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I listen to a lot of podcasts. While doing the dishes, folding the laundry, mowing the lawn, walking or driving, podcasts are my go-to for education, entertainment, and connection when I’m alone.
I also read books, watch videos, and take courses. I enjoy these experiences until, just like the tail end of a meal, I am done. I don’t want any more.
Read MoreAs a teenager, I used to read magazines and save them.
Early in my career, I used to keep a file of helpful resources that I’d received via email.
In the heyday of blogs, I carefully subscribed to each of my favorites via RSS and, via a feed reader, pored over articles at my desk during lunch. (If I were ten years younger, they’d have been YouTube videos, and if I were ten years younger than that, they’d have been TikToks.)
Read MoreI would argue that This American Life is the spiritual ancestor of a great many podcasts.
Like so many works of art, from the songs and guitar stylings of Chuck Berry to the stand-up comedy of Steve Martin, the show’s influence is so pervasive that it is all but invisible.
But when it first came out, there was nothing like it. I used to time my college laundry runs to take place on Sunday evenings so that I could listen to This American Life on my Sony Walkman while I trekked down to the dorm basement.
Read MoreTThe Internet has made it possible to voyeuristically peer into the virtual shop windows of businesses.
Like insecure teenagers, it's all too easy to get our composure rattled by someone else's polished and perfected web presence.
Wandering around in search of inspiration too often results in demoralization instead. Of course, we already know that however attractive and successful a person may seem, that is only part of the story. They have failures and frustrations just like we do.
Read MoreIt's demoralizing, sometimes, how easily an event can set you back when you're trying so hard to move forward.
Here I am, working on a number of different projects to earn a living, packing my lunch in the morning to save money — and then I get a call from my mechanic that my car needs $1,400 worth of repairs. The next day, it’s up to $2,700. (I think that's about the Blue Book value of the vehicle.)
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