Monday, March 9, 1998
Speaker offers words of wisdom for new millennium
SPIRITUALITY: Author stresses importance of striving for healthy
soul
By Michael Weiner
Daily Bruin Contributor
The millennium is upon us, and the only way we can cope is
reintroducing spirituality into our lives, said Iyanla Vanzant, an
author of bestselling books on self-empowerment and spiritual
growth, in a speech last Thursday.
"What I’ve really been sharing with people are the tools and the
principles that are integral to our spiritual growth," Vanzant said
to the audience in the James West Alumni Center.
Vanzant’s purpose is to try to get people to infuse spirituality
into everything they do.
"My prayer is that people will begin to integrate spirituality
into their everyday living," Vanzant said.
She emphasized that as the new millennium approaches, the world
is going to become more dependent on spirituality.
"What you used to get away with, you’re not going to get away
with anymore," Vanzant said. "Things are changing."
"We have been educated and conditioned and programmed to be
authenticated on the outside. But it is what you are on the inside
that makes what you are on the outside," she continued. "The things
that we used to do are not going to work anymore."
She also spoke about honesty and responsibility.
"We must tell the truth, first to ourselves about ourselves,"
Vanzant said.
"Find your culpability, responsibility and accountability in
every situation."
"As we move closer to the new millennium, you must find the
courage to do the things you need to do before you are told to do
it," she continued.
Vanzant also spoke about what it takes to be successful.
"The main law of success is putting your butt on the line. Take
a risk," she said.
"As we’re moving into the new millennium, it’s not a group
movement, it’s an individual enlightenment," she continued.
After her presentation, Vanzant took questions from the
audience. One question was about simplicity.
"One of the reasons ore lives aren’t simplified is because we’re
not conscious of what we have," Vanzant said. "Learn how to use
what you have to its fullest advantage."
Audience members also asked about what it takes to achieve a
purpose in life.
"If you know what you’re good at, what you love to do, and how
(that) can serve humanity, then you have a purpose," Vanzant
said.
Audience members were very impressed by what Vanzant had to
say.
"It was very inspirational," said Demetria Frank, a first-year
political science student. "She touched upon a lot of issues I had
in mind. Her whole speech was poetic."
Another audience member wished that more people would be able to
hear Vanzant speak.
"I think she is a very powerful woman," said Audrey Lassiter, an
administrative assistant in the Graduate School of Education and
Information Studies. "I wish that more people would listen to her
speak. If they listened to her just once, it would make a big
difference in their lives."
The speech was co-sponsored by the UCLA Alumni Association,
Simon & Schuster and Kaplan.