Iyanla Vanzant

Iyanla Vanzant (born September 13, 1953) is an American author, speaker, spiritual teacher, and television personality. She is widely known for her work in the areas of personal development, empowerment, and spiritual healing. Through her books, television appearances, and teachings, Vanzant has made a profound impact on individuals seeking guidance in their emotional, spiritual, and personal lives.

Early Life and Background:

  • Vanzant was born in Brooklyn, New York, and experienced a challenging childhood, which included trauma, loss, and overcoming adversity. She was raised in foster care and faced many struggles early in life.

  • Her experiences with hardship became the foundation for much of her later work, which focuses on healing, self-empowerment, and spiritual growth.

Notable Works:

Vanzant’s writings cover topics of self-discovery, healing, personal empowerment, and spirituality. Some of her best-known works include:

  1. "Acts of Faith: Daily Meditations for People of Color" (1993) – A powerful collection of daily meditations that address topics of faith, self-worth, and empowerment specifically aimed at people of color. This book became a bestseller and was widely praised for its wisdom and practical advice.

  2. "In the Meantime: Finding Yourself and the Love You Want" (1998) – In this book, Vanzant explores the concept of self-love and the importance of healing and transformation before seeking love from others.

  3. "Yesterday, I Cried: Celebrating the Lessons of Living and Loving" (1998) – A deeply personal memoir in which she shares her own emotional struggles and growth, offering lessons learned through pain and perseverance.

  4. "The Spirit of a Woman: Stoking the Inner Fire" (2002) – This book is a call for women to tap into their inner power, embrace their spiritual selves, and lead fulfilling lives.

  5. "Forgiveness: 21 Days to Forgive Everyone for Everything" (2012) – In this book, Vanzant provides a practical guide to forgiveness, encouraging readers to release past hurts and emotional baggage in order to heal and move forward.

Television and Media Presence:

  • Iyanla Vanzant became widely known through her role on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) show "Iyanla: Fix My Life". On this show, she helps individuals, families, and communities work through personal issues, trauma, and struggles. The show became very popular due to Vanzant’s candid approach and ability to facilitate deep emotional healing.

  • She has also appeared on several other television programs, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, where she provided advice and insights on personal empowerment and self-healing.

Spiritual and Personal Philosophy:

  • Vanzant's work blends elements of spiritual teachings, self-help, and psychology, often rooted in the idea of personal responsibility, self-awareness, and healing.

  • She is a strong advocate for self-love, emotional healing, and the idea that true happiness comes from within. Her teachings encourage individuals to take ownership of their lives and work through their past traumas to create a healthier future.

  • Vanzant’s approach to healing emphasizes the importance of forgiveness—not only for others but also for oneself.

Legacy:

  • Iyanla Vanzant has made a lasting impact as a spiritual leader and motivational speaker. Her books have sold millions of copies, and her television appearances have touched the lives of countless individuals.

  • She continues to inspire and uplift through her teachings on emotional healing, self-love, and spiritual growth.

  • Vanzant's work has earned her numerous accolades, including being named one of the 100 Most Influential Women in America by Oprah Winfrey.

If you’d like to know more about her work, teachings, or any specific books or programs, feel free to ask!

Articles by the author

I don't think there's such a thing as a selfish prayer. Prayer puts you in communication so you can talk about whatever you want to talk about.

Iyanla Vanzant

The remedy for life's broken pieces is not classes, workshops or books. Don't try to heal the broken pieces. Just forgive.

Iyanla Vanzant

I have learned the hard way to mind my business, without judging who people are and what they do. I am more troubled by the lack of space being provided for the truth to unfold. Humans cannot seem to wait for or honor the truth. Instead, we make it up based on who we believe people should or should not be.

Iyanla Vanzant

Pain is pain, hurt is hurt, fear is fear, anger is anger, and it has no color.

Iyanla Vanzant

In my deepest, darkest moments, what really got me through was a prayer. Sometimes my prayer was 'Help me.' Sometimes a prayer was 'Thank you.' What I've discovered is that intimate connection and communication with my creator will always get me through because I know my support, my help, is just a prayer away.

Iyanla Vanzant

Some of us pray demands. Some of us pray complaints. Some of us pray knowing, and some of us pray not knowing. But prayer is the attitude that you hold in your heart.

Iyanla Vanzant

I try not to set myself up as different or as a celebrity or special. I have a husband that can get on my nerves. I have kids that test my patience. I've got a cat I can't keep off the sofa. It's real. On a bad day, I'm reading 'Acts of Faith.'

Iyanla Vanzant

I gave myself permission to feel and experience all of my emotions. In order to do that, I had to stop being afraid to feel. In order to do that, I taught myself to believe that no matter what I felt or what happened when I felt it, I would be okay.

Iyanla Vanzant

I had no preconceived idea what fame would be like, because I never thought I would be famous. I just wanted to do my work. Hell, I just wanted to pay my rent on time.

Iyanla Vanzant

I'm the person that I always was, but in terms of how I approach my living, I'm not the same person at all. At all. I've buried a child, I've ended a marriage, and the grandson that I was raising is now grown. My family has totally shifted.

Iyanla Vanzant

I wasn't ready for fame and all that brings to your life. It was an amazing experience, but so overwhelming, because no one can tell you beforehand when it will happen or how it will impact you. So no one can tell you how to handle it, being stopped everywhere you go because people saw you on 'Oprah.' It took me over, and I wasn't ready.

Iyanla Vanzant

I had to stop traveling alone because I missed so many planes. When somebody runs up to you in the airport and begins to tell you their life story, you can't say, 'Excuse me, boo,' as they're weeping on your bosom.

Iyanla Vanzant

It is an honor and a privilege to be of service and support; however, I realize people are not putting their confidence in me. Instead, they are actually learning to trust themselves. My job is to affirm and support them in the process and teach them to do what I do when I need strength: I begin within.

Iyanla Vanzant

There is a lot of healing going on. Really! More people are vegetarians, more are in the green movement, more of us are tearing down the old paradigms and embracing same-sex marriage, single motherhood, men raising babies.

Iyanla Vanzant

In my mind, marriage is a spiritual partnership and union in which we willingly give and receive love, create and share intimacy, and open ourselves to be available and accessible to another human being in order to heal, learn and grow.

Iyanla Vanzant

If you are a card-carrying human being, chances are that you share the same fear as all other humans: the fear of losing love, respect and connection to others. And if you are human, in order to avoid or prevent the pain, trauma and perceived devastation of the loss, you will do anything to avoid your greatest fear from being visited on you.

Iyanla Vanzant

I've always told the truth. I think that's been part of the foundation of my career. I don't put myself above people. I don't put myself different than people. And I, for one, know that none of us is immune.

Iyanla Vanzant

Begin within. If it shows up in your life, it's coming to tell you something about you that you're acting like you don't know. Something about yourself, or your relationship with God.

Iyanla Vanzant

What will support any relationship is clear, complete and conscious conversations when upsets or breakdowns occur.

Iyanla Vanzant