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Bloom: A Tale of Courage, Surrender and Breaking Through Upper Limits
As a free-spirited, independent woman, Bronnie Ware was used to donning a variety of hats: singer, songwriter, author, speaker, traveler, and adventurer. And as her soul would have it in her mid-forties, she felt the urge to add one more, mother.
Ware, author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, had learned many lessons as a palliative-care giver, and she began to absorb even more from the opposite end of the spectrum as a giver of life. Only a few moments into motherhood, however, Ware’s body had a different idea, when chronic crippling pain from an auto-immune disease took hold.
In this inspiring memoir, Ware reminds us that whether life’s lessons arrive through illness, trauma, or any other unexpected upheaval, life really does love us. By finding the courage to confront her upper limits, surrender to life’s blessings, and have gratitude every step of the way, Ware discovered how to bloom in a field of formidable challenges.
Ware, author of The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, had learned many lessons as a palliative-care giver, and she began to absorb even more from the opposite end of the spectrum as a giver of life. Only a few moments into motherhood, however, Ware’s body had a different idea, when chronic crippling pain from an auto-immune disease took hold.
In this inspiring memoir, Ware reminds us that whether life’s lessons arrive through illness, trauma, or any other unexpected upheaval, life really does love us. By finding the courage to confront her upper limits, surrender to life’s blessings, and have gratitude every step of the way, Ware discovered how to bloom in a field of formidable challenges.
272 pages, Paperback
Published March 28, 2017
27 people are currently reading
285 people want to read
About the author
Bronnie Ware
24 books182 followersBronnie Ware is an author, songwriting teacher, and speaker from Australia. Her inspiring memoir, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, has connected with hearts all over the world, with translations in 27 languages. Bronnie lives in rural Australia and loves balance, simple living, and waking up to the songs of birds.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 27, 2017
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I was thoroughly connected with this heartfelt memoir. As a person who has experienced autoimmune disease first hand myself, I understood exactly what Ware was dealing with. Becoming a mother is such a blessing, yet can be difficult at times. With illness it can become even more of a challenge with complications. The courage she possesses is almost like a miracle to me. I enjoyed this beautifully written memoir and I'm very glad to have read it. I would recommend to anyone, but highly to women living with autoimmune disease.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
I was thoroughly connected with this heartfelt memoir. As a person who has experienced autoimmune disease first hand myself, I understood exactly what Ware was dealing with. Becoming a mother is such a blessing, yet can be difficult at times. With illness it can become even more of a challenge with complications. The courage she possesses is almost like a miracle to me. I enjoyed this beautifully written memoir and I'm very glad to have read it. I would recommend to anyone, but highly to women living with autoimmune disease.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2018
I'm with @Kathy on this one: too many "vague references to Ware following her heart, listening to her soul, and finding much needed lessons in her illness. Her actual experiences were briefly glossed over" and not enough detail about her illness for me to feel that someone with a similar chronic illness could benefit from reading the book. And the book was too long. Needed a ruthless editor.
Am very glad I listened to the audio book so didn't spend precious "eye-ball time" on it. And also glad it was a library book. I bought Bronnie Ware's other book and couldn't make it past the half-way mark. Wish I'd borrowed that book from the library ... bought it on the recommendation of a friend. Will be very cautious with any future recommendations from that source.
Am very glad I listened to the audio book so didn't spend precious "eye-ball time" on it. And also glad it was a library book. I bought Bronnie Ware's other book and couldn't make it past the half-way mark. Wish I'd borrowed that book from the library ... bought it on the recommendation of a friend. Will be very cautious with any future recommendations from that source.
January 23, 2023
Needs heavy editing! I was welcoming the universe to give me a lottery win, blah, blah, blah. Then it didn’t come. Who’d a thought!? Same with a house and a man. (But then made a motza selling books with this new age BS, so maybe I’m in the wrong?) Tries addressing rheumatoid arthritis with “natural” treatments. Although she has since realised that you need serious medication, this position comes after the book. Throughout the book it is all “not using chemicals”. “My family are/were too staid” (but then they’re the ones who pick her up and give her a home when she’s homeless?) All just too self-centred and La-La land for me.
June 24, 2025
4.5 stars
I found Bronnie Ware after hearing about The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. After I enjoyed that book so much, I wanted to see what else she'd written. Even if it wasn't my favourite story, her storytelling ability feels like you're reading a fictional book even though it's more nonfiction/spiritual and I really like that about her style.
