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Think Happy: Instant Peptalks to Boost Positivity
Stay happy—no matter how much life throws at you!
Happiness expert and Oprah columnist Karen Salmansohn presents a collection of 50 inspirational inner peptalks to boost your confidence, attitude, and mood. These peptalks are different than affirmations because they’re feisty, fun and memorable--and will thereby stick in your brain like a catchy song. You’ll naturally want to keep repeating them, thereby changing your neural pathways so you’re inclined to think positive thoughts, which lead to positive habits, which lead to a positively happy life!
Whether you’re feeling stressed, need motivation, are dealing with haters, or need to turn your tale of woe into a tale of wow, THINK HAPPY’s instant peptalks and whimsical illustrations will grump-proof your brain so you can move forward with optimism, resilience, and plain ol’ fabulousness.
From the Hardcover edition.
Happiness expert and Oprah columnist Karen Salmansohn presents a collection of 50 inspirational inner peptalks to boost your confidence, attitude, and mood. These peptalks are different than affirmations because they’re feisty, fun and memorable--and will thereby stick in your brain like a catchy song. You’ll naturally want to keep repeating them, thereby changing your neural pathways so you’re inclined to think positive thoughts, which lead to positive habits, which lead to a positively happy life!
Whether you’re feeling stressed, need motivation, are dealing with haters, or need to turn your tale of woe into a tale of wow, THINK HAPPY’s instant peptalks and whimsical illustrations will grump-proof your brain so you can move forward with optimism, resilience, and plain ol’ fabulousness.
From the Hardcover edition.
128 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 12, 2016
23 people are currently reading
534 people want to read
About the author
Karen Salmansohn
58 books100 followersKaren Salmansohn is a bestselling author (with 2 million books and courses sold), leading behavioral change expert, and columnist for Oprah and Psychology Today, as well as the founder of the popular personal development site NotSalmon.com, which has a vibrant community of 1.5 million followers. Her most recent book is "Your To-Die-For Life: How to Maximize Joy and Minimize Regret . . . Before Your Time Runs Out." She’s been sparking transformations in individuals and companies for a few decades and is passionate about digging deep and finding fascinating insights, tools, and studies from all areas of life, including psychology, Eastern and Western philosophy, neuroscience, quantum physics, and more.
She began writing “self-help for people who wouldn’t be caught dead doing self help” in 1999 with the bestseller How To Be Happy Dammit—the very first personal development book of its kind to have a feisty title, edgy humor, and stylish interior design, which paved the way for self-help authors to write irreverent personal development books. Since then, she’s written many bestsellers, including The Bounce Back Book and Think Happy. Now she’s excited to pioneer the mortality awareness movement by illuminating life’s most avoided conversation—death—and reminding others to live more bravely.
She began writing “self-help for people who wouldn’t be caught dead doing self help” in 1999 with the bestseller How To Be Happy Dammit—the very first personal development book of its kind to have a feisty title, edgy humor, and stylish interior design, which paved the way for self-help authors to write irreverent personal development books. Since then, she’s written many bestsellers, including The Bounce Back Book and Think Happy. Now she’s excited to pioneer the mortality awareness movement by illuminating life’s most avoided conversation—death—and reminding others to live more bravely.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 4, 2017
Quick review for a very quick read. I found this book of affirmations at my local bookstore and picked it up on a whim. Mostly because it had bright colors, peppy illustrations and very memorable adages when I flipped through the work. I read this inside of an hour, but even with it being a brief read, the values and advice within Salmansohn's narrative is well worth revisiting for many different scenarios (mood changes, life changes, loss, failure, trying something new, etc.) Some dialogues in this book hit more home with me than others and I give it credit for that. Salmansohn's connections to the experiences is well noted, and I thought the narrative supported a strong connection between sticking to the topics of each section and providing personal feedback. I definitely will find myself returning to this narrative, if even on the measure that illustrations are a big part of that enjoyment/reasoning.
Overall score :3.5/5 stars.
Overall score :3.5/5 stars.
March 8, 2021
Forget your troubles, come on get happy!
It took me maybe a day to connect the mood shift I had after reading this book. I was in a really bad mood, and was pretty much on the brink of either shutting down or lashing out. Or both.
It's always bad when I know I'm doing it too.
