What is the meantime? According to author and inspirational speaker Iyanla Vanzant, being in the "meantime" means being in a state of limbo. "When you are not happy where you are and you are not quite sure if you want to leave or how to leave, you are in the meantime," she explains. Rather than wallow in confusion, Vanzant encourages you to use the meantime as an opportunity to prepare yourself for true love. The first order of business is to clean house, starting with the basement--the place in the psyche where you store your most destructive thoughts. Room by room, Vanzant takes you through a metaphorical cleaning of the soul. This way, when your meantime days are over and love finally comes knocking on the front door, you'll have a clean house to welcome love into.


Amazon.com Audiobook Review
Many listeners will recognize relationship fairy-godmother Iyanla Vanzant's positively charged style from her frequent appearances on Oprah®. She infuses this reading of her own book with the cadences of a revival preacher on a Sunday morning. (It's no surprise, then, to find "ordained minister" listed in her biography.) Using housecleaning as her central analogy, she urges listeners to clean out their heads and souls if they want to be prepared for real love. Using anecdotes from her own life and those of others, she outlines how personal responsibility and respect for oneself can clean the attic, clearing the way for long, healthy relationships. (Running time: 2 hours, 2 cassettes) --Kimberly Heinrichs


From 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. She uses the metaphor of a house, starting in the basement with "willingness" and acknowledging that one has a problem. Next is the first floor, to identify the nature of the problem. On the second floor is trust, what to do about the problem. Finally, on the third floor, one "learns how to do what you know." That is, one possesses the inner resources to overcome the tendency to repeat past responses to situations. Vanzant reads this abridgment of her work with a tone that conveys empathy and no-nonsense, this-is-good-for-you advice. For self-help collections in public libraries.ANann Blaine Hilyard, Lake Villa Dist. Lib., ILCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From AudioFile
In the cadences of a woman who is familiar with the pulpit, Iyanla Vanzant presents her recommendations for finding love and joy. Vanzant suggests that by setting aside unrealistic expectations about the future that cloud the present, her listeners can live "in the meantime" and be much happier. She is articulate, and her deep, rich voice is easy to listen to. She approaches her subject with clarity and humor and offers practical suggestions for ways in which the listener can put these ideas to work. The abridgment is smooth and flows well. J.E.M. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine


From Booklist
Vanzant has written another powerful book on positive thinking. As one of the foremost female inspirational authors--her books include Acts of Faith (1993) and The Value in the Valley (1995), she inspires women to deal with themselves as they search for their soul mate. This empowering book about relationships details how the pursuit of love is often unpleasant. Vanzant focuses on dispelling storybook fantasies about love and relationships in order to discover one's self. Her premise is based on the adage that you cannot love someone else until you know and love yourself. 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. Lillian Lewis


Review
Los Angeles Times Iyanla Vanzant focuses on healing lives and letting people know that someone cares.


Book Description
THE #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER What's love got to do with it in the meantime? 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. 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. In this book, Iyanla Vanzant teaches us how to do our mental housekeeping so that we can clean the windows, floors, walls, closets, and corners of our minds. If we do a good job, our spirits will shine bringing in the light of true love and happiness.


Download Description
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


About the Author
Iyanla Vanzant is the award-winning and bestselling author of several books including Acts of Faith, One Day My Soul Just Opened Up, and Yesterday, I Cried. She is an empowerment specialist, the founder and president of the Inner Visions Institute of Spiritual Development, and an ordained minister. She lectures and facilitates workshops nationally with a mission to support and assist every individual in realizing the truth of their authentic Self.

FROM OUR EDITORS

Through the years, we sometimes build psychological and emotional walls around ourselves and our dreams. Reconnecting internally can be a challenge. But with a strong, empathetic guide like Vanzant, the journey is manageable, the goal achievable. Stop postponing the act of living, pretending that all will be better tomorrow. Unless you engage the world, life will pass you by.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

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.

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. In this book, Iyanla Vanzant teaches us how to do our mental housekeeping so that we can clean the windows, floors, walls, closets, and corners of our minds. If we do a good job, our spirits will shine bringing in the light of true love and happiness.

SYNOPSIS

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. The bestselling author of Acts of Faith and The Value in the Valley -- whose books have empowered countless women -- now reaches out to anyone who yearns for love, in a book about relationships that can help them reach new levels of awareness, spiritual growth, and fulfillment.

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 self-love, 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? 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 THE CRITICS

USA Today