Any time there is ‘un-forgiveness’ between people who love each other, there is suffering. Any time people face challenges that they really don’t understand… there is suffering.
Iyanla Vanzant
Well the beauty of ‘Iyanla: Fix My Life’ is that men are in every show. To our surprise, some of the deepest healing demonstrations have been with the men – the sons, the fathers, the husbands – because they agree to participate with the wife or the daughter or whatever it is we are looking at, and it is there.
IYANLA VANZANT
I think as men begin to see things that address them, they will feel that they can relate. They can’t relate to ‘Basketball Wives,’ ‘Housewives of Atlanta.’ I am not judging or criticizing those shows at all; what I am saying is the perspective is not necessarily the male perspective. ‘Iyanla: Fix My Life’ is inclusive of everyone.
IYANLA VANZANT
All things are lessons that God would have us learn.
IYANLA VANZANT
What a blessing that God allows a life to come through your body, and then allows you to place that body in a body bag and take it out. I had to say that there’s a magnificent something that God has for me to do, to give me that level of completion. That level of experience. It’s unspeakable.
IYANLA VANZANT
When Oprah Winfrey tells you that you need to have your own show, you feel compelled to do it. Especially if she’s gonna pay for it!
IYANLA VANZANT
My purpose is to teach and demonstrate what is possible. To demonstrate love of God and good. Remember what my role is as a woman: to be… good. My role as a mother: to teach, support and nurture my offspring. My role as a grandmother: to remind everybody – right where you are, God is.
IYANLA VANZANT
I have a daily message, ‘Stimumail,’ which I use to stimulate the mind and heart. I have the opportunity to touch over 60,000 people I have never met. I also use Twitter and Facebook.
IYANLA VANZANT
What I am doing; how I am being as I am doing it; and does it bring honor to my community? What is the lesson in what I am doing? And most importantly, am I having fun?
IYANLA VANZANT
Oprah Winfrey gives you the stage? Shut your mouth. I said, ‘I’m sorry for taking over your show.’ She said, ‘No, that’s why we have you here.’
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
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
After being on ‘Oprah’ for a couple of months, I got my first royalty check for $1,478,392.17. I will never forget it. At the height of my career, I made $3.3 million. Unbelievable. From welfare in the projects to $3.3 million.
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
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 really don’t have any weaknesses. I do have areas of my life that I am working on to grow, heal and evolve. Giving myself permission to rest is an area I am working on. Not rescuing my children and grandchildren is another area.
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
Order is the first law of heaven, and you have to have order to survive on Earth. Figure out what has to be done each day, each week, each year and develop a system to achieve it.
IYANLA VANZANT
What will support any relationship is clear, complete and conscious conversations when upsets or breakdowns occur.
IYANLA VANZANT
You have a right to say no. Most of us have very weak and flaccid ‘no’ muscles. We feel guilty for saying no. We get ostracized and challenged for saying no, so we forget it’s our choice. Your ‘no’ muscle has to be built up to get to a place where you can say, ‘I don’t care if that’s what you want. I don’t want that. No.’
IYANLA VANZANT
All of us have ways in which we mask and cover our pain.
IYANLA VANZANT
In 2002, my daughter was diagnosed with a rare form of colon cancer. And it was such a shock, a surprise to us.
IYANLA VANZANT
I realized it was happening, but most people didn’t realize it was happening. I mean, because as a self-employed person, when there is a recession or a cutback in the economy, we feel it first. Because many self-employed people provide services that are nonessential.
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
You know, if you’re a human and living on the planet, it doesn’t matter what you do; you are not immune to the challenges, the trials, the difficulty. And that fact that I happen to be a coach and a minister and a spiritual teacher doesn’t mean anything. I’m still human.
IYANLA VANZANT