what do you listen to?
What do you listen to during your commute? Like me, you most likely drive, unless you’re lucky enough to be able to walk or bike to work, school drop off, or errands.
When I was younger, I listened to music (turned ALL the way up out of pure enjoyment and moodiness in my teenage years). Then later in my twenties, podcasts became a big thing. I loved listening to podcasts in my free time, true crime mysteries or random interesting information. The popular crime series Serial comes to mind or Stuff You Should Know.
One of the first podcasts I ever listened to was a show called 99% Invisible. The description for the show starts with: “Design is everywhere in our lives, perhaps most importantly in the places where we’ve just stopped noticing.” They create episodes that deep dive into the world of everyday design, focusing on what’s mostly invisible to us, like postage stamps, pockets in women’s clothing, or a recent episode about moving walkways. It’s a chance to dive into information that’s not really productive, but simply enjoyable to learn about. For me, it also sparks feelings of awe, wonder, and creativity as I consider the beauty of design in our everyday world.
Until recently, I had sadly forgotten that 99% Invisible even existed. Over the past few years, I’ve found that my podcast listening has shifted. It’s shifted away from learning for fun to learning for productivity. To be fair to myself, it makes sense, as my life has become more… serious. I have a husband and a daughter. I have a career and a home. Adulthood can feel serious. And so, I’ve gravitated toward podcasts about politics, parenting, counseling resources, self-improvement, finances, and marriage. Heavy stuff. It’s content that helps me to grow and keeps me informed, but it’s heavy. All the time, everywhere I’m driving.
As I’ve reflected, I’ve come to realize that I’m exhausted from all of the content I’m consuming via podcasts. When I arrive at home or work after my drive, I’m usually anxious or irritable, or even discouraged at times. God has shown me that my heart’s attitude as I consume this information is a desire for control (if I can just learn this next thing, then I’ll find peace or the secret to what I’ve been looking for or maybe someone will tell me that despite the political divisiveness in our country we’re going to be okay). Unsurprisingly, I never quite find what I’m hoping for.
So, I decided to take this as an invitation to try something new. It’s taken a good amount of intentionality, but I’ve been trying to listen to more music while driving. What have I noticed? Also unsurprisingly, I arrive at my destination much more grounded and at peace in my body. Much more hopeful, too. In my recent re-discovery of 99% Invisible, I’ll listen to that and arrive feeling inspired and curious. What a relief!
God is inviting me to take things less seriously and to release some control, to pause from frantically looking for as much information as possible in hopes of finding answers to life’s serious questions.
“But you, O Jesus, are not disquieted
by such news of cruelty and terror and war.
You are neither anxious nor overwhelmed.
You carried the full weight of the suffering
of a broken world when you hung upon
the cross, and you carry it still.”
This quote is “A Liturgy for Those Flooded by Too Much Information” from the book Every Moment Holy. What an apt title for the reality of our lives in 2025. As I’ve anxiously tried to gain as much “useful” information as possible, it’s given me a false sense of control and left me trying to carry a weight I’m not capable of carrying. I pray that God helps me have confidence that I don’t have to figure everything out, and that sometimes I can just enjoy.
Megan began counseling at The Barnabas Center in the summer of 2022. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where she studied Psychology, Religious Studies, and Mandarin Chinese. She received her Master of Arts in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary Orlando. Megan lives in Charlotte with her husband, Jon. She loves to spend quality time with friends, go on walks/hikes, and travel to new cities. She enjoys drinking quality coffee, watching shows, and doing yoga.