I cannot, of course, rate Bloom a 5 stars after I rated T5RD 5 stars, because it wasn't as good. But it was a lovely book in its own right, and I enjoyed reading it.
Its strong suits: the way the author approached her chronic disease; how she tried to heal the root causes; how she released things emotionally and spiritually; her motherhood journey; her growth since the previous book
Its weaknesses: I do understand a memoir author can choose how much of their personal life to disclose (that's totally their right). However, I find the best memoirs are the most raw, vulnerable, and share the most about what happened in their life. After all.. you are getting paid to share your story (with details)! I found there were moments where the writing was literally: "This happened, and then something else happened, and then that happened, so I knew this was a good choice." There was no information, description or explanation, which took away multiple opportunities to impact the reader. Even if full stories weren't fleshed out, even giving a hint of what happened would have been interesting.
>> Example: The vagueness on this page (13):
"...my job was to provide a healthy and safe environment for the child. Further events unfolded, insisting that I had made the right decision. Another decision then followed. It was time to return to my home region."
Like real life, the story did not end perfectly and neatly.
I applaud the author for exploring the metaphysical causes of disease; for looking at the lessons an illness has to teach you; for trying to approach everything (yourself, others, the disease) with love;
for following her own path, even when that meant rejecting traditional medicine. She had the courage to do things in a different way.
I also really appreciated the concept of upper limits--I'd never read about this before and it was unique thing to write a book about. Reading this book came at a relatable time, and offered some valuable perspectives, opinions and insights.
I shared some of the quotes with family members and others, and I definitely will look back at them again.
Liked
39-43
"Determined to find the blessings through the disease, I had to try to understand it. If I had attracted it subconsciously, then on a soul level, there must be healing on offer for me too. I couldn't reason with any other thinking."
RA theory - the immune system is attacking healthy cells. "The bottom line was that I was attacking myself."
"A thing about pain - a good thing - is that it allowed me to cry. It forced me to. In the process, it gave permission for emotional pain to surface, too. There was no true separation of the two anyway. Without emotional pain, there would be no physical pain, no disease to heal in the first place. Everyone has emotional pain to heal regardless of whether it surfaces as disease or not. Sometimes it will surface through other trauma." (39)
"Going within the body, I couldn't get much deeper than the bones. So with the pain surfacing from there, I figured life was calling me to heal the very deepest reaches of emotional pain. I'd thought I had healed so much in the past through the conscious journey of personal growth I had already embarked upon. With the transformative time through depression, I was certainly not the person I used to be. I had found a new level of kindness towards myself - and a much more peaceful existence.
It felt as if life was not only making sure I understood and practiced self care, but that I lived and breathed it with every part of my being. If I had attracted a disease where I was attacking myself, then on some level I had to find that habit within and heal it."
(Talks about metaphysical causes of disease, her heart was talking loudly)
"As I let the torrent pour, emotions surfaced from the deepest parts of my being. While I was crying in physical pain, it also shifted invisibly to include whatever matters of the heart were still yearning for love. Three conclusions became obvious:
I had to learn forgiveness towards myself.
I felt guilty for being too happy.
And I had upper-limit problems.
Life was trying to bless me with an amazing life, but I had not yet reached a place where I could truly allow it to flow. I was trying. But major healing rarely happens overnight. There are so many layers, so many!" (40)
Forgiving herself - what for?
"Without any conscious attention, my first apology was to the little girl within me, who had so badly wanted to believe in the goodness of life. Instead, through avoidance of further ridicule, abuse and cruelty from others, she had learned to withdraw - anything to avoid being noticed and attracting condemnation. I was sorry for leaving it so long to courageously speak up in self-protection. I was sorry I had allowed my life to be shaped by the ignorant opinions of others."
She also apologized to her body for how she treated it, for her addiction and for the way she handled responses to family members. (41)
45: "My young, possibly unconscious mind had decided I didn't deserve to be happy."
234
"There would always be another lesson waiting. I could either view each one as a challenge or as another call to rise into m best self. By embracing the growth, enabling my resistance to dissolve and the learning to reveal itself more gently, I continued to find beauty amongst the so-called imperfection."
