Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

This short, restorative meditation guides listeners through a heart-centered practice designed to help them center themselves and shift their energy in under five minutes.

• Quality over quantity: even brief moments of focused breathing can be transformative
• Simple body relaxation techniques including softening shoulders, jaw, and forehead
• Heart-centered visualization with a warm, steady light that expands with each breath
• Gentle physical movements to transition back to daily activities
• Reminder that restoration doesn't require lengthy practice, just presence

Carry this sense of calm and restoration with you throughout the rest of your day. Namaste, my friends.

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

What does it actually take to be joyful—not performative-happy, not “fine,” but truly joyful in a way that feels brave, embodied, and real?

In this episode, I’m joined by two brilliant storytellers and screenwriters, Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna, whose combined credits span beloved studio and indie projects across animation and live action—including Inside Out, Up, The Good Dinosaur, Captain Marvel, and more. Together, they also host the outstanding podcast The Screenwriting Life.

We begin with Inside Out as a doorway—asking which character each of them most identifies with (and why). Lorien claims Disgust: truth-teller, protector, and sharp point of view. Meg surprises us with Sadness—not as an identity, but as a writer’s intimacy with vulnerability, self-doubt, and instinct. From there, the conversation opens into something deeper: the stories we tell ourselves that don’t serve us, and what it looks like to rewrite them.

Meg shares an unforgettable moment of meeting her inner critic head-on—visualizing a small red chair and asking that voice to sit down while she moved forward anyway. Lorien speaks candidly about imposter syndrome, the discomfort of receiving praise, and the belief that love has to be earned—then traces how her creative work is helping her practice hope in real time.

And then we land on the heart of the episode: joy as vulnerability. Meg offers a powerful reframe—true joy requires courage, because joy opens us up. It makes us visible. It asks us to hope. The two of them explore what it means to be observed again after the pandemic, how community reflects us back to ourselves, and why friendship can be genuinely life-saving.

You’ll also hear beautiful distinctions around self-acceptance vs. self-celebration, creative presence, and what “living in the moment” looks like when you’re someone who naturally lives in the future. We close with a playful “What makes you…?” lightning round—stress hunger, curiosity hunger, overwhelm-as-a-signpost, and the small ordinary moments that carry real joy.

If you’re navigating self-doubt, trying to receive the good that’s coming toward you, or learning how to choose hope without needing certainty—this one is a ge

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

What if the real win isn’t the credit list, but the way you show up when no one’s clapping?

In this conversation, I sit with actor Philip Anthony Rodriguez to unpack a four-decade career spanning Broadway stages, prime-time television, and voice work—including a Star Wars Inquisitor—and then zoom in on the human core that powers it all.

Philip reframes performance as service: a collaborative act that allows audiences to feel, think, and reset. He shares how the pandemic reshaped his process—self-tapes at home, resourcefulness as a daily skill, and gratitude as a grounding practice—and why choosing response over reaction changed everything. The old reflex to bristle at last-minute auditions gave way to a steadier standard: prepare well, conserve energy, and be the professional who delivers. That mindset, he notes, applies far beyond show business—from startups to classrooms.

We wander through early breaks, a transformative European tour of West Side Story, and the deliberate expansion of his toolkit—on-camera nuance, action training, voice work—to keep opportunity wide. The heart of the conversation lives closer to home: a father reflecting on his own dad’s tough love, laughing with his son in a grocery line, and realizing that small, unseen moments are the legacy that lasts.

We talk presence, confidence without ego, and the courage to let friends call you out when you’re stuck. Along the way, we explore why arts education isn’t optional if we want healthy communities—and how humor, kindness, and curiosity help us stay resilient.

If the conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a quick review—your words help others find us.

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

et lag can leave you feeling untethered—tired and wired at the same time, unsure whether to rest or push through. This gentle meditation is designed to help your body recalibrate after travel, without forcing sleep or wakefulness.

Rather than trying to override your system, this practice focuses on orientation. We begin by grounding in the body and noticing where you are now—the quality of light, the sounds around you, the simple fact of being supported. Through natural breathing and subtle cues, you’ll invite your nervous system to register safety and arrival.

You’ll be guided to release urgency around “getting it right” and instead allow your internal clock to adjust gradually. This is not about snapping into a new schedule, but about offering your body clear, calm signals so it can update in its own time.

Listen after arrival, in the morning or early evening, or anytime jet lag leaves you feeling out of sync. Return to this practice as needed as your body settles into a new rhythm.

If this meditation supports your transition, consider subscribing, sharing it with a fellow traveler, or leaving a brief review to help others find their way back into alignment.

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

In this deeply honest and reflective conversation, I sit down with Hanako Greensmith—actor, artist, and series regular on Chicago Fire—to explore what happens between the milestones.

