STOPTIME: Live in the Moment.

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Ever find yourself making choices you regret almost immediately? Discover how to break free from this cycle of self-sabotage and impulsivity in our latest episode. We'll dive into the psychology behind why we often choose short-term gratification over our long-term goals and how this impacts our mental well-being. Listen in as Lisa Hopkins  provides practical strategies to slow down and make choices that align with your core values.

Tune in for an empowering discussion that reminds us all that we have the power to change our behavior and steer our lives in the right direction. Through mindful decision-making and self-awareness, you can avoid the traps of regret and shame, and move confidently toward your dreams. Whether it's resisting that late-night binge-watch or saying no to commitments that overextend you, this episode will give you the tools you need to stay true to yourself. Don't miss this motivational guide to reclaiming control over your actions and finding lasting fulfillment.

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 peace isn’t something you hold, but a place you can always return to? We invite you into a guided meditation that starts with the breath, softens the grip of racing thoughts, and opens the heart to a wider circle of care. Across a few grounded minutes, we move from inner calm to compassionate connection, showing how awareness—not control—creates space for steadiness even when life stays complex.

We begin by arriving as we are, shifting from counted inhales to an easy, natural rhythm. The image of a wide sky helps recast thoughts as passing clouds while the sky of awareness remains steady. Instead of chasing or analyzing every cloud, we practice the gentle mantra, I can observe without engaging, and feel how a simple breath can anchor us right here. From there, attention shifts to the center of the chest, where a warm, steady light becomes a practical symbol of self-compassion. We acknowledge tension and regret without rushing to fix them, and we explore how peace grows when we act without clinging to outcomes.

The circle widens as we extend that same warmth beyond ourselves—to our rooms, our homes, our communities, the people we love, those we struggle with, and those we will never meet. We affirm a clear truth: you are not responsible for fixing the world, but your presence matters. With the phrase May all beings experience moments of peace, we choose an aspiration that is humble and doable, one that can ripple outward like a stone on still water. We close by returning to the body and the ground beneath us, carrying forward a calm that is light to hold and easy to revisit throughout the day.

If this practice steadied you, share it with someone who needs a gentle pause, subscribe for more guided sessions, and leave a quick review to help others find a moment of peace today.

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 there was a simple way to let go of what's weighing on you—and make more room for what's going well?

In this episode, I share one of my favorite coaching exercises: Vent & Victory.

It begins with a vent—not to dwell on what's frustrating you, but to release it. There's a big difference between intentionally expressing what's bothering you in a supportive space and endlessly replaying it around the proverbial water cooler. One creates space. The other gives the frustration more energy.

Then comes the victory.

Not necessarily a monumental achievement, but a moment to recognize something that went well, something you overcame, or simply something you're proud of. When we intentionally bring our wins into focus, we begin to shift our attention toward what's working instead of only what's wrong.

This is a simple practice you can do with a team, a partner, a friend—or all by yourself. Grab a piece of paper if you'd like to follow along, and give it a try.

I'd love to hear what comes up for you.

If you're enjoying the show, please subscribe, share it with someone who might benefit, and leave a review. Your support means so much and helps more people discover the podcast.

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!

Ready to realign your energy and find balance in just 12 minutes? This guided chakra meditation takes you on a transformative journey through your body's seven energy centers using the powerful combination of breath, visualization, and color.

We begin at your root chakra, where a glowing red light helps you feel grounded and safe, releasing fears that may be holding you back. As we move to your sacral center, warm orange energy ignites your creativity and helps you embrace change with grace. Your solar plexus chakra brightens with yellow light, strengthening your confidence as you affirm "I stand in my power." 

The journey continues through your heart chakra, where soft green light expands with each breath, allowing you to give and receive love more freely. Your throat chakra clears with brilliant blue energy, supporting authentic self-expression. Between your eyebrows, the indigo third eye chakra awakens your intuition and inner wisdom. Finally, white light radiates from your crown, connecting you to something greater than yourself.

The magic happens when all seven centers align, creating a rainbow column of energy flowing through your entire being. You'll complete this practice feeling both grounded and light, centered yet expansive – the perfect balanced state to carry into your day. Whether you're new to chakra work or looking to deepen your practice, this meditation offers a simple yet powerful way to harmonize your energy system and enhance your overall wellbeing.

Try this meditation whenever you feel scattered or disconnected, and notice how quickly you can return to a state of balance. Your energy centers are always waiting to be awakened – all you need is the intention, your breath, and a few minutes of focused attention.

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 often think of tolerance as a virtue.

But what happens when tolerating becomes a way of abandoning ourselves?

In this episode, I explore the subtle ways we adapt, accommodate, and contort ourselves long after something has stopped serving us. Whether it's a relationship, a commitment, a habit, or even something we once loved, there comes a point when holding on drains more energy than it gives back.

Sometimes we blame ourselves when things no longer feel right. We assume we need to try harder, be more grateful, or simply push through. But what if the discomfort isn't a sign that you're failing? What if it's your inner wisdom asking you to pay attention?

