Yesterday I Cried . Celebrating The Lessons Of Living And Loving

Customer Reviews

I wish I had read this years ago

2008-06-26
This book has been truly amazing and life changing for me. I picked it up at my local library during a very difficult time in my life. After I racked up a great deal of late fees from the library I knew I needed to purchase my own copy, as I carry it with me and read it often. Iyanla's story moved me to tears as I recognized alot of similarities in "Rhonda's" and my own life. I now have some necessary tools to help get my life in order. Iyanla Vanzant is truly a blessing.

Yesterday, I Cried--A journey from the heart

2008-06-13
Iyanla Vanzant has written from her heart of her personal and difficult journey in life. I learned a great deal from her style, a "What's the lesson when..." heading for each chapter. All of those lessons are life lessons and she let's us peek into areas and emotions of her life that many would try to hide. Even pushing 68 years, I learned new things and ordered copies for all of my children dealing with similar or the same issues. Sometimes, I wanted to say, "Oh, no. You're in the same old situation again!", but then, we all repeat the same senario again and again until we learn the lessons! I read a quote that experience is the only teacher that gives the test first, and then the lesson. Iyanla proves that again and again for us.

Good Book, Poor Quality Edition

2007-07-13
I loved this book, but unfortunetely I did not read the one that I ordered from Amazon. This particular edition is in small print and it was hard for me to read it. So I ended up buying it at a local bookstore where the print was bigger and much easier to read. So if small print with no space in between the lines bother you, this may not be a good edition of the book to purchase. But please purchase a copy of the book. It's a wonderful story with great lessons to be learned.

Spoke to my heart

2007-04-03
This book was written for me. I can relate to the story. Gives you hope and inspiration. Iyanla hasn't let me down yet. You'll want to read this book over and over. I even bought the book for a friend of mine.

Moving story

2006-12-05
Iyanla writes a great book that is truly inspirational though sad. I could not put this book down, it is such a look into the feelings of a young girl and how her life affected her. I could totally relate and see this book as giving anyone hope and inspiration to have a great life and help others.

"I sat down and had myself a good cry."

2006-04-27

What is the lesson in abuse, neglect, abandonment, rejection?

What is the lesson when you lose someone you really love?

Just what are the lessons of life's hard times?

Bestselling author Iyanla Vanzant has had an amazing and difficult life -- one of great challenges that unmasked her wonderful gifts and led to wisdom gained. In this simple audiobook, she uses her own personal experiences to show how life's hardships can be re-languaged and re-visioned to become lessons that teach us as we grow, heal, and learn to love. The pain of the past does not have to be today's reality. Iyanla Vanzant is an example of how yesterday's tears become the seeds of today's hope, renewal, and strength.

CD is Abridged... 2005-10-08
I got the CD so that I could listen and read along. I am reading this book for academic reasons and normally do not read these types of books. The CD was to help me if the book got slow to me. The problem is that the CD cuts out sentences, paragraphs, pages (I counted once a 7 page leap), and chapters (Chapter 5 - "What is the Lesson When You Are Poor, Ugly, and Feeling Bad" was completely skipped.) I recommend that if you want the whole story with all of the details, just read the book.

Very powerful, thoughtful book 2005-02-17
Heard YESTERDAY, I CRIED by Iyanla Vanzant . . . it is a powerful memoir by the best-selling author (known to regular OPRAH viewers) who has had an amazing and difficult life . . . yet I never got the feeling she was ever painting herself as a victim; rather, it seemed she was writing to help work out her problems . . . and, in doing so, she was showing me how I could work out mine.

As she notes, "Life is about clearing up the crap and, while you're doing it, being OK with the fact that you have to do it."

However, she cautions: "You can't get caught up in the crap! If you do, you will surely lose sight of the real meaning of life and lose your self."

The cassette version concludes with a magnificent rendition of "Today," a song written and performed by Terry Bradford.

A blessing in Disguise! 2005-02-02
When I first time i picked up the book and began to read the preface and the introduction I felt that this book was to boring for me, so I put the book down. The second time I picked up the book I decided to skim through the book and the little parts that I read made the book seem interesting to me so I started reading at chapter one and by the end of the day I had completed the book. This book really helped me deal with a lot of things that I had piled up in the back of my mind. I had so much stuff piled up that my body began to shut down (which was it's way of telling me it couldn't pile up any more stuff) and I figured that it was time to Remember, Loose, and Let go of those things. From this book I learned that I to was a people pleaser who was afraid to deal with confrontation. I would do What ever it took to get people's aproval. Not only that I had several disorders: attachment, emotional, etc. I also felt the need to be loved, which caused me to do all sorts of crazy things. But reading this book has helped me to confront my demons. It has allowed me the ability to find peace and security within myself that I may become a very successful person later on in life.

Honest dredging 2004-08-18
Iyanla Vanzant shares with us her personal past as she digs deep to find out why she is hanging on to and having trouble with a relationship in her life. It seems she has already overcome, found God, found her life's work, found a man who she loves and who loves her, and distanced herself by a form of rebirth.

I do not claim to understand the religious spirituality she turns to, and seems to attain a key role in, so I can't comment. She shares as much as she can, but that is not the focus of her book.

Changing her name to Iyanla works for her; it brings her the chance to be a powerful person with more self-determination than if she remained "Rhonda." And there is a religious aspect to the name change. But in her book, she shows that she has not forgotton who she was. She revisits this past in memories to work out self-destructive behavior patterns that presumably had been eviscerated, but still lurk beneath.

This strikes me as honest and refreshing, as opposed to many others in the self-help movement who say they've left their junk behind or overcome it completely.

Iyanla's honesty extends to admitting that some of the destructive behaviors of her past life are still part of her present life via relationships she cannot dismiss, a son with problems, and for a long time, a man bent on brutal outbursts.

It seems that, if we were mistreated or in a place where self-destructive patterns predominated, we will latch on to self-definitions that may not be in our best self interests. Becoming conscious of those attitudes is the first step to overcoming them. The courage is there for everyone, if they choose to use it.