Books, audio, or video on developing the most confidence and optimism?

[TopHatFox]

Two classics I can think of off the top of my head are The Magic of Thinking Big and How to Win Friends and Influence People.

Any others you've liked? I enjoy these as audio books to listen to instill a greater feeling of confidence whenever I want it.

[wood]

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne maybe?

[Dragline]

A number of classics in this genre can be found on YouTube in audio form (or in your library).

Check out "The Strangest Secret" by Earle Nightingale, the lecture series by Napoleon Hill, "Acres of Diamond" by Russell Conwell and anything you can find by Jim Rohn.

"The Secret", which I don't recommend, is based on "The Science of Getting Rich" by Wallace Wattles (1910). Its also in audio form on YouTube.

Also read James Allen -- "As a Man Thinketh" and many other things. Here's Earle Nightingale discussing Allen and that particular work: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6H0OwnIvs8

If you get into Allen, read this: http://www.amazon.com/Mind-Master-Compl ... 1585427691 I believe it is the source material for most of the modern motivational genre.

[Chad]

Recent optimistic book was Bold.

I like these for quick pick me ups:

Wear Sunscreen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI

If your life was a movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTuElM6T50w

[jennypenny]

Also read James Allen -- "As a Man Thinketh" and many other things.

The James Allen Free Library


I'm a Tony Robbins fan. Not the money/income stuff, but the achieve your goals/live your best life stuff. And always +1 for Jim Rohn.

[GandK]

The two most motivating books I've ever read were Walden, and Your Money or Your Life. Neither are explicitly about confidence or optimism, but the former led me to define myself, and the latter led me to define my goals and a plan for achieving them. Optimism and confidence followed, as they were the natural by-products of having my sh!t together... knowing who I am, where I am, and where I'm planning to go.

I'm not sure any tome could have produced either optimism or confidence in me (in a lasting way) in the absence of having my sh!t together.

[jacob]

Usually confirmation bias is strong when it comes to confidence out of which optimism is its delusional twin.

Basically anything you happen to agree with will do well. Unless you're inoculated with the antidote. In that case everything is lost.

Knowledge brings fear. See http://futurama.wikia.com/wiki/Mars_Uni ... ocation%29 ("fun fact" ... this is the same typography as the "Arbeit macht frei" gate at the Auschwitz concentration camp). Likely this is a play on Ignorance is Strength of 1984. See http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/1984/quotes.html

[Tyler9000]

Saw this today and thought it might apply here. It definitely pulls on the optimism heart strings.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaWA2GbcnJU&app=desktop

[heyhey]

Anything that makes you laugh will develop confidence and optimism.

"self help" products are nowhere near so effective.

[IlliniDave]

Ironically, this site is a place I go for an ongoing dose of pessimism. I am generally optimistic by nature, though more cautiously optimistic than the brash/bold optimism you seem to be asking about. But I like to temper that with a measure of gloom/doom lest I become too naive in my optimism.

My prescription would be something like listing out the topics where you want to have success and focus on absorbing material that will educate you on how to achieve the specific goals. Reaching the point of knowing what to do, and knowing that it is within one's ability/power to do so is a great boost to confidence/optimism--or at least it is for me. From there it's just a matter of taking things a step at a time, which means to keep your attention on the present step with minimal angst/regret regarding the past or anxiety about the future. That last idea is easier said than done, and if either facet (issues with the past or anxiety over the future) maybe some targeted self-help/inspirational material would be helpful there. I don't read a lot of that stuff myself.