There is a moment most people never name. Nothing dramatic happens?no big collapse, no urgent crisis. From the outside, the routine looks fine, the success is visible, and the applause is steady. But inside, something shifts: the wins that used to light you up start to feel borrowed, and the applause begins to echo hollow.

In this profound solo deep dive, John R. Miles kicks off the Life Beyond the Script series by naming the quiet "off" feeling that high achievers often ignore. Drawing on his own "defining win" in the boardroom at Dell, which left him feeling nothing, John explores why the script of our lives doesn't break; it simply finishes serving us. Building on recent insights from Joan Lunden on identity transitions and Leslie John on the cost of under-sharing, this episode provides a roadmap for those who feel they are managing their lives rather than truly living them.

As we celebrate the launch of his new children?s book, You Matter, Luma, John reminds us that the truth of our intrinsic worth is the only thing that remains when the old script stops making sense.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/when-the-script-stops-making-sense/

All links gathered here: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Companion Reflection & Integration Resources:

Inside The Ignited Life, each episode in the Life Beyond the Script series is paired with companion articles and guided reflections designed to help you examine what chapter you are in and what is changing beneath the surface.

Explore the community: https://TheIgnitedLife.net

Connect with the Ecosystem

Order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/Start your ripple journey: https://StartMattering.comFollow John on Social Media: @John_RMilesWatch on YouTube: Search for Passion Struck with John R. Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The Anatomy of a Midlife Identity Shift: Why a transition point isn't a breakdown, but a sign of growth and movement.Signal 1: Hollow Achievements: How to recognize when your results are objectively real, but your internal "yes" has gone missing.Signal 2: Chronic Self-Editing: The hidden cost of "under-sharing" and choosing the safer, easier version of your truth in relationships.Signal 3: Life Management vs. Living: Why maintaining a "flawless" external image leads to isolation and exhaustion.The Power of Naming: Why the first step to motion isn't a dramatic decision, but simply saying "this no longer fits" out loud.The Three-Sentence Practice: A 15-minute grounding exercise to move misalignment from background noise to a foreground fact you can work with.Beyond the Script: Lessons from Joan Lunden?s career rewrite and Dave Asprey?s upcoming deep dive into biohacking and resilience.

Thank you to our sponsors

Caraway?s cookware set is a favorite for a reason?it can save you up to $190 versus buying items individually. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/PASSIONSTRUCK, you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why do we feel a "disclosure hangover" the moment we reveal something real, yet feel a persistent sense of loneliness when we stay silent?

Today, we are diving into the complex psychology of human connection with one of the world's leading experts on the science of secrets and sharing. Joining me is Harvard Business School professor and author Dr. Leslie John to discuss her groundbreaking new book, "Revealing."

In this conversation, we challenge the conventional wisdom that "less is more." Leslie argues that while we are hyper-aware of the risks of oversharing (TMI), we are almost entirely blind to the devastating costs of under-sharing (TLI?Too Little Information). We explore why silence is not neutral and how the fear of vulnerability is actually holding us back from the trust, influence, and well-being we crave.

We move from the research labs of Harvard to the internal "release valves" of our own emotions. Leslie reveals why your "disclosure reflex" might be miscalibrated and how "revealing wisely" can supercharge your career, deepen your most important relationships, and even improve your physical health.

If you?ve ever held back your truest self out of fear of judgment, this episode provides the scientific compass to help you navigate the social risks of being real.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web and is consistently recognized among the world's top business and mindset podcasts.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/leslie-john-the-science-of-opening-up-tli/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/the-hidden-cost-of-silence-leslie-john

Connect with John (keynotes, books, podcast): https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Get the book Revealing: The Science and Power of Opening Up: https://www.lesliekjohn.com/book

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The TLI (Too Little Information) Trap: Why the opportunities you miss by staying silent are far more damaging than the occasional awkwardness of saying too much.The Disclosure Hangover: Understanding the psychological sting we feel after being vulnerable and why it?s often a false signal of social danger.The Body?s Release Valve: Why sharing your feelings is a highly credible form of information that reduces physiological stress and breaks through stagnant communication.The Gender Gap in Vulnerability: Insights from Leslie?s research on how boys and girls process emotion differently as early as kindergarten, and what it means for us as adults.The Power of "Going First": How leaders can use metered vulnerability to build psychological safety and increase team motivation.

Support the Movement Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the script you?ve lived for decades suddenly ends, and you?re forced to write a new one?

Today, I am joined by a true pioneer of broadcast journalism and a household name for nearly two decades as the co-host of Good Morning America, Joan Lunden. We are discussing her deeply personal new memoir, JOAN: Life Beyond the Script.

In this conversation, Joan pulls back the curtain on the transitions that defined her?from the high-pressure world of morning television and being a trailblazer for working mothers to her public battle with breast cancer and her current mission as a powerful advocate for the "sandwich generation" of caregivers.

We dive into the "just say yes" philosophy that launched her career and why she believes reinvention isn't just possible at any age?it's essential. Joan reveals why your worth isn't tied to a title or a teleprompter, but to the courage it takes to step into the unknown.

If you are navigating a career change, facing a health challenge, or wondering what your next act looks like, this episode provides the blueprint for writing a life of meaning on your own terms.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web and is consistently recognized among the world's top business and mindset podcasts.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/say-yes-joan-lunden-interview-life-beyond-script/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide: [Link]

Explore You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Connect with John (keynotes, books, podcast): https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Get the New Book JOAN: Life Beyond the Script: https://joanlunden.com/books/

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The "Just Say Yes" Philosophy: How Joan Lunden's motto?"Whenever anyone asks you to do something, just say yes and then go figure out how to do it"?catapulted her career, from impromptu hosting GMA to embracing new opportunities at any age.Breaking Barriers on Good Morning America: Bringing her baby to work, navigating sexism in the "second banana" era, and shifting to a true 50/50 partnership with Charlie Gibson?lessons in equality and humanizing television journalism.Identity After the Spotlight: The emotional toll of leaving GMA after 20 years, the vulnerability of losing a national platform, and how to rebuild purpose beyond the role that defined you.Turning Cancer into Advocacy: How a breast cancer diagnosis became a "gift" to fulfill her father's legacy, fight for dense breast tissue reporting laws, and remove fear for other women.Caregiving Wisdom for the Sandwich Generation: Practical tips for preparing early?interviewing aging parents, securing legal tools like durable power of attorney and HIPAA releases, and addressing the emotional and practical challenges of elder care.

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if Henry David Thoreau wasn?t escaping work but redesigning it?

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with author and thought leadership expert Ken Lizotte to explore his transformative new book, Walden for Hire: Business Lessons from Henry David Thoreau.

Together, they dismantle the myth of Thoreau as a solitary hermit removed from society. Instead, they reveal a disciplined builder, an innovative entrepreneur, and a master architect of intentional living.

Lizotte reveals that Thoreau?s time at Walden wasn't a withdrawal; it was an act of radical design. By simplifying his needs and aligning his work with his values, Thoreau reclaimed his authorship. From reinventing pencil manufacturing to building a thriving surveying practice, he proved that meaningful work and ethical success are not opposing forces?they are deeply intertwined.

At the heart of this episode is a powerful reframe: A life of quiet desperation is often a life disconnected from meaning. The solution isn't to do more; it is to live more deliberately.

Drawing from philosophy, history, and modern psychology, this conversation offers a blueprint for anyone questioning the true cost of their current path?and seeking a way to work without betraying their soul.

? Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/ethical-entrepreneurship-henry-david-thoreau/

Explore You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Go deeper with companion reflections: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/business-mentor-for-2026-ethical-entrepreneurship

Connect with John (speaking, books, podcast): https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The biggest misconception about Thoreau?s relationship with work, productivity, and successHow ?quiet desperation? shows up today as burnout, disorientation, and loss of meaningWhat Thoreau meant by ?the price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.?Why simplifying your life restores time, attention, and autonomyHow aligning your work with your values strengthens your sense of matteringThe concept of moral independence?and why your livelihood should never require self-betrayalA practical reframe: how to examine your current life and redesign it around what truly matters

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.

? https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why does modern life feel so "thin and frantic," even when we are more connected than ever?

Today, we are venturing into the "Celtic fringe" to sit with the man widely considered the preeminent mythologist of our time. Joining me is New York Times bestselling author Dr. Martin Shaw to discuss his profound new masterwork, Liturgies of the Wild.

In this conversation, we move beyond the clinical and the therapeutic to explore the mythic imagination. Martin argues that we are currently suffering from a profound spiritual exhaustion?not because we lack information, but because we have traded devotion for consumption.

We dive into the "mosh pit" of story, where Martin reveals why your life isn't a problem to be solved, but an ancient narrative to be lived. From the "Liturgy of the Limit" to the "Ecclesiastical Counter-Magic" required to meet the darkness of our age, this episode is a call to return home to a life of weight, worth, and wonder.

