When I came across Louise Hay's picture recently ( not the one above ), I was horrified to see that she has done some plastic surgery work to her face!

My immediate reaction was shock followed by irritation, which worked up to me feeling betrayed and anger towards her for betraying millions of people. Those who don't know Hay, She is well known metaphysical author whose core teachings are about accepting oneself and healing from inside out.

A few thought I was over reacting but I just felt I was voicing my opinion loudly because she is a public figure and one that I look up to and a lot of us look up to..!

I felt that she didn't follow what she preached and that she must have looked at herself, god knows for how many days in the mirror and thought negatively enough about her appearance, her wrinkles that she had to go get a surgery!!!!!! What ever happened to self acceptance and loving oneself as it is - teachings?? So, these teachings are for the poor who can't afford but the rest can go for plastic surgery?

Should I consider this as a betrayal? What kind of teaching is this when the teacher won't follow her own advice?

The rest of the day I stewed.

May be these spiritual teachers have been put up on a pedestal? Are we expecting too much out of them? Is there something called accountability? 

Should I stop following her because she choose plastic surgery over self-acceptance? I am not at all against tastefully done plastic surgery but surely didn't expect Hay to be one of the candidates!

It took me some time to process this. 

Why are gods depicted always as eternally youthful? I have not come across one wrinkly god or goddess!  If one has to be a celebrity author then one has to look youthful, defy gravity and aging? or .... that May be spiritual teachers get burnt out! ....May be as human we all tend to be hypocrites one time or the other however hard we try or May be she had a truly, wonderful reason why she did it which I didn't know or would not understand! 

May be instead of worrying about her choices, I should just respect the fact that I don't know her life or her reasons & just stop judging her and do the best I can with my own choices... and remember that I too will be scrutinized one day!

( & Here is also a link I came across..
http://spiritualityisnoexcuse.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/superheroes-of-the-new-age-louise-hay/ )