Best books on confidence are filled with practical advice and inspirational stories. Start living differently today by closing the confidence gap between the low self-esteem & low confidence you are feeling and the confident best version of you that you are meant to be.
This post is a collaboration with friends and the moms in my private Facebook group who shared recommendations on the best books for building self-confidence. I thought I’d share their suggestions with you.
What is your favorite way to consume books?
For novels that I read before bed to relax I really like real paper books. I love the feel and smell of real books. Sometimes I read self-help/self-improvement books, but just as often I listen to audiobooks. That gives me a chance to multi-task while I exercise, drive, or clean house. My sister who often travels for work prefers to read her books on her Kindle.
Best series for kids with low confidence
Books by Molly Lou Melon are priceless to help kids develop confidence and high self-esteem.
Patty Lovell has an adorable series of books for kids on confidence. The first book for kids to read is Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon but don’t stop there the stories and illustrations are delightful.
Best Practical Guides for Building Confidence
Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz
This is a great book to get the audio version of so that you can listen to it over and over again (get free audiobooks here). Schwartz makes a case that you don’t need innate talent to become successful, but you do need to understand the habit of thinking and behaving in ways that will get you there. Filled with easy-to-understand advice.
Gifts of Imperfection by Berne Brown
An inspiring guide to cultivating a sense of self-worth and stop living the life you think you are supposed to live and embracing who you really are. This book as sold over 2 million copies and been translated into 30 languages.
Six Pillars of Self Esteem by Nathanial Branden
Branden gives six action-based daily exercises to build self-esteem in yourself or your children. He also explains the importance of self-esteem in being successful in the 21st century.
Affirmations are one tool in building your confidence and changing your thinking. I put together a list of confidence-building affirmations here.
Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill
Think and Grow Rich is the classic book on success. It was first published in 1937 but still has great advice. One of the key concepts of this book is to develop a community of support around you to reach your full potential.
I Am That Girl by Alexis Jones
In our media distracted world, the important questions like: What’s your passion? What’s your purpose? Who do you want to be? often get lost. Jones has built a career listening to and helping girls around the world figure out those questions in order to inspire them to think for themselves, to speak their truth, to discover their purpose, and to dream BIG!
Journaling is one way to listen to your internal voice and figure out who are you and not who does the world think you “should be”. Get 25 journal prompts to help you on your path to self discovery.
Two famous testimonials for this classic.
“This book gives you a step-by-step system to transform your thinking about yourself and your potential, enabling you to achieve greater success in every area of your life.”
—Lee Iacocca, Chairman, Lee Iacocca & Associates”Outstanding! Brian Tracy’s Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life is a must-read. Use the powerful ‘mental software’ program in this book to tap your vast inner resources and bring the life you’ve been dreaming about into reality.”
—Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager and Full Steam Ahead!
Inspirational Stories to Close the Confidence Gap
You are a Bad Ass by JenSincero
Entertaining stories about how to change your thinking and beliefs to change your life.
A memoir about how Doyle stopped being the “good girl” doing what others expected her to do and started being true to herself. She will inspire you to be brave and learn that the braver you are the luckier you will be.
Best Motivational Audio “Book”
Unleash the Power Within by Tony Robbins
This “book” you can only get as an audio recording, but that is okay because Robbins’ presentation style is so charismatic. He will inspire you to let go of limiting beliefs, generate more enthusiasm, self-esteem and self-confidence.
Best Motivational Confidence Building Books
This is another classic. It is filled with examples of how faith and positive thinking changes lives. It gives you 10 rules of how to develop confidence.
4 Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz
This very short book was one of the most recommended on the list. It offers a powerful code of conduct based on ancient wisdom. It reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering.
This suggestion surprised me when I first saw it and even more when I read what the plot is. I am so curious about why this one was suggested as a book that motivates the reader to live with confidence. If you’ve read this one what did you think? After this recommendation, it is on my to-read list or more likely to listen to when a long road trip, because the plot sounds a little depressing for my bedtime reading. It is based on a true story of an orphan girl who was misused by a philanderer. They meet again later in life.
I heard a preacher say that he reads a different translation of the Bible cover to cover every year and has for decades. I discovered a new version of the Bible I haven’t read and think I am going to try this translation for a while.
For more inspiration on building your confidence follow me on Instagram.
More self-help book recommendations
29 Books to Read When Your World is Falling Apart
10 Best Self-Help Books for Women
12 Books to Get You Through Divorce
Hi, I’m Tamara the creator of Empowered Single Moms, a single mom, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and the author of Thriving a Single Mom’s Guide to a Happy, Positive Life and Thriving a Single Mom Journal. I have a solo private psychotherapy practice where I treat anxiety, depression, and relationship issues.
As a member of the Empowered Single Moms community, I believe you can stop carrying the weight of the world alone and build a life you love. Join my mailing list and get 5 Keys to Single Mom Success.
Thanks for these great recommendations. There was a time when I could read about 100 books each year, thanks to the GoodReads challege, but now as a busy mom, those days are long over. Good to see encouraging book ideas like those on this list. Thank you!
Meika,
I had not heard of the 100 book challenge until a few days ago when my niece said she was reading her 100th book. So impressive.