If you?ve ever felt like a passenger in a world moving too fast, this episode offers the ancient compass you?ve been looking for.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web and is consistently recognized among the world's top business and mindset podcasts.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/liturgies-of-the-wild-martin-shaw/Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide:Connect with John (keynotes, books, podcast): https://linktr.ee/John_R_MilesGet the New York Times Bestseller Liturgies of the Wild: https://drmartinshaw.com/books/

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The "Thin and Frantic" Diagnosis: Why excess choice and digital noise are stripping the weight from our souls.The Liturgy of the Limit: Why meaning is found through what we say "no" to, and how the "banks" of the river create the depth of the current.Myth as a Mosh Pit: Why we must stop politely observing our lives and start participating in the "sweat and friction" of our own mythic story.Ecclesiastical Counter-Magic: How to use ritual, story, and awe-filled attention to meet the darkness of the modern world without becoming it.The Discipline of Praise Making: Why maturity is the ability to recognize life as a gift and offer praise even amid the wreckage.Recovering the Ancient Good: How to reconnect with the enduring truths that remain "awe-filled, urgent, and alive" regardless of the era.

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Why do so many children feel invisible, even in homes filled with love?

Today, on the official launch day of my new children's book, You Matter, Luma, we are diving into the heart of why "mattering" is the most important foundation we can build for the next generation.

Joining me is Dr. Gordon Flett, the world?s leading researcher on mattering and author of the groundbreaking paper on "Anti-Mattering." In this conversation, we reveal a startling disconnect: while only 8% of parents think their child might feel they don?t matter, nearly 35% of youth report feeling insignificant or uncertain of their worth.

Dr. Flett explains why mattering is a "foundational human need" and how we can bridge this gap to protect our children's mental health.

This conversation builds on the You Matter series?featuring leading thinkers like Barry Schwartz, Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Daniel Coyle, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Harry Reis, and Paul Eastwick?and arrives at a powerful conclusion:

Mattering isn?t a luxury. It?s a core human need.

If you?ve ever questioned your place, struggled with invisibility, or wondered how to help others feel seen?this episode offers both scientific clarity and human hope.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web and is consistently recognized among the world's top business and mindset podcasts.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/feeling-like-you-matter-gordon-flett/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/you-matter-luma-intrinsic-worth

Connect with John (keynotes, books, podcast): https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Get the New Children?s Book You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Gordon Flett: https://www.yorku.ca/lamarsh/gord-flett/

In This Episode, You Will Learn

Mattering is foundational, not optional. It underpins mental health, relationships, and identity.The Difference Between Love and Mattering: Why a child can be loved but still feel like they don't count.Feeling unseen is deeply painful. It can manifest as shame, withdrawal, or a belief that one?s presence doesn?t count.Childhood is the critical window. Early signals of attention and care shape lifelong self-worth.Small moments matter most. Being noticed, listened to, and valued creates a lasting psychological impact.Mattering can be created. Through attention, service, and connection, we can restore it in ourselves and others.

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you were to look into a mirror right now that didn't show your face, but showed your true value, what would you see?

In this high-stakes solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles confronts the "Big Tobacco" moment of the tech industry: the landmark trial revealing how algorithms are engineered to replace our children?s self-worth with digital scorecards. Building on his deep-dive conversations with Yale?s Dr. Laurie Santos on "Duck Syndrome" and Harvard?s Dr. Alison Wood Brooks on the "TALK" framework, John introduces The Mattering Mirror.

As we reach the final countdown to the February 24th launch of his children?s book, You Matter, Luma, John bridges the gap between the Fortune 50 boardroom and the schoolyard. He reveals how "cosmetic surgery filters" and engagement metrics create a "Shattered Mirror" for the next generation, and offers a tactical roadmap to decommission the scorecard. Learn how to move from polishing your Achievement Armor to embracing an Intrinsic Authority that no algorithm can touch.

Passion Struck is the #1 personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/the-mattering-mirror-intrinsic-worth/

All links gathered here: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Companion Reflection & Integration Resources Inside The Ignited Life, each episode in the "You Matter" series is paired with guided reflection prompts. This week, we explore the "Boardroom Callback" and the "Bedroom Reset" to help you practice being a Mattering Mirror for yourself and those you lead. Explore the community: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/the-mattering-mirror-intrinsic-worth

Connect with the Ecosystem Pre-order You Matter, Luma (releasing Feb 24): https://youmatterluma.com/ Start your ripple journey: https://passtheripple.com Support the Movement: https://StartMattering.com Watch on YouTube: Search for Passion Struck with John R. Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The Shattered Mirror: A breakdown of the Mark Zuckerberg trial and how 46-minute engagement goals are traded for our children?s self-worth.Duck Syndrome & Achievement Armor: Insights from Dr. Laurie Santos on why we glide on the surface while drowning underneath.The Mechanics of Mattering: How to use the TALK Framework (Topics, Asking, Levity, Kindness) to transition from transaction to connection.Cosmetic Surgery Filters vs. The Spark: Why digital "perfection" leads to body dysmorphia and how to anchor a child in their unfiltered value.The Boardroom Callback: A leadership tactic to prove your team members "register" as souls, not just data points.The Bedroom Reset: A daily practice for "re-parenting" your inner critic and silencing the "Speech Impediment of the Soul."The Schoolyard Anchor: Using the final minutes of the day to plant a non-negotiable truth in the "wet cement" of a child's heart.

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the stories we've been told about love are not just incomplete, but actively making dating and relationships harder and more painful?

In this eye-opening episode of the Passion Struck podcast, renowned relationship scientist Dr. Paul Eastwick joins John R. Miles to unpack his groundbreaking new book, Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection (Crown, February 10, 2026).

Drawing from two decades of research, Eastwick reveals that humans evolved not to rank desirability or maximize status, but to form deep, idiosyncratic bonds through repeated, mundane interactions. Initial impressions fade quickly, consensus on "who's hot" disappears over time, and true compatibility emerges from how someone makes you feel (bigger, seen, supported) rather than checklists or traits.

He critiques how dating apps reverse our natural bonding process, why "player" reputations tell us little about long-term potential, and how secure attachments create safe havens and secure bases that fuel exploration, growth, and a richer life. Through stories, science, and practical insights, this conversation offers a hopeful, evidence-based shift: from hierarchical competition to meaningful connection.

If you've ever felt depleted by modern dating, questioned why rejection stings so deeply, or wondered how to build love that lasts, this episode delivers a liberating roadmap rooted in what we've truly evolved for?attachment, adaptation, and care.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, and Interview Valet ranked it among the top 20 podcasts for business and mindset.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/how-attraction-really-works-paul-eastwick/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide:

Connect with John Keynote speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-Order the Children?s Book You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Paul Eastwick: https://pauleastwick.com/

Learn More About Bonded by Evolution: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/723049/bonded-by-evolution-by-paul-eastwick/

Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection is available wherever books are sold.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

Why evolutionary psychology's "mating market" myths (ranking, trading up, fixed desirability) are scientifically weak and psychologically corrosiveHow attraction shifts from consensus at first meetings to idiosyncratic, unique bonds over time?making "settling" a myth and compatibility something we createThe power of repeated interactions (e.g., sports leagues, classes) vs. app swiping: why dating apps deplete us by reversing our evolved bonding processAttachment science essentials: safe havens (support in hard times) and secure bases (celebrating successes) as the core of healthy relationships?and how they spark exploration and growthGender differences in attraction are far weaker and more flexible than pop stories claim (e.g., physical attractiveness matters equally; stranger propositions exaggerate gaps)The "compatibility illusion": why checklists of traits/values rarely predict success, and focusing on how someone makes you feel (expanded, valued) is far better

Support the Movement. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the key to true happiness isn?t more achievements, more connections, or even more love poured your way, but actually feeling loved in the moments that matter?

In this powerful episode of the Passion Struck podcast, world-renowned happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky and the preminent relationship researcher Harry Reis join John R. Miles to discuss their groundbreaking new book, How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most (Harper, February 10, 2026).

Their radical insight: Feeling loved isn?t about becoming more lovable or chasing extrinsic rewards. It?s about showing your full, vulnerable self and inviting others to do the same?through intentional shifts in how we converse and connect.

They introduce the Relationship Sea-Saw, a dynamic of reciprocity where one person lifts the other through curiosity and warmth, sparking a virtuous cycle of being truly known and valued. Through stories, science (from attachment theory to the costs of secrets), and even insights from their meeting with the Dalai Lama, they unpack why ?going first? changes everything and how five practical mindsets can transform relationships of all kinds.

