MADE Maven Special Women's Issue April 2018 | Page 61

MADEFEATURES
therapy after being
diagnosed with Bipolar
disorder more than a
decade ago, Jenifer
shared one of the most
powerful revelations
her therapist taught her
about recognizing self-
sabotage.
“Garbage collecting is
what my therapist and I
like to call the practice
of bs’ing yourself. All of
the excuses you make
when you feel more
comfortable wallowing
in self-doubt and failure
as opposed to taking
accountability for your
poor choices. After some
time, I’ve been trained to
instantly recognize when
I begin to collect the
garbage and pivot away
from that behavior before it really
starts to stink up my life.”
3. BE METICULOUSLY CAREFUL WITH
YOUR HEART
The actress was diagnosed as a sex
addict after years of engaging in
damaging casual relationships.
“We all want to be loved powerfully and
often find ourselves making the wrong
choices while attempting to fulfill that
need. However, we need to be smart.
Through your romantic dealings, always
remind yourself to take inventory on
what this person offers you versus what
they take away. If the scales tip further in
their favor, walk away.”
4. NEVER TURN AWAY FROM YOUR
DREAMS
Before being asked to join the cast of
the hit show in its second season, Black-
ish,the veteran actress hadn’t been on
network television in nearly ten years
and had considered retiring from the art
due to her age and lack of roles.
“I was tired of having audition for parts
after having proven myself for more than
40 years in this business; I was ready to
hang it up.”
That all changed when her long-time
publicist informed her that Black-ish ,
already a hit, hand-picked Jenifer to play
the role of Dre’s (Anthony Anderson)
mother.
“Imagine what would’ve happened
if I would have given up on myself.
It’s NEVER too late to reach your
fullest potential.”
FOLLOW JENIFER @JeniferLewisForReal.
Her memoir, The Black Mother of
Hollywood is also on Amazon.
#mademaven
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