Relationships, Learning, & Simplicity

Other things I found of interest in Bronnie's book include the discussions about relationships, learning and simplicity. Some of these include:

"While there was (is) definitely a need for compromise and commitment in any relationship, especially so if children are involved, it is up to each individual to maintain a sense of his or her own self.

Learning will always continue. It's not like you'll reach a stage of growth and say, 'Great. Now I can sit back, know everything, and cruise through every day without ever having to learn another thing'...So if the learning never stops, we may as well embrace it rather than resist it. Not one day goes by that I don't learn something new about myself. But I can do so now with loving kindness, by loving myself in an unconditional way, with no self-judgement. Laughing gently and lovingly also allows the growth process to be smoother.

In the end, what matters to people is how much happiness they have brought to those they love and how much time they spent doing things they themselves loved. Trying to ensure that those they left behind don't end up with the same regrets also became critical for many people.

The things you often think you need are sometimes the things that keep you trapped in an unfulfilled life. Simplicity is the key to changing this, that and letting go of the need for validation through ownership or through other's expectations of you."

As I said earlier, the book is just as much about Bronnie Ware's transformation as it was the story of the dying patients she cared for who shared their regrets. She has a lot to share about each of these regrets in the book and the people who shared them with her.