Who is Louise Hay?

I no longer feel bad about myself. I actually love myself. I no longer hold on to resentments, guilt, or blame. I am happy and I can receive love. I trust others now because I trust myself. I love freely and openly because I know that my choice to love is not dependent on the reactions of others.

To love another is my choice. To receive their love is also my choice. I don't want to live in fear or suspicion. I no longer try to make someone love me or be what I think they want. I love and honor myself enough to not want someone in my life that does not love me for me. I no longer hide who I am because I want the people in my life to be near me because they like who I really am. This position of honesty has made it possible for me to attract into my life people who respect me, appreciate me, and love me just as I am. They are in my life because they want to be. Knowing that they truly care for me allows me to trust them. Trust allows me to accept their love. My defenses are down, so my heart is open.

This is a much less stressful way to live. Hiding yourself and being on guard for the next assault or betrayal takes a lot of energy. That's no way to live.

Genuine love is available to all of us, possible for all of us, and it is what we all deserve. Claim a life of love, not fear; a life of joy, not pain. You deserve it. It is your birthright. It is your nature to love and be loved.

RECENTLY DUBBED "the closest thing to a living saint" by the Australian media, Louise L. Hay is also known as one of the founders of the self-help movement. Her first book, Heal Your Body, was published in 1976, long before it was fashionable to discuss the connection between the mind and body. Revised and expanded in 1988, this best-selling book introduced Louise's concepts to people in 33 different countries and has been translated into 25 languages throughout the world.

Through Louise's healing techniques and positive philosophy, millions have learned how to create more of what they want in their lives, including more wellness in their bodies, minds, and spirits. Her own personal philosophy was forged from her tormented upbringing. Her childhood was unstable and impoverished, and her teen years were marked by abuse. Louise ran away from home and ended up in New York City, where she became a model and married a prosperous businessman. Although it appeared that her life had turned around, it was not until the marriage ended 14 years later that her healing really began.

Louise started what would become her life's work in New York City in 1970. She attended meetings at the Church of Religious Science and began training in the ministerial program. She became a popular speaker at the church, and soon found herself counseling clients. This work quickly blossomed into a full-time career. After several years, Louise compiled a reference guide detailing the mental causes of physical ailments, and developed positive thought patterns for reversing illness and creating health. This compilation was the basis for Heal Your Body, also known affectionately as "the little blue book." She began traveling throughout the United States, lecturing and facilitating workshops on loving ourselves and healing our lives.

Louise was able to put her philosophies into practice when she was diagnosed with cancer. She considered the alternatives to surgery and drugs, and instead developed an intensive program of affirmations, visualization, nutritional cleansing, and psychotherapy. Within six months, she was completely healed of cancer.

In 1980, Louise moved back to her native Southern California, and it was here that she began putting her workshop methods on paper. In 1984, her new book, You Can Heal Your Life, was published. In it, Louise explains how our beliefs and ideas about ourselves are often the cause of our emotional problems and physical maladies and how, by using certain tools, we can change our thinking and our lives for the better.

You Can Heal Your Life reached the New York Times bestseller list and remained on it for 13 consecutive weeks. More than 35 million copies of You Can Heal Your Life have been sold throughout the world.

In 1985, Louise began her famous support group, "The Hayride," with six men diagnosed with AIDS. By 1988, the group had grown to a weekly gathering of 800 people and had moved to an auditorium in West Hollywood. Once again, Louise had started a movement of love and support long before people began to wear red ribbons in their lapels. It was during this time that she wrote The AIDS Book: Creating a Positive Approach, based on her experiences with this powerful group.

Louise now heads Hay House, a successful publishing company. What began as a small venture in the living room of her home has turned into a prosperous corporation that has sold more than ten million books and tapes since its inception. Hay House authors include many notables in the self-help movement, including Wayne Dyer, Joan Borysenko, and Doreen Virtue, among others. In addition, The Hay Foundation and the Louise L. Hay Charitable Fund are two non-profit organizations established by Louise that support many diverse organizations, including those dealing with AIDS, battered women, and other challenged individuals in our society.

Louise's healing message has been the subject of many newspapers and magazine articles. She has appeared on television around the world, and her monthly column, "Dear Louise," appears in more than 50 publications in the United States, Canada, Australia, Spain, and Argentina. At 81, Louise is proud to release her first-ever film on her life and work You Can Heal Your Life: The Movie. To watch the trailer visit www.youcanhealyourlifemovie.com.

When she's not traveling, Louise enjoys painting, gardening, and dancing at her home in San Diego, California.

www.louisehay.com

We hear all the time, "You have to love yourself." How do we do that? Someone once told me that the answer was to look myself in the eye in the mirror and say, "I love you." It didn't work. You can't force love and you can't fake it. Loving yourself does not follow the "fake 'till you make it" philosophy. It has to be real and it has to come from inside.

If there are parts of your life that you are ashamed of or that you have blocked from your mind, you are not loving yourself. Most of my childhood was a complete blank. Much of my life that I could remember, I locked away in a dark closet because I didn't like the way I felt when I remembered them. I thought I was doing the courageous thing, the smart thing, in just moving on. Moving forward with your life is great, but there has to be acceptance and letting go first.

When I realized how much of my life I had rejected, I saw how much of my self I rejected. No wonder I was sad all the time and always felt alone. The person closest to me couldn't bear to look at me. That had to change. I wanted to love and accept myself. I wanted to be happy. I will tell you what worked for me. Maybe it will help you, too.

In meditation, I thought of the first time I could remember being really hurt and frightened. I saw the little girl that I was and had compassion for her. I could see how much pain she was in. She was all alone. It was different, looking at the situation as an adult and a witness, instead from the eyes of a child. I hurt for her, not me. I imagined giving her a big hug and say, "It's alright now. You are safe. You are not alone. I love you." Immediately, I felt such a rush of love and release that it sent shivers up my spine. I did this process with each major incident I could remember and at each stage of my life. The effect was profound.

Loving and comforting the person I was in the past healed the wounds I had carried with me all my life. It was like a ripple, expanding through the years right up to the present, healing everything along the way. The dark cloud gave way to light and I felt suddenly released from years of bondage. That was the moment I began to love myself, truly and deeply.

I am a different person, now. I believe in myself. I am kind to myself and relate better to others. The doormat is gone, replaced by a confident, happy woman. This technique was not easy and certainly not painless, but the rewards are worth the effort. A lifetime of pain and self-rejection does not heal overnight, but if you do this process for a little while, you will benefit from it the rest of your life.