If you?ve ever wondered why love sometimes feels like it?s missing even when it?s present or how to make it land more deeply, this episode offers a science-backed, hopeful roadmap.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, and Interview Valet ranked it as one of the top 20 podcasts for business and mindset.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/how-to-feel-loved-sonja-lyubomirsky-harry-reis/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide:

Connect with John Keynote speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-Order the Children?s Book You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Sonja Lyubomirsky: https://sonjalyubomirsky.com

Learn More About Harry Reis: https://www.sas.rochester.edu/psy/people/faculty/reis_harry/

How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most is available wherever books are sold.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

Why being loved doesn?t always translate to feeling loved?and the painful "mattering gap" it createsThe 5 powerful mindsets: Sharing (vulnerability), Listening-to-Learn, Radical Curiosity, Open-Heart, and MultiplicityThe science of responsiveness: How genuine curiosity and presence make others feel seen?and lift you in returnAttributional ambiguity: Why extrinsic pursuits (money, status, beauty) often fail to deliver the warm glow of true loveLessons from the Dalai Lama: Love as a decision?treating others as "each other?s mothers" and sending loving-kindness even to those you dislikeHow feeling loved becomes a safe haven, fueling exploration, creativity, and a more psychologically rich lifePractical first steps: One 15-minute conversation to start remaking how love lands in your relationships

Support the Movement. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you could go back to the exact moment your "Performance Folder" was created?the instant you decided you had to be perfect, useful, or invisible to be seen?what would you say to that younger you?

In this pivotal solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles introduces The Luma Effect: the lifelong cascade that begins when a child internalizes the truth of their intrinsic worth before the world hands them a conditional script. Building on his powerhouse conversations with Rebecca Goldstein on the mattering instinct and Daniel Coyle on the art of flourishing, John explores how we can decommission the "outdated reports" in our heads to reclaim our significance.

As we count down to the February 24th launch of his children?s book, You Matter, Luma, John explains why the window between ages four and eight is "wet cement" for a child?s soul. He reveals how the Luma Effect serves as preventive medicine against the Arrival Fallacy and the Optimization Trap, offering a practical roadmap for parents, leaders, and high achievers to move from "treasure hunting" for worth to "treasure creation" from within.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/luma-effect-performance-script-intrinsic-worth/

All links gathered here: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Companion Reflection & Integration Resources

Inside The Ignited Life, each episode in the You Matter series is paired with guided reflection prompts and grounding practices. This week, we explore how to "re-parent" your inner child by applying the Luma Effect to your own daily self-talk.

Explore the community: https://TheIgnitedLife.net

Connect with the Ecosystem

Pre-order You Matter, Luma (releasing February 24): https://youmatterluma.com/Start your ripple journeySupport the Movement: https://StartMattering.comWatch on YouTube: Search for Passion Struck with John R. Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The Luma Effect Defined: The mechanics of the "truth ripple" and how it serves as the positive inverse to the speech impediment of the soul.Treasure Creation vs. Hunting: How to apply Daniel Coyle?s and Barry Schwartz?s philosophy to move away from a performance-based identity.The Wet Cement Window: Why ages 4?8 are critical for solidifying self-concept and how early affirmations strengthen executive function and resilience.The Bending Tree Lesson: Using affective neuroscience to build a spirit that bends with life?s storms instead of breaking under the weight of comparison.The Arrival Fallacy & Burnout: Why "one more win" never fills the hole in the soul and how intrinsic mattering acts as a permanent buffer.The Wordless Tie in Action: How the simple ritual of reading You Matter, Luma creates a dual-healing moment for both the child and the adult.The Pass the Ripple Challenge: Practical steps to move from internal worth to external kindness through a global initiative.

Thank you to our sponsors

Caraway?s cookware set is a favorite for a reason?it can save you up to $190 versus buying items individually. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/PASSIONSTRUCK, you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.

Check out Kalshi and use my code SB60 for a great deal: https://kalshi.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the secret to a meaningful life isn?t "high performance" but a state of being unusually alive?

In this essential installment of the Passion Struck podcast, New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle joins John R. Miles to discuss his transformative new book, Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment (Feb 2026).

The author of The Culture Code and The Talent Code, Coyle has spent decades decoding the secrets of the world?s most effective groups. In Flourish, he pivots from how we perform to how we feel, exploring why some environments?from a bustling Cleveland deli to the high-stakes world of Navy SEALs?vibrate with a "shared electricity" that others lack.

Coyle argues that flourishing is not a treasure hunt we go on, but a treasure we create through intentional design. He unpacks the "science of presence," the shift from command-and-control to gardener leadership, and why mattering is the ultimate precondition for group flow. Through stories of miners trapped in Chile and strangers gathered at a long table in Paris, Coyle reveals how we can stop behaving like "attendees" in our own lives and start becoming participants in our own aliveness.

This conversation explores the fundamental human need for significance in a world obsessed with metrics. How do we move beyond just "doing fine" to feeling truly, vibrantly relevant?

If you are a leader, a parent, or anyone seeking to move from endurance to aliveness, this episode provides a powerful framework for cultivating conditions in which human significance is reinforced and flourishing becomes inevitable.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/how-to-flourish-daniel-coyle/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/how-to-flourish-gardener-leader-daniel-coyle

Connect with John Keynote speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-Order the Children?s Book You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Daniel Coyle: https://danielcoyle.com

Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment is available wherever books are sold.

Thank you to our sponsors

Caraway?s cookware set is a favorite for a reason?it can save you up to $190 versus buying items individually. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/PASSIONSTRUCK, you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.

Check out Kalshi and use my code SB60 for a great deal: https://kalshi.com

In This Episode, You Will Learn

Why life is not a "treasure hunt" but a process of "treasure creation"The distinction between high performance (efficiency) and aliveness (flourishing)How to transition from a "mechanic" mindset to becoming a gardener leaderThe science of presence: How responsive awareness serves as the "first move" of flourishingWhy mattering is a vital precondition for flow and group dynamismThe "view from the valley": How adversity can act as a catalyst for deeper connection and clarityHow to design environments?from dining tables to boardrooms?that prioritize human significanceWhy the "man box" and performance-based identity prevent men from experiencing true aliveness

Support the Movement. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the most human thing about us isn?t happiness, survival, or even love but the relentless need to feel we matter?

In this profound installment of the You Matter series on Passion Struck, MacArthur Fellow and National Humanities Medalist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein joins the show to unpack her groundbreaking book The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us (Liveright, January 13, 2026).

A philosopher and novelist celebrated for Plato at the Googleplex and The Mind-Body Problem, Goldstein argues that this primal instinct is uniquely human. Rooted in self-reflection and our resistance to entropy, it propels our greatest achievements and darkest conflicts. Through vivid stories?from William James overcoming depression to a neo-Nazi skinhead?s redemption, Scott Joplin?s tragic devotion to his opera, and an impoverished Chinese woman rescuing abandoned babies?Goldstein reveals how ?mattering projects? shape identity, relationships, culture, and even atrocities.

She distinguishes true mattering (an inward justification of our existence) from mere connectedness (belonging to others), explores four ?continents? on the mattering map (Transcenders, Heroic Strivers, Socializers, Competitors), and offers a moral boundary: align with life and flourishing against disorder and entropy.

This conversation probes a crisis at the heart of modern life: In a world of metrics, performance, and isolation, how do we answer the question ?Do I really matter?? and live with mercy toward one another?s vulnerable longings?

If you wrestle with purpose, dignity, meaning, leadership, or why humans create beauty and harm, this episode delivers a clarifying, compassionate framework for understanding ourselves and our divided world.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Caraway?s cookware set is a favorite for a reason?it can save you up to $190 versus buying items individually. Plus, if you visit Carawayhome.com/PASSIONSTRUCK, you can take an additional 10% off your next purchase.

Check out Kalshi and use my code SB60 for a great deal: https://kalshi.com

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/mattering-instinct-rebecca-newberger-goldstein/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dy59XSRcQgovN3N-KNbHILa9GO91Tou-/view?usp=sharing

Connect with John Keynote speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-Order the Children?s Book You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Rebecca Newberger Goldstein: https://rebeccagoldstein.com

The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us

Available wherever books are sold.

Mattering is an indicator of organizational health: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2019-74409-001

In This Episode, You Will Learn

Why the mattering instinct is the most peculiar and poignant thing about being humanHow self-reflection and entropy resistance turn biological survival into an existential question of justificationThe crucial distinction between connectedness (mattering to others) and true mattering (deserving our own attention)How the four continents of the mattering map?Transcenders, Heroic Strivers, Socializers, and Competitors?reveal our diverse responses to the same instinctWhy this longing fuels extraordinary creation (art, altruism, discovery) and profound harm (atrocities, zero-sum competition)Entropy as a real constraint on meaning: ways of living that sustain order, care, and flourishing vs. those that accelerate disorderThe vulnerability this instinct creates?and why it demands we treat one another with kindness

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We are taught from the schoolyard to the boardroom that our value is a variable, something that fluctuates based on our last win, our latest promotion, or our ability to remain relentlessly productive. But what happens when the "doing" stops?

In this deeply personal solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles pulls back the curtain on a phenomenon he calls the "speech impediment of the soul." Drawing from a life-altering traumatic brain injury at age five and his subsequent climb through the ranks of the Navy and Fortune 50 leadership, John explores the quiet disorientation that follows when we trade our voices for safety and our existence for achievement.

