Bronnie Ware is an inspiring speaker and the author of the best-selling memoir, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying – A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing, released worldwide, with translations in 27 languages. She has also released two albums of original songs, runs an online personal growth and song writing course, and writes a well-loved blog. Bronnie’s most recent book, Your Year for Change, was released in October, 2014.
Prior to choosing self-employment, Bronnie’s work has included mixing cocktails on a tropical island, management in the banking sector, caring for dying people, teaching song writing to prisoners, and a few things in between.
My Definition Of Success | Success is being confident in the position of saying yes to things that please you and no to those that don’t. Success is never about what other people think of you, but of what you think of yourself. It is having the freedom to live how you wish, in a way that feels peaceful to your own heart.
The Difference Between Good And Great | Good is about talent. Great is about passion. Skills learned can make you good at something, but if your heart is not in it, if you are not passionate about what you are doing, then you remain good. Greatness comes from truly loving what you are doing.
A Key Talent | Courage is essential to living a contented life. It means having to rise above the need for approval or understanding of others. By facing up to the fact that you will indeed die, and by giving some quiet time to truly contemplating this, it helps you to see how valuable your time actually is. When doing so, you can think about how important the opinions of others will feel to you then, on your deathbed. They will actually carry no importance. What will be important are your thoughts of yourself and how courageously you have lived your life, how much you have honoured the calling of your heart. So by facing up to how precious the gift of time is, you grow stronger to find the courage needed to live an authentic life.
Principles I Live By | Honesty, courage and authenticity.
How I Use My Mind | Daily meditation not only helps my mental discipline, but also keeps me connected to the peaceful place within that always guides me perfectly. Working smart, not hard, achieves much more than striving like crazy. When I work, I work efficiently, but then I get out of my own way and allow things to flow from there. It takes a lot of courage and faith to live this way, to not overwork or try to force things through striving – but it also brings many more rewards than working too hard and inefficiently. By maintaining balance, you are more peaceful to then notice opportunities. Someone striving chaotically would never see some of the signposts of life that make the path so much smoother. It also helps to know when to be focused and when to surrender – hence allowing the efforts you have already put into place to then unfold.
Dealing With Doubt | I came to the artist’s path quite late in life. When I was first growing into my role as a singer/songwriter, I found performing terrifying. Yet I had a message to share and that compelled me to continue. Eventually I became more confident and went on to teach songwriting in a women’s jail. Life blessed me further along the path with the opportunity to become a published author, which suited me much more. I am also now a speaker, which I love. All of that time on stage as a performer turned out to be my apprenticeship into speaking. I just didn’t know it at the time. When I am on stage speaking and loving the connection with my audience, I always feel so grateful that I found the strength to endure as a singer/songwriter. It all helped me to become who I now am. When faced with fear and self-doubt, it helps to trust in the big picture and to know that the heart is where your answers lie. Sometimes getting the head out of the way first, so you can hear the heart, is the biggest challenge of all.
Performing At My Peak | Honouring my commitment to balance is essential. I also ensure that I only accept jobs that feel good, whether speaking assignments, interviews, or writing projects. I try not to be driven by the money involved, rather by the feeling of the job. As a result, the income still flows well, as there is no concentration on fear or lack, but rather, on pleasure. The heart always knows best!
The Meaning Of Life | Learning how to celebrate the gift of life as fully as possible is best done through learning to love – including how to treat ourselves with genuine love too. When we learn to treat ourselves with love, we naturally treat others the same way. The more connected we then become to ourselves and to our life’s work, the more connected we are to the whole, leading us to want to make a positive difference to the lives of others. So, to love, to learn, and to serve.
The Legacy I Would Like To Leave | Helping my readers and listeners to find the courage to live the life their heart most dream for.