"RA had been one of my greatest and most loving teachers... My trust in its teachings was strong."
"In its own way, it had given me the best state of health and diet I'd ever known. My body insisted I treat both it and myself with ongoing, nurturing love. It was certainly a commiment I was willing to honour."
238
"Life loved me. It had shown me so repeatedly. Every single one of my lessons was given from a place of love, with the intention to dissolve fear and bring me into my best self. All was well."
244-245
"There were no longer upper limits on what was possible. I didn't have to settle for mediocre. It was real love I was expecting. Home could be heaven on earth... Health was appreciated on new, sacred and genuine levels for the miraculous gift it was."
"It took searing pain to teach me the true beauty of perfection and to extend my awe. There is magnificence in life, hidden daily, waiting only for our vision to be clear enough to see it. The only way to do that is to gradually remove the haze of fear, conditioning, and preconceived ides of how our dreams must unfold...
My dream was answered. More than anything it had been to know true happiness. I had also wanted to allow myself to do so free of guilt or shame. Little did I know through such a yearning, life would also teach me the power of joy and surrender, the strength in frailty, and the freedom of authenticity." (244-245)
252
"Time is a gift. Regardless of what age we may or may not live to, it still flies by quickly. To recognize and respect just how fragile life really is helps us to see how precious its offering is. This is all the more reason to be authentic, courageous, and grateful.
We are here to live our very best life. We will be pulled out of our comfort zones. There will be resistance, fear, anger and sadness. But if we dare to allow it, there will be laughter and magnificence, too. It is okay to show our frailty and to share our honesty. In fact, it is fabulous to do so. Life loves us and wants to bestow the largest dose of happiness possible upon us.
We just need the courage to allow it."
I would definitely recommend this book to others. This author is very unique and has a unique story to tell. I feel her heart, energy and values are in the right place. I found the book pretty engaging and enjoyable, and I liked seeing the lessons and wisdom she had to share (from her own experience). I will likely want to re-read this book or even own it one day :)
I found Bronnie Ware after hearing about The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying. After I enjoyed that book so much, I wanted to see what else she'd written. Even if it wasn't my favourite story, her storytelling ability feels like you're reading a fictional book even though it's more nonfiction/spiritual and I really like that about her style.
I cannot, of course, rate Bloom a 5 stars after I rated T5RD 5 stars, because it wasn't as good. But it was a lovely book in its own right, and I enjoyed reading it.
Its strong suits: the way the author approached her chronic disease; how she tried to heal the root causes; how she released things emotionally and spiritually; her motherhood journey; her growth since the previous book
Its weaknesses: I do understand a memoir author can choose how much of their personal life to disclose (that's totally their right). However, I find the best memoirs are the most raw, vulnerable, and share the most about what happened in their life. After all.. you are getting paid to share your story (with details)! I found there were moments where the writing was literally: "This happened, and then something else happened, and then that happened, so I knew this was a good choice." There was no information, description or explanation, which took away multiple opportunities to impact the reader. Even if full stories weren't fleshed out, even giving a hint of what happened would have been interesting.
>> Example: The vagueness on this page (13):
"...my job was to provide a healthy and safe environment for the child. Further events unfolded, insisting that I had made the right decision. Another decision then followed. It was time to return to my home region."
Like real life, the story did not end perfectly and neatly.
I applaud the author for exploring the metaphysical causes of disease; for looking at the lessons an illness has to teach you; for trying to approach everything (yourself, others, the disease) with love;
for following her own path, even when that meant rejecting traditional medicine. She had the courage to do things in a different way.
I also really appreciated the concept of upper limits--I'd never read about this before and it was unique thing to write a book about. Reading this book came at a relatable time, and offered some valuable perspectives, opinions and insights.
I shared some of the quotes with family members and others, and I definitely will look back at them again.
Liked
39-43
"Determined to find the blessings through the disease, I had to try to understand it. If I had attracted it subconsciously, then on a soul level, there must be healing on offer for me too. I couldn't reason with any other thinking."
RA theory - the immune system is attacking healthy cells. "The bottom line was that I was attacking myself."