Together we'll explore:
• Why toleration can become a form of emotional armor.
• How fear keeps us holding onto what we've already outgrown.
• The difference between resilience and self-abandonment.
• Why your energy is often the first messenger that something needs to change.
• How creating space for what truly nourishes you begins with an honest inventory of what you're carrying.

This isn't an invitation to make dramatic changes overnight.

It's an invitation to notice.

To become curious.

And to ask yourself one simple but powerful question:

What am I putting up with that I no longer need to carry?

Perhaps what you're calling exhaustion isn't a lack of strength.

Perhaps it's simply the weight of tolerating too much.

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!

Let the rhythmic ebb and flow of the ocean's waves usher you into serenity—no need for packing or travel plans, just a simple decision to press play. Embark on a journey where each breath unlocks deeper layers of calm, and every affirmation anchors you firmly in the present moment. In our intimate session on breathing and visualization for anxiety, we unfurl the secrets of soothing your mind with deep abdominal breaths and transport you to a sunrise-kissed shore. The soft whispers of "I am calm" and "I am relaxed" become your personal mantras, steadying your heart rate and clearing the noise of everyday worries. It's an experience reminiscent of a serene escape, leaving you not just relaxed, but profoundly connected with the tranquil forces of nature.

Renewed with tranquility, we shift gears to empower your spirit, weaving gratitude and inner strength into a tapestry of self-assurance. As your guide, I'll lead you through a confidence-boosting meditation, instilling a sense of gratitude and the fortitude to face any challenge. The session culminates in a gentle reawakening, bringing about a fresh perspective and a heart brimming with courage. Whether you're seeking a pause from the bustle of a demanding day or looking to fortify your resolve, this episode offers a haven—a mental retreat to refresh your essence and equip you with an invincible sense of self.

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!

Sometimes the hardest part of creating isn't the work itself—it's everything that happens before we begin.

In this episode, I share an unedited piece of stream-of-consciousness writing that I never intended to publish. It's an honest glimpse into creative procrastination, distraction, self-doubt, and the quiet moment when something begins to shift.

If you've ever found yourself organizing your desk, answering emails, making one more cup of coffee, or doing almost anything except the thing you most want to do, this episode is for you.

Without offering easy answers or productivity hacks, I simply invite you into the experience of returning to the page—and discovering what happens when you stay with it just a little longer.

In this episode:

•  Creative procrastination and why beginning can feel so difficult 
•  The surprising ways distraction disguises itself as productivity 
•  A real-time stream of consciousness about writing, self-doubt, and flow 
•  Trusting the creative process without forcing it 
•  Why showing up may be more important than getting it "right" 

If this episode resonates with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need a gentle reminder that creativity doesn't require perfect conditions—it simply asks us to begin.

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!

Tonight’s meditation is an invitation to slow down and gently transition from wakefulness into rest.

We begin by settling into the space where you’ll sleep—tending to the small external details that help your body and nervous system feel safe and uninterrupted. From there, we turn inward, using breath and awareness to soften mental activity and release the day.

This guided practice moves through a slow, full-body scan, inviting curiosity rather than effort. Sensations are noticed without judgment—pressure, warmth, heaviness, vibration, or even the absence of sensation. There is nothing to fix and nothing to force.

You may find yourself drifting in and out of awareness, or even falling asleep before the meditation ends. That’s not a mistake—it’s part of the design. This practice meets you exactly where you are and supports your body’s natural intelligence for rest.

As we close, you’re guided into a sense of energetic ease and spaciousness, reminding you that this state of relaxation is something you can return to anytime.

✨ Best enjoyed lying down in bed
✨ Safe to fall asleep during
✨ Perfect for winding down at the end of the day

Sweet dreams.

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!

A chance encounter on a train becomes a moment to challenge assumptions about nationality and kindness. When an elderly couple attributes my patience to being Canadian, I return to clarify that values, not citizenship, define our interactions with others.

• Reassuring an anxious elderly couple that their pace wasn't inconveniencing me
• Couple assuming my kindness was because I was Canadian
• Returning to explain I'm a dual citizen and my kindness comes from within
• Reflecting on how assumptions rob us of authentic connections
• Understanding that values, not nationality, shape our interactions
• Making choices that create space for reflection and deeper understanding

Remember to live in the moment.

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!

A guided meditation designed to help you move through emotional heaviness using the imagery of a storm transforming into sunlight and a rainbow. This visualization mirrors life's natural cycles of darkness and light, reminding us that transformation often begins in unexpected places.

• Beginning in the midst of a storm that represents emotional weight and heaviness
• Experiencing the gradual lightening of rain and thinning of clouds as a metaphor for emotional release
• Witnessing sunlight breaking through and a rainbow appearing as symbols of transformation and hope
• Recognizing that both darkness and light are necessary parts of life's design
• Embracing the duality of feeling both grounded and light as we return to awareness

Find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and let the rain come as you trust that the light will follow.

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