Leila Day, an award-winning journalist and co-host of "The Stoop," shares her journey of self-discovery while living in Cuba. She discusses how a simple change in her expression revealed the depth of others' perceptions and the power of her authentic voice. Leila reflects on embracing her identity through dance and the liberating experience of accepting her natural hair. She emphasizes the importance of vulnerability in storytelling as a means to foster genuine connections and empowers listeners to share their own imperfect stories.

Journalist and beloved podcast host Leila Day grows up being told that she should “tone it down.” When she moves to Cuba in her early twenties, she finally finds a place that embraces her whole identity — or so she thinks at first. It’s only after making one simple change that Leila sees how quickly others treat her differently, and she realizes she has something to say about it. By expressing her authentic voice, she finds her authentic power. Listen to Leila on The Stoop: Thestoop.orgFind Leila on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestooppodcast/ and https://www.instagram.com/dayfound/Find Leila on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theStoopPodcastIf 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.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: meditativestory.comSign up for the Meditative Story newsletter: https://meditativestory.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.