The Work of Louise Hay

Hello everyone!

In this month’s article, I’d like to introduce you to the work of Louise Hay, a great motivational speaker and author. I met Louise while I was living in West Hollywood in the mid-1980’s, shortly after the publication of her groundbreaking book, “You Can Heal Your Life.” The AIDS epidemic was raging at the time, and Louise held meetings every Wednesday night in a meeting room at a park nearby. Our small group consisted of AIDS victims, their friends and family members, and those interested in Louise’s progressive and unconventional (for the time) teachings. Louise’s writings on the metaphysical causes of disease and our own inner power to improve our health and change our lives fascinated me and have greatly influenced my own life philosophy over the years. Between 1986 and 1990, I watched as the small weekly group grew to include hundreds of people. Her books have now reached millions around the world and have been translated into dozens of languages. While Louise passed on in 2017 at the age of 90, her timeless message has helped countless people overcome pain, disease and negative life circumstances, helping them create a better life for themselves. I hope that this article will inspire you to take a deeper look into her work and apply her principles in your own life.

“We are each 100% responsible for all of our experiences”

Louise believed that each of us creates our own life experiences through our thinking and mental patterns, many of which are firmly established during our childhood years. Depending on the nature of our respective upbringings, life can feel very good to us, or it can be full of perceived danger, worries and fears. Often we do not completely understand how our circumstances have resulted in our current lifestyles, having had no guidance or understanding of the universal laws that determine whether our life is working well or not. Instead of looking outside ourselves and blaming others for our unhappy experiences, Louise reminded us that we create our own life situations and can change them, beginning in the present moment, if we are prepared to do the mental work. We do this, amongst other things, by really getting to know ourselves without self-blame, guilt or judgment and by continuously making positive changes to our daily thought patterns. Lifestyle changes, including improvements in diet and nutrition, mirror work, daily meditation, visualization and spoken and internalized affirmations are key accompaniments to working on our mental thought patterns.

“Every thought we think is creating our future”

Along with many of the New Thought authors of the past century, Louise believed that “our thoughts create our life” and that “whatever we believe becomes true for us.” She stated that there is a center of wisdom in each one of us, and when we are ready to make positive changes in our lives, we attract whatever we need to help us. Our bodies are like mirrors, reflecting our inner thoughts and beliefs, and are always trying to communicate with us. Every cell responds to every thought you have and every word you speak. Continuous modes of thinking and speaking produce our typical body postures and behaviors. Pain is a strong signal that something is not right in the body/mind. (Think of someone you may know who is negative, critical and constantly complaining about all aspects of their ‘painful’ life. Their unhappy face and stooped posture reveal a lifetime of damaging inner dialog. The body does not lie!) The mind is made up of the objective mind, with which we experience everyday life through our five senses, and the subconscious mind, which acts to perform whatever is requested of it by the objective mind. Think of the subconscious mind like the engine of your car or the operating system of your computer. It never argues or rationalizes; it simply does whatever the objective mind asks it to do. Your life, as you experience it, is largely governed by the workings of your subconscious mind. For this reason, it is an excellent practice to watch your thoughts closely, because the subconscious mind will bring you exactly what you ask for, and unfortunately, it has no sense of humor.

“Resentment, criticism and guilt are the most damaging patterns…we must release the past and forgive everyone”

Louise stated that the negative emotions of resentment, criticism and guilt are experienced by virtually everyone, and that letting the events of the past hold you back mean that you can never fully enjoy living in the present moment. People tend to hang on to thoughts of regret, sadness, hurt, blame, anger, fear --- even the desire for revenge. Oftentimes, people are in physical and emotional pain because of they are holding onto grievances from the long ago past, nursing psychic wounds (intentional, imaginary or otherwise) inflicted on them by family members, friends, or other people in their life. Louise taught that negative, toxic emotions build up in the body over time if not identified, resolved and released. Perhaps someone treated you in a way that you thought was unforgiveable, and it colored your whole world and negatively affected your health. The ability to truly forgive is something that many people grapple with. Just keep in mind that by forgiving the person who caused you pain, you are not condoning their bad behavior; it is simply that you have chosen to release yourself from your prison of self-righteous resentment, and you have made the decision to let them go so that you are free of their hold over you. The past is over and gone, and you have let that person or situation pass out of your life, making room for new, joyful and healthy experiences.

