One unsuccessful day at the office can sometimes drain you of optimism and self-confidence. In between deadlines and back-to-back meetings, it is important to take a moment and remind yourself all that you’re capable of. It is easy to make the excuse that there’s not enough time in the day, but ‘you time’ is made available in unexpected circumstances—even on your journey to and from the office.
To give your brain a dose of optimism, here are 5 books to read on your commute to work:
I Am That Girl: How to Speak Your Truth, Discover Your Purpose, and bethatgirl
If you’re still wondering what your purpose is in life—or perhaps you know it, but are too afraid to make the move—this is the book for you. In this motivating story, author Alexis Jones tells girls to stop listening to the voice inside your head that says you’re not good enough, stop worrying that you don’t have the perfect body, perfect job, or perfect relationship. Compiling stories from over 30 women, Jones encourages readers to stop drawing boundaries for yourself and start living the life you’ve always wanted.
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
A story that does not start off as positive as the last, Option B tells of the unexpected loss of author Sheryl Sandberg’s husband, leaving her alone with their young children. Though an unimaginable situation, Sheryl learns that as much as she wants Option A—for her husband to be alive—is not available, she can learn to make the most of Option B. This book teaches readers that even after the most devastating of events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and appreciation in our lives. Sheryl Sandberg shows readers how to help others in crisis, and learn to develop compassion for ourselves
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
The title says it all. This book doesn’t focus on the fact that we all need to be positive, but on the fact that we all need to stop being so positive. Author Mark Manson tells it how it is, saying that the world is flawed, which is okay, but we have to face it. He explains that once we embrace our fears or uncertainties and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find courage, perseverance, honesty, and responsibility. Reading this book will give readers honest advice they need to hear in life, accepting themselves and the world as they are. “Improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade,” he writes, “but on learning to stomach lemons better.”
Grit to Great: How Perseverance, Passion, and Pluck Take You from Ordinary to Extraordinary
As our inspiration, Meryl Streep said about Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention, “what does it take to be the first female anything? It takes grit, and it takes grace.” The novel Grit to Great tells readers how important it is to never give up at the first sign of difficulty. Kaplan Thaler discusses everything from why optimists do better in school and work to the essential quality of resiliency. Everyone suffers from setbacks in their life, but the key to all of it is to always bounce back.
Wake Up Call: How To Take Control of Your Morning And Transform Your Life
Whether you take your coffee through an IV or slam the snooze button until it breaks, there’s no getting around it: some of us just aren’t morning people. Wake Up Call motivates readers to get up each morning with a ritual set in place to get us ready for the day. Through a 10-step method, author Thaibaut Meurisse provides a push that enables the reader to implement an exhilarating morning ritual immediately and proves that we can all be morning people if we try.
So which one will you start with?
