Affirmations and Meditations for Courage Women Empowerment.   The Woman's Book of Courage  is a little book with a big message. We can take charge of our lives, stop trying to please other people all the time, and live happily with ourselves and others—right now. In more than a hundred short entries, author and psychotherapist Sue Patton Thoele offers meditations, affirmations, and true stories, including deeply personal, often humorous, revelatory stories of her own sometimes rocky path of personal growth. Powerful Affirmations and Meditations.  Since it was first published,  The Woman's Book of Courage  has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of women. In this revised collection, loving reflections provide wisdom and encouragement to help overcome anxiety, gain self-esteem, acknowledge your own excellence, and improve relationships. Women dealing with transition or recovery or those wishing to enhance personal power will find themselves turning to these meditations over and over again. A Self-Help Book for All Women.  Thoele is on a mission to help each and every woman uncover her authentic self and tap into her unique wellspring of wisdom and inner-strength. Thoele offers practical tools and gentle guidance to aid in many areas of life, such as: Setting boundaries - Changing self-defeating behaviors - Increasing compassion for yourself and others Readers of motivational books and inspirational books for women like  I've Been Thinking... ,  Journey to the Heart , or  Each Day a New Beginning will love  The Woman's Book of Courage . “ The Woman's Book of Courage is a book every woman can grow from reading. Sue Patton Thoele's wisdom transcends every page.” ―Becca Anderson, author of The Book of Awesome Women “ The Woman's Book of Courage is a little book with a big message. We can take charge of our lives, stop trying to please other people all the time, and live happily with ourselves and others - right now. In more than a hundred short entries, author and psychotherapist Sue Patton Thoele offers meditations, affirmations, and true stories, including deeply personal, often humorous, revelatory stories of her own sometimes rocky path of personal growth. “Since it was first published, The Woman's Book of Courage has touched the lives of hundreds of thousands of women. In this revised collection, loving reflections provide wisdom and encouragement to help overcome anxiety, gain self-esteem, acknowledge your own excellence, and improve relationships. Women dealing with transition or recovery or those wishing to enhance personal power will find themselves turning to these meditations over and over again.” ―Midwest Book Review As a psychotherapist for over twenty years, Sue Patton Thoele never envisioned actually writing a book. But at forty-five, a writing muse grabbed her by the scuff of the neck and would not let her go. By the time her first book was published, a passion for writing had taken root in her heart. Now, she is a successful mentor, speaker, and author of over a dozen encouraging and empowering books that deal with issues similar to those both she and her psychotherapy clients deal with every day. Sue is a mother, stepmother, grandmother, wife, and emeritus hospice chaplain. She is a lover of dogs who finds great joy in swimming with dolphins in the wild. Sue’s titles include Strength , The Courage to Be Yourself , The Woman's Book of Courage , and The Woman's Book of Confidence . Learn more about Sue and her work at www.suepattonthoele.com. Inquiring Within S O MANY OF US ARE IN THE HABIT OF looking “out there” for our answers, invalidating our own inner wisdom by assuming that, in some magical way, others must be wiser than we are―even about what is good for us. We become other-directed rather than selfdirected. One of the biggest reasons for this behavior is that we are terrified of making mistakes. If we follow someone else's counsel, then it's his or her fault if things go wrong. But if we are to take charge of our own lives, we must have the courage to inquire within, find our own answers, and make our own mistakes. So often my clients say, “I don't know” when I ask what they want or need in order to be able to make changes in their lives. To free them from their own inner pressure to give the perfect answer I ask, “Well, if you were to take a guess, what would it be?” Almost always they have an immediate and right-on “guess.” We are our own best experts. We know what we should do. We are only afraid we don't know or afraid that our knowing will be wrong. It takes courage to listen to ourselves and act on what we hear. We can learn to trust ourselves by inquiring within. To practice doing this, sit quietly, close your eyes, and for a minute focus your attention on your breathing. Gently visualize your inner wisdom as a graceful butterfly. Admire her beauty, and encourage your butterfly to sit on your shoulder and whisper her wisdom in your ear. Be still and listen.