Then I started reading through this book and a lot of it hit me in just the right way. Like I said above; I didn't even realize it was happening. Suddenly my mood improved, all negative thoughts were gone, and I was feeling pretty inspired. I'm not sure when I realized my bad mood was gone but all thoughts went to this book.
It did take some convincing, but not for long. It really was too great a coincidence.
There's so much goodness within these pages, that I don't think I'll ever get enough of it.
It took me maybe a day to connect the mood shift I had after reading this book. I was in a really bad mood, and was pretty much on the brink of either shutting down or lashing out. Or both.
It's always bad when I know I'm doing it too.
Then I started reading through this book and a lot of it hit me in just the right way. Like I said above; I didn't even realize it was happening. Suddenly my mood improved, all negative thoughts were gone, and I was feeling pretty inspired. I'm not sure when I realized my bad mood was gone but all thoughts went to this book.
It did take some convincing, but not for long. It really was too great a coincidence.
There's so much goodness within these pages, that I don't think I'll ever get enough of it.
March 2, 2024
A short, positive, upbeat title mainly propelled by colourful, lively illustrations that make it best suited as a gift to someone or a coffee table book. The chapters are organised by type of pep talk: i.e. advice for when you need some motivation, love, are trying something new, are stressed, feeling down, are dealing with challenges, etc. Each "pep talk" is actually just a little bit of advice (1-page long) on what to do, accompanied with beautiful hand-drawn pictures, and there are just 5 pep talks per chapter. None of the advice is groundbreaking or anything you've not already heard before, but its presentation, together with the graphics, multiplies its effect. If you're feeling down, just opening this book alone is enough to make you already feel slightly better.
January 21, 2019
3.5
"A range of neuroscientific studies support how positive affirmations, when consistently repeated, can wind up sinking into the subconscious mind--thereby affecting a person's sense of self and their behavior."
I don't usually go much for self-help type books, but if the above is true, I'm certainly willing to give them a try. Some of the affirmations in this book have proved too syrupy for me, but there are a few good ones that I liked:
-Thoughts are like a steering wheel
-Everything in life comes with a pooper scooper factor
-Celebrate effort, not outcome
-Never let a zombie bite turn you into a zombie
-If it doesn't open, it's not your door
The illustrations are totally my aesthetic, and I'm glad I checked out the book just for them, but I just wasn't particularly inspired by many of the affirmations. I think this could be a great book for the right person.
"A range of neuroscientific studies support how positive affirmations, when consistently repeated, can wind up sinking into the subconscious mind--thereby affecting a person's sense of self and their behavior."
I don't usually go much for self-help type books, but if the above is true, I'm certainly willing to give them a try. Some of the affirmations in this book have proved too syrupy for me, but there are a few good ones that I liked:
-Thoughts are like a steering wheel
-Everything in life comes with a pooper scooper factor
-Celebrate effort, not outcome
-Never let a zombie bite turn you into a zombie
-If it doesn't open, it's not your door
The illustrations are totally my aesthetic, and I'm glad I checked out the book just for them, but I just wasn't particularly inspired by many of the affirmations. I think this could be a great book for the right person.
March 18, 2021
A nice book for that instant dose of positivity that everyone needs in life - even for the most positive, bubbly souls out there. The kind of book that finds a place on your desk. The book works like a charm if you were to pick a random page and read its snippet or equally works if you want to give it an end to end read. Some pages have tiny activities that provide further ideas on what you could do to add more happiness in life. While there is no groundbreaking discovery in its pages, it serves as a reminder of the things we all already know but may not always practice. It is well structured, contains 5 things to do in specific situations. I am sure I will go back to its pages from time to time.
July 3, 2017
Such a light, motivating read! The book is broken down into chapters on love, challenges, trying new things, and other related topics. Each page is filled with a colorful and vivid illustration to go with the quotes and advice. Definitely recommend this book to anyone! It would also be really cute on a coffee table.
July 15, 2017
Like a warm cup of light chamomile tea, Salmansohn's book cleanses souls, lifts spirits and improves moods. A great book to sooth any unsettledness and clear minds. Refreshing and thoughtful, this book has been a delightful read. Did I mention that the watercolour paintings were very pretty too?
August 5, 2018
Another good book to read.
Think Happy is filled with 50 positive peptalks with beautiful illustrations, that will make you want to print it out and put it up where you can see them every day.
