She sustained her family for several years as a single mom on public assistance. She later attended Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn New York. Upon graduation, she later went on to attend the University of New York Law School at Queens College. Her outstanding intelligence caught the attention of a Philadelphia Public Defender who offered her a job. After a successful career in law for many years, Iyanla began to feel as though there was still a void in her life that was not being fulfilled. She left her position as an attorney and decided to change her life. On a whim, a friend invited her to teach a class for women, who were being trained to make transitions for their lives. Iyanla took her new job seriously. She produced a workbook for the class in1988 and it became her first published book, entitled, “ Tapping The Power Within A Path To Self-Empowerment for Black Women.” It was full of passion, vision and persistence. She continues to share her knowledge of her authentic personality as a spiritual guide by encouraging others to be their highest and the best at their …show more content…
In 2003 Iyanla lost her oldest daughter to a rare form of colon cancer. When asked by journalist Carolyn Brown “how to get over loss”, Journalist Carolyn Brown quotes Vanzant and asked, “How do you get over a loss?”. Vanzant responded by saying. “You move beyond loss one day at a time, one step at a time. Pain doesn't come from what we go through; it comes from how we go through it. Everything comes through us to help us to learn, grow, and heal. Life happens. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it is We think if