The Pyramid Of Success Analysis

Iyanla Vanzant was born in a taxi cab in Brooklyn, New York, given the name Rhonda Fleming. When she was two years old, she had to live with her grandmother due to her mother’s death. After suffering from her abuse from her grandmother, she moved in with her father and his wife. After some time, she moved in with her aunt and her husband, who had raped her countless times. She tried to speak up about her abuse, but no one would listen. During her teen years, she was abused and lonely. She gave birth to her first child when she was only sixteen years old. She was in her first marriage when she was only nineteen years old. After three children, two marriages, and a breakdown, she realizes that there is a lot more to life than her current circumstances.
According to John Wooden’s The Pyramid of Success, the definition of success is the peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming (Wooden). Iyanla has conquered many blocks in the Pyramid of Success such as:
Industriousness
According to Wooden, Industriousness means that there is no substitute for work. Worthwhile results come from hard work and careful planning (Wooden). Iyanla shows this by despite of being a single mother of three children and being on welfare, she was determined to do to be something in her life not only for her children but for herself as well. She did that by enrolling into Medger Evers College and graduated summa cum laude and later attended Queens College and received her law degree in 1988.
Enthusiasm
In Wooden’s Pyramid of Success, Enthusiasm means brushing off upon those with whom you come in contact. You must truly enjoy what you are doing (Wooden). She showed enthusiasm through when she was working as a lawyer in Philadelphia, she was working with a group of women on public assistance, and she created lectures about changing their lives, which led her to write her first book, Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Empowerment for Black Women in 1992. She wanted her novel to help African-American women to change their lives for the
In her life, she has overcame obstacles that most people in life most likely would not overcome such as rape, abuse, and even losing her daughter on Christmas Day. Despite of all she has gone through in her life, she is determine to help people to their lives better.
Faith
According to Wooden, Faith is praying to God to see anyone though whatever the situation they are going through. Iyanla is a living testimony that God works in mysterious