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By Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant Today’s excerpt is from “One Day My Soul Just Opened Up“, 40 Days and 40 Nights Toward Spiritual Strength and Personal Growth. It is about practicing Non-Judgement: It is a state of mental and emotional openness and receptivity to new experiences and new interpretations of past experiences. Observation of people and/or participation in events without the imposing of personal will, perceptions, or criticisms. Commentary on NON-JUDGMENT It’s so good to have a sane friend to talk to when you are crazy. I had one. My friend made one statement. It was a simple statement that made no sense and so much sense at the same time.  He gave me some insight that helped me release my children, myself and every other person and condition in my life from the death grip of judgment.  The statement: “There is no right, no wrong, there just is what is!” Are you telling me that it’s not wrong to kill, lie and steal? “People who commit those acts do so in fear, shame or guilt. Is it wrong to be afraid or shamed or to feel guilty?” It made sense, but it didn’t feel right, I mean good.  I had to pursue this line of thought a

In the ancient days, the wise grandmothers would take the young girls away from the village to teach them all that they needed to know about themselves and their lives. Every tribe, clan, village and community honored and revered the wisdom of the grandmothers.  The people  knew what these grandmothers knew; that becoming and being a woman is a sacred affair, not an event. They understood that becoming a woman takes time. The young girls knew that what they would learn from the grandmothers was necessary.  They also knew that it was a secret. Over time, the woman’s learning process changed. Today, women learn on the job, often without the nurturing wisdom of their grandmothers. Time on the job is still a vital requirement and the woman’s learning process remains a sacred event.  Although many of the secrets are not taught today, make no mistake, the secrets are not lost.  The sacred secrets of being a woman are etched in the soul of every woman.  It is the duty of every woman to excavate the secrets of the soul and live them with grace. The soul, as used here, is the intangible essence of the being. It is what makes you who you are. 

By Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant The following is an excerpt from my book, Tapping the Power Within – A Path of Self-Empowerment for Women What I Know Now is that every living thing has a spirit. However, there is only one Spirit. The spirit of a thing or being is connected to the Spirit of life, who is God, the Creator and essence of life. Through breath, God imbues every living thing with its being and its essence. The presence of Spirit is everywhere, at all times, giving life to all things. What I Know Now is that there is a seed of peace, joy, love, and wisdom in each of us. My seeds had been trampled upon by the bad behavior of the big people, the adults in my life . . . It would be a spiritual bypass for me to say they did the best they could, because the truth is, we can all be better if we choose to. What I Know Now about spirituality is that you cannot make it up as you go along. The principles must be embodied, embraced, and lived. There must be accountability for the development of spiritual integrity. Whether you receive your guidance from