I’ve had the joy of knowing Hanako since her training years at Pace University, and here she speaks with remarkable openness about ambition, self-worth, burnout, and the inner work required to sustain a creative life.

We talk about the pressure to constantly do more, the belief that rest must be earned, and how easily high achievers learn to equate worth with productivity. Hanako reflects on learning to trust herself without over-preparing, on noticing when familiar patterns no longer serve her, and on what it means to reconnect with creativity beyond external validation.

This conversation also touches on:

• Navigating the “in-between” seasons of an artistic career
• The tension between stability and creative freedom
• Sensitivity as a strength rather than a flaw
• Why nature can be a powerful emotional and energetic reset
• Letting go of identities that once felt essential
• Redefining success beyond credits, roles, or outcomes

At its heart, this episode is about learning to listen inwardly, honoring what you need now, and allowing yourself to evolve—without rushing the process.

A note from Lisa

As STOPTIME: Live in the Moment approaches five years of conversations (almost six!), I’m revisiting and re-sharing a few favorite episodes—conversations that continue to resonate and meet us exactly where we are. This one felt especially worth returning to.

Thank you for listening—and for being part of this journey.

— Lisa 💜

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

Airports buzz. Cabins hum. And yet your body often stays braced—as if it still needs to steer.
This guided meditation offers something different: a chance to soften, settle, and let yourself rest while you travel.

Designed especially for long flights and extended journeys, this practice invites you to let the seat support you, the motion carry you, and your nervous system stand down from vigilance. We begin by easing the body—relaxing the jaw and tongue, noticing points of contact, and grounding into natural breathing without forcing pace or depth. Each exhale becomes an invitation to release a little more effort.

To quiet the mind, you’ll be guided to gently set aside thoughts, plans, and to-do lists—placing them in an imagined overhead compartment or beside you for later. This isn’t about letting go of responsibility, but about traveling light for a few minutes. A slow, soothing body scan follows, moving from head to toe and guiding the body from tension into heaviness and ease.

Sleep is welcome if it comes, but not required. Rest alone is enough.

Whether you’re on a long flight, a train crossing time zones, or a late-night drive as a passenger, this meditation is here to help you experience stillness inside movement—and arrive feeling calmer, lighter, and more at ease.

If this practice supports your journey, consider subscribing, sharing it with a fellow traveler, or leaving a brief review so others can find their way to rest on the road.

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

We pause to honor nearly six years of conversations that still feel alive because we keep changing. We invite you to revisit a curated set of episodes that meet you where you are and deepen themes of presence, courage, identity, joy, and letting go of perfection.

• reflecting on five to six years of the show
• choosing presence over chasing answers
• why certain conversations feel timeless
• themes of courage, identity, joy and letting go
• how returning listeners hear new layers
• invitation to explore the stoptime archives
• promise of new conversations coming soon

Find something that you want to celebrate in the space that we've created together, one moment at a time

If you are enjoying the show please subscribe, share and review! Word of mouth is incredibly impactful and your support is much appreciated!

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg

Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

Begin your day with intention, gratitude, and gentle presence.

This guided morning meditation invites you to wake slowly and begin again—before the day fills your attention with plans, responsibilities, and expectations. Designed to be listened to just after waking, this practice helps you clear yesterday, release worries about the future, and create a blank canvas for the day ahead.

Through breath, gentle visualization, and gratitude-based affirmations, you’ll be guided to:

• Wake the body with ease and awareness
• Set a simple, embodied intention for the day
• Cultivate gratitude for your body, mind, and experiences
• Align with possibility rather than probability

A calming, energizing practice you can return to whenever you want to start fresh and meet the day with openness and appreciation.

Support the show

🌟✨📚 **Buy 'The Places Where There Are Spaces: Cultivating A Life of Creative Possibilities'** 📚✨🌟
Dive into a world where spontaneity leads to creativity and discover personal essays that inspire with journal space to reflect. Click the link below to grab your copy today and embark on a journey of self-discovery and unexpected joys! 🌈👇
🔗 Purchase Your Copy Here: https://a.co/d/2UlsmYC

🌟 **Interested in finding out more about working with Lisa Hopkins? Want to share your feedback or be considered as a guest on the show?**
🔗 Visit Wide Open Stages https://www.wideopenstages.com

📸 **Follow Lisa on Instagram:** @wideopenstages https://www.instagram.com/wideopenstages/

💖 **SUPPORT THE SHOW:** [Buy Me a Coffee] https://www.buymeacoffee.com/STOPTIME

🎵 **STOPTIME Theme Music by Philip David Stern**
🔗 [Listen on Spotify]
https://open.spotify.com/artist/57A87Um5vok0uEtM8vWpKM?si=JOx7r1iVSbqAHezG4PjiPg