As we approach the February 24th launch of his new children?s book, You Matter, Luma, John reveals why mattering is the "preventative medicine" the human spirit requires to stop the cycle of over-performance and invisibility. This episode is a call to end the trade and finally reclaim a sense of worth that requires no strings attached.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/healing-childhood-trauma-feeling-invisible-adult/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The Shattered Window: How early life trauma can rewrite your reality and create a "performance trap" that follows you into adulthood.The Speech Impediment of the Soul: Identifying the hidden whisper that tells high-achievers they only matter if they are producing.The Maximizer?s Prison: Why modern life?s obsession with optimization and "best" choices actually erodes human dignity.The Luma Truth: How to shift from mattering through achievement to mattering through existence.The Wordless Tie: Practical tools for building a profound connection with others that doesn't rely on perfect words or performance.Mattering Mirrors: Why we must decouple excellence from worth to protect the next generation (and our own inner child).The Adult Mattering Audit: Four specific questions to help you diagnose and heal your own quiet disorientation.Preventative Medicine: How the message of You Matter, Luma acts as a shield for children ages 4?8 against the optimization trap.

Companion Reflection & Integration Resources

Inside The Ignited Life, each episode in the You Matter series is paired with guided reflection prompts and grounding practices. These are designed to help you examine where your relationships circulate care?and where they quietly extract it?to help you move from "doing" back to "being."

Explore the community: https://TheIgnitedLife.net

Connect with the Ecosystem

Pre-order You Matter, Luma (releasing February 24): https://youmatterluma.com/Support the Movement: https://StartMattering.comWatch on YouTube: Search for Passion Struck with John R. Miles

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when strength is defined as self-sufficiency, emotional restraint, and constant proof?

In this episode of Passion Struck, licensed psychologist and leadership coach Daniel Ellenberg, PhD, joins Passion Struck to explore how traditional masculine scripts shape identity, relationships, and the lived experience of mattering often at a hidden cost.

Ellenberg has spent more than four decades facilitating men?s groups and workshops, guiding thousands of men through questions of emotional intelligence, vulnerability, and relational presence. As the founder of Strength with Heart, co-founder of Relationships That Work, and a principal at the Rewire Leadership Institute, his work examines how cultural expectations around masculinity quietly teach boys and men to armor themselves against dependence, tenderness, and uncertainty.

In this conversation, John R. Miles and Daniel Ellenberg examine how early conditioning trains men to equate worth with performance, stoicism, and self-reliance and how that training disrupts connection, intimacy, and the felt sense of significance across adulthood. The discussion explores why many capable, caring men experience isolation despite success, why vulnerability often feels dangerous rather than connective, and how reclaiming ?strength with heart? restores agency, belonging, and relational vitality.

As part of the You Matter series ? and leading toward the February 24th release of You Matter, Luma ? this episode traces how lessons about visibility, emotional permission, and worth are learned early and reinforced across families, workplaces, and institutions.

This episode invites a deeper question: What happens to mattering when strength requires concealment, and what becomes possible when presence replaces performance?

If you care about relationships, leadership, men?s mental health, emotional development, or how people come to feel significant inside cultural systems, this conversation offers a grounded and humane perspective.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is consistently ranked among the world?s top podcasts for thoughtful conversations about meaning, agency, and belonging.

Check out Kalshi and use my code SB60 for a great deal: https://kalshi.com

In This Episode, You Will Learn

How traditional masculinity conditions boys to armor against vulnerability early in lifeWhy proving strength through stoicism often undermines connection and intimacyHow emotional performance replaces presence in many male relationshipsThe difference between power as control and strength as integrationWhy vulnerability signals mattering inside relationships and communitiesHow loneliness, isolation, and burnout emerge from unmet relational significanceWhat ?strength with heart? looks like in leadership, parenting, and partnershipHow authenticity restores agency and relational circulation

Resources & Links

Check the full show notes: https://passionstruck.com/strength-with-heart-daniel-ellenberg/

Download the Free Companion Reflection Guide:

Pre-Order the Children?s Book You Matter, Luma (Launching February 24): https://youmatterluma.com/

Connect with John ? speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Learn More About Daniel Ellenberg:

https://strengthwithheart.com/

https://relationshipsthatwork.com/

Books Mentioned

Lovers for Life: Creating Lasting Passion, Trust, and True Partnership (with Judith Bell)

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the frameworks we use to make decisions no longer reflect how human lives actually work?

In this opening episode of the You Matter series on Passion Struck, renowned social psychologist Barry Schwartz joins the show to examine how modern decision-making systems?built on metrics, optimization, and rational choice theory?can quietly erode agency, judgment, and our sense of mattering.

Schwartz is best known for The Paradox of Choice, which revealed how an abundance of options often leads to dissatisfaction rather than freedom. In his new book, Choose Wisely, co-written with philosopher Richard Schuldenfrei, he extends this critique by challenging the foundations of rational choice theory itself?the economic model that assumes good decisions can be reduced to calculation, comparison, and optimization.

While behavioral economics acknowledges human irrationality, Schwartz argues that it preserves an incomplete definition of rational decision-making. Drawing from psychology, economics, and philosophy?and engaging directly with the legacy of Thinking, Fast and Slow?he proposes a richer framework grounded in framing, judgment, and what he calls a person?s ?constellation of virtues.?

In this conversation, John R. Miles and Barry Schwartz explore how treating life as a spreadsheet of isolated wins distorts meaning, why judgment has been replaced by formulas, and how mattering is experienced not through utility, but through coherence, contribution, and relational significance over time.

This episode asks a central question for modern life: What does it mean to choose wisely when meaning cannot be quantified?

If you care about decision-making, leadership, autonomy, or how people come to feel significant in systems designed to optimize them, this conversation offers a clarifying and timely perspective.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check out Kalshi and use my code SB60 for a great deal: https://kalshi.com

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/barry-schwartz-choosing-wisely/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/art-of-choosing-wisely-barry-schwartz

Connect with John Keynote speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-Order the Children?s Book You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Barry Schwartz: https://www.swarthmore.edu/profile/barry-schwartz

The Paradox of ChoiceChoose Wisely (with Richard Schuldenfrei)

Available wherever books are sold.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

Why rational choice theory fails to describe how people actually make decisionsHow the paradox of choice leads to regret, dissatisfaction, and decision fatigueWhy judgment has been replaced by rules and metrics?and what that costs leaders and organizationsHow framing shapes good decisions more than optimizationWhy meaning emerges from narrative coherence rather than isolated outcomesHow treating people as interchangeable units of utility undermines matteringThe tension between autonomy and connectedness in modern, pluralistic societies

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We spend much of our lives searching for meaning through work, relationships, contribution, and purpose. But beneath that search lives a quieter, more fragile question, one we rarely say out loud:

Do I matter even when nothing is being made of me?

In this solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles moves beneath meaning itself to explore what actually holds a life together when direction, productivity, and explanation fall away. Through a deeply personal reflection on his final walk with his sister, Carolyn, he reveals how worth is not something we build or earn, but something that must first be felt and recognized.

This episode explores why meaning can feel unstable when the sense of mattering underneath it has not fully landed and why so many people feel unsettled, because worth has been quietly tied to motion, usefulness, or presence in others? lives.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/the-question-beneath-meaning/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The Question Beneath Meaning: Why worth precedes purpose and stabilizes identity at a deeper level.Mattering vs. Meaning: How contribution organizes action, while mattering allows the self to rest without fracture.Quiet Disorientation: Why internal drift can emerge even when life feels externally complete.Why Modern Systems Can?t Register Worth: How productivity, engagement, and output crowd out presence.Carolyn as the Proof Point: How shared presence transmits belonging without instruction or legacy-building.Contingent Worth: Why motion becomes a stabilizing strategy when worth hasn?t fully integrated.Stillness as Recognition: How pause, silence, and rest allow worth to land without performance.The January Inquiry: A gentle question to carry forward without urgency or fixing.What Comes Next: How the upcoming You Matter series turns recognition outward into daily life, choice, and belonging.

Companion Reflection & Integration Resources

Inside The Ignited Life, each episode in The Meaning Makers series is paired with reflection prompts and grounding practices designed to help you stay with the question long enough for real integration to occur?not to solve it, but to let recognition settle.

Explore the community: https://TheIgnitedLife.net

Connect with the Ecosystem

Pre-order You Matter, Luma (releasing February 24): https://youmatterluma.com/Support the Movement: https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when the systems we trust most struggle to correct themselves and the cost is paid by patients, families, and society?

In this deeply consequential episode of Passion Struck, investigative journalist Charles Piller joins the show to discuss his groundbreaking book Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer?s. Piller, a senior writer for Science magazine, has spent years examining how Alzheimer?s research became shaped by incentives, reputation, and institutional inertia?and what that meant for scientific progress and human lives.

