Sweet Tips from Lola!’s Lips

Chapter 1

January: Vision/Direction/Creativity

"Part of the process of beginning anew, or changing directions, is to know where you want to go. I know this sounds simplistic and easy, but this is one of the most difficult of choices to make with clarity."

–Byron Pulsifer

New Year, New Beginning! Yay!

The month of January is the door to the New You, Year! This month we all get to start brand new with brand new dreams, fresh ideas, and a beautiful blank canvass to create our masterpiece. If you have never meditated before, this is a great time to start. Why? Because quieting the mind, focusing on our breath, or taking guided meditations allow us to leave reality alone for a few moments so that we can practice dreaming, creating and seeing a new life for ourselves – if that's what we really want. Take time to really see what you want, by creating a mental vision, a picture, and a road map of what you want your life to look like. If your life is exactly the way you want it, then sit down and acknowledge your blessings with a gratitude journal, and write down all of the things for which you are grateful. Just acknowledging all of your blessings raises your vibrational energy level higher. Most importantly, you want to keep the high vibrational energy level that you feel when you dream, envision, write or talk about the New Year. So go ahead and start creating your New You for this New Year now! Happy New YOU!

The Month of January’s Affirmation:

“I am open to and welcome brand new beginnings!”

A Lola! Chronicle

All great beginnings start with a clear vision and a feeling of excitement around it. This was certainly true for me when it came to beginning the first of my many careers: as a performer. All my life I dreamed of performing on stage, television, or being in films. I remember being a teenager around 13 or 14 years old, sitting in the audience at the famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, watching the Mama Lou Parks dancers dancing on stage with the exciting James Brown Revue. I said to myself that afternoon, “That’s what I want to do! I want to be a Mama Lou Parks dancer!” I was so clear and so excited about seeing dancers who looked like me and dancing like I wanted to dance.

I didn’t know at the time that I was planting seeds in my subconscious mind to become a Mama Lou Parks dancer. The James Brown Revue wasn’t part of my dream, but clearly my emotions and vibrational energy about the whole event were so high and strong that the Universe began matching my energy. Everything that I did from that point on was preparing me for my dream. I was cast in a movie, Up the Down Staircase and met my manager, Tony Major. I attended and graduated from the High School of Performing Arts as a theater major. During my high school career I performed on stage and loved it. I couldn’t wait to be performing full time.

However, my parents, especially my mom, insisted that all of her daughters receive college degrees. I didn’t think that this was part of my dream of performing but knew I had to acquiesce. Finally I graduated from Hofstra University and I was working as a vocational educational counselor with the Black Spades in the Bronx when Tony Major called me up out of the blue one day and asked if I wanted to audition for the celebrated Mama Lou Parks. I couldn’t believe my ears; I quickly said, “YES!” The audition was for me to be one of the Mama Lou Parks dancers for the James Brown Revue. My vision of me performing and dancing on stage almost eight years earlier manifested even though I did other things, because I knew performing was my dream. Although I had traveled down different paths, I always remained open and welcomed every new opportunity that presented itself. Most importantly, I now know that it was my vibrational energy that was so high, so strong that all of the paths I traveled were exactly what I attracted.

While I didn't know the affirmation at the time, I was blessed that my desire was so clear and exciting that it kept me "open and welcoming" to it. Every opportunity was a gift whether or not it looked like what I had envisioned. I was always grateful for everything that showed up in my life. I didn’t know it then, but I sure know it now, whatever showed up was exactly what I desired. Being open and welcoming new opportunities just felt good! In order for me to have painted on so many blank canvases I knew that I had to be open and welcome all of the new and exciting challenges and blessings that I would attract. Every new beginning is always an amazing journey for me. I have started anew many times and each new adventure has been truly amazing and really builds on my last experience. Being open and adventurous is an awesome behavior that I truly love and live by; most importantly because it feels so good and divinely empowering!

Sweet Tip: Week 1

Practice thinking about what it is that you want in life, and what that will feel like when you get it. Start practicing today.