"A thing about pain - a good thing - is that it allowed me to cry. It forced me to. In the process, it gave permission for emotional pain to surface, too. There was no true separation of the two anyway. Without emotional pain, there would be no physical pain, no disease to heal in the first place. Everyone has emotional pain to heal regardless of whether it surfaces as disease or not. Sometimes it will surface through other trauma." (39)
"Going within the body, I couldn't get much deeper than the bones. So with the pain surfacing from there, I figured life was calling me to heal the very deepest reaches of emotional pain. I'd thought I had healed so much in the past through the conscious journey of personal growth I had already embarked upon. With the transformative time through depression, I was certainly not the person I used to be. I had found a new level of kindness towards myself - and a much more peaceful existence.
It felt as if life was not only making sure I understood and practiced self care, but that I lived and breathed it with every part of my being. If I had attracted a disease where I was attacking myself, then on some level I had to find that habit within and heal it."
(Talks about metaphysical causes of disease, her heart was talking loudly)
"As I let the torrent pour, emotions surfaced from the deepest parts of my being. While I was crying in physical pain, it also shifted invisibly to include whatever matters of the heart were still yearning for love. Three conclusions became obvious:
I had to learn forgiveness towards myself.
I felt guilty for being too happy.
And I had upper-limit problems.
Life was trying to bless me with an amazing life, but I had not yet reached a place where I could truly allow it to flow. I was trying. But major healing rarely happens overnight. There are so many layers, so many!" (40)
Forgiving herself - what for?
"Without any conscious attention, my first apology was to the little girl within me, who had so badly wanted to believe in the goodness of life. Instead, through avoidance of further ridicule, abuse and cruelty from others, she had learned to withdraw - anything to avoid being noticed and attracting condemnation. I was sorry for leaving it so long to courageously speak up in self-protection. I was sorry I had allowed my life to be shaped by the ignorant opinions of others."
She also apologized to her body for how she treated it, for her addiction and for the way she handled responses to family members. (41)
45: "My young, possibly unconscious mind had decided I didn't deserve to be happy."
234
"There would always be another lesson waiting. I could either view each one as a challenge or as another call to rise into m best self. By embracing the growth, enabling my resistance to dissolve and the learning to reveal itself more gently, I continued to find beauty amongst the so-called imperfection."
"RA had been one of my greatest and most loving teachers... My trust in its teachings was strong."
"In its own way, it had given me the best state of health and diet I'd ever known. My body insisted I treat both it and myself with ongoing, nurturing love. It was certainly a commiment I was willing to honour."
238
"Life loved me. It had shown me so repeatedly. Every single one of my lessons was given from a place of love, with the intention to dissolve fear and bring me into my best self. All was well."
244-245
"There were no longer upper limits on what was possible. I didn't have to settle for mediocre. It was real love I was expecting. Home could be heaven on earth... Health was appreciated on new, sacred and genuine levels for the miraculous gift it was."
"It took searing pain to teach me the true beauty of perfection and to extend my awe. There is magnificence in life, hidden daily, waiting only for our vision to be clear enough to see it. The only way to do that is to gradually remove the haze of fear, conditioning, and preconceived ides of how our dreams must unfold...
My dream was answered. More than anything it had been to know true happiness. I had also wanted to allow myself to do so free of guilt or shame. Little did I know through such a yearning, life would also teach me the power of joy and surrender, the strength in frailty, and the freedom of authenticity." (244-245)
252
"Time is a gift. Regardless of what age we may or may not live to, it still flies by quickly. To recognize and respect just how fragile life really is helps us to see how precious its offering is. This is all the more reason to be authentic, courageous, and grateful.
We are here to live our very best life. We will be pulled out of our comfort zones. There will be resistance, fear, anger and sadness. But if we dare to allow it, there will be laughter and magnificence, too. It is okay to show our frailty and to share our honesty. In fact, it is fabulous to do so. Life loves us and wants to bestow the largest dose of happiness possible upon us.
We just need the courage to allow it."
I would definitely recommend this book to others. This author is very unique and has a unique story to tell. I feel her heart, energy and values are in the right place. I found the book pretty engaging and enjoyable, and I liked seeing the lessons and wisdom she had to share (from her own experience). I will likely want to re-read this book or even own it one day :)
February 17, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I have a condition called fibromyalgia and while it’s not the same as RA, there are aspects that are very similar so I could identify with her. I loved her calm and positive outlook, it’s definitely something I will try to enforce in my own life. Very honest and well written.
