IF there’s one thing that Fiona Brown wants people to take away from her new book, it’s this: live your life without regret.

Fiona is a remarkable and accomplished figure in the Port Stephens community.

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Starting her career as a clinical nurse in regional NSW communities, Fiona worked for 35 years to help people find better health and wellbeing.

Seventeen years ago, born of a desire to engage further in serving the needs of the community where she lived, Fiona commenced coaching young people, and quickly discovered a new purpose and passion in her life.

Today she is a public speaker, accredited life coach, Reiki master and is involved with Port Stephens Women in Business, the Hunter Business Women’s Network and sits on the board of Business Port Stephens.

With the launch of her book ‘I Wish…5 Keys for Living with less Regret and more Joy’, Fiona now adds published author to her list of accolades.

“I have collaborated on books in the past,” said Fiona.

“I have contributed chapters to two books on personal development.”

The first of those books was ‘Change Makers’, a collection of stories about women effecting change in the world.

Fiona then worked on ‘Aligned Leaders’, in which she contributed her own story of stepping into leadership and the lessons she has learned from that journey.

“After working with others on those books, I began to think that I could take on a project like that on my own.”

The fruit of Fiona’s work is equal parts reflection of her personal journey through several key stages of her life as well as practical tools for creating much needed change.

‘I Wish’ is not just another offering into self-help literature, but represents a very personal effort from Fiona’s life experiences.

“I lost both of my parents quite young, when I was only in my thirties.

“Through the years I have come alongside a number of people who have died sooner than they should have.”

One of those individuals was a close friend, Correna, to whom Fiona has dedicated her book, and who provided the impetus for writing it in the first place.

“When I spoke to Correna about her life before the end, she reflected on her life and told me ‘I regret putting things off’.”

Over the years of her work as a nurse, coach, speaker and leader, Fiona has discovered people tend to fall into one of three categories.

“There are people who live up to their potential.

“Then there are people for whom life is always about what they should have done, and excuses as to why they couldn’t.

“Then there are the people in the middle.

“People who may have dreams that they want to achieve, but just don’t know how to take the first steps to make them real.

“This book is for those people.”

Fiona launched her book on Friday 17 November at The Oasis at One Mile Beach, in an event sponsored by Readers Retreat of Salamander Bay.

“I hope that people might read it and be encouraged to step into their better lives,” said Fiona.

By Lindsay HALL