Bronnie Ware - Your Year for Change: 52 Reflections for Regret-Free Living

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ALSO BY BRONNIE WARE

THE TOP FIVE REGRETS OF THE DYING:
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YOU CAN CREATE AN EXCEPTIONAL LIFE,
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Copyright 2014 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 Kingdom by: Hay House UK, Ltd.: www.hayhouse.co.uk Published and distributed in 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 in India by: Hay House Publishers India: www.hayhouse.co.in

Cover design: Gaelyn Larrick Interior design: Nick C. Welch

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced by any mechanical, 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 and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress

ISBN: 978-1-4019-4608-1

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
1st edition, October 2014

Printed in the United States of America

For my daughter, Elena, a true bringer of light.

Although childhood is such a brief part of our overall existence, it shapes the rest of our lives like no other time. In hindsight, it flies by. Yet to a child, it seems to drag on forever. My childhood was no different in these regards.

I was blessed to grow up on a large farm with the freedom to go horse riding or wandering on foot over paddocks for hours. Enormous, endless skies watched over me as I grew into a young woman. With that growth, though, came restlessness for discovery and escape, a feeling that was not to leave me until I finally dealt with my own inner restlessness.

There were certainly many blessings in my childhood. But it was shaped by consistent ridicule, too, the result of being the black sheep of the family. So while I learned independence and developed a deep love of nature, I also carried immense pain into my early-adult years.

From the farm, I ventured to the city to begin a career in bankingin a sensible job, in a life expected of me. However, my restlessness festered, watching me change jobs and locations regularly over the years, until the pain of my life finally drove me onto the artists path, initially as a photographer and writer, and then as a singer/ songwriter.

It was during these years of growing with my music that I decided to accept a live-in role as a carer for an elderly lady. Little did I know then just how much this work was going to heal me, and how significant it was going to be as a part of my lifes work. I will always be grateful for every perfect step of my life, including the pain, that drove me to this work and to the joy that lay beyond.

That first role led into eight years of palliative care, with long, incredibly special hours spent at the bedsides of dying people. I was their carer, there to help their final days be as comfortable and peaceful as possible. Since the people were too ill to be active, the bulk of the time that they spent awake, they chose to talk. And talk they did.

Intimate conversations flowed naturally and openly. The dying dont tend to waste time talking about trivial things. They realize how precious time is, and most use it as efficiently as possible. Luckily for me, they spent it talking from the heart.

Over those years, common themes began surfacing so regularly that it was impossible for me to ignore the messages life was sending. The dying had regrets, and those regrets caused many people immense anguish and frustration at the end.

Looking back on those special years, the theme of regrets was the one that had the most profound effect on me personally. It was too repetitious not to leave a lasting impression. Sure, not everyone had regrets; some people were relatively peaceful and accepting of their life choices. But a lot more had them than didnt.