I am taking an online writing course from Hay House. Hay House, for those who aren’t familiar with it, was started by Louise Hay, the author of “You Can Heal Your Life” and other books. She started Hay House when she was 60 years old.

There are two reasons why these facts are significant. One is that I am writing my first book at the age of 58. The second reason is that I bought “You Can Heal Your Life” and the companion workbook for my daughter Justine one year for Christmas. I had heard of the book but had not known anything about Louise Hay at the time. I had not heard of Hay House until just a few years ago.

The book I’m writing is about Justine. She was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder when she was a teenager. This means that she could go from depression to mania and back sometimes in a single day or one of those moods could last weeks or months. I’m not even sure she read “You Can Heal Your Life”. She was killed in a car accident driving home from work at aged 29 a year ago.

I listened to the book in my car in audio version a few years ago. It is a book about the laws of attraction and how you really can change your life by thinking positive things. I’m absolutely certain that many of the principals in Louise’s book have guided me this past year and allowed me to carry on trying to do good things (like write this book) rather than wallow in self-pity and grief. I have focussed on what I have rather than what I lost. People have asked me what my secret is and that’s it.

Hay House publishes 50 books a year. Most are “self-help” books. It would be a dream come true to have my book published by Hay House. Although my book is a memoir, I think hearing my story about raising a daughter who had mental illness is a story that could help others. The world still has a long way to go in terms of understanding and accepting people who struggle with mood disorders and other forms of mental illness. My book is called “Not My Story To Tell”.

Have you heard of Hay House or Louise Hay?