am ready to embrace more and you can too if you really want to. It is time to banish that negative attitude and find your reason why and positivity.
I started the year by investing in myself to become a qualified executive coach, I knew this would take me on a journey of self-discovery and positive change but I didn’t realise just how much it would fundamentally change me. I wanted to increase my offering to others and use coaching as a tool to build on my blogging business and also to support parents who want to parent teenagers more positively. I knew this would fit well with my existing skill set of being a qualified teacher.
However, along with getting the coaching experience and skills, I shifted some negative thinking of my own and have a much more positive attitude to life generally.
This year coming I have committed to a year of positive thinking and to do this I plan to read more. As a teenager, I was a prolific reader, but motherhood and then social media have eroded the time I used to spend reading. I have decided to make time for reading once again and consider reading as self-care for me as I tune into positive thinking and build it into my everyday life.
Inspiring Positive Thinking Books That I Recommend in 2022
I am going to start this round up with the inspiring books that I have read over the past year and explain why I recommend them, some of them would be considered self-help books, others are books with positive affirmations but all have an element of positive psychology and have impacted on me positively over the past year.
In addition books, 15-21 come from some of my favourite bloggers who I asked to recommend their favourite positive thinking books. I have added these to my Amazon wishlist and you might want to as you search for authentic happiness and more positive life.
My Recommended Reads
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig I ordered this after seeing other people recommend it and I wasn’t disappointed. This book is a novel and addresses the issues of depression and mental health through its central character. Whilst that sounds a little strange to be included in a round-up of positive thinking books it deserves to be here for the way the topic is managed. Nora’s life has been going from bad to worse. Then at the stroke of midnight on her last day on earth, she finds herself transported to a library. There she is given the chance to undo her regrets and try out each of the other lives she might have lived.
2. Untamed by Glennon Doyle this is part inspiration, part memoir, Untamed explores the joy and peace we discover when we stop striving to meet the expectations of the world, and instead dare to listen to and trust in the voice deep inside us. This is an international bestseller and really impacted on me at the start of last year. I read it from cover to cover and recommended it to everyone. If you want to kick start a worthwhile life then give this a read.
3. It’s Not About the Money by Catherine Morgan this book for definitely for women who want financial freedom. It is full of really powerful stuff from a financial planner and financial coach. Catherine is so positive and helps us address those money mindset blockages that we probably have, it is full of practical techniques and positive thoughts to help us on our journey to being wealthy. I read this and found myself nodding along in so many places. One of my goals is to increase my financial wealth and now I feel ready to do just that.
4. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, I first read this way back in 2016 and it was mind-blowing then, not just because of the content but it came with the knowledge I was already very attuned to the law of attraction, positive emotions, magnetic force and positive energy, I was already thinking and behaving in this way without knowing why. What the book did for me was to give vibrations a name.
I became more intentional with my thoughts and started practising gratitude in a more aligned way. This is a great first book for anyone who wants to learn more about how we attract what we put out into the universe. Therefore if we have negative thoughts we are inviting negativity into our life. This is one of the best books you will ever read!
5. The Fear Bubble by Ant Middleton I first heard of Ant Middleton when watching the SAS programme and then went on to discover more about him. Ant has learned to harness the power of fear and understands the positive force that it can become. Fear gives Ant his edge, allowing him to seek out life’s challenges, whether that is at home, pushing himself every day to be the best father he can be, or stuck in the death zone on top of the world in a 90mph blizzard.
In his groundbreaking book, Ant Middleton thrillingly retells the story of his death-defying climb of Everest and reveals the concept of the Fear Bubble, showing how it can be used in our lives to help us break through our limits.
Therefore this book is a mix of memoir and inspirational tales. My daughter who is in her early 20’s also read this book and was totally captivated by the great things she learned. If you enjoy autobiographies then this might be the book for you as it turns negative emotions like fear into positive vibes to help you start living and more meaningful life.
