Writing the main character, by Franklin Leonard

Writing the main character, by Franklin Leonard

Author: WaitWhat March 11, 2026 Duration: 29:55
What’s the hardest part about being the main character in your own life? You’re also writing the script as you go along. And sometimes it’s hard to know when you need a scene change. Filmmaker Franklin Leonard encounters plenty of dramatic moments as he seeks to follow his creative dream. But those big moments, he comes to realize, aren’t what will change him into the person he truly wants to be. Change happens not in an explosion or a sudden shift of scenery, but slowly, in moments of reflection, and sometimes after years of pleasing others. What matters is … it happens. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There’s a particular kind of quiet that happens when a story pulls you in completely, and that’s the space where Meditative Story lives. Produced by WaitWhat, this series weaves extraordinary, personal narratives from all walks of life with gentle meditation prompts that arise naturally within the tale itself. It’s not a guided meditation followed by a story, or vice versa; the two are seamlessly blended, all set against an original score of breathtaking, cinematic music. The result feels less like a traditional mindfulness exercise and more like being transported into a deeply reflective state through the power of nuanced storytelling and immersive sound design. Listeners often find themselves returning to favorite episodes, discovering new layers of meaning or calm with each revisit. This podcast sits at a unique crossroads of human experience, touching on themes of society, culture, health, and spirituality without prescribing a single path. It’s an invitation to pause, to listen closely, and to find a moment of mental clarity within the flow of a compelling human story. The production values are intentionally high, making each episode a rich audio experience that supports both engagement and relaxation. For anyone curious about an alternative, narrative-driven approach to mindfulness, this series offers a resonant and beautifully crafted journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Meditative Story
Podcast Episodes
You are enough, messiness and all, by Jessamyn Stanley [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:13
Jessamyn Stanley, author of Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance, realizes one day that her life has become filled with unwanted clutter. Suddenly, how she’s perceived on the outside no longer reflects what she feels on the…
To do hard things, be adaptable, by Alex Honnold [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:53
Alex Honnold, renowned rock climber and the subject of the documentary Free Solo, has always known how to do hard things. Yet he’s also had to learn that his drive to push himself will only take him so far. In today's ep…
When the sharks start to circle, by Cristina Mittermeier [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:08
When life is overwhelming, sometimes the smallest action — even one that seems insignificant in the moment — is what helps us move forward. Cristina Mittermeier is a nature photographer and adventurer who's used to navig…
Making adjustments in free fall, by Curtis Rivers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:15
Through his long and storied career as a stuntman, Curtis Rivers has appeared in scores of films and television shows, ranging from James Bond movies to Captain America to Game of Thrones. He has won a Screen Actor Guild…
On board with my dad, by Mark Nepo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:39
As an author and poet, Mark Nepo has spent decades writing about spirituality and serenity. But his life wasn’t always as calm as it is now. Growing up, Mark feels challenged by the demands of his perfectionist father an…
It doesn't have to be this hard: Mariann Budde [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:02
A street in Honduras. A conference room. The fifth lap of a bike ride. Crisis can descend on you in unexpected places – and so can clarity. All that’s required of you, really, is to be there for it, and to stretch yourse…
Together, we move from fear to hope, by Varshini Prakash [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:23
Climate activist Varshini Prakash first became aware of the effects of a changing planet when her grandparents’ village in India was flooded in a monsoon. A child then, she felt overwhelmed and powerless. In this week’s…
Learning to see what is in front of me, by Siri Hustvedt [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:41
To truly see what is right in front us, requires the practice of looking, of careful and sustained attention – without expectation or judgment. Join author and essayist Siri Hustvedt on an hours long trip to the museum s…