Motivational books to build mental toughness and strength during…you know

Books are a unique personal resource and powerful in solitude and reflection

It is one thing to promote health, wellness, exercise and self-care in a generalized way. But what about mental strength? Mental toughness? Mental well-being? These, particularly during difficult and challenging times, are in many ways the wellspring from which all other self-improvements follow.

Read More: October book releases that will help push you through the rest of the year

Can you control your bad habits without mental discipline? Can you use a philosophical idea like stoicism to take a healthier approach to life itself, rather than just going on a fad diet to try to curb sloth and over-indulgence?

Pandemic Presents Unprecedented Challenges to Business and Prosperity 

And in business and finance, don’t we all need help to discover ways to steel ourselves for the battle of the marketplace? Or, perhaps that is wrong-headed and outdated thinking, guaranteed to recreate failure over and over since it is really focus, the power of intention and a true understanding of abundance, that will ultimately win out?

It is hard to estimate the power of pure motivation and mental perspective and the role they play in achieving life goals and gaining even simple but incredibly significant improvements in our daily lives. 

Theses books, described below by reviewers and authors, are some that have helped many people in tough situations to find ways to emerge unscathed, even triumphant. Perhaps you can join them and use a book to map out your own true path for the future. 

We have provided additional information about our book picks from the publisher, as well as where to purchase if interested to help independent bookstores.

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

After decades of research, world-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a simple but groundbreaking idea: the power of mindset. In this brilliant book, she shows how success in school, work, sports, the arts, and almost every area of human endeavor can be dramatically influenced by how we think about our talents and abilities.

People with a fixed mindset–those who believe that abilities are fixed–are less likely to flourish than those with a growth mindset–those who believe that abilities can be developed. Mindset reveals how great parents, teachers, managers, and athletes can put this idea to use to foster outstanding accomplishment. 

In this edition, Dweck offers new insights into her now famous and broadly embraced concept. She introduces a phenomenon she calls false growth mindset and guides people toward adopting a deeper, truer growth mindset. She also expands the mindset concept beyond the individual, applying it to the cultures of groups and organizations. With the right mindset, you can motivate those you lead, teach, and love–to transform their lives and your own. Click to See “Mindset” and help Independent bookstores. Also Available on Amazon.

The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

Why have history’s greatest minds–from George Washington to Frederick the Great to Ralph Waldo Emerson, along with today’s top performers from Super Bowl-winning football coaches to CEOs and celebrities–embraced the wisdom of the ancient Stoics? Because they realize that the most valuable wisdom is timeless and that philosophy is for living a better life, not a classroom exercise. 

The Daily Stoic offers 366 days of Stoic insights and exercises, featuring all-new translations from the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, the playwright Seneca, or slave-turned-philosopher Epictetus, as well as lesser-known luminaries like Zeno, Cleanthes, and Musonius Rufus. Every day of the year you’ll find one of their pithy, powerful quotations, as well as historical anecdotes, provocative commentary, and a helpful glossary of Greek terms. By following these teachings over the course of a year (and, indeed, for years to come) you’ll find the serenity, self-knowledge, and resilience you need to live well. Click to See “Daily Stoic” and help independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do: Take Back Your Power, Embrace Change, Face Your Fears, and Train Your Brain for Happiness and Success

Everyone knows that regular exercise and weight training lead to physical strength. But how do we strengthen ourselves mentally for the truly tough times? And what should we do when we face these challenges? Or as psychotherapist Amy Morin asks, what should we avoid when we encounter adversity? Through her years counseling others and her own experiences navigating personal loss, Morin realized it is often the habits we cannot break that are holding us back from true success and happiness. Indulging in self-pity, agonizing over things beyond our control, obsessing over past events, resenting the achievements of others, or expecting immediate positive results holds us back. This list of things mentally strong people don’t do resonated so much with readers that when it was picked up by Forbes.com it received ten million views.

Now, for the first time, Morin expands upon the thirteen things from her viral post and shares her tried-and-true practices for increasing mental strength. Morin writes with searing honesty, incorporating anecdotes from her work as a college psychology instructor and psychotherapist as well as personal stories about how she bolstered her own mental strength when tragedy threatened to consume her.

Increasing your mental strength can change your entire attitude. It takes practice and hard work, but with Morin’s specific tips, exercises, and troubleshooting advice, it is possible to not only fortify your mental muscle but also drastically improve the quality of your life. Click here to See “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability–the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome–is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall. 

It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened as a range of people–from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents–shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up.

She asked herself, What do these people with strong and loving relationships, leaders nurturing creativity, artists pushing innovation, and clergy walking with people through faith and mystery have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean in to discomfort. Click here to See “Rising Strong” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

Master Your Emotions: A Practical Guide to Overcome Negativity and Better Manage Your Feelings

Have you ever been so consumed by negative emotions you thought they’d never go away?

The solution to deal with negative emotions is to understand how your emotions work and apply specific techniques to ensure you manage them as effectively as possible. 

Master Your Emotions is the ‘how-to’ manual your parents should have given you at birth. By reading it, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to deal with negative emotions so you can live a happier, more fulfilling life. With pragmatic exercises and personal examples, you’ll explore techniques that counteract draining spirals of negativity and provide immediate relief.
In Master Your Emotions, you’ll discover: 

• A simple yet powerful formula to reprogram your mind and transform negative feelings into productive attitudes
• 31 simple coping strategies to handle whatever life throws your way
• A clear understanding of exactly how to make your emotions work for you
• Powerful hacks to make emotions your strongest tool for personal growth
• Access to a free downloadable workbook, and much, much more! Click here to See “Master Your Emotion” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

You Are a Badass (Deluxe Edition): How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life 

Packed with humor, inspiration, and advice, You Are a Badass is the #1 New York Times bestselling self-help book that teaches you how to get better without getting busted.
In this refreshingly entertaining how-to guide, bestselling author and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, serves up twenty-seven bite-sized chapters full of hilariously inspiring stories, sage advice, easy exercises, and the occasional swear word, helping you to: 

• Identify and change the self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors that stop you from getting what you want, 
• Create a life you totally love. And create it NOW, and
• Make some damn money already. The kind you’ve never made before.

By the end of You Are a Badass, you’ll understand why you are how you are, how to love what you can’t change, how to change what you don’t love, and how to use The Force to kick some serious ass. Click here to See ” You Are a Badass” and help Independent bookstores. Also available on Amazon.

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