The 8 Best Books for Positive Thinking for 2023

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade! At least, that's what they all say, right?

Positive thinking is a great skill to learn, and sometimes we need a little help with that. Everybody knows that practicing positive thoughts is correlated to happiness. But what if you're feeling stuck and looking for new ways to trigger positive thinking inside of you?

Then these are the best books on positive thinking! If you're looking to embrace positivity in 2023, then one of the books discussed in this article is surely going to help you get there.

Sounds good? Then let's dive into the books!

Best books for positive thinking

If you're looking for books that can help you focus on the positives, here are the recommendations of 8 experts:

1. Flourish by Martin Seligman

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No list of books on positive thinking would be complete without a book from the father of Positive Psychology himself, Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman.

My vote for the best book on positive thinking is Flourish by Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman.

His earlier book, Authentic Happiness, was pivotal in my decision to pursue mental health as a career. This book is an expansion of the original theories presented in Authentic Happiness. The book incorporates years of research in the field since the publication of Authentic Happiness.

Flourish describes the theory of well-being which goes beyond happiness to include positive emotion, engagement, meaning, positive relationships, and accomplishment. When these elements are present in our lives we are said to be flourishing. This inspiring and engaging book is a great summary of the state of our scientific knowledge of positive psychology. It is required reading for anyone wanting to increase their happiness and well-being.

Contributor: Catherine Larson

Website: www.austinchildpsychiatry.com

2. A Year of Positive Thinking by Cyndie Spiegel

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It is my favorite book because it is not a piece of theoretical advice but a daily inspiration.

Cyndie Spiegel has included 365 affirmations in this book, which have to be practiced by the reader one per day. These daily mantras are based on neuroscience and personal development that brings the best out of us by eliminating negative emotions like self-pity, envy, and hatred.

The best thing is you practice daily whatever you learn. So, it is not like impractical advice or outdated knowledge. Your everyday life would be fulfilled with exciting exercises and motivating mantras that will keep your energy level up.

You could start this journey anytime, and I bet after practicing recommended affirmations for 365 days, your mind would be programmed to think positively.

Contributor: John Parrott

Website: https://relaxlikeaboss.com/

3. Grit: The Power Of Passion And Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

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This book helps readers like myself understand that it takes more than just motivation to get things done.

Grit and perseverance, a different view on thinking positively of yourself, gets more done than anything. Positive change comes from not only thinking that you can do it but also understanding that it takes actually accomplishing the work needed to get the task done.

Contributor: Amanda Dutton

Website: https://synergyetherapy.com/

4. The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

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I love this book because it teaches the importance of positive thinking through real stories of incredible transformations.

The Secret is an inspiring book that teaches the importance of positive thinking through the law of attraction. Byrne teaches readers how to change their lives simply using the power of their minds. It also shares inspiring stories about many people who have used these concepts to achieve groundbreaking success in their own lives.

Readers are encouraged to believe that anything is possible and by using the teachings in the book, they will make their biggest dreams a reality. The book covers how to use the secret to make more money, have better relationships and overcome health struggles.

It’s a fantastic read that is not only inspiring but also gives tangible takeaways for readers to apply.

Contributor: Jaclyn DiGregorio

Website: https://www.jaclyndigregorio.com/

5. Flourishing by Maureen Gaffney

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Flourishing stands out from other books on happiness because it’s not about forcing positivity, but instead finding a deeper sense of meaning in your own story.

By showing the steps required to connect with your best self, Gaffney provides a pathway for real, sustainable happiness. The book even gives a ratio for flourishing to help quantify things for people. Gaffney teaches that the ratio of 5:1 positive to negative experiences is the key to flourishing.

This is incredibly important as it’s not asserting that you need to be happy all the time, but that we need a balance of experience to move forward with a meaningful life.

Contributor: Dr. Clinton Moore

Website: https://www.cadencepsychology.com.au/

6. Happiness by Thich Nhat Hanh

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This book has stuck with me more than any other book on positive thinking. His meditations in this book are short and practical, but will totally transform the way you think about everyday activities.

Every time I hear a phone ring, rather than being jarred by the noise I think of Hanh's Telephone Meditation and use it as a cue to breathe mindfully.

If you have always wanted to be more mindful but haven't found meditation apps or other tools to be helpful, this could be the book for you.

Contributor: Katie Lear

Website: www.katielear.com

7. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

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The four agreements are clear, simple, and practical for anybody to implement.

This book is my favorite because it helped me to let go of negative self-beliefs, and I have since been able to offer the teachings in this book to my own clients to help them change their internal narratives.

What I like about this book is that it dives deep into the messages that we receive as children and how we end up living out these messages. The book would refer to this as the agreements that we have made with ourselves due to our upbringing and experience. The book dives into four new agreements that we can make with ourselves to change our mindset and live a happier and more productive life.

Contributor: Meredith Futernick

Website: senseofselfholistic.com

8. The Art Of Happiness by The Dalai Lama

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The Dalai Lama has amazing insight into thoughts and feelings and ways of working with them to increase happiness.

The Dalai Lama gives readers the tools to stop fighting what is and accept what is happening around them. He describes fighting what is as a type of second suffering that is not helpful and not needed.

How often is this true in life? Sometimes life throws us curve balls and we sit in that unhappy place longer than we need to. The Dalai Lama teaches the skill to accept difficult emotions and allowing them to pass.

Contributor: Theresa Leskowat

Website: www.clearvistacounseling.com

💡 By the way: If you want to start feeling better and more productive, we've condensed the information of 100's of our articles into a 10-step mental health cheat sheet here. 👇

Wrapping up

Books on positivity can be a priceless resource on your journey to sustainable happiness. If there's one area in your life that influences your happiness and that you have control over, it's your own mindset. Being able to turn your thinking into something positive is one of the best skills to develop. These books on positive thinking should give you a good headstart!

What's your favorite book for positive thinking? I'd love to hear your recommendations in the comments below!