We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lucy Coutinho a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lucy , thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
My optimism comes from being intentional about reminding myself that what happens in life isn’t happening to me but for me. I have gotten better with not resisting the things that happen in life because there is so much beauty found in the ebbs and flow in this journey that we call life. I am constantly asking myself; what is the lesson that I am supposed to learn here, in this very moment? I am met clarity and a deeper understanding to guide my path as I navigate my way through it. To me, it’s looking for the rainbow in every situation and if I look hard enough I always find the beauty and lesson in every situation.
There is a quote by Eckhart Tolle: Non-resistance, non-judgment, and non-attachment are the three aspects of true freedom and enlightened living. He also states that we should accept things as if we have chosen them, this understanding has helped me to live a life where instead of focusing my energy on the problem, I am encouraged to find a solution, where there is no solution, I accept what is.
Some days, it does require more conscious effort than others, I do have rituals and practices that help to anchor me. Some of my rituals include writing in my gratitude journal, taking nature walks, meditation, and practicing yoga. Life becomes easier when we decide to flow with the current and not swim against it. I have been met with many adversities since a young child; from a loss of a parent due to a tragic accident, experiencing physical/mental abuse, discrimination, becoming a teenage mom, and battling depression/anxiety. I always resolved to keep going because the miracle that is life is what motivates me, I meet each day with curiosity and wonder because there is so much for me to live for! I implore you to look around you, there you will see and feel the magic all around you.
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 was born on the island of Cape Verde, an archipelago off the coast of Africa, I along with my mother and younger brother, immigrated to the United States (at age five) in search for the American dream. From a very young age, it was instilled in me by my mother that I have the potential to become anything that I wanted to be. I believed her, I always did dream big and sometimes my dreams would scare me, that good scare where I felt unstoppable.
I remember my first internship interview at Channel 7, NBC in Boston,(a young 18-year-old) I walked into the producers office and convinced her why she should hire me as her intern. She offered me a role as an Assistant Producer of Urban Update, the longest running public affairs television program in Boston. Upon the completion of my internship program, I was offered a role as the News Gathering Producer. where I would spend the next five years honing my broadcasting skills; writing, producing, and reporting. I went on to work at New England Cable News, WCVB Channel 5 in Boston and later Fox 5 D.C. and BET Networks (Viacom) in Washington DC. To know me was to know my love for television and storytelling.
However something shifted in me, I remember after my 30th birthday, I began my search for meaning and contemplating where my life was headed and my yearning to find my purpose. I took to what I knew best and went on a a journey of self-discovery and published my first book; Peaces of Freedom: A Self-Healing Journal, sharing my personal journal entries with hopes that it would illuminate the path for others to also find the courage to journey though their personal self-discovery. Writing this book was not only cathartic but aided me to discover my true passion for helping women to live a healthy, happy, and holistic life.
I am a proud recipient of a Master’s Degree in Counseling from the University of Southern California where I now work with women and families, helping them to prioritize their well-being and that it all starts with our commitment to doing the inner work. I am the founder/host of the Women’s Wellness Podcast, a space for women who are going through their personal transformation. You can listen anywhere you listen to your podcasts. Through my services; coaching, speaking engagements, and workshops, I provide my clients with actionable steps to embracing stillness, slowing down, in order for them to accomplish more.
I would love to connect with you and learn more about your journey!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Looking back now, the three areas of knowledge that were most impactful in my journey was to develop my knowledge of self, to get to know myself better, on a deeper and intimate level. This has allowed me to quiet all of the noise; other people’s perceptions, opinions, and plans for my life. I like myself and feel completely whole in my own company. It is said that it is the most important relationship that you will ever have. The second one would be to listen to my intuition, trust my own inner-knowing and what feels and looks good to me no matter what others may think.
Lastly, follow my curiosity and not so much what I thought would gain validation from others. Your curiosity will not only fulfill your hearts desires but it will always point you to your purpose in life.
The advice that I have is to for them to anchor themselves in their core values, it will help you to better navigate life and also cultivate the life that makes you feel joy and purposeful. Be intentional about every move that you make and avoid making decisions based on temporary/fleeting emotions. Sometimes, the best thing to do when we don’t know what to do is to just be still. The answers will come!
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
The two books that have played an important role in my personal development journey has been; The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle and The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav.
The Power of Now was a reminder for me that the place that I can truly live in is the present, the now. The book provides its readers with actionable steps to start living every minute as it occurs. The wisdom that I gathered is the awareness that every minute that I spend worrying about the future and regretting the past, is a minute that I have lost in fully living my life as it is unfolding now.
The Seat of the Soul reminded me of my autonomy and that I am the authority in my life. It encouraged me to go inside myself and discover that there-in lies my true power. This book is a blend of Western and Eastern philosophies which offers a unique understanding of spiritual wisdom. It has truly changed my perspective on life and has allowed me a greatest appreciation for self.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @luce.inspiration
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/
luce.coutinho - Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/
lucy-coutinho/ - Other: Women’s Wellness Podcast: Women’s Wellness Podcast and on YouTube: Women’s Wellness Podcast: Meet the Hosts
Image Credits
Lisa Rodrigues Photography
