Letting our hearts take the lead, by Martha Beck

<p>It’s not surprising that Martha Beck, best-selling author and columnist for <em>O, The Oprah Magazine</em>, grew up as a high achiever. Attending Harvard University for both undergraduate and doctoral degrees, Martha spends years fighting to be the smartest person in the room and contending with serious anxiety. It’s only after a revelatory trip to Japan that Martha learns to put her rigid pursuit of intellect aside and find true happiness in the peaceful empty spaces between all things.</p><p>Listen to Nataly Dawn's Meditative Story, "My battle as a beginner opens up worlds of wonder":&nbsp;<a href="https://listen.meditativestory.com/NatalyDawnPIO" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://listen.meditativestory.com/NatalyDawnPIO</a></p><p>Learn more about Martha: <a href="http://marthabeck.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">marthabeck.com</a></p><p>Follow Martha on Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/themarthabeck/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/themarthabeck/</a></p><p>Follow Martha on Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/themarthabeck" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/themarthabeck</a></p><p>If this episode resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you. Please take a moment to share your reflections by rating and reviewing Meditative Story in your podcast player. It helps other listeners find their way to show, and we’d be so grateful.</p><p>Each episode of Meditative Story combines the emotional pull of first-person storytelling with immersive music and gentle mindfulness prompts. Read the transcript for this story:&nbsp;<a href="http://meditativestory.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">meditativestory.com</a></p><p>Sign up for the Meditative Story newsletter:&nbsp;<a href="https://meditativestory.com/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://meditativestory.com/subscribe</a></p><p>See Privacy Policy at <a href="https://art19.com/privacy" rel="noopener nor