Thursday, May 14, 2009

Be Happy 101: the Happiness Course

Your Happiness Resources

This time, thirteen is a lucky number. Here are thirteen books that can really help you on the road to finding increased happiness:

1. Authentic Happiness -Martin Seligman
A great place to start. Discover your "signature strengths" and use them as much as you can to produce true, long term gratification in your life.

2.The How of Happiness - Sonja Lyubomirsky
Twelve positive steps you can take to being happier, working on areas you can influence, instead of those you can't change much.

3. 50 Self-Help Classics - Tom Butler-Bowdon
The "50 Classics" series of books provide extraordinary summaries of self help books, respectively on prosperity, success, the spirtual classics and several others. Having these excellent books is like having a self help library at your fingertips.

4. Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart - Gordon Livingston
A best selling author, Dr. Livingston uses his experience as a practicing psychiatrist to help us deal positively with many of life's common problems.

5. Your Best Life Now - 7 Steps To Living Life At Your Full Potential -Joel Osteen
The famous tv evangelist provides suggestions for living a positive life. Christians will be able to relate easily to the beneficial message this book contains, but this book can benefit anyone, whether they are Christian, or if they don't believe in God.

6. The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People -Stephen Covey
Provides an excellent structure for setting goals and accomplishing them.

7. A New Earth: Awakening To Your Life's Purpose -Eckhart Tolle
A thorough, step by step presentation to help you discover your guiding purposes. Even though this book was highly promoted by Oprah Winfrey, it would be a real mistake to think that it is only "a women's book". Anyone can benefit from it.

8. Blink - Malcolm Gladwell
Great stories that emphasize the point that good decisions can often be made by "thin slicing", using a small amount of information that leads us to a decision that might be the same as if we had taken more time and done more research in making it. Our quality of life, and our happiness, is greatly impacted by our decisions and our thoughts . This book present an alternative view for making decisions, without deprecating more traditional methods.

9. George Foreman's Guide To Life -George Foreman
This is not just "a man's book", nor is it a boxing book, it's one that can benefit anyone. It contains excellent practical advice for getting the most out of life.

10. Meditations - Marcus Aurelius
This classic work provides great guidance for living daily life. Its principles are as applicable today as they were in Roman times.

11. The Right Words At The Right Time -Marlo Thomas
Short two or three page stories by celebrities telling what events made positive turning points toward success in their lives. Interesting reading and contains many good lessons.

12. Happier- Tal Ben-Shahar
Let the author share the secrets with you of finding happiness from Harvard's most popular course. Everybody wants to be happy!

13. The Working Poor -David Shipler
This might not sound like a book that relates to happiness, but it is, because its insights can truly help people stay away from things that are going to make them very unhappy. The Pultizer Prize winning author explains what it's like to be part of the working poor. Anyone who isn't, but thinks they have a good handle on this type of life should read this book. It not only encourages concern and assistance, but it provides very valuable lessons on how getting into this state can be avoided. Poverty is not a plus when seeking happiness, so this book also serves as a valuable cautionary story to anyone who is making major decisions in their lives, regarding education, child bearing, marriage and so forth.

We all need to eat to sustain ourselves physically. Make self-help reading a regular habit to support and guide you mentally throughout your life.

Larry Danks is an Assistant Professor of Business at Camden County College in Blackwood, NJ, near Philadelphia. To these books above, I also add my book, Your Unfinished Life: The Classic and Timeless Guide To Finding Happiness and Success Through Kindness. Let it help you be happier, find personal fulfillment and develop higher self-esteem. http://www.yourunfinishedlife.com where samples from each chapter and reviews of Danks' book are available.Comments may be directed to the author at helpfulmedia@yahoo.com

My book, and the others listed above, are all available at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble and all major booksellers.

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