Exclusive Interview with:
Louise Hay

"All is well. Life is good.
That's the best affirmation
you can use."

We were pleased to attend Louise’s “I Can Do It!” weekend in Las Vegas recently. While there, we had the opportunity to chat with this icon of spirituality and personal growth.

phenomeNEWS: It’s a thrill to have with us today a lady we consider a spiritual role model as well as a mentor.

Whether you realize it or not, dear one, you are our guide. We look to you and say, this woman is walking her talk, being such a wonderful, shining example for the rest of us that we continue to be amazed, in awe and applaud everything that you’re doing. You just seem to have the Midas touch.

We welcome today Louise Hay, the Queen of Affirmations. How did you get that title?

Louise hay: They call me that in Australia. Not here, but in Australia, I am the Queen of Affirmations.

And you come up with the best affirmations all the time. We get such wonderful feedback from the “Dear Louise” column in phenomeNEWS each month. You just keep innovating, innovating and innovating. First it was the card decks, then the innovative things you do with the covers of your books. Now it’s Hay House radio. We’re so excited about that new addition of yours.

Thank you. We are, too, because it’s brand new.

We heard you recently say, “Life is simple.”

Yes. It is really simple. We try to make it so complicated. We make it into soap opera and drama. And it’s really very simple. When we can get that, our life runs much smoother. We are what we think. We are what we say. We are what we believe. And it plays out for us, in experiences.

Many people are at a point where they’ve been there, done that. They’re ready to do something they really want to do. Some call it retirement. I have a friend who worked for 33 years at GM who says “Oh, I hate that word. I wish they would invent something else.” She says, “I think I’m going to call myself ‘rejuvenating’ instead of ‘retired.’

Sounds good! Because words are important.

They are.

For too many people, retirement means sitting still and doing nothing. And that will kill you quicker than anything. I’m always looking for things that excite my passion, something I can get around or support or boost. How can I help next? What can I do?

Some people considering retirement now wonder if I get leave this, what will be my sense of importance or what will be my sense of purpose?

Well your sense of importance is always within you. It doesn’t matter what’s going on out there. It’s how fulfilled you are and how good do you feel about yourself and what you’re doing.

So your aliveness comes from the passion you have about doing what you love?

Absolutely. I’m at a point now where I really like supporting other people. I don’t have to do it all. In the early days, I had to do it all because I was the only one out there. But it’s not like that any more. When I spot somebody who is doing really good work, I want to get under them and boost them a bit. How can I help the world know more about this person or this method or this event? And I can do that now.

You know the Japanese man who did all the experiments with the water? We’re doing his next book. I am so excited about this! It’s wonderful! There are some things we do that I think are so good for the world. Like the Jerry and Esther books. We got the first one going and we just keep printing and printing. It’s probably in its eighth printing already. We just can’t stop it. We have signed Jerry and Esther for, I believe, four more books, one a year. You know that Abraham is going to expand. Abraham will not be saying the same thing in the second book.

Oh, absolutely!

And the public will grow as Abraham allows us, as the books expand.

We’ve been Abraham fans for many years.

I know you have. The thing with Abraham is, he never answers a question that isn’t asked. So he goes along with the level of thinking of the people in front of him. We need to grow more so we can ask better questions, so he can give more expansive answers. I think the books are really going to help that.

We’re so thrilled that you are involved in Abraham.

Me, too.

What was your first introduction to Abraham?

I can’t remember. It was back there somewhere and I became an immediate fan.

You read it in phenomeNEWS?

I could have, yes, probably.

You mentioned two other teachers you like right now. Who are they?

Eckhart Tolle is very good with the idea of staying in the now. I don’t think anybody has gone so thoroughly into that as he has. It’s a challenge. Those things are challenges to do it. He has devoted himself to doing it almost 24 hours per day and he’s an expert at it. But most of us are not in that place. But I think it’s a wonderful thing to do to catch yourself during the day and ask yourself where you are. Am I here? Am I there? Out front or in the past? What am I bitching about? Come back in the now. I feel at the moment that nothing else really exists except this little moment.

And then, Gary Renard (Note: Gary is the author of The Disappearance of the Universe) with the forgiveness, which is wonderful. It’s challenging to do all the time. But again, if you can just bring yourself back to the now and say, “Who do I need to forgive?”

There’s always somebody.

Yes. And it’s us most of all. Because I think when we really forgive ourselves, all our burdens are lightened.

This is the first “I Can Do It!” conference we’ve attended. and we are just so impressed. We think it’s so fabulous. What inspired you to do it?

I’ve been doing this sort of seminar on a smaller scale for years. But now we’re at a point where we have the authors to really put on something of this magnitude. It’s so great for the public because there’s so many people you can hear. They come and go away full and rich and filled inside. There’s almost more than they can handle, but the subconscious mind picks it all up and it comes back.

And we love the excitement. We’re people watchers, so we watch the excitement on the faces of people. At the food court last night, we noticed there were a few people who were sitting by themselves. One woman came over to a table and sat down with someone who was eating alone and started talking with her. They got involved in conversation right away. We thought, OK, that’s the way it should be. Rather than let somebody sit and eat by themselves, let’s join together. That’s a good comment about the kind of energy that’s generated here, to make people want to connect up with each other.

I always say you meet the greatest people when you stand in line here for one of the authors. You have wonderful people to talk to.

Leo Buscaglia was always good at that. He would walk up to anybody at any time and eat with them whether they wanted him to or not. (laughter) He would tell them stories about his family. He was such a love.

What is Louise doing now for fun?

Oh, dancing, painting, oil painting. I’ve just finished my first portrait of a woman and I’m beginning to work on a portrait of a man. I want a pair.

I have a little time now, so that I can explore other things. It’s not all work, work, work. But of course, when I’m here, it’s all work.

Where do you think we’re heading now, as far as spiritual expansion?

I think we’re opening in almost every direction. I mean, look at the teachers that are out there. Look at the books and what they’re explaining and what they’re talking about. You know, Eckhart Tolle has a wonderful following and so does Gary Renard. And you have Chris Northrup and Doreen Virtue and, of course, Wayne Dyer who has been around for ages. He’s an excellent teacher. And Jerry and Esther. You can’t stop there.

Looks like it’s not going to stop.

No, it’s not going to stop. It can’t stop. It’s an explosion now. And with the internet it can go everywhere. With our radio, we were thrilled, the first time out, the first month, we had 66,000 hits from 50 countries.

So it’s just beginning and as the word goes out, it will get more and more. Well, you know what you do with your stuff. There’s no stopping it. It can’t stop. And it will penetrate other areas.

Right. You are now also in Australia?

Yes. Well, we have Hay House branches. We have Hay House Australia. We have Hay House UK. We have Hay House South Africa. And we’re about to open Hay House India.

It’s just amazing what’s happening.

Hay House India. It’s a perfect match! India is very sacred.

Yes. And you know, Reid Tracy who runs the company, he’s just incredible. He has such a wonderful mind. He’s really who’s responsible for the expansion of Hay House. I’m the beginning rock who had the ideas and the solid, proven things. But he’s the one who does the expansion.

It’s amazing to have a wonderful group of people. We want to say that you have a fabulous staff.

Absolutely.

We love talking to them. There’s always such a warm reception. It is a pure delight to deal with everybody in your company. You know, years ago, I told your Publicity Director Jacqui Clark that there was any other job in the world that I’d want to do, if anything ever happened to phenomeNEWS, I’d want to come and work for Hay House. She said, “Well, you’d have to get in line because none of us are quitting... ever!”

It’s true. Hardly anybody ever leaves Hay House. And when they do, I always think, “Why? Why would you leave us, we’re so wonderful!”

How did that feel at first, when you weren’t going in to work every day?

Well it all happened organically. It was time and things transpired. Something happens and you do a little less and it’s OK. It was easy. But you know, I also have my office at the house. So there’s never nothing to do.

Are you in the throes of writing another book?

I’m always in the throes of writing something. I’m not doing a book at the moment. When things are ready, they pop up. Reid is always eagerly waiting for me to produce something.

Tell us what a typical day with Louise Hay is like.

There’s absolutely no such thing as a typical day. I can try to start it off the same way every morning. The first thing I do is I walk into my bathroom where I have a hanging bar. And I hang. Get the kinks out. It’s really good. It stretches the body. I have a cup of tea and I meditate for a little bit. Then I get up and walk for an hour. I like to walk early in the morning. And then I come back and make what I call a power shake. I have one of those blenders that can just beat up anything and I put about six or seven vegetables in there with non-sweetened cranberry juice and spirulina and kelp and all sorts of things that are not that easy to eat by themselves. But If you put them all in the blender, it’s fine. So I have this power shake and once I’ve had that, I’m ready for the world!

You look fabulous. You just are timeless.

Well I do my best to take care of myself. Especially when I’m home. I’m careful about what I eat and I do Pilates twice a week. I’ve done that for a long time. So my body tone is good even though I’m 78.

You’re still vibrant.

I’m still vibrant. I have a lot of energy. My energy is very good, which I’m pleased about.

We like it when you got up on the stage the other night and said, “I’m 78 and I feel great!”

Well people have to know that they don’t have to fall apart just because the years pass. You know, Jerry and Esther never talk about their age.

It doesn’t matter and it’s nobody’s business. I remember the stories they told about going to the doctor and they wanted to know their age. And then they were scolded because they didn’t know how old! “How do we know how to look for what’s wrong in you if we don’t know your age?” Well of course, that’s why we don’t tell you! (laughter)

I do tell my age, always, on stage, because I think I’m a role model and people need to know. But otherwise I wouldn’t because it really doesn’t mean anything.

Right, because you’re so energetic, you are the role model.

Well, what could be next for Hay House?

Ah! I think it will unfold. I’m not sure what it is, but people come to us with wonderful ideas and then we see how we can incorporate them. I’m looking to see what will happen next.

It’s an adventure.

It is. It’s a wonderful adventure. What will life bring us next that we can work with?

That’s what keeps you vibrant, too, because it’s like going to garage sales. We never know what we’re going to find. Treasures!

You know, it’s wonderful. The best authors now come to us because we have a very good reputation. We treat people well and any author that has worked with us doesn’t ever want to work anywhere else. They might try it, but they come back because we really treat people well. I like to think of us as a class act.

You are a class act. We’ve always thought so, since we brought you in years ago. You had all your stuff together and it was very effortless for us as promoters to help bring you in. We had to hardly do anything at all. People would say, “Louise Hay, sign me up.” They were buying blocks of 30 and 40 tickets at a time. We still talk about this to this day, how wonderful and easy that was. And we think that’s the true sign of the universe handling it.

Yes. Life is handling that. Because I remember when I first went to Australia. This was early 80s. I arrived, somebody brought me in and I was going to do a weekend workshop. I did an introductory lecture on Friday night and there were 1,000 people in the audience. I couldn’t believe it! But life just handled that. It’s like the book, You Can Heal Your Life. In the 21 years that it’s been out, it’s sold 35 million copies worldwide, in 30 different languages.

Wow!

I don’t have anything to do with that. Life says, “Come one, come on, go here, go here.”

And it’s passed along.

Yes. People pass it on and if they like the book, they’ll buy 10 for different friends. And out of that 10, one will probably do the same thing. So it just keeps moving and moving.

Cindy: Gerri showed me her copy, which is quite well worn and highlighted.

Is it the one with the purple heart on it?

Cindy: Yes.

That’s the first one.

Gerri: I worked at a health food store and I saw this book, You Can Heal Your Life. You can heal your life? Your whole life? I started going through this book and I had to have it. So I was devouring this book. Then I got the tape and heard your voice. What a peaceful voice. It resonated right through me. So you are my first mentor, teacher, the opening. This whole thing was you.

Cindy: Then Gerri introduced you to me.

That’s how it works.

Cindy: And you know the rest, as they say, is history.

I like to think of these things as happening organically. They just unfold.

Yes. They unfold gently.

All is well. Life is good. That’s the best affirmation you can use. All is well. Life is good. I tell people to put it on their answering machines now so other people can hear it.

And on billboards. I don’t think we can affirm that enough.

If that can be like the core belief, it’ll be true. All is well and life will be good.

When everything is in divine order and you know that, you don’t worry because things happen the way they’re supposed to happen.

Absolutely. Well, we all blend together. We mesh, all of the teachers.

Is there anything in your life that you feel that you haven’t done yet that you really, really would like to do?

I’ll find out!

Louise, you’re such a good role model for the rest of us because you just allowing life to unfold. You’re enjoying it immensely every step of the way. And again, we feel so honored to call you one of our friends and that you are definitely a kindred spirit of phenomeNEWS. Your essence and energy are around every month when it goes out and we feel very blessed to have you as part of our family of the spirit.

Any last words?

Let the joy flow!

Thank you so much.

The website for Hay House is www.hayhouse.com.

Their new radio show website is www.hayhouseradio.com