In her February 2013 ESSENCE cover story, Iyanla Vanzant shared a few tips with writer Charreah K. Jackson on how to find lasting joy in life. Here are some key pointers from the story to consider. And if you want to hear more from Iyanla, see her at this year’s ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans. She won’t disappoint.
Organize your life. 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.
Testify. It’s important that we share our experiences with other people. Your story will heal you and your story will heal somebody else. As you put your truth out there, you allow other people to experience life from a different perspective.
Find your purpose. Our deepest desires and our course in life will ultimately lead us to our purpose. Stay connected to your source and I promise you everything will line up.
Set boundaries. A mistake we make in our relationships very often is we draw a line, and then when somebody crosses it, rather than enact a consequence, we back up and draw another line. The key to more joy is enforcing your right to be respected.
Celebrate your successes. We live in a society that takes us from one thing to the next without a clear assessment of the lessons, pitfalls and challenges. When we take a moment to acknowledge our achievements, big and small, then we can look back at them and know what is possible.