Rhonda Harris aka Iyanla Vanzant was born in poverty, endured a childhood filled with fear, married at age fourteen and had three children by the age of twenty-one. She lived off welfare until she turned her life around by putting herself through college and law school. Later, she became an ordained minister, launched a self-help empire and sold more than eight million books.

An amazing story of transformation that merits more than one appearance on Super Soul Sunday.

Yesterday, Iyanla focused on her early years and the hard lessons she has learned along the way. She acknowledges her earlier self—Rhonda—and credits that wounded and sorrowful soul with helping her survive poverty, abuse and rape. When “Rhonda” no longer fit who she had become, Iyanla renamed herself as a symbol of starting anew.

Facing the truth is painful but necessary. Throughout her life, Iyanla dealt with many relationship and money issues that forced her to endure the labor pains of birthing that truth. It took her forty years to realize she was still seeking her father’s approval. When her daughter commented on their financial problems, Iyanla admitted that she had a “welfare mentality with a million dollar life.”

As she opened up, Iyanla Vanzant demonstrated how she found peace among the broken pieces of her life.

So many wonderful quotes…

When you find yourself in a new situation, everything that requires healing is going to rush to the surface. Pause and take a breath.

If you are not living the life that’s in alignment with who you are today, you are living the generational pathology of who you used to be.

Look at your patterns. Pause and pay attention.

When your relationship with God is hit or miss, so is your life.

Iyanla’s definition of God—All there is.

All things are lessons that God will have you learn. (Course in Miracles)

I must have decided wrongly, because I’m not at peace. (Course in Miracles)

You can give but if it can’t be received, it’s like it was never given. (Oprah)

Looking forward to Part II next Sunday.