“This book is the medicine we need! We are living in a time where we can easily become overwhelmed by planetary pain and unrest. The hope and joy that permeate Sue's wisdom is truly inspiring. If you want to reconnect with authentic positivity as you find your way in this uncertain world, this book is for you.”—Harmony Kwiker, MA, LPC, author of Align: Living and Loving from the True Self and Reveal: Embody the True Self Beyond Trauma and Conditioning“I have been reading the wisdom of the one-and-only Sue Patton Thoele for years, and her soulful practicality has definitely bolstered my self-esteem and helped me to have the courage to be myself. Now, exactly when it is so needed, Sue encourage us to remain upbeat, hopeful, and focused on the positive during these oh-so-crazy times. Sue Patton Thoele has her own special magic!”—Cerridwen Greenleaf, author of The Herbal Healing Handbook“Sue Patton Thoele has written a book to warm the heart and give it hope. With authenticity, compassion, and a playful sense of humor (hope is more like a potato than tomato), Sue shares stories—her own and others—of the struggles and inner commitment needed to court the quiet beauty and resilience that hope offers. There is no sugarcoating or pretense that this is easy. Rather, there is an offering of light and an invitation into a more upbeat way of life that is not a mask or a strategy, but a gentle organic cultivation of soft, yet strongly uplifting, energy from within. Upbeat speaks to the very pulse of what is possible right now in our lives and in our world.”—Cynthia Reber Maman, author (with Fabien Maman) of the From Star to Cell series, including The Body as a Harp: Sound and Acupuncture and Raising Human Frequencies: The Way of Chi and the Subtle Bodies and her work-in-progress is a hybrid-historical novel entitled Resurrection: Return of Earth’s Beloved Witches, Weavers, Priestesses and other Holy Heretics“‘It’s very difficult to grow hope in depleted soil.’ Starting with this simple metaphor, Sue offers encouraging suggestions to readers to help them replenish their souls, which, of course, are the soil of Hope. She provides hope tucked into tender stories and backed up by scientific and spiritually proven exercises. Sue’s gift is to hold your hand, walking with you through changing small habits of thought and action. If you but follow a handful of these examples, you will grow in confidence and become more loving toward yourself as well as others. Hope blossoms in love.” —Cynthia Wall, LCSW, author of The Courage to Trust and therapist who believes in searching for an ever-happier ending, right up to our last breath, www.cynthiawall.com“Sue Thoele’s new book, How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World, is much needed medicine for the collective heartache so many of us share these days. With her characteristic blend of growth psychology, spiritual wisdom, grounded practicality, and vulnerable self-disclosure, Sue offers us a broad range of skillful perspectives and practices that will bolster our resilience, lift our spirits, and remind us of the greatness of heart that we also share.”—David Chernikoff, author of LIFE, PART TWO: Seven Keys to Awakening with Purpose and Joy as You Age“How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World is a magnificent seed, a world of accessible treasures grown from a lifetime of soul-gardening. Grounded in the humus of a decades-long path of fierce self-compassion, the world receives an immense gift of wisdom through Sue Patton Thoele’s elegant example of sacred eldering. In her much-loved and characteristic style, Sue delivers her message with much needed humor and sacred practicality to feed a world hungry for hope.” —Jahanara Laura Mangus, author of Becoming Honey: Embodying the Grace and Intimacy of the Aramaic Hail Mary Prayer“If you’re looking for a pick-me-up, you’ve come to the right place. Sue Thoele never fails to deliver feel-good wisdom that we can instantly put into action—with long-lasting impact. How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World is written with the caring compassionate voice we know and love from Thoele’s other books. It’s like having a compassionate therapist and trusted girlfriend in our back seat all the time! I’m here to tell you this is not some Pollyanna, ‘find the silver lining’ book. Thoele understands the necessity of feeling our feelings, facing our fears, and finding freedom through our emotions, not by bypassing them. This book is the real deal. It is filled with wisdom, actions, and anecdotes that fuel your heart, your mind, your body, your breath, and your emotions. Thoele says, ‘Each of us carries within our hearts the seeds of enduring hope.’ The chapters in this book are the water, fertilizer, sun, and song that nurture those seeds and help them grow and blossom!”—Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say It Now and founder of Simply Celebrate “Sue’s wisdom and insights bring Solace to the Soul and a Healing Salve to the Heart. With feet-on-the-ground practices, pithy prose, and graceful guidance, this book is a beacon of hope that will help support the consciousness we need to birth a New Earth.”—Colleen Patrice, MA spiritual psychology, author of EMDR Journal: A Companion for Healing, Courage, and Clarity and Lighten Your Toxic Load“HOW DOES SHE DO IT? From the first time Thoele offered comfort and enCOURAGEment to women in her daily life, her first book and all the volumes that followed, to this latest offering...Sue captures the zeitgeist of prevailing cultural challenges and addresses them with wisdom, humor and clarity. This offering incorporates her decades of professional experience with a genuine tenderness and savvy cultural and psychological understanding. Reading this is like having a meaningful and helpful conversation with a kind mentor in the comfort of your home. Let it become a go-to in your reference library of courage and self-care.”—Mary Anne Em Radmacher, artist and author of She: A Celebration of Greatness in Every Woman“Sue Patton Thoele’s informative work, How to Stay Upbeat in a Beat Down World, provides an inspired, pragmatic message of the beauty and power of hope in our lives. Sue is a spiritually practiced optimist with a message that humankind is ‘becoming the kindest, most accepting, and compassionate versions of ourselves,’ and she gives us a blueprint for how we can get there together.”—Scott Awbrey, ordained minister and founder of Spiritual Passages, a database of spiritual resources
