5 Helpful Books – Optimism

When family or friends come to me with a challenge, I usually send them away with a list of books. It has gotten so bad that my boys will laugh, and before I even get the words out, say, “Let me guess. You have a book that I should read?” This month I’m going to continue my series to explain the six characteristics that will help you live and share your genius. The third characteristic is OPTIMISM. Enjoy!

Mans Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. It seems like I recommend this book to everyone. It is definitely one of my classics! I suggest this book for optimism because of Frankl’s explanation about how he was able to control his thoughts, even in the worst situations. Optimism is taking control of how you see the world and deciding to see the good rather than the bad.

Peaks and Valleys by Spencer Johnson. I got this book this month. It is pretty short and written in parable form. It is about how to handle the peaks and valleys in life. In the parable, a young man from the valley who has problems at work and at home climbs the peak and meets a man who gives him advice on how to handle the peaks and valleys of life. It shares a lot of good principles and is an easy, quick read.

Jonathon Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach. This is another parable about life and how you need to do what makes you happy even if you are ostracized for it. Jonathon the seagull, loves to fly and works hard to learn more and improve. Because of this, he is made fun of and left out. He eventually moves on and finds teachers to help him learn and grow even more until he can become the teacher. This is also a simple read but covers some deep concepts. I’ve had older students read this successfully in a class that covered philosophy concepts.

Pollyanna by Eleanor Porter. This classic was written in 1913 and the title character’s name is synonymous with being optimistic. Pollyanna, after being orphaned, is sent to her aunt. Her parents were missionaries and didn’t have many things. Her father taught her “the glad game” where she would find something to be glad about no matter what the situation. Pollyanna in her new home teaches many people how to play the game and changes all of their lives for the better. Her grumpy aunt is one of the last ones to learn to play but eventually, even she joins in. There are also some movies made from the book.

The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper. A children’s classic that never grows old! There is so much to learn from this classic and is a must to read to every little one. Teaching the principles of optimism and a growth mindset to kids at an early age makes everything better. To make it even more impactful be sure to discuss it after you read it and then bring it up to help your kids overcome obstacles that they may come up against.

Enjoy!