6. How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie is a really well-known book that many people still turn to year after it was first released. In How To Stop Worrying and Start Living, Dale Carnegie offers timeless advice for stopping worry from ruling your life. You’ll learn how imagining a worst-case scenario can stop your anxiety, why criticism is a compliment, and why smart spending is better than a raise—and you’ll come away with the right tools to build a happier, less worried mindset.
7. You are a Badass by Jen Sincero In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up 27 bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviours that stop you from getting what you want. I really liked the writing style in this book and the focus on how to create a happy life.
8. Ten Times Happier by Owen O’Kane It’s fascinating to learn that humans have 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts per day, and 60 to 70 per cent of them can be negative. From how to move on from the past, to being satisfied with what we have rather than comparing ourselves to others, O’Kane’s book is full of wise, easy-to-follow advice.
9. The Accidental Soberista by Kate Gunn is a slightly different read but inspiring in many ways. Kate describes how her partner needed to take a break from alcohol for a month and Kate decided to join him. What followed was a total transformation that improved every single aspect of her life. She explains all the good things that came next. How the new power and healthy ways have impacted on her positively, she says this book is for the sober curious or those who want to remove alcohol forever.
What is so impactful is that Kate didn’t have ‘a problem’ with alcohol and was very much a social drinker, but going dry has changed her daily life.
10. Being Human by Natalie Read This book is a practical guide on the path to self-acceptance, resilience and happiness. Natalie is a counsellor and this book brings her vast amount of experience together in one book. It has three parts Being human in context, a toolkit to prevent and overcome issues and embracing change and welcoming happiness. I found part two especially helpful as it looked at ways to relieve anxiety and drew upon different experiences that many of us will relate to.
It uses psychology to help us understand the human mind in all its glory. There is a practical element with activities like making and saying positive affirmations. I have shared previously how using positive affirmations on a regular basis has helped me.
11. The Guilty Feminist by Frances this book starts each chapter with I’m a feminist but…’ and it is so relatable. I would describe myself as a feminist I have always spoken up and remember challenging my teacher when I was just 10 about using the word mankind – I was belittled and ignored by that class teacher but it was my first memory of questioning feminism. Over the years I have struggled with being a feminist but liking to have my nails done, and wanting to look a certain way.
The good news is that this book makes all that ok, and now I am happier with my stance on feminism which is why I found this book so positive and inspiring.
12. The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown, I was late to this party and discovered Brene through podcasts first. However, during my coaching course, I heard her name mentioned more and more so I ordered her book to see what it was all about. For more than a decade, Brené Brown has found a special place in our hearts as a gifted mapmaker and a fellow traveller.
She is both a social scientist and a kitchen-table friend whom you can always count on to tell the truth, make you laugh and, on occasion, cry with you. And what’s now become a movement all started with The Gifts of Imperfection, which has sold more than two million copies in 35 different languages across the globe, she really is a phenomenal bestseller. I can now understand why she has helped so many others.
13. Daring Greatly is another by Brene Brown, see how she has inspired me this past year! “The brilliantly insightful Brené Brown draws upon extensive research and personal experience to explore the paradoxes of courage: we become strong by embracing vulnerability, we dare more greatly when we acknowledge our fear. I can’t stop thinking about this book.” —Gretchen Rubin
14. Work Party: How to Create & Cultivate the Career of Your Dreams, Jaclyn Johnson when I started my new business Top Blog Coaching I was so inspired and knew that we had a great idea. The book covers the highs and lows of starting your own businesses, trusting the wrong people, making the ‘wrong’ moves, following your gut and chasing dreams. It inspired me and is the ideal and totally relatable career book
15. Everyday Happiness’ I have had this book for a few years now and I never tire of it. Each page has a date and a quote to help give you that little pick me up when needed. Some of the inspirational quotes are life-affirming and some thought-provoking but they all definitely help you feel a little better and promote happiness. Instead of picking up your phone every morning, pick up this book and start your day feeling positive. www.memeandharri.com
16. A Year Of You this book guides readers through the seasons – decluttering your mind for spring, unlocking sunny thinking for summer, stimulating your senses for autumn and kickstarting cosy kindness for winter. The beautiful simplicity of the book means there is no right way to use it – you can follow it season by season and week by week, or simply dip in and out whenever you need a boost. It’s up to you.⠀Providing a place for readers to reflect, find moments of calm and dream big, every page of this stylish book features a quote, activity or tip to inspire, soothe a busy mind and restore. Totallybooked.uk www.boorooandtiggertoo.com
17. Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King A friend gave me this little book for my birthday recently and I am loving how easy it is to read and dip in and out of. I find some self-help style books way too deep and time-consuming to read and concentrate on, I love something that I can refer to whenever I need a little boost. Each chapter is bite-sized with simple quotes to refer to. Some of Vex’s suggestions really made me think and I made my own notes in my journal as a regular reminder.
