What Iyanla Vanzant Taught Me About Love

By: NewNaturalista

I carried around Acts of Faith: Mediations for People of Color like it was the bible. Honestly, during that time in my life, it was. The year was 1996 – I was a sophomore in college and oh so lovesick. Iyanla’s words of wisdom felt like my mother’s advice without the “I told you so.”  They were comforting, understanding and inspiring.

January 1 -”There is a power greater than myself who loves me exactly as I AM.”

January 4 -”Take a day to heal from the lies you’ve told yourself and the ones that have been told to you.”

WHOA! The words from that magical purple book jumped off the pages and into my heart. I read it in one sitting, over and over again. Sometimes when I’d be feeling especially righteous, I’d open it up and read it to other people. We all were in awe. (I think by the end of the year all my girls were repeating this one, “People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.”

I look back at that time of self reflection and think about the ultimate lesson I learned from Iyanla. Through her affirmations she gave me the inspiration to peel my lovesick self off of my dorm room bed and into the world with the knowledge that “Yes, IT happens. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep moving. This too shall pass.” And it did.