Dear Louise,
Could you explain what could be some of the causes of uterine cancer? I was 40 years old when I was diagnosed with it (four years ago), and I would like to know what you have to say about it. Mine didn't spread, thank God, but it's always a worry. I was under a lot of stress a year before I got the cancer, and I'm an adult child of an alcoholic. I've read that you had cervical cancer, which is more common in younger women, but I was 40, and usually older women get uterine cancer
Please explain, and, if you could, please give me some ideas on how to live every day with this fear of getting it back and how I can prevent it from recurring.
W.D., San Antonio, Texas

Dear W.D.,
Oh, my dear, why would you choose to carry fear on a daily basis? You're terrorizing yourself with your own thoughts. Dis-ease cannot live in a joyful atmosphere. Please change your thinking. As Abraham says, "Choose to think only happy thoughts, and life will be a joy." And think of how good you will feel. All that stress will be gone.

Don't anticipate trouble. Continual negative thinking creates an atmosphere where dis-ease can take hold. Resentment plays a part in all cancers no matter what you name them. I do not believe in statistics, so under 40 and over 40 mean nothing to me. You are an individual, not a statistic. I had cancer 25 years ago, and I have known for 24¼ years that it will never return. Forgive your parents. Stop thinking about numbers. Please change your thinking. Stay away from sugar and processed foods. Love yourself. Be happy. That is my formula for health. As Bobby McFerrin sings, "Don't Worry, Be Happy." Get the song, and play it over and over.

Dear Louise,
I have an issue with my sister. She made the Dean's List in college, while I struggled with barely passing grades. She developed a lot of social contacts, got a boyfriend, and became sexually active her freshman year, while I became lonely and isolated. At 24, I am still a virgin. She maintained her weight, while I became overweight and bulimic.
Now, wherever we go, everyone comments on how beautiful she is. She is beautiful because she has an inner beauty shining out, and she is filled with so much love. But I find myself wanting to inhibit her spiritual growth. I don't want to become bitter and resentful over this. Do you have any suggestions?
B.A., Eugene, Oregon

Dear B.A.,
Begin to love yourself NOW. Stop comparing yourself to anyone, especially your sister. When we compare, we always lose. It's a waste of time. You are the only one who thinks in your mind; you are the creator of your own experiences. So remember that you are a Divine, unique individual; you have come here to express the specialness that is you. Begin and end each day looking into the mirror and saying to yourself, "I REALLY, REALLY LOVE YOU, AND TOGETHER WE WILL CREATE A WONDERFUL, LOVING, JOYFUL LIFE." And so it is.

Dear Louise,
I'm 35, have a very successful career, and a wonderful, loving family of my own, yet I cannot get past the hurt of an emotionally neglected and very lonely childhood.
A year and a half ago, I began limiting visits and conversations with my parents in order to concentrate on my own well-being and get away from all their negativity. I also wanted to keep my own daughter away from these things. My husband believes that I should cut off all contact with them.
I'm working on forgiveness, and I get close, but then something else happens that will hurt me even more. My parents have been telling me that I was never the daughter they wanted, that I will only gain all the weight I've lost back, that I don't care about them, that their illnesses are my fault, that I should be taking care of them, and finally, that they've decided to rewrite their will. I do care about my parents, but I can't go on being hurt. Please help me. I'm not sure what to do next.
G.D., Canada

Dear G.D.,
You will never change your childhood, so stop trying. Nor can you change other people. Forgiveness has nothing to do with other people. It is freeing your mind from the bondage of the past. Just because you forgive people, it doesn't mean that you have to be close to them. Your parents are manipulating you, and you're playing into their hands. As a child, you had no choice. Now you're in control of your own experiences. You can't change them, and you're not responsible for anything in their lives, for we are all under the law of our own consciousness. Don't stress yourself out so much. You deserve to be well treated. Take a good year off from the relationship with your parents. When they call you, at the first derogatory word, say to them, "I refuse to be treated like this any longer." Then hang up. You do not have to listen to people berate you. Walk away or hang up. You will be teaching your daughter that it's not okay to accept abuse, for you are her role model. Accept your husband's support. You can move away from manipulation and control. Affirm: I AM FREE TO LIVE MY OWN LIFE. I LOVE AND APPROVE OF MYSELF.

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Louise L. Hay is a metaphysical teacher and the best selling author of 23 books, including You Can Heal Your Life, Empowering Women, and Letters to Louise. Since beginning her career as a Science of Mind minister in 1981, she has assisted thousands of people in discovering and using the full potential of their own creative powers for personal growth and self-healing. Louise's works have been translated into 25 different languages in 33 countries throughout the world.

For a free catalog of books, audios, videos, and other products by Louise Hay and other Hay House authors, please call (800) 654-5126 or fax (800) 650-5115. If you would like Louise to answer your letter in this publication, address your letter to: Dear Louise Column, c/o Hay House, Inc., P.O. Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018-5100. Please visit the Hay House Website at: hayhouse.com. (Letters used in this column may be edited for length and clarity.) For information on becoming a certified teacher of Louise Hay's philosophy, call Patricia Crane at (800) 969-4584 in the U.S. and Canada, or at (714) 969-9383 internationally. There are teachers trained in Louise's philosophy throughout the world. They are all listed on the Internet at louisehayteachers.com