We were lucky to catch up with Coleen Lewis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Coleen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?
I will start off by saying the idea of leaving this earth terrifies me. I am yet to make peace that death is inevitable. I however learned that there isn’t much time and I need to continue going. There is much more things worst than death. It’s a terrible thing to know as well as it’s a useful thing to know.
I do intend to aim at the highest goal I possibly can. The better thing to do is to be engrossed in the present moment. I am conscious that everything I am perusing is worthwhile/have sufficient value. To me that is more than enough. Maximal meaningful engagement is what I wish to make others aspire to do.
Coleen, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Who am I?
When I had sense enough to know that I am an individual the question asked was, how do I know myself in terms of personality and more importantly potential.
Watching myself like I watch a stranger then recognizing the humility of my ignorance. I’m full of flaws. Like everyone else, I do not know myself as well as I think. Watching what I say and watching how I react emotionally when I’m communicating. Is it filling me with shame? Is it helping my confidence?
Who am I? I will share some simple questions I narrowed down with simple answers.
1) what is it I am willing to do?
Ans: To be the best person, the best daughter, sister, aunt and friend I can possibly be by living according to moral order and providing kind acts of service to myself and others.
2) What am I unwilling to do?
Ans: Settle for anything I do not want. I dislike mediocrity.
2) What am I interested in?
Ans: I’m interested in having a full filling career as an engineer. My job must be that of a lucrative one because I would like to enjoy the finer things in life as that will make me be/feel purposeful among other things such as philanthropic acts.
3) What do I congratulate myself for, for accomplishing?
Throughout my career I pride myself in solving difficult tasks. That desire for accomplishment is, in its deepest manifestation, is the motivation to see and then traverse the path the provides the most realistic way in achieving whatever it is I would like to achieve. My desire was first becoming the best possible engineer I can be and I am so proud of myself for that. I still do have work to do as I have a long life ahead of me.
How did I got into my industry and what services I provide.
I got into my industry by firstly acquiring the academic requirements. I attended the Regma primary school, then I wrote the grade six assessment in which I then attended the New silver-city secondary school at the age of 12. Five years later I wrote exams what we call here in the Caribbean CXC (Caribbean Exam certification). I then attended a technical institute where I obtain a diploma in commerce. Two years later I per-sue my associate degree in geology then I did a Bachelors in civil with environmental engineering.
I have been doing geologic exploration for 5 years providing geologic services for clients in Canada. I then started working in the construction industry then quickly moved on to the oil and gas industry as a contractor to Exxon Mobil.
What sets me apart from others?
What sets me apart from others is self awareness, adaptability and curiosity. My high level of persistence, empathy and the ability have lots of faith when everything seems impossible.
What am I most proud of?
I will start off by saying that I did not grow up as someone who was well privileged. The community I was born in had a small population, was underdeveloped and economically deprived. The challenges of a single parent household and going back and forth going to grandparent’s house has someone given a sense of instability in my life.
However I am grateful for how I was raised. I will not trade my how I was raised for anything in the world because that is what made me the young woman I am today. I was never someone who did well with my grades at school up to university level when I did not had a choice put to give everything my best shot and make something out of the opportunity I received. The proudest moment was when I completed my final year project at the university of Guyana. A prerequisite that is academically required. That moment when I made my presentation in front of a large auditorium of colleagues and other students from other faculties and veterans in the civil engineering fraternity.
I knew at the moment I was destined for something great. There are other proud moments regarding work and the influence I had on others but yea, that was my proudest moment.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The lessons I had to unlearn was people pleasing. You don’t owe anyone anything. Being a doormat will make you approach every situation, relationship, and person as though you owe them something. If you treat people as though you owe them something, it’s because deep down, you don’t feel like you’re enough.
Secondly I learnt that if i’m going to be successful, disappointing people is inevitable.
Making that decision with myself, entails having an honest opinion and be remembered than be a liked/agreeable doormat and be forgotten.
In life no one you should never have to beg to help, love, and care for anyone.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
I believe that being resilient is firstly realizing that life is not safe. Being exposed to things I am afraid of makes me resilient. Any means necessary, I prove from time to time that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. As shared previously in my answers to questions asked, my journey from when I know myself to current, I still have that act of resilience. Why? Because there is so much that needs to get done. The story of resilience in my instance will be when I was unemployed for couple months. We all know that being unemployed is no joke. The uncertainty and financial strain was profound. I have sent out tons of applications with no response. Those which I received responses from did not hire me. As such I still choose to remain positive and keep knocking on doors. I eventually found a job that I love. One which brought me joy.
I would like to say that I am striving to someday have a family of my own. It is the one thing that will give me a sense of purpose and fulfillment. While I wait for that goal to accomplish I will in the mean time prepare myself financially, mentally and physically to better equip myself when I do have a family.
Anything that stands in the way of achieving that goal will be overcome regardless of what it may be.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Coleen Lewis
- Facebook: Coleen Lewis
- Linkedin: Coleen Lewis
- Other: I am hardly ever on social media. However I will work on having my accounts active for the sake of those who wish to connect (network) with me.
Image Credits
Photo Credit: Coleen Lewis.
Photo credit: Eclipse photo studio