“It’s only a thought, and a thought can be changed”

We all have unlimited choices in what we think about. Your mind is a tool that you can choose to use in any way that you wish. We can dwell on unhappy thoughts that create pain and misery, or guide our thoughts gently towards happiness, joy, success and fulfillment in our everyday lives. Louise suggested that we learn to think in positive affirmations, which are simply statements that you repeatedly make to yourself. Many people write out their personal affirmations and post them throughout their home so they can remember to see and act on them. Make your statements in the present tense, using the words ‘I am’ or ‘I have.’ Avoid the future tense (‘I want’ or ‘I will have’) as that tells the subconscious mind to keep your desired goals in the future, always out of your reach. Instead of negative affirmations (“I want to get rid of this pain”) firmly but gently say to yourself something like “I am now free of all pain and I am living my best life.” Affirmations are like seeds that you plant, knowing that with care and diligence, the results will be a bountiful harvest. There is a great freedom in knowing that we are always able, in the present moment, to choose to cancel a negative thought and replace it with a positive, freeing one that supports our life goals.

“Self-approval and self-acceptance in the now are the key to positive changes”

Loving the self begins with never criticizing ourselves for anything. Criticism of the self has never helped to achieve anything positive, and self-criticism and guilt are useless emotions anyway --- let them go! Louise recommended ‘mirror work’ as a way to connect with your mind and soul, and to begin the process of healing. As you look directly into your eyes in the mirror, say “I love and approve of myself exactly as I am. I love you, (your name,) I really love you!” Many people have difficulty with this exercise, and many emotions can come to the surface. Resist the temptation to dismiss this exercise as foolish, vain or embarrassing. You are correcting years of outdated programming from your past and setting the stage for a new life filled with positive changes. When we really love, accept, trust and approve of ourselves for who we truly are, our health becomes transformed, pain tends to dissolve from the body, finances improve, relationships become more fulfilling, and we express ourselves in freer and more creative ways.

“The point of power is always in the present moment”

Louise said, “You are the only person that thinks in your mind.” Notice what thought you are thinking in this moment. Is it negative or positive? All of the events that you have experienced in your lifetime up to this moment have been created by your past thoughts, beliefs and convictions. The past has no power over us. It does not matter how long we have harbored negative patterns. The point of power is in the present moment, and is forming the experiences of tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. Your current thoughts will always manifest the future you. So just notice your thoughts, and be aware. Your problems no longer need to be the truth for you, but can fade back into the nothingness from whence they came. You are the power and authority in your mind and in your world. There really is no time like the present to begin to make positive changes to your thinking, and results will start to come immediately in small, almost unnoticeable ways, until you are fully conscious of them.

“All is well in my world”

Whatever we send out into the world mentally or verbally will come back to us in like form. If we continually declare that all is well in our world, we will experience a joyful, happy, healthy life. As Louise often said, “only good lies before me.” This reassuring affirmation informs your subconscious mind that all is well, that good is ever-present and that there is nothing to fear in the future. You will be less negatively affected by the events you see on the news and all the catastrophes that have always been a part of human history and life on this planet. We are all connected, and have the ability to broadcast love and joy to ourselves and each other, instead of pain and misery. Affirming that “all is well in my world” is a powerful statement that you are grounded in positive beliefs and have no fear of what the future may hold. Along the way, you will find that many of your current concerns dissipate and fade away and that life events and experiences do become easier and more harmonious. Take every opportunity to learn more about the amazing power of your mind and your ability to create the life of your dreams. May all be well in your world.

“In the infinity of life where I am,

all is perfect, whole and complete.

I believe in a Power far greater than I am that flows

through me every moment of my day.

I open myself to the wisdom within,

knowing that there is only One Intelligence

in this Universe. Out of this One Intelligence

comes all the answers, all the solutions,

all the healings, all the new creations.

I trust this Power and Intelligence

knowing that whatever I need to know is revealed to me

and that whatever I need comes to me

in the right time, space and sequence.

All is well in my world.”

Louise L. Hay