Living Through the Meantime: Learning to Break the Patterns of the Past and Begin the Healing Process
The "meantime," according to best-selling author and inspirational  speaker Iyanla Vanzant, is that in-between stage of life when you're gathering  up strength, evaluating past mishaps, and preparing for the next chapter. Using  the metaphor of psyche as house, Vanzant believes that the meantime offers a  perfect opportunity for tackling a rigorous cleaning. "We are going to go  through every inch of your emotional and spiritual house and clean up the mess,  clear out the debris, fix the leaks, stop the squeaks, and reveal and repair any  damage we can find," she promises in this workbook. Readers who felt soothed and  inspired by Vanzant'sIn the  Meantimewill probably appreciate this floor-by-floor companion  workbook. Every chapter ofLiving Through the Meantimecontains an  assortment of "Caring Exercises," ranging from affirmations, such as "I now  place my faith in the power and presence of God's love" to quasi-therapeutic  fill-in-the-blanks statements. (For example, "My earliest experience of feeling  betrayed was ___.") Vanzant is not the most eloquent or sophisticated of  writers, but she does seem to touch people's hearts and crack them open. Her  main agendas are self-reflection and trust in God. Fans who are ready to tackle  a hefty self-improvement project will not be disappointed with this workbook. Newcomers should check out her earlier book before committing to this one.-- Gail Hudson