This revolutionary book gives the unexpected advice that sometimes the best way to be happy is to give up on the life you planned. She would be honored to have an opportunity to host a book reading, and/or a workshop at PGI about The Next Happy, or any related topics. She is available to speak on many topics, including but not limited to: giving up on your dream, the grief process, healing, letting go, and/or moving forward.
The following includes an excerpt from The Next Happy, an explanation of the book, and some of the reviews that The Next Happy has received.
Here is a link to an excerpt from The Next Happy.
When the best option is to let go of the life you planned for yourself and find a new path, a world of possibilities can surprisingly open up. Learn whether it is time to let go, and if so, how to move through your grief and find your way forward in The Next Happy.
Although well meaning, the inspirational idea that “You can do anything!” can make us feel like failures. The reality is that no matter how positive our outlook or how tenacious our approach, our dreams simply do not always come true—and there is nothing we can do about it.
After multiple fertility treatments and years of hardship in her pursuit to have a child, Tracey Cleantis was forced to face this reality head-on. Yet, through this process and her work counseling hundreds of clients through the loss of their goals and aspirations, she discovered one simple truth: Sometimes there comes a time when the smartest, healthiest, and sanest thing to do is to let go of the original plan in order to find a new way forward toward happiness. And with this critical shift, a world of possibilities opens up to us. New, tangible dreams take shape.
In The Next Happy, Cleantis offers a road-map for that journey, teaching you how to face the possibility of letting go of a dream that isn’t working accept and face sadness, anger, and shame and understand the true reasons why you wanted what you wanted and the real-life causes for why you didn’t get it ask the questions that will let you move on and set realistic goals for finding a new way forward.
With down-to-earth wisdom and humor, this enlightening counterpoint to the popular self-help notion to “follow your dream, no matter what it takes” provides the guidance and support to help you make the decision of whether it is time to give up an impossible dream, and if so, move through your grief, and discover the next happy.
Reviews:
What authors say about The Next Happy:
“A bold, brave and incredibly relevant book.”– Lee Woodruff, New York Times bestselling author of Perfectly Imperfect—a Life in Progress, with her husband, Bob Woodruff, and CBS “This Morning” contributor.
“This book is an antidote for the supposed-to-be’s which plague so many of us. If you have dashed dreams, if you live in a world of hurt, if you can’t see your way out, read The Next Happy and finally heal! I wish I’d had this book on my bed-side table long ago… “–Laura Munson New York Times best-selling author of This Is Not The Story You Think It Is: A Season of Unlikely Happiness (Putnam) and founder of Haven Retreats.
“Tracey delivers a much needed injection of nuance and reality into the otherwise overly cheerful conversation about following dreams. You’ll be happier if you read this book!”
— Cal Newport, author of So Good They Can’t Ignore You
The Next Happy is like the friend you call when your car is stuck in a ditch on a journey you never expected to take. From the moment you open this book, you’ll begin to feel unstuck, and by the end, you’ll find yourself moving forward in the right direction, toward your new happiness.
— Melanie Notkin, bestselling author of Savvy Auntie and Otherhood: Modern Women Finding a New Kind of Happiness
In a world where we have been taught to chase our dreams no matter what The Next Happy will gently tap you on the shoulder, turn you around and take you in a whole new and more joyful direction. Author Tracey Cleantis is generous, wise and compassionate. When it comes to self-help books on finding happiness, The Next Happy is truly a game changer.
–Jamie Cat Callan, author of Bonjour, Happiness!
BOOK SIGNING
Tracey has a book signing at Chaucer’s Book Store in Santa Barbara on June 25, at 7:00
“Although well meaning, the inspirational idea that “You can do anything!” can make us feel like failures. The reality is that no matter how positive our outlook or how tenacious our approach,… our dreams simply do not always come true—and there is nothing we can do about it.
After multiple fertility treatments and years of hardship in her pursuit to have a child, Tracey Cleantis was forced to face this reality head-on. Yet, through this process and her work counseling hundreds of clients through the loss of their goals and aspirations, she discovered one simple truth: Sometimes there comes a time when the smartest, healthiest, and sanest thing to do is to let go of the original plan in order to find a new way forward toward happiness. And with this critical shift, a world of possibilities opens up to us. New, tangible dreams take shape.
In The Next Happy, Cleantis offers a road-map for that journey, teaching you how to face the possibility of letting go of a dream that isn’t working accept and face sadness, anger, and shame and understand the true reasons why you wanted what you wanted and the real-life causes for why you didn’t get it ask the questions that will let you move on and set realistic goals for finding a new way forward.
With down-to-earth wisdom and humor, this enlightening counterpoint to the popular self-help notion to “follow your dream, no matter what it takes” provides the guidance and support to help you make the decision of whether it is time to give up an impossible dream, and if so, move through your grief, and discover the next happy.”
