Hillary Clinton is thankful that she followed her instincts throughout her career, rising above the doubts and negativity, she writes in a newly released excerpt from her book "Hard Choices."

"I'm eternally grateful that I was born to loving and supportive parents in a country that offered me every opportunity and blessing - factors beyond my control that set the stage for the life I've led and the values and faith I've embraced," Clinton wrote in the book's author's note, which publisher Simon & Schuster shared with ABC News.

"When I chose to leave a career as a young lawyer in Washington to move to Arkansas to marry Bill and start a family, my friends asked, 'Are you out of your mind?' I heard similar questions when I took on health care reform as first lady, ran for office myself, and accepted President Barack Obama's offer to represent our country as Secretary of State."

She acknowledges the May 2011 raid on Osama bin Laden's compound in the excerpt, calling efforts by a team of Navy SEALs "as crisp and courageous a display of leadership as I've ever seen."

Another topic is her 2008 presidential campaign. She faced Obama that campaign cycle, falling short of the party's nomination. Obama later asked Clinton to become secretary of state, a partnership she calls "unexpected."

"I've served our country in one way or another for decades," she wrote. "Yet during my years as Secretary of State, I learned even more about our exceptional strengths and what it will take for us to compete and thrive at home and abroad."

She also addressed America's international standing, with Clinton identifying the United States as "the indispensable nation."

"Talk of America's decline has become commonplace, but my faith in our future has never been greater," she wrote. "While there are few problems in today's world that the United States can solve alone, there are even fewer that can be solved without the United States."

While the book's title is "Hard Choices," she identifies one decision that wasn't difficult, serving her country.

"It has been the greatest honor of my life," Clinton, 66, wrote.

Clinton says she considered numerous titles for the book, with Washington Post reader suggestions giving her some ideas.

"My favorite was 'The Scrunchie Chronicles: 112 Countries and It's Still All About My Hair,'" she wrote.

The excerpt comes before the book's June 10 release, as well as a sit-down interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer, which will air in a one-hour ABC News primetime special on Monday, June 9 at 9 p.m. ET.

(Photo Credit: Cliff Owen/AP Photo)