Let us know what you enjoy about the show!

Ever wonder why a stranger's approval often feels more valuable than our own self-acceptance? This thought-provoking episode explores our collective obsession with external validation and the exhausting mathematics of people-pleasing.

We dive into the dangerous equation many of us follow: dividing ourselves into smaller and smaller pieces to meet others' expectations until we're stretched impossibly thin, serving no one well – especially not ourselves. I explore how we've become masters of relationship politics, pretending everything's fine when it isn't, then feeling frustrated when nobody notices our unspoken distress. This growing gap between our authentic selves and our public personas creates a mathematical impossibility – trying to be everything to everybody simply doesn't add up.

But there's profound freedom in recognizing yourself as the only common denominator in your life – the prime number that cannot be divided. Consider this: of the 7+ billion people on Earth, most will never know you existed, and of those who do, how many truly know the authentic you? When we shift focus from external approval to internal alignment, we discover that what matters isn't universal acceptance but personal integrity. Yes, standing in your truth means some people won't like what you have to say – and that's perfectly okay. The journey will be messy and imperfect, but gloriously yours. By showing up authentically, you not only reclaim your power but create space for others to do the same. Isn't that a much more fulfilling way to contribute to the world than endless people-pleasing?

What might change in your life if you stopped seeking validation from others and started honoring your inherent worth? I'd love to hear your thoughts – share your experiences or reflections in the comments, and if this message resonated with you, please subscribe and share with someone who might need to hear it.

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!

Have you ever felt misunderstood because people reduce you to a single trait? This powerful conversation dives into the frustration of being labeled "optimistic" when what's really at play is something much deeper – authentic values of curiosity, connection, and openness.

We unpack the significant difference between toxic positivity (the forced brightness that refuses to acknowledge difficulties) and genuine engagement that stems from core values. As one participant notes, "I'm not just some dainty June" – highlighting how these mischaracterizations can prevent others from taking us seriously or seeing our depth and complexity.

The discussion reveals a fascinating paradox: our greatest strengths can become weaknesses when others expect us to embody them constantly. When we're skilled at presenting as positive or energetic, people come to expect that performance, creating pressure to maintain it even when it conflicts with our authentic state. The key insight emerges – rather than defaulting to our signature strengths in all situations, we can place them "in our toolbox" as reliable tools without letting them define us completely. This creates space for developing other aspects of ourselves and showing up differently across contexts.

This conversation speaks to anyone who's felt boxed in by others' perceptions or struggled with honoring their authentic self while meeting external expectations. As we hear, "we're not monochrome here" – a powerful reminder that human beings are multifaceted and deserve to be seen in their full complexity. How might you start placing your signature strengths in your toolbox rather than letting them define your entire identity? Listen in and reconsider how you express your authentic self in a world that loves simple categories.

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!

Take a deep breath and pause with me. Right now. This guided five-minute reset offers something we all desperately need but rarely give ourselves—permission to stop, even briefly, and reconnect with ourselves.

Designed to fit seamlessly into your busy day, this practice guides you through a gentle but powerful sequence of mindful breathing, subtle movement, and sensory awareness. As you follow along, you'll release physical tension through simple stretches and twists, then awaken each of your senses to fully anchor yourself in the present moment. The practice concludes with a moment of gratitude and an invitation to consciously choose the energy you want to bring into your next hour.

What makes this reset different is its accessibility and immediate impact. You don't need special equipment, extensive time, or previous meditation experience—just five minutes and a willingness to pause. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed at work, scattered between tasks, or simply disconnected from yourself, this practice offers a way back to center. Use it hourly as suggested, or whenever you need to clear mental fog, release physical tension, or reset your emotional state.

The most powerful reminder comes at the end: "You don't need more time. You just needed this moment." In a world constantly telling us we need more—more productivity, more achievement, more hours in the day—this simple practice offers a revolutionary perspective: that wellbeing isn't about having more, but about fully experiencing what's already here. Give yourself this gift whenever you need it. Your body, mind, and spirit will thank you.

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!

"Dreams are possible." These three simple words capture the essence of Susie Carroll's extraordinary journey from a determined 10-year-old in Utah to a Broadway performer in hit shows like Back to the Future, Mean Girls, and The Prom.

In this heartfelt conversation, Susie reveals the beautiful paradox at the core of her success: while adult Susie battles perfectionism, young Susie possessed a fearlessness that propelled her forward without doubt. "Little Susie had way less doubts than Susie does now," she reflects, describing how she'd ask her mom at age 10 if they could leave Utah for New York because "I think I should be on Broadway."

That early certainty carried her to Pace University and eventually to Broadway, where she's thrived in the demanding role of a "swing" – covering multiple ensemble roles simultaneously. This position, which Susie calls "the best thing that could have happened to me," has become her greatest teacher in balancing meticulous preparation with the flexibility to embrace inevitable imperfections.

Beyond the spotlight, Susie shares her evolution in creating a sustainable life in New York. After experiencing the stark emptiness when shows close, she's cultivated what she calls a "pie chart" of fulfillment – building community, diverse work opportunities, and meaningful connections that sustain her regardless of her performance schedule. Her infectious optimism isn't naive; it's earned through hard work and conscious choice: "I work really hard to make those things true, while also living a very full life of all different emotions."

