The Top 5 Books that will Make You Happier in yours 20s
Did you know that aside from providing entertainment, there are many books that actually make you happier?
When I was in my early 20s, I discovered the wonderful world of self-improvement after going through a really bad break-up and wondering what my life was going to be like going forward. In addition to discovering YouTube videos and podcasts on the subject, I also discovered how much I loved reading.
Reading has a ton of incredible benefits for your mental health. The most important one to me at that time is how it teaches you different skills and perspectives on the world.
Below are 5 of my favorite self-improvement books that are sure to make you happier, more motivated, and more positive.
1. Atomic Habits
Written by James Clear, Atomic Habits teaches the science of how our brains develop habitual behaviors. It has sold over one million copies and is considered one of the most well-known books on habits.
You might be thinking to yourself, what’s so special about habits and how can they make me happier? I had the same question before reading this book.
The answer in a nutshell is that, while most people think of habits as behaviors you need to perform to get you closer to a goal, the truth is that habits that stick actually stem from your identity as a person.
James explains this theory in the first chapter of his book and points to it as the number one reason that people fail to keep their habits up over time.
There is a massive difference between someone with a habit of working out because they believe they are an athletic person, versus someone who pushes themselves to work out so they can have a nice body. One focuses on your identity as a person while the other focuses on some external goal.
Most of the research on happiness agrees that long-term, true happiness comes from within and is not determined by external circumstances.
So if you’re wanting a feel-good book that will boost your motivation to build an identity that makes you truly happy, give this one a read! Your first identity shift could even be: “I am a happy person.” Then when building new habits, you can ask yourself: “What would a happy person do every day?”
2. The Extraordinary Art of Confidence
This book was so pivotal in making me happier as a young adult that it’s difficult to put into words. I have always been a shy person and struggled with my self-esteem and confidence, which of course had an impact on how happy I felt a lot of days.
In The Extraordinary Art of Confidence, the author Dr. Aziz Gazipura reflects on his own struggles with low confidence and crippling social anxiety. He then shares the tactics he’s learned after learning to improve his own confidence over 15+ years.
The book begins by identifying the main two things that hold people back from improving their confidence: Excuses and Stories.
Excuses are all of the reasons why you can’t do something, and stories are all of the beliefs you create in your mind about who you are and who you’ll be in the future.
Understanding the ways we sabotage ourselves from increasing our confidence and believing in ourselves more is sure to make you happier. Not only will you have a sense of peace in understanding why things are the way they are for you, but you will be able to start making steps to change it.
Dr. Aziz also touches on some of the main areas of confidence that frequently hold us back, such as money, relationships, and work. The strategies he shares are very practical and anyone who’s willing to make some changes in their life can follow them.
This book will surely make you happier because, who wouldn’t like to be feel confident more often? Confidence is a skill that spills over into all areas of life and can make it a night-and-day difference.
3. The Four Agreements
I just finished reading this book after my therapist recommended it to me, and WOW. Even though it’s a pocket-sized book of only 140 pages, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is truly one of the best books I have ever read.
The book opens with an eye-opening truth: we are all born into the world with a set of “agreements” on how to live as a society. These agreements are with ourselves and with other people.
For example, language is an “agreement” – we must all agree that the word “book” refers to a written work of pages bound between two covers.
Unfortunately, most of us subscribe to agreements that we didn’t choose and that don’t make us happy. Most of the agreements we have are to keep us quiet, in line, and playing small.
The author then offers some relief: as long as we stick to four important agreements and ignore all the others, we will be happy. They are:
- Be impeccable with your word
- Don’t take things personally
- Don’t make assumptions
- Always do your best
These four agreements stem to every area of life and are the key to a truly peaceful existence. If you can stick to just these agreements the majority of the time, you will suffer from emotions like fear, anger, and anxiety much less frequently.
This is one of the best books that will make you happier because it’s short, to the point, and full of powerful ideas.
4. Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Got Married
There’s a good chance you’ve heard of Dr. Gary Chapman, the author of the best-selling book The Five Love Languages.
One of Dr. Chapman’s other fantastic books on romantic relationships is “Things I Wish I’d Known Before I Got Married.”
Another quick read, this book boasts an impressive amount of insight and advice for things to look for before deciding to tie the knot with someone.
This is one of the best books you can read for your overall happiness. Who you choose to spend your life with is one of the most important decisions you will ever make.
Such an important decision means you will have to consult another person on everything you do going forward – where you will live, what kind of house you will have, whether or not you will have children, and just about every aspect of how you will live your lives.
If you make the decision to marry someone who you ultimately don’t have a lot in common with when it comes to dreams, goals, and values, it will be much more difficult to live a life that makes you feel truly fulfilled.
Dr. Chapman shares not only his personal story of struggle in the beginning years of his own marriage, but provides a whole host of practical questions to ask yourself and things to consider before making one of the biggest decisions of your life.
And as a bonus, if you’re single or don’t ever want to get married, Dr. Chapman shares amazing tips for how to have a healthy and authentic dating relationship as well.
Having a clear vision on the person who you will spend your life with is a surefire way to make you happier and more optimistic right now.
5. I Will Teach You to be Rich
This book completely changed the way I handle money. Unfortunately, as the title might lead some to believe, I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi will not make you rich overnight.
What it will do is give you a 6-week, very practical action plan on how to set your money up for success. You will learn about credit cards, the best bank accounts, how to automate all of your bills, and guidelines for investing. You will also get a good, hard look at your current financial position and decide if there are some changes you need to make.
While it’s true that money doesn’t guarantee happiness, it’s also true that having more money means having more freedom and more options. This freedom gives you the opportunity to be very happy if you use it in a way that fulfills you.
Conclusion
Learning about yourself and making positive changes consistently is sure to make you feel proud, more motivated, and more excited about life. The above 5 books all give you the tools to do just that and are sure to make you happier in the process!
What are some of the best books you’ve ever read that have made you happier?