At the age of 14 I was first introduced to Iyanla Vanzant through a novel my mother gave to me by the name of “ Don’t Give It Away”. The novel was a workbook of self-awareness and self-affirmations for young women. Through her books, speaking engagements and now her new show on OWN TV, she manages to help thousands to identify the root of their problems and find effective ways to work through them. But before the fame and notoriety came into existence , Vanzant faced obstacles that only a woman of strength, substance and virtue such as herself could endure. Iyanla’s virtue is found in her enduring spirit and her tremendous ability to persevere despite the almost insurmountable odds she faced. Iyanla found the courage to love herself and then gave that gift to the millions of men and women like myself. New York Times best-selling author, Iyanla Vanzant has become one of the nation’s most acclaimed spiritual life coaches. Her rise is even more remarkable given her difficult childhood. She was born in the back of a taxicab to an alcoholic mother. Orphaned at two years old and then sent to live with her abusive grandmother. She was also raped and …show more content…
She has inspired me to take on a similar role leading young girls. I am now in the process of assembling a mentoring program for teen girls called “WITHIN”. This is an acrostic for Worthy, Intelligent, Talented, Healthy, Inspirational, Notable. The motto is “God is W.I.T.H.I.N. her She Will Not Fail”. In these group sessions I plan to discuss topics concerning : self worth, academic achievement, public speaking, etiquette, and many other topics that will facilitate their development. The objective of this program is to inspire lifelong learning, insight, and numinous energy while implementing sound, helpful advice to collectively enhance one other’s sense of well