5 Books that Will Increase Your Well-Being and Happiness

The right books can make all the difference as you look for meaning in your life. Here are just five titles that will help you conquer your fears, improve your prospects and emerge from your cocoon as a happier, more well-rounded person.

1. Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin

You've probably heard of Gretchen Rubin's first book, The Happiness Project, but this one takes a closer look at why some people are happier, more successful and more fulfilled than others. According to her research, it all boils down to habits. If you start following a series of small, positive habits that build up over time, you'll improve your life by degrees without needing a big epiphany or emergency to motivate change. Gretchen even gives you a template to start with by identifying four basic types of people (Upholder, Obliger, Rebel and Questioner) and helping you determine your path based on your personality type.

2. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brene Brown

Daring Greatly isn't always an easy book to read. It will ask you to really think about things like love, worth and acceptance, and it will prompt a lot of soul-searching as you figure out where and how these things are missing from your life. For example, if you don't feel loved, is it because you don't feel lovable? Are you struggling with inadequacies that make you feel unworthy of love? Would you be able to accept love even if it appeared on your doorstep tomorrow? They're tough questions, but if you have the bravery to confront your demons, you'll find Daring Greatly a great resource during your pursuit of happiness.

3. Design Your Day: Be More Productive, Set Better Goals, and Live Life on Purpose by Claire Diaz-Ortiz

It can be difficult to change your life when your only goals are vague ones like "be happier" or "spend more time with the kids." In Design Your Day, you're given a much simpler task: Structure your next 24 hours to be the best that they can be. Claire Diaz-Ortiz has a number of suggestions for making this happen, and they include things like:

- Learning how to prioritize your time by making lists of "things you can do" versus "things other people can do"
- Dividing personal goals into different categories like work, family, finance and church
- Using the S.M.A.R.T. method to accomplish tasks

Whether you're hoping to achieve something specific or just become a more organized person, Design Your Daycan teach you how.

4. The Zen Commandments: Ten Suggestions for a Life of Inner Freedom by Dean Sluyter

In this thoughtful, philosophical book, Dean Sluyter offers a modern analysis of rules that you've probably heard before. To give an example, one of his commandments is resting on Sundays, but he explains its benefits for both spiritual and non-spiritual readers: When you take a sabbath to disconnect from "worldly" objects like calls, texts, emails and voicemails, you open yourself up to "unworldly" concepts like peace and balance. Drawing inspiration everywhere from religious leaders to ancient inventors, The Zen Commandments will teach you a whole new way of looking at the world.

5. The Bible

It's the most popular book in the world, and it can be a great help on your journey of self-improvement and self-acceptance. That said, there's nothing wrong with admitting that the Bible can be dense to read. It's why there are hundreds of translations and interpretations out there, and it's why people turn to things like SDA Bible commentary online to help them truly understand what they're reading. If you're interested in studying the Bible, don't be afraid to take things slow. Read carefully, think about meanings and take extra time with verses that speak to you.

These are just five books that might serve as valuable stepping stones on your way to a happier life. There are many more, of course, and they're out there for additional reading if you need them. Good luck!