Some really hit the right notes for me. 😊
Think Happy is filled with 50 positive peptalks with beautiful illustrations, that will make you want to print it out and put it up where you can see them every day.
Some really hit the right notes for me. 😊
August 18, 2017
Cute little coffee table book of pick-me-ups.
September 24, 2017
Bueno pero ligero
Vale la pena leerlo mas de una vez de forma lenta y consciente. Lo recomiendo aunque me gusta una mejor versión de kindle
Vale la pena leerlo mas de una vez de forma lenta y consciente. Lo recomiendo aunque me gusta una mejor versión de kindle
June 28, 2018
Simple messages beautifully illustrated.
It’s the journal everyone should read. I loved it. It would be a great gift for anybody who needs more positivity.
It’s the journal everyone should read. I loved it. It would be a great gift for anybody who needs more positivity.
August 5, 2018
Will probably read this from time to time. Thoughtful book.
August 30, 2019
Short, sweet, positive, uplifting and wise, this is a wonderful book to read. With beautiful and vibrant illustrations, I guarantee you will feel (and think) happier after reading this book.
September 2, 2019
I loved loved loved it!
This book is just what I needed at this point in my life.
This book is just what I needed at this point in my life.
December 29, 2019
Cute book.
I got a lot of little nuggets from the book. It gave me a lot to think about. Overall good book.
I got a lot of little nuggets from the book. It gave me a lot to think about. Overall good book.
December 1, 2020
Short pep talks that really helps start my day.
December 11, 2022
Am easy wee read and food for thought!
March 1, 2023
Cutie book - the type that I'd gift to a 12 year old girl.
July 31, 2024
very sweet book to read on a daily basis, lots to learn but not all the new for me, having read several books of a similar nature
April 18, 2025
very positive and silly....definitely an uplifting book.
September 23, 2016
This review, and many more like it, can be found on my blog Girl About Library
"Positive affirmations, when consistently repeated, can wind up sinking into the subconscious mind- thereby affecting a person's sense of self and their behavior"
We all have an internal dialogue- and what we say to ourselves has a huge impact on how we act and how we feel. How many of those daily internal conversations are positive? "Think Happy" by Karen Salmansohn offers the right words to say during a difficult time. These easy phrases are simple to remember and can be used by anyone - yourself, friends, family- including kiddos! Check out some of my favorites below and my thoughts on the book.
There were a couple of phrases that stuck out to me, in particular, reading this book. Everything in life comes with a pooper scooper factor, be a positive evidence collector, be your own superhero, celebrate effort not the outcome and the always helpful - never give up. never give up, never give up! I could see some people viewing these phrases as not particularly helpful- but really this book is not for them. "Think Happy" is for anyone who is looking for encouragement. This book truly has it in spades!
I love that the book is full of phrases that I can use with my son. It was fun to read this and consider some of the struggles that will eventually arise in his life, and how these phrases might be helpful.
Besides having great nuggets of knowledge, this book also has great artwork. "Think Happy" has a beautiful cover as well and adds a ray of sunshine to a bedside or coffee table.
Less a what I didn't like, and more a "wish there was more of"- as someone who struggles with thinking happy at times, I find positive encouragements helpful. But even more so, I find the scientific benefits of positive thought *very* helpful and I would like to have seen more of that. While being positive is beneficial in a tough situation, that role is an especially difficult one when others are being negative. During those tense times adding the levity of these phrases might not be especially helpful. I'd like to have seen some suggestions on how to helpfully and thoughtfully work these words into conversations so that the person struggling with their happiness does not feel as though they are being handed a pithy statement, but instead a positive affirmation to reset their mindset.
"Positive affirmations, when consistently repeated, can wind up sinking into the subconscious mind- thereby affecting a person's sense of self and their behavior"
We all have an internal dialogue- and what we say to ourselves has a huge impact on how we act and how we feel. How many of those daily internal conversations are positive? "Think Happy" by Karen Salmansohn offers the right words to say during a difficult time. These easy phrases are simple to remember and can be used by anyone - yourself, friends, family- including kiddos! Check out some of my favorites below and my thoughts on the book.
There were a couple of phrases that stuck out to me, in particular, reading this book. Everything in life comes with a pooper scooper factor, be a positive evidence collector, be your own superhero, celebrate effort not the outcome and the always helpful - never give up. never give up, never give up! I could see some people viewing these phrases as not particularly helpful- but really this book is not for them. "Think Happy" is for anyone who is looking for encouragement. This book truly has it in spades!
