Content worth checking out!

In my last job, I had an hour-long commute. On a really bad day, the commute could take up to an hour-and-a-half. I took some back roads but the closer I got to work, the more congested and the tougher the drive got. The job came with its share of stressors too. Okay, it came with more than its fair share of stress and tension. The thing that saved me from both the job and the commute, though, were podcasts and audiobooks.  

In 2014, the Serial Podcast and the question of whether Baltimore County cops had the right man behind bars for the 1999 killing of high school senior Hae Min Lee or if Adnan Syed was an innocent man kept me weighing the facts and, on my toes, getting to work for weeks.

A few years later, I listened to Susan Cain’s audiobook, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and wondered how she found a way to record my thoughts and feelings without me knowing it. I was spellbound as Cain argued that society undervalues the traits and capabilities of introverted people; showed that introversion is both common and normal; and urged changes in the workplace and schools.

In both instances, I would get into the car, tired after a crazy day of work, and turn on the podcast or book and instantly be taken away to some other place. The miles passed before me and became a joy instead of slog through commuting hell. I couldn’t wait for my drive home and not just because it was the end of the day.

I don’t have much of a work commute anymore, since I’m working remote, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love a great podcast or audiobook. In fact, I’ve been getting a ton of joy from listening to the podcasts put out by my blogging friends at The Heart of the Matter. Wynne Leon and Dr. Vicki Atkinson, the creators of the site, have created a nice collection of podcasts and have leveraged the same formula that I came to love — the creation of strong content and a tight community. They’ve pushed out five podcasts so far. I sat down with them for one, you might want to skip that one, but the rest have been enjoyable to listen and learn!

Check them out and let me know what you think.

While you’re at it, I’m interested in what you’re listening to right now. Besides the podcasts put out out by The Heart of the Matter, what other podcasts would you recommend? I’m looking for some new ones to try? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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