Bronnie Ware - Bloom: A Tale of Courage, Surrender, and Breaking Through Upper Limits

B L O O M A L SO BY BRON N IE WA R E The Top Five Regrets of the DyingYour Year for Change All of the above are available at your local bookstore, or may be ordered by visiting: Hay House USA: www.hayhouse.com Hay House Australia: www.hayhouse.com.au Hay House UK: www.hayhouse.co.uk Hay House South Africa: www.hayhouse.co.za Hay House India: www.hayhouse.co.in B L O O M A Tale of Courage, Surrender, and Breaking Through Upper Limits Bronnie Ware HAY HOUSE, INC. Carlsbad, California New York City London Sydney Johannesburg Vancouver New Delhi Copyright 2017 by Bronnie Ware Published and distributed in the United States by: Hay House, Inc.: www.hayhouse.com Published and distributed in Australia by: Hay House Australia Pty. Ltd.: www.hayhouse.com.au Published and distributed in the United King-dom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributedin the Republic of South Africa by: Hay House SA (Pty), Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.za Distributed in Canada by: Raincoast Books: www.raincoast.com Published inIndia by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in Cover design: Charles McStravick Interior design: Riann Bender All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechani-cal, photographic, or electronic process, or in the form of a phonographic recording; nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise be copied for public or private useother than for fair use as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviewswithout prior written permission of the publisher. The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of CongressTradepaperISBN: 978-1-4019-5177-1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1st edition, March 2017 Printed in the United States of America For Elena, my daughterSo free, so pure, so wise I N T R O D U C T I O N This is a book about courage and surrender. Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of CongressTradepaperISBN: 978-1-4019-5177-1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 1st edition, March 2017 Printed in the United States of America For Elena, my daughterSo free, so pure, so wise I N T R O D U C T I O N This is a book about courage and surrender.

It tells my jour ney through recent years, where I was taught these lessons in the most perfect ways possible. They did not necessarily come in the most enjoyable ways, but were delivered with absolute perfection for my readiness at the time. Life does love us and even though sometimes it can feel like it is all uphill with no sign of hope, we are never fully alone on this journey. As I learned to trust in the perfection of the lessons, the faster things moved back to ease. To do this, focus had to shift to gratitude (for the perfection of the teachings) and trust (that I would come to see and understand the reason for each lesson in time). The more practiced I became with trusting in the blessings and letting go of the outcome, the more enjoyable and peaceful life became.

So I moved forward one step at a time, in faith, with courage, and always surrendering. In doing so, life has brought me into who I was always here to be. It could not have come about through any other path. I could not be who I am now, a woman in a place of peace, courage, joy, and enthusiasm, without the seemingly impossible hurdles I have overcome. I share this story with you, dear reader, as a friend. My lessons are universal, even though the specifi cs are often individual.

It is my hope by sharing this story that you, too, will fi nd the strength and courage to surrender to life. There are blessings in whatever vii B L O O M challenges unfold on our paths. This story is a tool for opening your eyes to those blessings. The actual process of writing this book has also been one of courage and surrender. I began writing it when guided, even though I had no knowledge of the ending. In fact, the whole pro cess of this books evolution was a journey of trust.