Podcasts: riding the rollercoaster

“A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions.”

Growing up I remember the first time that I saw a rollercoaster. I couldn’t quite wrap my head around why people were doing this for fun (amusement) if they were screaming their lungs out. The shape of the track also intrigued me, it’s shape and sharp changes in direction

We all respond to and handle situations differently – just as everyone doesn’t scream when they are launched onto a steep section of a rollercoaster. How we respond to the ride can also determine what we take away or get out of it.

The conversion of potential energy to kinetic energy is what drives a roller coaster, and all of the kinetic energy it needs for the ride is present once the coaster descends the first hill…

Life and the journey we are on can be equated to the journey of rollercoaster. Taking the first step, responding to occurrences, and gaining energy from different experiences along the way. The one thing that is different though is that the track for the rollercoaster of life is built as the journey unfolds.

Riding the rollercoaster also means embracing the curves, the ups and the downs, and the energy that is created or lost. After all,  it’s all part of the ride.

This week’s podcast recommendation range in scope. From looking at developing culture in a company, to solving addiction through connection rather than sobriety.

• #392: Ben Horowitz — What You Do Is Who You Are >> Lessons from Silicon Valley, Andy Grove, Genghis Khan, Slave Revolutions, and More
• Barstool Sports CEO Erika Nardini Learns From Digital Media’s Past Mistakes
• The Opposite of Addiction

Reading has the ability to open our minds and transport us to different places. Here are a few reads that you may enjoy.

• A Wandering Mind: How Travel Can Change the Way You Think
• Complexity Bias: Why We Prefer Complicated to Simple
• PLACEBOS