What happens when life throws you something you can’t control?

For Lucy Aragon, the answer was to keep dancing.

She’s been to 105 countries, built a life around optimism and adventure, and faced her husband’s cancer diagnosis with humor, perspective, and a contagious belief that joy isn’t luck. It’s work.

In this episode, Healey Cypher sits down with Lucy to talk about the art of staying light when life gets heavy. From her solo travels through war zones to the lessons she learned about resilience, confidence, and perspective, Lucy’s story is a reminder that happiness isn’t something you find. It’s something you create.

You’ll hear:

- How travel rewires your empathy and your brain

- Why “the rules were invented by people way stupider than you”

- The moment in Yemen that changed how she sees courage

- How humor became her greatest survival tool

- Why optimism is a health advantage, not a personality trait

- The 50 Cent quote that helped her beat anxiety and depression

- What lighting poop on fire taught her about leadership and joy

This conversation is equal parts philosophy and laughter. It’s about choosing perspective over panic, humor over fear, and joy as a daily act of rebellion.

⏱️ EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — How Healey and Lucy met (and why she lights up every room)

04:00 — Travel as a teacher: empathy, perspective, and the Yemen story

10:00 — “The rules were invented by people way stupider than you”

15:30 — Disneyland, the 8-year-old, and the moment Lucy realized most rules are fake

24:30 — Facing cancer with confidence, humor, and perspective

31:00 — Why optimism isn’t denial

35:45 — How comparison became the thief of modern joy

39:00 — Travel, gratitude, and the psychology of happiness

45:20 — “Depression is a luxury” from 50 Cent

49:00 — Anxiety, control, and the mental rewiring that joy requires

55:00 — The loneliness epidemic and how to fight it with connection

01:05:00 — The art of humor (even when life is serious)

01:10:00 — Lighting poop on fire (yes, really) and parenting through joy

01:17:00 — Why intention matters more than perfection

01:22:00 — Lucy’s final lesson: You can just be happy, without being rich or successful

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🎧 Listen now to this episode of Don’t Be a Jerk wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow along for more conversations on leadership, kindness, and the science of joy:

IG: @healeycypher | @dontbeajerkpodcast

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/healeycypher/