At the center of this conversation is a pivotal 2006 Nature paper that helped cement the amyloid hypothesis as the dominant explanation for Alzheimer?s disease. That study shaped decades of funding, drug development, and clinical trials. Years later, independent analysts and researchers began raising concerns about manipulated images and the integrity of the data?concerns that moved slowly through formal channels while the research continued to guide practice.

In this episode, John R. Miles and Charles Piller explore how systems communicate mattering through responsiveness, how delay and diffusion affect trust, and how institutional silence carries human consequences. They also examine the role of independent watchdogs, whistleblowers, and investigative journalism in preserving scientific integrity, even when doing so carries personal and professional risk.

This conversation is not about cynicism toward science. It is about accountability, permeability, and the conditions that allow truth to remain alive within powerful systems.

If you care about medical ethics, scientific integrity, or how institutions shape human mattering, this episode offers a vital and clarifying perspective.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/charles-piller-alzheimers-research-fraud/

Download a Free Companion Reflection Guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/when-systems-decide-whether-people-matter

Connect with John

Keynote speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-order the Children?s Book

You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Charles Piller

https://www.science.org/author/charles-piller

Book:

Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer?s

Available wherever books are sold.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

How Alzheimer?s research became shaped by incentives, prestige, and institutional coherenceWhy responsiveness is a central signal of trust and mattering inside systemsHow a single scientific paper influenced decades of funding and drug developmentThe role of independent analysts like Elisabeth Bik in protecting scientific integrityWhy whistleblowers such as Matthew Schrag face extraordinary personal and professional pressureHow delays and procedural diffusion affect patients and families in real timeThe human story of Stephen Price and what clinical trials represent for those living with Alzheimer?sWhat healthy systems require in order to remain open to correction and learning

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if peak performance isn?t created by intensity, control, or relentless self-pressure, but by inner stability?

In this powerful episode of Passion Struck, Jim Murphy, performance coach to elite athletes and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Inner Excellence, joins the show to explore what truly sustains excellence under pressure.

Many listeners first encountered Inner Excellence when A.J. Brown was shown reading it on the NFL sideline during a playoff game. That moment sparked a national conversation?but Jim?s work has been shaping elite performers quietly for years.

In this conversation, John and Jim examine the inner architecture that allows people to remain grounded when the stakes are high. Jim explains how fear, ego, and self-centered thinking destabilize performance, and how cultivating love, wisdom, and courage creates inner freedom that carries across athletics, leadership, parenting, and everyday life.

Rather than focusing on tactics or motivation, this episode centers on the internal conditions that allow clarity, presence, and sustained performance to emerge. It offers a framework for anyone seeking excellence that endures?without burnout, anxiety, or collapse under pressure.

If you?ve ever wondered why success alone doesn?t steady the inner world?or how to remain anchored when everything is on the line?this conversation offers a path inward.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/inner-excellence-jim-murphy/

Download a Free Companion Workbook: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/jim-murphy-inner-excellence-pressure

Connect with John

Keynote speaking, books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-order the Children?s Book

You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Learn More About Jim Murphy

Website & newsletter: https://innerexcellence.com/

Book: Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life

Available wherever books are sold.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

What Inner Excellence really means and why inner stability precedes peak performanceWhy fear escalates under pressure and how ?fear of fear? disrupts clarity and presenceHow ego destabilizes performance by creating self-centered thinking and internal noiseThe three pillars of Inner Excellence: love, wisdom, and courageWhy the heart plays a central role in sustained performance and fulfillmentHow elite athletes remain grounded when expectations, scrutiny, and stakes riseHow to apply Inner Excellence beyond sports?in leadership, relationships, and daily lifeWhat creates excellence that endures rather than collapses under pressure

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the most important things you will ever say to those you love are the things you never speak aloud?

In this moving solo episode, John R. Miles shares a deeply personal story about a final walk with his sister, Carolyn, by Lake Austin. He explores the "wordless tie" that binds us together and explains the science of why silence often carries more weight than speech. Drawing on the groundbreaking fMRI research of Dr. Lisa Miller and her work on The Awakened Brain, John reveals how our brains are biologically wired with a "sensing system" for significance.

You will learn why success often feels hollow when we lose our wordless connection to others, and how to use the "Presence Pause" to clear the mental clutter that blocks your sense of purpose. This is an invitation to move beyond the noise of constant doing and rediscover the "mortar" that holds a meaningful life together.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/how-to-find-meaning-without-words/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn

The Inherited Knowing: How legacy, belonging, and love are passed through presence rather than instruction.The Science of the Awakened Brain: A deep dive into Dr. Lisa Miller?s research (episode 532) on the high-power neural circuit that handles stress and hope.Quiet Disconnection: Why our brains are wired to amplify the negative and how to reset your internal "noise-to-signal" ratio.The Three Bricklayers: A powerful lesson on how shifting your lens transforms the daily grind into a sacred mission.The Presence Pause: A 3-minute practical habit to reopen your brain's channel for purpose.Small Acts of Resonance: How wordless gestures like a smile or a simple touch recalibrate the nervous system for safety and connection.

The Meaning Without Words Companion Resources

Download our free digital companion workbook featuring guided prompts to help you notice the silence, open to presence, and let meaning land without forcing it through words. Explore the guide

Connect with the Ecosystem

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/Support the Movement: https://StartMattering.comJoin The Ignited Life Community: https://TheIgnitedLife.net

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the moments where you feel most "disengaged," "perfectionistic," or "paralyzed" as a parent aren't character flaws, but the result of a "Trauma App" running in the background of your brain?

In this groundbreaking episode of Passion Struck, Dr. Robyn Koslowitz, clinical child psychologist and author of the definitive guide Post-Traumatic Parenting: Break the Cycle and Become the Parent You Always Wanted to Be, joins the show. With over 20 years of experience helping more than 10,000 families, Robyn explains why post-traumatic parenting is fundamentally different from typical parenting. She reveals how "Secret ACEs" (Adverse Childhood Experiences) and hidden trauma history can hijack your nervous system, making it nearly impossible to "share your calm" with your children.

John and Robyn discuss the neurological reality of parenting after trauma, moving past the "fad" social media trends of gentle parenting to focus on the science of nervous system regulation. Koslowitz introduces her trademarked AIM Method (Acceptance, Integration, and Meaning-making) to help parents reclaim their "admin permissions" from their trauma. The conversation centers on a profound truth: your inner child cannot raise a child, but raising your real-world child can be the ultimate path to healing trauma through parenting.

If you have ever asked, "How can I give my kids a normal childhood when mine was anything but?"?this episode provides the validation, neuroscience, and practical "hacks" needed to break generational trauma and foster an earned, secure attachment.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/post-traumatic-parenting-robyn-koslowitz/

Download a Free Companion Workbook with reflection prompts tied to this episode.

To contact John about Keynote speaking, his books, and podcast: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

For more about Dr. Robyn Koslowitz: https://posttraumaticparenting.com

Book: Post-Traumatic Parenting available wherever books are sold.

In this episode, you will learn

Post-traumatic parenting explained: Why your body reacts to your child's behavior as a survival threat.The "Trauma App" Metaphor: How early experiences shape emotional regulation and override your parenting instincts.The 5 Subtypes of Post-Traumatic Parents: Identifying if you lean toward paralysis, perfectionism, or disengagement.Building Secure Attachment: How to move from trauma responses in parents to creating attachment and emotional safety.The AIM Method: A 3-step clinical framework for intergenerational healing and trauma recovery.Why "Gentle Parenting" isn't enough: The importance of structure, play, and nervous system regulation for the "cycle breaker."Healing the Inner Child: How to stop "Trauma Poker" and start raising emotionally secure children after trauma.

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the chronic overwhelm, emotional chaos, and sense of being "too much" or "not enough" stem from Invisible ADHD rather than personal shortcomings?

In this revealing episode of Passion Struck, Shanna Pearson, founder of the world's largest one-on-one ADHD coaching program and author of the bestseller Invisible ADHD: Proven Mood and Life Management for Smart Yet Scattered Women, joins John R. Miles. With over 26 years of experience and her own late-diagnosed ADHD journey, Shanna explains why ADHD in women often remains hidden or misdiagnosed as anxiety, depression, or character flaws. She draws from hundreds of thousands of coaching sessions to highlight internal struggles like masking, rejection sensitivity, rumination, and burnout that intensify in midlife amid hormonal changes.

John and Shanna discuss the neurological roots of these experiences, why traditional strategies fall short for women, and practical tools from her book. The conversation centers on reclaiming agency: moving beyond endless effort to sustainable approaches that align with an ADHD brain, restore momentum, and foster genuine self-worth.

If you have ever felt smart yet scattered, unseen by others and sometimes yourself, or exhausted by success that drains rather than fulfills, this episode offers validation and clear steps forward.

Passion Struck was recently ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/invisible-adhd-in-women-shanna-pearson/

Download a Free Companion Workbook with reflection prompts tied to this episode.

