Top 10 Books That Will Change Your Life in 2017
Live Happy Magazine, Sandra Bienkowski
January 18, 2017
Use the insights and practices from these books to increase joy and open your mind in the year ahead.
1. The Future of Happiness: 5 Modern Strategies for Balancing Productivity and Well-Being In the Digital Era
by Amy Blankson
Overwhelmed by the flood of apps and information online? Discover how to navigate technology in a way that enhances your happiness. Amy Blankson, cofounder of the digital consulting firm GoodThink, reveals five strategies to thrive in the digital age. Start by using your power of choice to scan for the positive. Learn how to use technology as a sixth sense to better understand yourself and the world around you.
2. The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living
by Meik Wiking
We’ve heard countless times that Danes are the happiest people in the world, andhygge, which translates roughly as “cozy” or “homey,” may be the key, according to Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen. Breaking bread with friends at a table topped with flickering candles; curling up in front of a fire with a good book—these are prime examples of hygge-based happiness. Curling up in front of a fire with a book about hygge? Double-Danish happiness!
3. The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
Your personal hardships can turn to joy. Nobel Peace Prize laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu credit personal experiences of hardship and oppression for their eventual ability to lead the joyful lives they live today. Discover the eight pillars of joy to overcome fear, stress, anger, grief and illness. Suffering might be inevitable, according to this dynamic duo, but how we respond to it is our choice.
4. How to Live a Good Life: Soulful Stories, Surprising Science, and Practical Wisdom
by Jonathan Fields
Author and entrepreneur Jonathan Fields believes a good life is made up of three buckets: a bucket of vitality, a bucket of connection and a bucket of contribution. Using science-backed and actionable tips, he shows the reader how to fill each of these buckets in just 30 days. Tap into your purpose, the book advises, and do meaningful work in order to vastly improve your life and find maximum happiness.
5. Getting Grit: The Evidence-Based Approach to Cultivating Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose
by Caroline Miller
Positive psychology author and coach Caroline Miller believes our level of grit is fundamental to living a fulfilled life. This guidebook to building grit offers self-assessment tools, daily exercises and life tips to boost courage and willpower. She explores the key traits of gritty people, how true grit inspires others and how humility and self-compassion also play a role in authentic grit.
6. The Dog’s Guide to Your Happiness: Seven Secrets for a Better Life from Man’s Best Friend
by Garry McDaniel and Sharon Massen
Want to be happier? Look to your pooch! Our canine companions can show us what authentic joy is truly about, say authors Garry McDaniel and Sharon Massen, both professors at Franklin University. The book explores seven traits that are essential for happiness through the eyes of our trusted furry friends. We can learn how to let go of stress, the book advises, and get lost in the art of play by watching our dogs just do their thing. Our furry friends can also show us the value of loyalty and unconditional love.