Whether you're pursuing creative dreams or seeking more authenticity in your life, Susie's insights on forward motion, perfectionism, and creating a balanced life will inspire you to embrace both the challenge and joy of pursuing what lights you up. As Susie demonstrates, sometimes our childhood certainty holds wisdom our adult doubts try to obscure.

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!

Ever felt like you're pushing a boulder uphill trying to help someone who just won't budge? This powerful coaching session tackles the exhausting cycle of trying too hard to create change in others when they're not ready to receive it.

We explore the fascinating shift from operating out of obligation ("I have to do this work") to approaching your passion with a sense of privilege ("I get to do this work"). The coach acknowledges their tendency toward intensity and overwhelming others with information, leading to the counterproductive response of resistance and shutdown.

Through thoughtful dialogue, we uncover how language shapes receptivity. When we approach others with empowering rather than frightening rhetoric, we create openings instead of resistance. The breakthrough moment comes when the coach realizes that offering "a little bit of information" creates more excitement and opportunity than overwhelming people with everything they "need" to know.

The conversation beautifully illustrates how our helping instincts can sometimes sabotage our effectiveness. By shifting energy from pushing to inviting, from overwhelming to empowering, the coach discovers a path to sustainability and greater impact. This session highlights the delicate art of helping others change - not through force of will, but through connection to values and the excitement of possibility.

Whether you're a coach, parent, teacher, or anyone trying to influence positive change, this episode offers practical wisdom on how to approach your important work with less frustration and more effectiveness. Try shifting your language from "they need to know" to "they get to discover" and watch what happens!

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!

Transitions are woven into the fabric of our lives, yet many of us struggle with the uncertainty they bring. Whether you're navigating a minor shift or standing at the threshold of major change, this meditation offers a sanctuary of calm amid life's inevitable transitions.

At the heart of this practice lies a powerful truth: while change is unavoidable, our suffering is optional. The meditation gently guides you to notice how your mind creates stories about change—often worst-case scenarios of loss, failure, or rejection. But what if these stories are merely rehearsals for pain that may never arrive? What if your fear stems not from the change itself but from the narratives you've constructed around it?

Through guided breathwork and mindful awareness, you'll discover the freedom that comes with releasing your attachment to knowing how everything will unfold. Rather than bracing against change, you'll learn to breathe into it; rather than clinging to certainty, you'll practice opening to possibility. The meditation reminds you that you are not lost or behind—you are whole, capable, and resilient in each moment.

Perhaps most transformative is the realization that not knowing isn't something to fear—it's the birthplace of every creative possibility. It's where new ideas emerge and where you get to write the next chapter of your story. By returning to your breath and to choice whenever uncertainty feels overwhelming, you'll cultivate a new relationship with change—one based on openness, trust, and unexpected grace.

Next time you feel that familiar tightening against life's transitions, remember: you are not at the mercy of change. You are in relationship with it, and the nature of that relationship is entirely up to you. Take a deep breath, stay open, and trust that possibility lives in the unknown.

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!

Take 5 minutes to realign—and then, go shine.🌟

In this episode, we transform those pre-show butterflies into a grounded sense of readiness. Whether you’re stepping onto a stage or into any moment that matters, this is your cue to breathe, trust, and remember: you’ve already done the work.

🎧 Take 5 minutes to realign—and then, go shine.

Transforming pre-performance anxiety from debilitating fear to creative excitement requires reframing the voice of our inner critic and recognizing that butterflies aren't nerves but wings ready for flight.

• When the stage manager calls "places," it can feel more like a call to arms than an invitation to express our passion
• The voice of doubt becomes amplified just before performing, making us believe we're not ready
• You were amazing before stepping on stage because you did the work and showed up
• The inner critic's message of fear is outdated—it protected you when you were learning but limits you now
• Recast your inner critic's role with messages that help you succeed rather than keep you afraid
• Those flutters aren't nerves but wings ready to take flight
• Don't make performing about just getting through—trust yourself and the process
• Remember why you do what you do—the joy of sharing stories and moving audiences
• What feels like fear from inside often appears as joy and excitement to others

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!

Have you ever caught yourself qualifying your biggest dreams with hesitant language? "Maybe we'd be celebrating... I mean, for me..." These verbal hedges reveal how we protect ourselves from fully embracing what we truly want.

This transformative conversation explores what happens when we shift into "the land of possibility" – not a magical place where every dream comes true, but a mindset where we give ourselves permission to move wholeheartedly toward what matters most. When discussing a Broadway debut dream, we uncover how quickly we downplay our deepest desires, afraid to claim them fully. But what if the result became "the cherry on top" rather than the sole measure of success?

The most powerful insight emerges around the mirror test: "At the end of the day, when you look in the mirror, what would make you feel best?" This simple question cuts through external expectations, bringing you back to what truly matters to you. No decision is inherently right or wrong – only right or wrong for you. Understanding your personal "why" beyond external validation creates sustainable motivation that carries you through challenges.

Whether you're pursuing a Broadway career or any meaningful goal, remember: "It's you that is going to take you there, no one else." There will be gatekeepers and obstacles, but ultimately, your journey is yours alone. What reflection would make you feel best when you look in the mirror tonight? Share your thoughts and join our conversation about moving beyond binary thinking into the rich landscape of possibility where your authentic path awaits.

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