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

For more about Shanna Pearson: https://expertadhdcoaching.com

Book: Invisible ADHD available wherever books are sold

In this episode, you will learn

Why adult ADHD in women frequently goes undiagnosed or gets mislabeled as anxiety or depressionHow masking, people-pleasing, and emotional overwhelm conceal core ADHD traits in femalesThe impact of rejection sensitivity, self-doubt, and identity erosion on self-worthWhy symptoms often escalate in midlife due to perimenopause, burnout, and hormonal shiftsPractical tools from Shanna?s coaching and book for managing mood, creating state changes, and building self-trustHow to shift from constant overcompensation to strategies that work with an ADHD brainWhy naming the experience and accessing targeted support restores clarity and meaning

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the "stones" of your success, the titles, the trophies, and the milestones, feel loose and unconnected because you?ve ignored the invisible bond meant to hold them together?

In this powerful solo episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles explores "The Mortar of Connection." Drawing on the collective intelligence theories of Steven Sloman and the psychological insights of Alex Imas, John explains why the "Hollow High" occurs when we optimize for the "win" while neglecting the "join."

This episode takes you from the ancient Giza plateau to the modern boardroom to discover the "alchemy of the mix." You will learn how to transition from Quiet Disorientation to a life of Unity over Uniformity, using your Sacred Values as the grit that makes your connections unshakeable. It?s an invitation to stop bidding on a life that doesn?t fit and start building a structure that can finally support the weight of a life that matters.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/finding-meaning-after-success/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Key Quote: "The cost of conviction is the grit in the mortar; without it, connections crumble under pressure, but with it, meaning seals the architecture against isolation?s erosion." ? John R. Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

The Alchemy of the Mix: Why meaning lives in the "Between Us" space and how collective intelligence turns a pile of rocks into a sanctuary.The Grit of Conviction: How to identify your Sacred Values and why they are the non-negotiable "grit" required for connections to hold under pressure.Avoiding the Winner?s Curse: A deep dive into Alex Imas's research on why we overpay for "stones" that actually weaken our internal structure.The Application vs. The Pit: Why meaning is an act of application, and how to move your values from the "pit of someday" to the joints of your current relationships.The Miracle of the Cure: Understanding the "Setting" process of our choices and why unity?not uniformity?is the ultimate goal of a cured life.Extraction vs. Circulation: How to stop treating life as an auction to be won and start seeing it as an architecture to be inhabited.

The Mortar of Connection Companion Resources

Download our free digital companion workbook featuring practical reflections on avoiding the Winner's Curse, identifying your "sacred grit," and mapping your own collective layers of meaning. Explore the guide:

Connect with the Ecosystem

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/Support the Movement: https://StartMattering.comJoin The Ignited Life Community: https://TheIgnitedLife.net

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if ?winning? isn?t proof of intelligence, but evidence that something went wrong?

In this compelling episode of Passion Struck, behavioral economist Alex Imas joins John R. Miles to unpack The Winner?s Curse, a powerful concept from behavioral economics that explains why smart, capable people systematically overpay, overcommit, and double down on bad decisions.

Drawing from his research and his forthcoming book co-authored with Nobel Laureate Richard Thaler, Alex reveals how the Winner?s Curse shows up far beyond auctions and markets?shaping career choices, relationships, investments, leadership decisions, and even how we interact with AI-driven systems. When competition, uncertainty, and ego collide, the ?winner? is often the person who misunderstood the situation the most.

John and Alex explore why human decision-making breaks down under uncertainty, how mental representation distorts the choices we think we?re making, and why loss aversion and sunk costs keep us chasing outcomes that no longer serve us. They also examine how modern technology and algorithms don?t correct these flaws but often amplify them.

At its core, this episode is about reclaiming agency in an irrational world: learning to recognize when confidence is misleading, when winning comes at too high a cost, and how better decisions begin not with smarter thinking, but with clearer framing. If you?ve ever wondered why success sometimes feels hollow, why ?winning? creates regret, or why intelligent people repeat the same costly mistakes, this conversation will change how you see choice itself.

Passion Struck was recently ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/the-winners-curse-alex-imas/

Download a Free Companion Workbook with reflection prompts tied to this episode.

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-order You Matter, Luma:

https://youmatterluma.com/

For more about Alex Imas:

https://www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/i/alex-imas

In this episode, you will learn

Why the Winner?s Curse means the ?winner? often made the biggest mistakeHow behavioral economics challenges the myth of rational decision makingWhat mental representation is and how it distorts the choices we believe we?re makingWhy loss aversion and sunk costs keep us chasing bad outcomesHow uncertainty, competition, and ego interact to produce overconfidenceWhy AI and algorithms often magnify human bias instead of correcting itPractical ways to slow down decisions and avoid costly ?wins.?

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if many of our most heated debates and divisions aren't really about facts or outcomes, but about clinging to sacred values that feel absolute and non-negotiable?

In this eye-opening episode of Passion Struck, cognitive scientist Dr. Steven Sloman joins John R. Miles to unpack his groundbreaking book, The Cost of Conviction: How Our Deepest Values Lead Us Astray (MIT Press, May 2025).

Drawing on decades of research into how we think individually and collectively, Steven reveals why we often prioritize "right vs. wrong" sacred values over practical consequences?leading to oversimplification, outrage, polarization, and even extremism. From the illusion of explanatory depth (where we overestimate our understanding) to taboo and tragic trade-offs, this conversation explores how sacred values unite communities, define identities, and drive history, yet also create barriers to dialogue on issues such as abortion, immigration, climate change, and political conflict.

John and Steven dive into real-world examples: the rise of zealotry from ancient Judea to modern times, the shifting values among young men, the role of belonging in group identity, and why reframing conversations around consequences (rather than slogans) offers a path to better decisions, adversarial cooperation, and reduced division. At its heart, this episode is a call to question certainty, respect expertise, and balance conviction with humility?reminding us that true wisdom lies in thinking harder about outcomes, even when sacred values feel compelling.

Passion Struck was recently ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/sacred-values-cost-of-conviction-steven-sloman/

Download a Free Companion Workbook with prompts about this episode

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-order You Matter, Luma - https://youmatterluma.com/

For more about Dr. Steven Sloman: https://copsy.brown.edu/people/steven-sloman

Purchase The Cost of Conviction: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262049825/the-cost-of-conviction/ (Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook)

In this episode, you will learn

Why sacred values simplify decisions but often ignore real consequences, fueling polarization and conflictThe difference between consequentialist thinking (outcomes-focused) and sacred values (right/wrong actions)How the knowledge illusion leads us to rely on community slogans rather than deep understandingWhat taboo tradeoffs (refusing to compromise sacred values for gain) and tragic tradeoffs (competing sacred values) reveal about human natureWhy sacred values tie us to belonging and identity, but drive us to distinguish and demonize "the other side."Practical ways to spot sacred value reliance: Ask "Why am I doing this?" and focus on explainable consequences

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it. https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the quiet emptiness after achieving "success"?the promotion, the house, the milestone?isn't failure, but a signal to build deeper meaning?

In this solo episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles introduces the architecture of significance: a blueprint for shifting from a life that's a monument to yourself to one that becomes a shelter for others.

Building on insights from Dr. Stephen G. Post and Mark Nepo, John explores the hidden foundation of inherent worth, the pillars of circulation that turn contribution into connection, the windows of mature perception that move from facade to true presence, and the roof of shelter that protects what matters most.

This episode explains why success often feels hollow, how significance creates flow rather than extraction, and why your quiet, real presence may be the greatest gift you offer in 2026. It's an invitation to inhabit your worth, circulate meaning, and become the shelter others need.

Passion Struck with John R. Miles was recently ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/build-an-architecture-of-significance/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

For more about John R. Miles - https://johnrmiles.com/

Pre-order You Matter, Luma - https://youmatterluma.com/

The Architecture of Significance Companion Resources

Practical reflections and contemplative prompts to map your shift from success to significance, including exercises on recognizing your foundation, identifying circulation pillars, and reframing perception.

Explore the companion guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/becoming-an-architect-of-significance

In this episode, you will learn

Why the "hollow quiet" after success has a structure, and how to recognize itHow reclaiming inherent worth forms the unshakeable foundation of significanceThe difference between extraction (success) and circulation (meaning) in daily lifeWhy mature attention shifts from facade (impressing others) to windows (truly seeing)How immersion in the ordinary creates deeper resonance than chasing intensityWhy building a "shelter" for others is the ultimate evolution of a meaningful life

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if living with an open heart, especially in times of loss, uncertainty, and division, is not a matter of willpower or optimism, but a quiet and courageous practice of presence?

In this episode of Passion Struck, poet, philosopher, and cancer survivor Mark Nepo joins John R. Miles for a deeply human conversation about acceptance, aliveness, and what it means to live with an open heart in a fractured world.

Drawing on his lifelong body of work, including The Book of Awakening and his newest book, The Fifth Season: Creativity in the Second Half of Life, Mark explains that acceptance is not resignation but an act of cooperating with truth. Together, John and Mark explore why the heart is our strongest muscle, how immersion, rather than achievement, brings us to life, and why caring fully for what is right in front of us may be the most meaningful form of compassion we have.