Vex has an inspiring story himself and it is helpful to read about his own experiences. I’m not a big believer in new year resolutions or big changes, we never stick to them anyway, I would rather take some small steps and make little changes every day that can be maintained. At a time when we are all feeling a bit fragile after two years of having to fight to keep our positivity and remain hopeful, this little book is a welcome boost to encourage positive lifestyle habits. I think it will remain a much-loved coffee table addition and it is the perfect gift for a friend. Michelle https://www.fiftyandfab.co.uk/
18. The Life Changing Magic of Not Giving a F#%k’ by Sarah Knight, as a lifelong people-pleaser; this book was revelatory for me. In this hilarious self-help guide, Knight takes you down the worst-case scenario path, letting the reader visualise how bad things could really get if they started to put their own needs first instead of trying to appease everyone else. The answer is both surprising and empowering!
This book is bursting with positivity and optimism as well as some cracking anecdotes which will make you smile. It certainly takes some hard work to change a people-pleasing mindset but this book offers practical tips on how to go about it, as well as extolling the benefits of prioritising your needs. Sarah at www.thegoodthingisthough.co.uk
19. Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson, Furiously Happy a positive book about horrible things is one of those books you either love or hate. Jenny takes a humorous approach to her battle with depression through a series of stories and tales. Covering hilarious memories and moments of grief and loss. Putting a funny spin on the bizarre battle with depression we can go through. I relate to moments in this book and that’s why I go back to it and read segments of it when I’m feeling low. It’s not something I’ve ever read in one go, I always go back and read a bit more.
This is not your typical self-help, positive thinking book, it’s a real look at what depression can do to you. But told in a hilarious way. I’ve cried, laughed and cried laughing over this book. Www.lifecanbetoff.co.uk
20. How to Fall in Love with Yourself by Anne Barnes, according to Sarah from Beauty Addict, this book is an absolute must-have for anyone going into 2022 who struggles with self-love and self-confidence, as I do. Learning to love yourself, the person you are, and the body you are in can be a really hard thing to do, but this book/journal provides thought-provoking questions to get you thinking about why it is you struggle with loving yourself and to help you recognise your triggers and to celebrate being the amazing and incredible person you are.
21. Loving Yourself in Style by Shabana Feroze the main theme going through the book is about learning to love yourself and Kate reviews it over on her blog https://darktea.co.uk/loving-yourself-in-style-shabana-feroze.
All of these positive thinking books come as recommended reads because we have read them first. This is not some random list but it has been curated by myself and those bloggers I trust. The books have impacted on us positively in some way or another they have offered us solutions or asked big questions that have lead us to self-discovery of sorts.
These reads have encouraged us to step into our own powers none of us are the final version or has everything figured out and it is through reading more that we make sense of our world and how we hold certain beliefs and values. These books may just help you uncover some more thought-provoking revelations, remember life is a journey.
If you prefer listening to reading then many of these positive thinking books that I have recommended are actually available through Amazon audiobooks. Audiobooks are great for in the car or when out walking with the dog. I now prefer to listen to podcasts or audiobooks rather than the radio. It feels like a great way to multitask and do two things at once!
If you struggle to find the time to read then audiobooks are a brilliant way of still digesting the words and being able to get the information in these self-help books.
I’d love to hear your personal recommendations too, add them in the comments and let me know what you are reading to inspire great ideas and positivity in your life.
