A couple of weekends ago I had the unique and rather extraordinary pleasure of spending a whole weekend of quality personal time with author, publishing mogul and the Grand Dame of the Self-Help Movement herself, Louise Hay at both of her residences in and near San Diego.
I KNOW….OMG!
We share a mutual friend and it was this, along with my book (which she totally loves) that brought us together. We had a wonderful time and found a kindred spirit in one-another in our shared lifelong passion for inspiring the self-empowerment of others. We also had a LOT of laughs (this woman is filled with a sense of humor and zest for life that puts many of those a fraction of her age to shame).
I had read her ground-breaking book “You Can Heal Your Life” many, many years ago, not long after it was first published. Since its publication in 1984 her book has sold in excess of 50 million copies. Unbelievable. In many ways this was the book that actually launched the entire Self-Help Movement and brought into focus the power we all possess to create our own realities. Hay House, her publishing company has since grown into a self-help empire of sorts. She has truly done it all, and through it she has unwaveringly walked her talk.
It was the work she did with gay men dying from AIDS in the 1980’s that won over my deep abiding respect for Louise and her brand of self-healing. –At a time when these terrified, suffering, grieving and broken spirited young men were being ostracized and vilified by society, our government and even their own families Louise Hay embraced them and gave them a safe haven of positive support and love. Louise tells me that many of these men are still alive today and thank her in the streets wherever she goes. One is tempted to call what she did at the time courageous (after all, AIDS was seen as a frighteningly lethal and mysteriously contagious plague that no one understood)—but in my mind her reaching out to them was simply an outgrowth of Louise’s own inherent love and compassion. There is no room for fear in Love. As Louise herself said to me “Courage had nothing to do with it because I was never afraid.” I learned everything I ever needed to know about Louise from this.
Many do not realize how passionate she is about health and quality nutrition or that she healed herself (away from any conventional therapy) after her own Cancer diagnosis many years ago. This stuff matters to her. Louise Hay has read many, MANY books about health and nutrition over the years. For some time now she has been a follower of the work of Weston Price, and she embraces a sugar free/grain free lifestyle. She was already doing most of what my book suggests before even reading it. Nonetheless, my book helped put a lot of things together for her and it really resonated with a great deal of truth. In an e-mail to me she wrote (and consented to my sharing):
I really love this book. It covers everything. I have already bought 3 copies to give to worthy friends.
Many blessings,
~Louise Hay
As I was leaving her home Louise held my hand, looked me in the eye and wanted me to know that she genuinely adored me and also that she deeply respects my work.
DITTO, Louise. Wow. Ditto.
I feel a deep sense of honor and privilege in now counting this remarkable and legendary woman as my heartfelt friend.
I’m still pinching myself a little bit.
Anyone who has not seen her most recent documentary, “You Can Heal Your Life” needs to run (not walk) to view this incredible treasure. It tells her life story and is also filled with engaging interviews of some of Hay House’s most well-known authors and speakers. It’s widely available on DVD. The expanded version is especially wonderful. Its musical score is gorgeous.
After finally arriving home to Portland, Louise sent me an e-mail and wanted to offer me her “official endorsement” of my book.
Here it is:
“Primal Body, Primal Mind is the best nutritional book I have ever read. A gold mine of great information.”
~Louise Hay
How cool is that? 😉
~ Nora
I took this photo in Louise’s beautiful garden…
Wow, that must mean a lot for you. I read her book many years ago to, in fact most of my family did, it was very useful for us.
WOW! Congrats, you must be on cloud 9. What a wonderful experience and you must be so pleased with the glowing endorsement!! Good for you Nora!
Two of my favorite authors! What a wonderful experience it must have been for both of you! I am just beginning my Paleo journey to heal my body from Lyme Disease.
How wonderful an experience this must have been. I must say though, you truly deserve it Nora. You are just as much an inspiration to many of us as Louise is to you.
Your professionalism, kindness, passion and well cited work always delivers…..
I am really, really touched by all your comments. Wow.
Louise is an incredibly special human being–wise, playful, passionate and a died-in-the-wool visionary. Her quirky and sometimes slightly irreverent sense of humor resonated well with my own and our hearts found a common wavelength in our conversations. We have become fast friends. I am in awe of and inspired by what she has accomplished in her life and the integrity with which she has lived it–this woman really walks her talk. Whether one is into positive affirmations or not, one cannot deny that this has clearly worked for her. In spades.
A friend mentioned to me that Louise told Doreen Virtue around her 80th birthday over lunch, that “the 2 most important decisions you make in your life are the thoughts you choose to think and the foods you choose to eat!”
Perfect. 🙂
She gets it.
Nora, thank you so much for this article!
I love Louise Hay and I read her classic book years ago, too!
I rediscovered your book today and I’m very inspired to start up my Paleo/Primal journey again. I’ve been discouraged but I know how good I feel when I do this so I’m going to try again 🙂
Thanks for the great work you do!
Angela