This episode weaves together stories of grief, creativity, aging, and meaning. From feeding a dying parent applesauce to the metaphor of the meteor that burns away what no longer matters, Mark reveals how life becomes clearer when we stop holding back.

At its core, this conversation is an invitation to stay present even when life is difficult, to say yes to life even when it breaks us open, and to remember that our presence, here and now, truly matters.

Passion Struck with John R. Miles was recently ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/mark-nepo-interview-fifth-season-book/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

For more about Mark Nepo

https://www.marknepo.com/

Pre-order You Matter, Luma

https://youmatterluma.com/

The Fifth Season Companion Resources

Practical reflections and contemplative prompts inspired by Mark Nepo?s teachings on presence, creativity, and aging with intention.

Explore the companion guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/the-courage-to-stay-awake-to-life-mark-nepo

In this episode, you will learn

Why acceptance is not about giving up, but about cooperating with truthHow the heart functions as our strongest muscle and most reliable compassThe difference between nostalgia and the healing use of memoryWhy dreams remain essential to aliveness in the second half of lifeHow immersion, not excellence, creates meaning and creativityA simple question that reveals whether something is life-giving or life-drainingHow the metaphor of the meteor explains why aging can bring greater clarityWhy caring deeply for the smallest detail connects us to the wider human storyWhat it means to say yes to life in a way that affirms that you matterHow widening your inner horizon helps right size fear, grief, and suffering

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the most powerful force for healing division, reducing stress, and finding lasting inner peace wasn't elusive or mystical, but a practical, science-backed way of living accessible to everyone?

In Episode 712 of Passion Struck, renowned researcher, bestselling author, and founder of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, Dr. Stephen G. Post, joins John R. Miles to explore "Pure Unlimed Love" as the ultimate unifying energy, blending science, spirituality, and compassionate action, with a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Drawing from over 40 years of groundbreaking studies on altruism, giving, and well-being, plus personal stories of interconnectedness and mentorship with Sir John Templeton, Dr. Post reveals the Wheel of Love (10 expressions like compassion, mirth, forgiveness, and carefrontation) and the Seven Paths to Inner Peace: giving generously, healing with kindness, following your calling, raising kind children, knowing the one mind, cherishing nature, and honoring the spirit of freedom.

Together, John and Dr. Post discuss the health benefits of kind giving, why mothers' love hints at non-local consciousness, practical ways to model kindness for the next generation, and how unlimited love can renew our divided world.

Passion Struck with John R. Miles was recently ranked #1 on FeedSpot?s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show?s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/pure-unlimited-love/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

For more about Dr. Stephen G. Post: https://www.stephengpost.com/

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Pure Unlimited Love Companion Resources

Practical reflections and exercises to cultivate the Wheel of Love and Seven Paths in daily life.

Explore the companion guide: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/pure-unlimited-love-science

In this episode, you will learn:

The definition of pure unlimited love: When the security and well-being of another is as meaningful to you as your ownThe Wheel of Love: 10 concrete expressions including compassion, mirth, forgiveness, listening, creativity, and carefrontationThe Seven Paths to Inner Peace and how to integrate them for personal and societal flourishingScience-backed benefits of kind giving: Reduced stress, greater happiness, purpose, and even physical healthWhy following your calling from an early age leads to a balanced, meaningful lifeStories of the "one mind": Interconnected consciousness beyond the brain, including maternal intuitionPractical ways parents can model and raise kind children in today's cultureHow honoring the spirit of freedom, intertwined with lov,e liberates rather than binds

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the key to thriving in 2026 isn't expanding your network or chasing global impact, but intentionally shrinking your world to the size your brain was built for?

In this first solo episode of 2026, Episode 711 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores the profound mismatch between our hunter-gatherer brains (evolved for tribes of under 150 people) and the demands of an 8-billion-person world. Drawing on Dunbar's number, psychology, and the themes of The Season of Becoming, John unpacks why endless social feeds, polarized news, and constant connectivity leave us anxious, burned out, and divided.

He explains how focusing on your true "tribe" of 150 restores peace, deepens connections, and amplifies your real impact, without the exhaustion of treating everyone as a potential ally or threat. This isn't about isolation. It's about reclaiming energy for what truly matters: presence, meaning, and relationships that sustain you.

If you're entering 2026 feeling overwhelmed by the world's noise or ready to reset for deeper fulfillment, this episode offers a compassionate blueprint to come home to your natural scale.

Before the goals and habits, reclaim the space where true flourishing begins.

Resources and Links

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/dunbars-number-explained-why-we-need-150-in-2026/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Tribe Mapping Companion Workbook

Identify Your 150. Release the Rest. Build True Belonging.

Reflection prompts and exercises to map your core tribe, name what to release from large-group weight, and create habits for deeper connections in 2026.

Download the free Companion Workbook at: https://open.substack.com/pub/passionstruck/p/dunbars-number-150-thrive-2026/

In this episode, you will learn:

Why our brains are wired for tribes of 150 and how modern life creates constant mismatch and exhaustionThe science of Dunbar's number and its role in anxiety, burnout, and divisionHow shrinking your world restores focus, empathy, and real impact without isolationPractical ways to identify and nurture your true tribe in 2026Why large-group thinking treats others as threats and how small-scale living rebuilds peaceReflections on The Season of Becoming and stepping into a year of intentional presence

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of John R. Miles and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if one of the most personal decisions a woman can make (when and whether to become a mother) became a public act of courage that shifted the conversation for an entire generation?

In Episode 710 of Passion Struck, Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (D-CA) joins John R. Miles for a deeply human conversation that has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with agency, worth, and vulnerability.

At 31, newly sworn into Congress, Sara froze her eggs to preserve the option of motherhood on her own timeline. At 36, still serving, she returned for two more rounds and chose to speak openly about the physical toll, emotional weight, and empowering choice behind it.

Sara shares the raw realities (hot flashes, intense cravings, acne, and the surprising joy of taking control), why she rejects pity for empowerment, and how radical vulnerability has become her superpower in leadership. She challenges the idea that women must be perfect to lead, explains why fertility is not just a ?women?s issue,? and calls on male leaders to recognize their experience represents only half the story.

If you?ve ever felt pressure to follow a prescribed path or wondered how authenticity can reshape both personal life and public policy, this conversation is for you.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/sara-jacobs-egg-freezing/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

For more about Congresswoman Sara Jacobs: https://sarajacobs.house.gov/

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Radical Vulnerability Companion Workbook

Reflect. Reclaim Agency. Redefine Worth.

Gentle prompts and exercises to explore your own relationship with choice, vulnerability, and self-worth, inspired by Sara?s journey and the message that you matter exactly as you are.

Download the free Companion Workbook at: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/sara-jacobs-radical-vulnerability

In this episode, you will learn:

Why Sara Jacobs chose egg freezing twice while serving in Congress and why she frames it as empowerment, not lossThe surprising physical and emotional realities of the process (from hot flashes to intense cravings)How radical vulnerability became Sara?s leadership superpower and why perfection is the enemy of connectionWhy fertility and reproductive choices are not ?women?s issues? but human issues that demand broader understandingThe danger of tying women?s worth to motherhood and how redefining agency frees us allWhat Sara wants the next generation of women (and men) to internalize about authenticity, choice, and speaking up

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if entering "the zone" wasn't a rare accident reserved for elite athletes, but a repeatable skill anyone could train, just like strength or focus?

In Episode 709 of Passion Struck, NBA mindset coach, bestselling author, and peak performance expert David Nurse joins John R. Miles to reveal why flow state has been misunderstood as elusive when a science-backed, step-by-step system actually governs it he calls The Flow Code Formula.

Drawing from his work with over 150 NBA stars, Fortune 500 CEOs, and groundbreaking neuroscience research, including the 10-Hertz alpha wave state, David breaks down how optimal anxiety, identity shifts, and personal triggers turn stress into a superpower and distraction into deep immersion.

Together, John and David explore the neuroscience of trainable flow, why "proving yourself" blocks the zone while "being yourself" unlocks it, and real stories from sprinting with Usain Bolt to climbing with Alex Honnold that prove peak performance is accessible to all.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/unlocking-the-flow-code-formula-david-nurse/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

For more about David Nurse: https://www.davidnurse.com/

Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Flow Code Companion Workbook

Identify Your Triggers. Harness Optimal Anxiety. Enter the Zone.

Reflection prompts and practical exercises to map your personal flow triggers, navigate the Yerkes-Dodson curve, and build daily habits for the 10-Hertz state.

Download the free Companion Workbook at:

In this episode, you will learn:

The Flow Code system: A neuroscience-backed formula to trigger peak performance on demandWhy optimal anxiety is the gateway to flow?not the enemy?and how to use stress as fuelThe power of "The Shift": Moving from proving yourself to simply being yourselfReal lessons from elite performers, including Usain Bolt, Alex Honnold, and NBA superstarsHow the 10-Hertz alpha state works and practical ways to access itWhy your identity ("who") must always lead your actions ("do") for sustainable flow

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the real reason most teams fail has nothing to do with talent, effort, or motivation?

