Meet Lynn Lewis

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lynn Lewis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lynn below.

Lynn, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

Where do I get my resilience from? Great question. Oblige me, please, to share the back story that led to me being resilient. My son, my only child who was 30 years of age at the time, died by suicide August 2019. Seven months after his death I made a declaration that his death would be a part of my life for the remainder of my life, but I would not be consumed by it. I decided I was not just going to survive this loss rather I was going to thrive in the aftermath of it. At the time I made that declaration I had no idea what that would look like nor how I would do it. Since that day which was by far the first worst day of my life, I have been living out my declaration. It has certainly not been easy because grief is not linear, it has no expiry, and it ebbs and flows like the waves of an ocean. Over these soon to be six years I have endured many highs and lows. One of the things I determined early on was that the burden of my grief was too heavy to carry alone; I was not going to keep to myself. Aside from participating in a support group and having an individual therapist, I desired more but wasn’t sure what the more was. While doing some research I found grief coaching. Prior to this, I did not know such a thing existed. I enrolled in and completed the From Grief To Gratitude Grief Coaching certification program in December 2021. I thought 2022 would be the year I would launch my coaching business to help others navigate their grief journeys while doing likewise for myself. Instead, it turned out to be my worst year as a grieving mother. Obviously, I survived it and slowly began to offer my coaching program. The one thing I kept hearing and still hear from many persons I encountered was how strong I was, how they admire my strength and how they didn’t know how I could do what I do in the grief work arena. One day as I was reflecting on my life since August 2019, the thought came to me that it’s not that I’m so strong, it’s that I’m resilient. So, to answer your question, my resilience comes from choosing to live a meaningful, impactful and purposeful life despite the tragedy I have endured. I share my grief story by coaching, speaking and writing because I believe wholeheartedly my story is someone’s solution to a problem, their painkiller or perhaps the lifejacket they need to stay afloat. My resilience comes from choosing to take the risk of being transparent and vulnerable when speaking or sharing my story knowing that suicide is often frowned upon by society. To remain resilient, I pivot, I make changes I deem necessary, I do not overspend my time on things that I have no control over, and I strive daily to keep moving forward.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am a Certified Grief Educator & Coach as well as the Visionary and Chief Empathy Officer for Destined To Thrive Grief Coaching, a speaker and an author. The most exciting thing about what I do is knowing I am helping others who have experienced similar losses as mine. Supporting those who may feel stuck in a NOW WHAT space, who feel like they have been left to navigate their journey alone, and providing a non-judgmental, non-clinical, safe space brings me much joy.

As a Certified Grief Educator and Coach, I specialize in supporting adults who are navigating the profound loss of a loved one to suicide. I guide my clients 1:1, helping them transform their pain and heartbreak into peace and purpose, equipping them to live meaningful, impactful lives despite their loss.

My presentations are designed as interactive workshops, addressing topics such as suicide stigma, strategies for navigating it, the importance of self-love, and how I personally thrive in the aftermath of my loss. Drawing from my lived experience, I offer insights and encouragement for healing and growth.

I readily share my grief story “I Choose to Live In The Aftermath” where I talk about the positive impact self-love has on how I manage my grief, how I strive daily to keep moving forward and why.

I am a contributing author in Prepare For Purpose – Your Invitation To The Next Level, an anthology where I detail my grief journey and the steps I’ve taken toward resilience and thriving. My solo book project is “My Suicide Grief Journey Journal & Memory Book” published in 2024.

There are a few new things on the horizon for 2025 to include a YouTube channel, collaborating on another anthology, hosting Grief Awareness Day-RVA and launching an on-line support group for survivors of suicide loss in the African American community. Updates will be posted on my social media spaces as they are rolled out, so I invite you to follow me.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Investing in myself, practicing self-love unapologetically and not being afraid to pivot are three of the most important things on my journey.

Investing in myself/educating myself by taking courses, attending conferences and summits and networking; surrounding myself with people who are going in the direction I want to go, not to imitate or clone them, but to glean from their knowledge and wisdom. Practicing self-love unapologetically is a priority for me. I’ve always known it was important, but there is a difference in knowing it’s important and practicing it. Practicing self-love is liberating; it’s a gift to self and to those we serve. I have learned to not fear the pivot. Change is inevitable and it’s okay to change with it. For far too long, I felt like a failure if I changed my mind about something I said I was going to do; not anymore.

Advice to folks early on their journey is to not try to do everything at the same time, exercise progress over perfection, and do not forget about themselves.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Ideally, I would like to collaborate with death care industry workers, realtors and other small business owners and corporations as well as social groups, networking groups, and churches who are looking for speakers for their meetings, workshops, summits, etc.

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