Man. What a time we are in right now.
If you’re anything like me, you’re on information overload. If you’re also like me (which, lucky you), you are itching for something outside of what is currently driving all conversations and news media outlets.
I hope this can help.
I’ve broken my favorite recent podcasts into two groups: pre COVID and post. Because even the podcast world is consumed with it right now, there was a time before it was all consuming. However, there are still some really good, really refreshing discussions out there about the COVID-19 virus that not only help us shift into or maintain a positive perspective, they just look at this whole thing from a different angel, which is radically refreshing.
Here are my favorites of the past month-ish. Happy listening!!!
Pre COVID:
Podcasts that I found inspiring before this epidemic took over our lives and all sound waves.
The Worst Game Ever, by 99% Invisible
Deep within the National Museum of American History’s vaults is a battered Atari case containing what’s known as “the worst video game of all time.” The game is E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and it was so bad that not even the might of Steven Spielberg could save it. It was so loathsome that all remaining copies were buried deep in the desert. And it was so horrible that it’s blamed for the collapse of the American home video game industry in the early 1980s.
For educators, this is a must. He may not be talking about your classroom, but he is absolutely talking about your classroom! If we were to look at education the way the gaming industry looks at games, we would be in a much different, much better place.
That’s Just Not Good Enough, by At the Table With Patrick Lencioni:
One of, if not the most, convicting podcast in the bunch. If nothing else, listen to this one. Super good. Crazy challenging.
Alan Weiss, Becoming a Fearless Leader, by Smart People Podcast:
Perhaps the most abstract or even controversial, it is packed full of nuggets and ideas that are absolutely worth hearing. I found it inspiring.
Post COVID:
Podcasts I found inspiring since the epidemic.
This is Chance! Redux, by 99% Invisible:
"It was the middle of the night on March 27, 1964. Earlier that evening, the second-biggest earthquake ever measured at the time had hit Anchorage, Alaska. 115 people died." Yet, this story is full of hope and is a sort of model for how we can and should be living our lives amidst pain and destruction. Which is exactly the kind of story we need right now.
Leadership Doesn't Stop, by At the Table With Patrick Lencioni:
It might seem that this applies only to those with "leadership" titles, but truly, it works for us all. I strongly encourage this for everyone.
Brené on Comparative Suffering, the 50/50 Myth, and Settling the Ball, by Brene Brown:
An extremely encouraging podcast about where we are, how to have great and intentional conversations with our loved ones during this time, and where to go from here. Really, really good.
She has another episode worth listening to, Brene on FFT (F***ing First Times) which is also really, really good. It could be condensed into about 20 minutes, if she were to get rid of all the side stories, but when she talks honest about FFT’s, it's golden.
An Unlikely Superpower, by Invisibilia:
At the age of 60, a Scottish woman named Joy Milne discovers she has a biological gift that allows her to see things that will happen in the future that no one else can see. A look at how we think about the future, and the important ways the future shapes the present.
Her ending monologue is spot-on perfect and something we all
The Side Effects of Social Distancing, by Freakonomics
In just a few weeks, the novel coronavirus has undone a century’s worth of our economic and social habits. What consequences will this have on our future — and is there a silver lining in this very black pandemic cloud?
Where ever you are, stay safe. Stay strong. Happy listening.
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