June 11, 2021
I came across the best seller “Top five regrets of dying people” by Bronnie ware an Australian author, singer, songwriter, and musician as well. I was eager to get more insight from her unique experience of service to dying people as a palliative caregiver. In her recent book The Bloom, she shared a few years of her life with her readers. I became interested in her life adventures, her devotion to becoming a mother, and her faith to fight Arthritis by spiritual means, and otherwise un-curable disease.
My curiosity to know whether she would be able to overcome the disease and regain mobility led me to read the book very quickly. Her natural style of narration kept me highly engaged, and I felt to travel with Bronnie in the countrysides of Australia.
In the end, I was satisfied with her success in the spiritual struggle to overcome the disease and was able to walk, swim and cook food for her daughter. Her struggle and faith in rising to spiritual heights enabled her to get everything she wanted in life.
The book is a valuable asset and a must-read to get motivation in life for accepting challenges and dealing with problems, which are impossible to resolve through physical means.
My curiosity to know whether she would be able to overcome the disease and regain mobility led me to read the book very quickly. Her natural style of narration kept me highly engaged, and I felt to travel with Bronnie in the countrysides of Australia.
In the end, I was satisfied with her success in the spiritual struggle to overcome the disease and was able to walk, swim and cook food for her daughter. Her struggle and faith in rising to spiritual heights enabled her to get everything she wanted in life.
The book is a valuable asset and a must-read to get motivation in life for accepting challenges and dealing with problems, which are impossible to resolve through physical means.
June 3, 2021
Reading anything by Bronnie Ware feels like a beautiful warm hug...I feel safe and understood. The way she approaches life is something I aspire to do. Listening to the audiobook was like a soothing balm to my soul and I loved every moment of it.
Thank you Bronnie.
Thank you Bronnie.
January 17, 2018
Very, very inspirational! Highly recommend.
March 10, 2018
Didn’t love it. Found it a bit trivial and repetitive to be honest. If you loved The Secret, you’d probably love this.
February 7, 2019
A painfully repetitive, vague and dull read
March 23, 2020
Dreary and too long
June 28, 2020
Heart-touching, authentic and inviting of self reflection. A highly recommended read
March 20, 2017
I'm sure some readers will connect with Ware's thoughts and philosophies though they weren't for me. I read this expecting a memoir of Ware's experiences with illness, but instead the first several chapters read like a self-help book with lots of vague references to Ware following her heart, listening to her soul, and finding much needed lessons in her illness. Her actual experiences were briefly glossed over.
March 23, 2025
Bloom: A Tale of. Courage, Surrender, and a breaking Through Upper Limits by Bronnie Ware 🎧
A February read (listen), one that I found was easy to listen to and pick up where I had left off. The author Bronnie Ware is also the narrator and she does a great job. I enjoyed the way feelings and emotions were described, particularly as they related to family interactions. Bronnie discusses feelings of self loathing and depression along with a very real description of living with severe, acute and constant pain. The ongoing frustration at living with the disability pain causes is very real. As well as hearing about well intending friends and family who mostly don’t listen or show awareness of what Bronnie is living through. The joy of motherhood is beautifully shared and I admired the way Bronnie got on with her life, focusing on the best thing for both herself and her daughter. I did sometimes find the writing slightly preachy, but it was also wonderful to see how strong both emotionally and physically Bronnie became. I’d read one of Bronnies novels, The Purple Chair in January, and it was enjoying it, that encouraged me to read Bloom 🌠🌠🌠🌠
A February read (listen), one that I found was easy to listen to and pick up where I had left off. The author Bronnie Ware is also the narrator and she does a great job. I enjoyed the way feelings and emotions were described, particularly as they related to family interactions. Bronnie discusses feelings of self loathing and depression along with a very real description of living with severe, acute and constant pain. The ongoing frustration at living with the disability pain causes is very real. As well as hearing about well intending friends and family who mostly don’t listen or show awareness of what Bronnie is living through. The joy of motherhood is beautifully shared and I admired the way Bronnie got on with her life, focusing on the best thing for both herself and her daughter. I did sometimes find the writing slightly preachy, but it was also wonderful to see how strong both emotionally and physically Bronnie became. I’d read one of Bronnies novels, The Purple Chair in January, and it was enjoying it, that encouraged me to read Bloom 🌠🌠🌠🌠
September 3, 2017
Inspiring beyond belief!!!
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews