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Louise Hay Biography

(Writer)

Birthday: October 8, 1926 (Libra)

Born In: Los Angeles, California, United States

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Louise Hay was an American author and founder of the publishing company Hay House. She authored several motivational books, including the 1984 bestseller ‘You Can Heal Your Life’. Born in Los Angeles to a poor mother, she spent her childhood in extreme poverty. Her mother’s second marriage to her violent stepfather who physically abused her added to her misery. The little girl underwent further trauma at the age of five when she was raped by a neighbor. At 15, she dropped out of high school without a diploma. At that time, she was pregnant and eventually gave birth to a baby girl whom she gave up for adoption. After moving to Chicago and working a number of low-paying jobs, Hay again moved back to New York where she started a career as a fashion model after changing her first name from Helen to Louise. In 1954, she married English businessman Andrew Hay who ultimately ended up cheating on her. In August 2017, Hay died in her sleep, at the age of 90.

Birthday: October 8, 1926 (Libra)

Born In: Los Angeles, California, United States

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Quick Facts

Also Known As: Louise Lynn Hay, Helen Vera Lunney, Louise L. Hay, Lois Hayes Modesto Junior College 1942

Died At Age: 90

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Andrew Hay (m. 1954–1968)

father: Henry John Lunney

mother: Veronica Chwala

Born Country: United States

American Women Libra Writers

Died on: August 30, 2017

place of death: San Diego, California, USA

Notable Alumni: Modesto Junior College,Maharishi University Of Management

Cause of Death: Natural Causes

City: Los Angeles

More Facts

education: University High School Charter, Auditorium Box Office, Modesto Junior College, Maharishi University Of Management

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You wanted to know

  • 1

    What is Louise Hay best known for?

    Louise Hay is best known for being a motivational author and the founder of Hay House, a publishing company specializing in self-help and personal growth books.
  • 2

    What is Louise Hay's philosophy?

    Louise Hay's philosophy is centered around the idea that our thoughts create our reality and that by practicing positive affirmations and self-love, we can heal ourselves and manifest positive change in our lives.
  • 3

    What is Louise Hay's most famous book?

    Louise Hay's most famous book is "You Can Heal Your Life," which has sold millions of copies worldwide and is considered a classic in the self-help genre.
  • 4

    What inspired Louise Hay to start her healing work?

    Louise Hay was inspired to start her healing work after overcoming her own personal challenges, including recovering from cancer through alternative healing methods and positive thinking.
  • 5

    How has Louise Hay impacted the self-help industry?

    Louise Hay has had a profound impact on the self-help industry by popularizing the concept of using affirmations and positive thinking to improve one's life, as well as by being a pioneer in the field of mind-body healing.

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Career
Louise Hay started her career as a model in 1950. After achieving success and working for Oleg Cassini, Pauline Trigère, and Bill Blass, she started writing. In 1976, she wrote her first book ‘Heal Your Body’ as a small pamphlet listing different bodily ailments and their metaphysical causes. The pamphlet was later extended into the book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ which was published in 1984.
In the late 1980s, Hay started working for groups that supported those living with HIV/AIDS. Her contribution to these groups “Hay Rides” got worldwide acclaim and earned her an invitation from ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ and ‘The Phil Donahue Show’ in 1988. That year, her book ‘The AIDS Book: Creating a Positive Approach’ was also released by her company Hay House.
The 1990s began with the release of Hay’s book ‘Love Yourself, Heal Your Life Workbook’. Focusing on self-love and positive thinking, the book covers a wide array of topics affecting people’s daily lives, including health, sex, money, work, etc. This was followed by ‘The Power Is Within You’ and ‘Heart Thoughts’ which were published in 1991 and 1992, respectively.
In 1993, the motivational author came up with ‘Loving Thoughts For Increasing Prosperity’. Her next releases were 'Gratitude: A Way Of Life', 'Life! Reflections On Your Journey' and 'Living Perfect Love: Empowering Rituals For Women', all of which were released in 1996. Two years later, another version of her book ‘Heal Your Body’ was published under the name 'Heal Your Body A–Z: The Mental Causes for Physical Illness and the Way to Overcome Them'.
Also, in 1998, Hay’s publishing agency published her book ‘101 Ways To Health And Healing’. In this gift book, she demonstrates 101 ways to enhance emotional, physical, and spiritual health. This was followed by another healing book titled 'All is Well: Heal your Body’ which was released in 2013. Her projects for 2014 included 'You can heal your heart: finding peace after a breakup, divorce, or death' and 'Life loves you: 7 spiritual experiments to heal your life.'
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Family & Personal Life
Louise Hay was born as Helen Vera Lunney on October 8, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, USA, to Veronica Chwala and Henry John Lunney. Her parents divorced and her mother later remarried Ernest Carl Wanzenreid. At the age of 15, Hay dropped out of University High School. During this time, she gave birth to a baby girl whom she gave up for adoption on her 16th birthday.
In 1954, she married British businessman Andrew Hay who left her after 14 years of marriage. During the late 1970s, she suffered from cervical cancer. She started an unconventional regime of forgiveness, combined with therapy, nutrition, and reflexology. She eventually recovered.
On August 30, 2017, Louise Hay died in her sleep at the age of 90.
Facts About Louise Hay
Louise Hay was a pioneer in the self-help industry, founding one of the first and most successful publishing companies focused on personal growth and empowerment.
She was a firm believer in the power of positive affirmations and self-love, and her work has inspired millions of people around the world to embrace these practices.
Louise Hay overcame a challenging childhood and early adulthood, including poverty and abuse, to become a beloved author and teacher known for her compassion and wisdom.
She was a trailblazer in promoting the mind-body connection and the idea that our thoughts and beliefs can greatly influence our physical health and well-being.
Louise Hay's legacy continues to live on through her books, teachings, and the countless lives she has touched with her message of self-empowerment and healing.

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21st Century | 20th Century | Celebrity Names With Letter L | 20th Century Writers | 21st Century Writers