I love that the book is full of phrases that I can use with my son. It was fun to read this and consider some of the struggles that will eventually arise in his life, and how these phrases might be helpful.
Besides having great nuggets of knowledge, this book also has great artwork. "Think Happy" has a beautiful cover as well and adds a ray of sunshine to a bedside or coffee table.
Less a what I didn't like, and more a "wish there was more of"- as someone who struggles with thinking happy at times, I find positive encouragements helpful. But even more so, I find the scientific benefits of positive thought *very* helpful and I would like to have seen more of that. While being positive is beneficial in a tough situation, that role is an especially difficult one when others are being negative. During those tense times adding the levity of these phrases might not be especially helpful. I'd like to have seen some suggestions on how to helpfully and thoughtfully work these words into conversations so that the person struggling with their happiness does not feel as though they are being handed a pithy statement, but instead a positive affirmation to reset their mindset.
October 17, 2016
Think Happy
Think happy
My family has told me for years that I am a 'see the glass half empty' type of girl. That is NOT a compliment. Especially to someone who for years thought I was the positive 1/2 of this marriage equation!! So when I saw the title to this book by Karen Salmansohn, I knew that I would be a changed woman (if indeed I happen to get a little negative every now and then) by reading Think Happy.
On page two of Ms Salmansohn's introduction, she talks about how positive affirmations when consistently repeated, can wind up sinking into one's mind- affecting a person's sense of self and behavior.and how her book of 50 pep talks is more catchy making them easier to remember than mere affirmations. And which when used regularly, you will be inclined to think optimistic thoughts which will then lead to positive habits. That's certainly a lot of positive vibes, so I'm hoping some of this positivity rubs off on me.
From pep talk # 1 Every Expert Started Out As A Beginner to # 50 The law of attraction does not work without the law of perspiration, Ms.Salmansohn seems to have done her homework in assembling the facts, with a little extra dose of her opinion. Example:
This compact book has full color dinosaUres to 3 cuties doing the cha-cha-cha so that with the clever use of several different fonts is entertaining enough for me to reread this book, further exposing myself to optimistic thoughts and these self- loving thoughts may soon outnumber my fears and soon I may be re-wired into a positive look at this 1/2 full glass type gal! No sarcasm!
I am giving this book a out of 5 stars believing Ms. Salmansohn is onto something. I am currently working on applying the lesson on lowering my stress by lowering the amount of worry in my glass.
I received this book from blogging for books, in exchange for my review. I was not required to a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".
Think happy
My family has told me for years that I am a 'see the glass half empty' type of girl. That is NOT a compliment. Especially to someone who for years thought I was the positive 1/2 of this marriage equation!! So when I saw the title to this book by Karen Salmansohn, I knew that I would be a changed woman (if indeed I happen to get a little negative every now and then) by reading Think Happy.
On page two of Ms Salmansohn's introduction, she talks about how positive affirmations when consistently repeated, can wind up sinking into one's mind- affecting a person's sense of self and behavior.and how her book of 50 pep talks is more catchy making them easier to remember than mere affirmations. And which when used regularly, you will be inclined to think optimistic thoughts which will then lead to positive habits. That's certainly a lot of positive vibes, so I'm hoping some of this positivity rubs off on me.
From pep talk # 1 Every Expert Started Out As A Beginner to # 50 The law of attraction does not work without the law of perspiration, Ms.Salmansohn seems to have done her homework in assembling the facts, with a little extra dose of her opinion. Example:
This compact book has full color dinosaUres to 3 cuties doing the cha-cha-cha so that with the clever use of several different fonts is entertaining enough for me to reread this book, further exposing myself to optimistic thoughts and these self- loving thoughts may soon outnumber my fears and soon I may be re-wired into a positive look at this 1/2 full glass type gal! No sarcasm!
I am giving this book a out of 5 stars believing Ms. Salmansohn is onto something. I am currently working on applying the lesson on lowering my stress by lowering the amount of worry in my glass.
I received this book from blogging for books, in exchange for my review. I was not required to a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising".
October 5, 2016
Due to events in my life this summer I have found myself missing my happiness. Now grief is a process that is different for everyone and is going to take as long as it takes but I thought this book might be helpful. Might give me some perspective and ideas on how to find my way out of this depression I’ve become trapped inside. Now I knew this book wasn’t going to magically solve all my problems but I think it will be useful for not only myself but my husband as well.
