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Summary and Reviews of In The Meantime by Iyanla Vanzant

In The Meantime by Iyanla Vanzant

In The Meantime

Finding Yourself and the Love that You Want

by Iyanla Vanzant
  • Critics' Consensus:
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  • First Published:
  • Jan 1, 1998, 366 pages
  • Paperback:
  • Sep 1999, 255 pages
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About This Book

Book Summary

Tells us how to let the light shine into our lifes so that our spirits will shine, bringing in the light of true love and happiness.

You know where you want to be, but you have no clue how to get there. You know exactly what you want in life, but what you want is nowhere in sight. Perhaps your vision is unclear, your purpose still undefined. On top of it all, your relationships, particularly your romantic relationships, are failing. If these scenarios feel familiar way down in the deepest part of your gut---then you, my dear, are smack dab in the middle of the meantime.

Your mother, bless her heart, and your father, with all of his good intentions, did not prepare you for the meantime. They did not because they could not. No one can prepare you or help you find what you are looking for. What you need is love, not romance. Love, not more money. Love, not a new car. Love is the only thing that can make the meantime worthwhile. Once you find love, true selflove, and unconditional love for everyone all the time, things will look, feel, and be a lot better. The question is: What do you do in the meantime?

Every living being wants to experience the light of love. The problem is that our windows are dirty! The windows of our hearts and minds are streaked with past pains and hurts, past memories and disappointments. The windows are so clouded by fear, self-doubt, and inaccurate information that the light of love cannot shine through. In the meantime, we keep looking through the foggy window, trying to convince ourselves that what we see is the real thing. It's not, and we know it, but we can't seem to figure out what to do until the real thing comes along. What we must do is clean. We must clean the windows, floors, walls, closets, and corners of our mind. We must mop and sweep away the stuff that trips us up, keeps us confused, and makes the meantime miserable. In this book, Iyanla Vanzant tells us how we can do this thorough mental housekeeping. If we do a good job of it, the light will come through. Once that happens, our spirits will shine, bringing in the light of true love and happiness.

From Chapter One

She was not looking for him. He was not looking for her. As a matter of fact, they were both somewhat attached to other people. Yet, the minute they saw each other, their body parts began to twitch, and their eyes began to sparkle. The meantime was brewing. They worked their way across the room, neither aware that the other was doing the same thing. He spoke first. No, she did. She asked him a silly question to which he and his twitching body parts were more than willing to respond. He ducked his attachment. She ducked hers. They needed some time to talk. They did, and they laughed, something neither of them seemed to do very often with their attachments. They exchanged telephone numbers to their places of employment. Although they both knew, they both acted like they didn't. Reluctantly, they both rejoined their attachments, and together they entered a simmering pot of meantime stew.

When you are not happy where you are and you are not quite sure if you ...

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Reviews

Media Reviews

Booklist - Lillian Lewis
Vanzant has written another powerful book on positive thinking.....The steps for self-reflection that are outlined begin with enjoying and learning from the "meantime," that period of time between seeking love and finding love. Vanzant presents a series of survival tidbits for the African American woman that are well worth following.

Library Journal
Self-help counselor Vanzant talks about creative and honest use of the "meantime" between relationships to help women (and men) avoid repeating unproductive behaviors of the past....[the] tone conveys empathy and no-nonsense, this-is-good-for-you advice.

Reader Reviews

Cheryl Mozdrech

To better health
This book is awesome. It was recommended to me 25 years ago. I wasn't interested in reading, not willing to make time to read. Finally, I have time to read as well as enjoy reading. Age I suppose. Anyways, it is a great read about cleaning out ...   Read More
Lallie Pillay

In the Meantime
After telling a friend my story of abuse, she gave this book to read, which opened my thoughts and heart to what happens In The Meantime - we love. After reading this book I found strength, happiness, independence, and clarity where I want to be. I ...   Read More
Zodwa

In the mean time
After reading this book my life change completely for the best. I started seeing every relationship I had a preparation towards the best that is to come. I'm now in a very happy relationship that I appreciate so much, not carrying the baggage of the...   Read More
Marilyn D McNeil

In the Meantime
This is an excellent choice for broken hearted women. I read this book my freshman year of college and now I have a Masters Degree in Organizational Management and in pursuit of a CACR as a Substance Abuse Therapist. The love I was looking for was ...   Read More

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Read-Alikes

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    SHAM shows how thinly credentialed "experts" now dispense advice on everything from mental health to relationships to diet to personal finance to business strategy. Americans spend upward of $8 billion every year on self-help programs and products. And those staggering financial costs are actually the least of our worries.

  • Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus jacket

    Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus

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    A unique, practical and proven way for men and women to communicate and relate better by acknowledging the differences between them. Available in paperback for the first time!

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