There are many great podcasts out there … but sometimes it can be hard to find an episode that you know you’ll really enjoy and doesn’t have you scrolling for the next one. Here is a short list of 6 of them we know you’ll love. Some are gritty and deep, others a bit more light-hearted and practical.

(1) Going Blind To See More Clearly

Sight. It’s something we all take for granted…until it stops working the way it’s supposed to.

While most of us will only have to deal with the annoyances of less than 20/20 vision, my guest today went from fully sighted to completely blind when he was a teenager.

While terrifying and debilitating at first, he learned that losing his ability to see the physical world actually allowed him to see reality from a sharper perspective. 

His name is Isaac Lidsky and his new book is Eyes Wide Open: Overcoming Obstacles and Recognizing Opportunities in a World That Can’t See Clearly. Today on the show, Isaac and I discuss how he went blind and his initial reaction to losing his sight. We then dig into insights he gained about resilience, humility, and Theodore Roosevelt’s “Man in the Arena” speech that allowed him to move forward in life.

Excerpt from The Art of Manliness website

(2) Finding Fulfillment In a World Obsessed With Happiness

In recent years, there’s been a lot of books and blogs put out on how to become happier.

But what if searching for happiness actually results in unhappiness, and to get happiness we need to be looking for something else?

That’s what my guest argues in her book. Her name is Emily Esfahani Smith and she’s the author of The Power of Meaning: Finding Fulfillment in a World Obsessed with Happiness.

Excerpt from The Art of Manliness website

(3) 5 Things To Never Do In a Rush

Today’s culture values packed schedules, speed, efficiency, productivity, crossing things off the list, and working oneself to the bone. Are you tired just from reading that list?  

We’re told rest is a sign of weakness, and slowing down means you don’t have it all together. Jay Shetty knows the opposite is true.

On a recent episode of On Purpose with Jay Shetty, he discussed the pitfalls of the hard and fast lifestyle:

“I really feel that our focus and addiction to speed and doing things instantly is what is creating so many issues in our lives, in our bodies, in our minds and in our relationships right now,” Jay Shetty said.

Excerpt from Jay Shetty’s website

(4) Grit & The Importance of Trying New Things

Brene Brown talks to Dr. Angela Duckworth, professor, founder and CEO of Character Lab, and author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. They dig into what grit is, but also what grit is not. They talk about taking the windy path, the danger of oversimplifying complex ideas, and why ruling out what does NOT bring you joy is part of finding what does.

Excerpt from Brene Brown’s website

(5) Maggie O’Farrell, Writer - On BBC’s Desert Island Discs

Maggie O’Farrell has written eight novels, a memoir and a children’s book. In 2020 her novel Hamnet won the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and was also named Waterstones Book of the Year.

Maggie was born in Northern Ireland. Her parents moved around during her childhood, and she grew up in Wales and Scotland.

As a young girl, she was very ill and almost died from encephalitis. She says her lifelong love of reading comes from her long stay in hospital followed by an extended convalescence, when she missed a year of school. Her illness also left her with a stammer, which she believes has profoundly affected her relationship with language.

(6) How to (Actually) Change The World, Speaking Your Truth, & The Incredible Power of ‘Dumb’ Questions

“We’re taught that there are bad people and good people, monsters and angels. And yet the truth of the matter is that monsters and angels live in every single one of us. Monsters are our broken parts. They are our petty fears, our insecurities, the grievances that grow.”

— Jacqueline Novogratz

Jacqueline Novogratz (@jnovogratz) is the founder and CEO of Acumen. In 2001, Jacqueline started Acumen with the idea of investing philanthropic patient capital in entrepreneurs seeking to solve the toughest issues of poverty. As a pioneer of impact investing, Acumen and its investments have brought critical services like healthcare, education, and clean energy to hundreds of millions of low-income people.

Excerpt from Tim Ferriss website

This list of podcasts has been re-shared from our sister initiative, Beloved