This is a fairly short book and first impression was that it was just going to be a coffee table decor piece that had some inspirational and up lifting phrases to ponder. It is actually so much more. There are a series of sections that begin with 5 things to say; if you are trying something new, when feeling grumpy, when faced with failure, when dealing with toxic people, etc. What follows each statement is five different phrases accompanied with a little peptalk. This is quite helpful actually it makes you think a bit more about the affirmation and gives support or encouragement or simply something else to ponder to help with the issue at hand. The book is beautifully illustrated with soft water-color artwork in calm pleasing tones and is the perfect size to carry with you in a purse or suitcase if you are currently struggling and need some extra motivation.
The only complaint I have about the book is I wish it were longer. I wish it covered more issues, for example death, that bring us down and suck our happiness away. I also think the price is a tad high for such a short and small book as lovely as I think it might be. I think somewhere under $10 would be a more reasonable price point. Otherwise I’m glad I requested this book and I plan to hang on to this title to revisit when I am facing a situation that was covered. This book could be quite helpful in putting perspective on issues that bring us down.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through blogging for books for an honest review.
This is a fairly short book and first impression was that it was just going to be a coffee table decor piece that had some inspirational and up lifting phrases to ponder. It is actually so much more. There are a series of sections that begin with 5 things to say; if you are trying something new, when feeling grumpy, when faced with failure, when dealing with toxic people, etc. What follows each statement is five different phrases accompanied with a little peptalk. This is quite helpful actually it makes you think a bit more about the affirmation and gives support or encouragement or simply something else to ponder to help with the issue at hand. The book is beautifully illustrated with soft water-color artwork in calm pleasing tones and is the perfect size to carry with you in a purse or suitcase if you are currently struggling and need some extra motivation.
The only complaint I have about the book is I wish it were longer. I wish it covered more issues, for example death, that bring us down and suck our happiness away. I also think the price is a tad high for such a short and small book as lovely as I think it might be. I think somewhere under $10 would be a more reasonable price point. Otherwise I’m glad I requested this book and I plan to hang on to this title to revisit when I am facing a situation that was covered. This book could be quite helpful in putting perspective on issues that bring us down.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through blogging for books for an honest review.
September 27, 2016
First off, the book is absolutely beautiful. I spent the first 20 minutes or so just flipping through and looking at the illustrations. Each page has a saying/affirmation with a little pep talk next to it. That pep talk can have tips, reminders or research on the particular topic. Some of the topics are five things to say to yourself when you're trying something new, dealing with toxic people, learning to love yourself and trying to find motivation. Some of the metaphors are kitschy and forced (i.e. Treating yourself like a pretzel and bending to the will of others will make you feel all twisty-like inside). Most of the pep talks are surface level, and just a little pick me up, but isn't that what pep talks are supposed to be? If you're looking for in depth information for, say, dealing with toxic relationships, look elsewhere. If you know what you want and you just need a little boost to achieve it, this is the book for you. Lastly, I wish the book had a table of contents for quick review. I loved the book so much and would like to easily reference it in the future. Thank you to Blogging for Books for allowing me the opportunity to review this book. I recevied the book for free, at my request, but my opinions are my own and I was not paid to say anything. Thanks for reading!
August 31, 2016
I really liked this peppy book. For the most part it was quick and easy and made me smile or feel relieved that I didn't have to concur the world! The quotes were well chosen and the pages were splashy and colorful. Overall it really did give a happy feeling. I also liked the size of the book. It was a small size but not so small that it was unreadable. I can't wait to share this little treasure with friends. I received a copy of this book through the blogging for books program in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2016
Such an easy read, but it comes with some amazing advice for living a more positive life that we can be happy about. If you feel stressed, overwhelmed, overworked and are struggling to make your life one that you're truly happy about, this is a great read for you!
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February 4, 2017
I thought this book was a great pick me up. A lot of the time I don't feel happy, mainly because I suffer from depression and anxiety. Opening up this book and reading all the quotes and stuff really helped on days I was super low. Sometimes you just need a little piece of happiness and this book is just that.
February 9, 2017
It made for a great present
June 30, 2018
I love this it’s soooo cute and uplifting ❤️❤️🤞🏽
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews