Life becomes hectic, harassed and full of stress. it’s easy, over time, to develop what many call a “bad attitude.” we become negative, unmotivated, and throw occasional pity parties. it is difficult to get out of this general attitude. Sometimes there are temporary respites when something good happens (we get a raise, buy a new car or house) and while we think these things will change our attitudes, they ultimately don’t.
A change of attitude must come from within, and it is difficult. sometimes there are recommendations of books to read, like books to read before college, or books recommended by famous magazines. and there are books that will certainly make us think and perhaps change our attitudes for a short time. Long-term permanent change, however, comes with reminders and continual practice. the following seven books have made a difference for others, and one or more may make a difference for you. If you find one that catches your eye, keep it close by, reread it often, and it can indeed have that long-term effect.
You are reading: Books on how to change your attitude
the butterfly effect by andy andrews
This may be the most powerful book on the list. Years ago, in 1963, a physicist by the name of Edward Lorenz gave a presentation at the Academy of Sciences. his theory was that when a butterfly flaps its wings, it moves air molecules. those molecules move more molecules until weather patterns form. laughter filled the room, and he disgraced himself. Years later, in the 1990s, physicists confirmed Lorenz’s theory. Author Andrews saw this as an important lesson for all of us. Ask yourself these questions: “What if Jonas Salk had never been born?” and now, “what if she had never been born?” How many lives have you touched in some way during your lifetime and how many lives would be “poorer” if you weren’t in them? Pretty quickly, you’ll see that your life has mattered.
this is a short book with examples of how famous and very common people have changed lives because they have been or are on this planet.
the power of habit by charles duhigg
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author duhigg claims that 40% of everything we do is based on habits we have formed since childhood. he furthermore claims that because we don’t understand the brain, we don’t understand how habits are formed and how to break them. Can you really break bad habits? according to duhigg, yes it can and, in fact, several can be broken at the same time. however, what really becomes interesting is how it expands the concept to groups of people, companies and society as a whole. this is a great read for you personally and also to gain insight into the groups in society in which you exist.
search within yourself by chade-meng tan
tan started his career as a software engineer at google. however, as he developed software, he became much more interested in how humans develop. Long story short, he’s still on google, but now as a life coach for his employees. According to Tan, we are productive, at peace, and mentally and physically healthy when we have developed our emotional intelligence, and that intelligence has five facets. this is a practical book with clearly defined methods and strategies: anyone can practice what he preaches.
don’t sweat the small stuff by richard carlson
This is not a new book, but it appears on many lists of excellent reading for self-help. The big conclusion is that life is not perfect and no human being is perfect. but if we continue to focus on those details that are frustrating, irritating, stressful, and otherwise not perfect, we lose sight of who we are and the great potential we have. there are only certain things that matter in the long run, and those should be our focus. there is a lot of emphasis on living right now, in the moment, being comfortable with imperfection, and allowing intuition to take a more important place in our lives. the prescriptions are important, and any chapter can be read on its own as a reminder.
52 weeks: two women and their quest to break the logjam by karen young and pam godwin
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This is hysterical reading. one night, two women have a few drinks and decide that life has become boring and unfulfilling. they set out to have an affair every week for a year, however small. For example, one adventure was to test drive a Maserati. other adventures, of course, were bigger, but they were things that both of them had decided should be on their bucket lists. his conclusion and lesson for all of us is that life is about learning, continuously learning new things until we die. that’s how we grow, and that’s how we leave this planet with no regrets. Throughout the book, the reader also receives tips and strategies from psychology experts and life coaches, and these are good “endorsements” for what these authors recommend. you will laugh a lot
the myth of more by joseph novello
happiness is the result of pleasures. that’s what novello says we’ve all learned. and that’s also why we’re never really happy. there is always more pleasure, even for millionaires. This pursuit of pleasure places us in “life traps” from infancy and turns us into dysfunctional adults who must have the next shiny new object for our temporary pleasures. your remedy? stop shopping and stop wishing for things. accept ourselves as we are and seek experiences with others more than with things. This book may sound a bit “dry,” but it’s not-Novello is a great storyteller, and his book is full of them.
prisons we choose to live in by doris lessing
The good thing about this book is that it is a series of essays, each of them a gem to be read as many times as necessary. Published in the 1980s, the essays are based on a series of lectures that Lessing gave. his thesis is that we are indoctrinated from childhood by our institutions (government, church, schools, affiliations, etc.) and declare things to be good or bad based on those indoctrinations. So, we have to have enemies, because we’re always right, and we can justify treating our enemies badly because they’re always wrong. whether in our personal lives or in the way our governments behave, there are so many lessons in these essays. you’ll develop a new understanding of your biases and perhaps get rid of some of them as a result.
It is the human condition to always be searching. we continue to believe that there are better things than what we have: better living conditions, better relationships, etc. what all of these books teach, among their specific lessons, is that we have to start this journey of the rest of our lives feeling comfortable with who we are right now in this moment. Only then can we start to move forward.
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