6 Books That Can Awaken Your Positive Potential

“Your positive action combined with positive thinking results in success.”
—Shiv Khera

Living a more positive life isn’t an overnight change but can be achieved through small steps. These small steps are different for everyone, but if you’re taking more time for yourself, reading positive books can help towards awakening your positivity.

Reading can help keep the brain active, from learning new vocabulary through to increasing your general knowledge. But, reading positive thinking books can also help with unlocking and maintaining your positive potential every single day.

Not sure which books to read? In this new chapter of the Bach® Team’s bookshelf, we’re looking at six books that can give you a helping hand with positive thinking.

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“The Alchemist,” by Paulo Coelho

The plot of the book is simple; a shepherd embarks on a journey to accomplish his Personal Legend. There’s dystopian fiction encased around the storyline, but the ultimate goal for Santiago, the main character, is one that is equivalent to our purpose in life. Coehlo weaves positivity throughout the narrative, including finding one’s own destiny, rising above failure, and the unity of the universe.

“The Power of Now,” by Eckhart Tolle

Within one chapter, this novel will make you more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of the ability to live in happiness. Unlike other positive thinking books, Tolle unpacks topics such as the source of Chi, the creative use of the mind and the cycle of life, while providing handy little markers that symbolize a ‘break’ to mull over what you’ve just read.

The Power of Now reads like a guidebook to positive thinking and could change your routine for the better.

“The Book of Joy,” by Dalai Lama

This book starts with a birthday party, where two close friends talk about joy. These two friends are none other than the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. These two leaders, despite their hardships, are also happy people. But what’s their secret?

The Book of Joy is explained as a three-layer birthday cake: their own stories about joy, the most recent findings in science and the daily practices that anchor their own emotional lives.

The pair demonstrate their positivity through compassion, humor and how joy can be taken from a moment. And this encompasses the critical takeaway from this novel — living a positive life takes patience and faith in the changes you are undertaking.

“Year of Yes,” by Shonda Rhimes

Taking you behind the curtain, the Year of Yes introduces you to the mind of Shonda Rhimes — where interviews and panel discussions are anxiety triggers. It’s the little things, like clothes not fitting, that make the reader feel connected, and explain the feelings that surround her ‘yes’ moments. 

But the key takeaway from Year of Yes is that blood, sweat, and tears have led to Rhimes’s success.

“The Power of Positive Thinking,” by Norman Vincent

The Power of Positive Thinking encourages you to try Vincent’s methods to live a more productive and more rewarding life. The book’s position on positivity relies on this being ingrained in our culture already. For example, most people know that if they are going to succeed, then they must believe that they will succeed.

Chapter by chapter, you’ll find various hints, and tips for building self-belief, which could help as a short problem solver, or as a long-term goal for a positive life.

“Grit,” by Angela Lee Duckworth

Grit is the notion that success is directly linked to passion and perseverance. Angela Duckworth explores this in her namesake book, claiming that grit prevails over talent.

This read goes into detail on the habits of the grittiest among us. These include perseverance, willingness to practice, a sense of purpose, and a hopeful spirit. Each chapter focuses on a different success story, and highlights how grit led to that. If you love a good motivational quote, then this book is a great read.

If you liked this, check out our favorite personal development books, or scroll down for more articles. Or learn more about bringing nature into your home, finding confidence at work, and feeling more confident making decisions.