Reading Binge
Today is Day 30 of my Happiness Hacks series. Few things make me happier than some uninterrupted reading time, and an inspirational book makes for an especially amazing reading binge. While there was quite a bit of background noise (TV, people talking, rain falling hard outside) this weekend at our get-away, I was able to block…
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Halftime: Moving from Success to Significance, Bob Buford
This is the perfect mid-life read. Buford walks through what the different seasons of life hold and how to plan for more significance during our second half. “Getting back to the center requires us to downshift, to slow down. And once we return to the core—once we know who we are and what’s in the…
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The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
The story in this book is timeless and thought-provoking, and the number of quotable lines is out of control. My bookstore-owner friend recommended The Alchemist, and I read it in two days. “That’s what alchemists do. They show that, when we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better, too.” “Everyone,…
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One Thousand Gifts, Ann Voskamp
The importance of practicing gratitude cannot be understated, and I need a constant reminder to focus on all that’s good in my life. Keeping track of all the simple and ordinary gifts in each day is what Voskamp reminds us to do. “It takes a full twenty minutes after your stomach is full for your…
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Daring Greatly, Brene Brown
The subtitle, “How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead,” says it all. “What makes this constant assessing and comparing so self-defeating is that we are often comparing our lives, our marriages, and our communities to unattainable, media-driven visions of perfection, or we’re holding up our reality against…
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Simplify: Ten Practices to Unclutter Your Soul, Bill Hybels
Hybels gives sound advice with steps to take to gain energy, organization, and connection by focusing on what’s most important. “Simplified living is about more than doing less…It’s walking away from innumerable lesser opportunities in favor of the few to which we’ve been called and for which we’ve been created.”
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Flourish, Martin Seligman
Years ago, this book sparked my interest in positive psychology and started me on a path of learning that led to a master’s degree in psychology and a shelf full of books on happiness, well-being, gratitude, and positivity. Seligman (along with Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience) started the positive psychology movement,…
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The Sweet Spot: How to Find Your Groove at Home and Work, Christine Carter
I learned a new term—“MED” (minimum effective dose)—and have applied it to many areas, including exercise, cooking, and reading. Instead of having lofty ambitions in every area, I’ve given myself permission to do “just enough.” This and many other lessons make this book a gem and a true life-changer. “Because we can’t do everything, we…
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Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose, Tony Hsieh
I took about 20 pages of notes on this book and ended up writing an article for other camp directors, because I was so inspired by Hsieh’s vision that Zappos be much more than just a shoe company. His focus on WOWing customers and creating a happy work culture are an inspiration.
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Coach Wooden: The 7 Principles That Shaped His Life and Will Change Yours, Pat Williams
John Wooden, the greatest coach of all time, was a man of great character who lived out his values and taught his players to do the same. This book offers a great reminder to focus on the people we love, help others, and be true to ourselves. “If you’ve made each day a masterpiece, then by…
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Five: Where Will You Be Five Years From Today?, Dan Zadra
In a simple workbook format with many inspirational quotes, Five guides us to focus on our goals, priorities, and mission in life.
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The Myths of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky
Much of what is commonly believed to make us happy really doesn’t. Lyubomirsky has done the research and explains why. She also shares the data behind what really does makes us happy.
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