In Episode 708 of Passion Struck, New York Times bestselling author and Leadership IQ founder Mark Murphy joins John R. Miles to reveal why even the most innovative, most driven teams quietly fall apart. Drawing on decades of research and his latest work on high-performance teams, Mark explains why misalignment, unclear roles, and unspoken expectations are the hidden forces that derail results.

Together, John and Mark explore the five critical roles every successful team needs, why traditional team building often backfires, and how leaders can diagnose what is missing before dysfunction sets in. From elite sports teams and legendary bands to Navy SEAL units and corporate cultures, this conversation reframes leadership as an act of alignment rather than control.

If you are entering a new year thinking about leadership, culture, or the kind of team you want to build or belong to, this episode will fundamentally change how you see collaboration.

Listen. Reflect. Build better.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/building-winning-teams-mark-murphy/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Team Players Companion Workbook

Identify the Roles. Close the Gaps. Build Alignment.

Reflection prompts and practical exercises to help you assess your team, uncover role gaps, and lead with clarity in the year ahead.

Download the free Companion Workbook at: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/team-players-mark-murphy

In this episode, you will learn:

Why most teams fail due to misalignment rather than lack of talentThe five essential roles every high performing team must have and what happens when one is missingWhy traditional team building often creates more friction instead of trustHow elite teams, from professional sports to special operations units, adapt leadership based on contextHow to identify your own natural role and help others play to their strengthsWhat leaders can do when they cannot hire new people but still need better performance

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if real transformation does not begin with what we add, but with what we finally allow to end?

In this deeply reflective Christmas Day solo episode of Passion Struck, Episode 707, John R. Miles invites listeners into the quiet, liminal space between the year that is closing and the life that is still taking shape. Rather than rushing toward resolutions, this episode explores the power of gentle endings and the release of old stories, habits, and self-protections that have outlived their purpose.

Drawing on psychology, lived experience, and the themes of The Season of Becoming, John unpacks the quiet cost of carrying what is finished, the unexpected beauty that emerges when we let go without violence to ourselves, and how gentleness creates the space where imagination, flow, and renewal can return.

This episode is not a call to fix yourself. It is an invitation to lay something down.

If you are entering the new year feeling tired, tender, or quietly ready for change, this episode offers a different starting point, one rooted in compassion, presence, and honest release.

Before the resolutions come the revelations, before the beginning, let something end.

Resources and Links

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/before-the-new-year-begins-let-something-end/

All links gathered here (books, Substack, YouTube, community):

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

A Gentle Ending Practice

Reflection prompts, a simple release ritual, and space to name what is ready to rest. Designed to help you enter the new year lighter, clearer, and more present.

Download the free Companion Workbook at: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/let-something-end-before-the-year

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of John R. Miles and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if creativity were just the spark, and the real power lay in turning ideas into unbreakable solutions?

In Episode 706 of Passion Struck, innovation expert Nir Bashan returns (his first appearance was Episode 36) to unveil the repeatable framework behind his new book The Solution Mindset. He reveals why brilliant ideas alone leave most people stuck, and how activating 10 innate problem-solving superpowers can transform frustration into impact.

Through gripping stories: a teenager who rebuilt the world?s largest coral reefs by refusing expert advice, a bicycle company that cut shipping damage 90% with one deceptively simple packaging trick, and Norway?s quiet revolution in prison reform. Nir proves that anyone can solve the seemingly unsolvable.

If you?ve ever felt paralyzed by complexity, doubted your next step, or wondered how to move from inspiration to execution, this conversation is your clear, practical bridge.

Listen. Watch. Go Deeper.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/the-solution-mindset-nir-bashan/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

The Solution Mindset Workbook: 10 Superpower Activation Prompts to Turn Ideas into Impact

Reflection prompts + daily practice ? Download the Companion Workbook at https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/the-solutions-mindset-titouan-bernicott

In this episode, you will learn:

The ?Just Start? principle that turned a 16-year-old surfer into the leader of the planet?s most extensive coral restoration effortHow untangling complexity with a straightforward filter, like printing a TV on a bike box, can deliver 90% better results instantlyWhy long-term thinking (the kind bourbon makers use for 30-year barrels) creates a deeper legacy than chasing quick winsHow Norway redefined ?failing successfully? in prisons to slash recidivism, while the U.S. stays stuck in punishmentWhy positivity isn?t naive, it?s the strategic fuel that powers sustained innovation.

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the most profound regret we carry isn?t about what we did, but about the quiet ways we slowly drifted from the people we love most?

In this heartfelt solo episode of Passion Struck, Episode 705, John R. Miles explores why the greatest gift we can give those who matter most isn?t more time, more gifts, or even more love, but simple, undivided presence.

Drawing from personal holiday memories and the psychology of ?relational mattering,? John reveals how relationships rarely break from conflict; they thin from absence disguised as normal life. He unpacks the quiet cost of diluted attention, the profound beauty of what becomes possible when presence returns, and why showing up fully may be the most important decision we ever make.

If you?ve ever felt the subtle distance growing in a relationship you cherish, or wondered how to rebuild the felt sense of mattering during this holiday season, this episode is your gentle wake-up call.

You?re not out of chances. You?re one intentional arrival away. Listen. Feel. Become present.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/relational-mattering-how-to-matter-to-others/

All links gathered here (books, Substack, YouTube, community):

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

The Season of Becoming Workbook: Rebuild Relational Mattering

Reflection questions + small presence practices to start tonight + prompts to notice where mattering is calling you most

? Download the free Companion Workbook at https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/relational-mattering-7-ways-to-fix-relationships

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of John R. Miles and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the most significant leadership challenge of our time isn?t strategy, speed, or scale but our shrinking capacity to care for one another?

In an era of deepening polarization and quiet loneliness, this special episode of Passion Struck confronts the root of division: our brain's ancient "us vs. them" wiring that once ensured tribal survival but now fragments society.

Host John R. Miles joins Harvard cognitive scientist Joshua Greene (author of Moral Tribes) and psychologist Rick Hanson (New York Times bestselling author and founder of the Global Compassion Coalition) to explore how evolutionary moral instincts fuel exclusion and how neuroscience and compassion practices can rewire them toward broader belonging.

Blending rigorous science with profound wisdom, the conversation explores how to expand the "moral circle" from narrow identities to shared global humanity, cultivate moral courage without erasing differences, and turn insight into action.

A highlight: the tied-in Pods Fight Poverty initiative, uniting leading podcasters to support GiveDirectly's evidence-based cash transfers. These lift entire Rwandan villages out of extreme poverty with dignity-restoring direct aid (amplified by Giving Multiplier's matching funds).

This episode does not just diagnose division. It offers a hopeful, actionable path to inclusion, proving small acts of expanded empathy ripple into real-world change. At a time when trust is eroding, this reminds us that true belonging is not zero-sum. It is the future we can choose.

Go Deeper. Read the full show notes: https://passionstruck.com/us-vs-them-psychology-rick-hanson-joshua-greene/

Support the Impact: Join the effort to transform lives in Rwanda: GiveDirectly.org/PassionStruck

About the Guests

Rick Hanson, PhD

Rick Hanson is a psychologist, Senior Fellow of UC Berkeley?s Greater Good Science Center, and New York Times bestselling author of books including Hardwiring Happiness, Resilient, and Just One Thing. His work focuses on the neuroscience of resilience, compassion, and well-being. Rick is also the president of the Global Compassion Coalition and co-hosts the Being Well podcast with his son, Forrest Hanson.

Joshua Greene, PhD

Joshua Greene is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Harvard University and a leading expert in moral cognition. He is the author of Moral Tribes, a groundbreaking book exploring why we clash over moral values and how we can find common ground. His research bridges philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience to understand how humans make moral decisions in an increasingly interconnected world.

? All links in one place ? books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the leadership answers you?ve been searching for can?t be found in another keynote, framework, or performance review but only by stepping completely out of the world you know?

In Episode 703 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles is joined by Oli Raison and Boris Maguire, founders of Safarini Leadership, for a conversation that challenges everything we think we know about growth, leadership, and belonging.

At a time when we are more globally connected than ever?and yet more polarized, distracted, and disconnected?leaders are facing pressures no playbook prepared them for: AI acceleration, climate anxiety, generational fracture, burnout, and a deep erosion of trust.

Oli and Boris believe the problem isn?t a lack of leadership training. It?s that we?re trying to become wiser leaders without changing the environments that shaped us. Their work takes executives out of boardrooms and into the Kenyan bush, immersed in nature, culture, and relationships, walking alongside Samburu elders to rediscover leadership as a lived, relational practice rather than a performative role.

Download the companion workbook: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/ancient-wisdom-for-modern-leaders

This episode is part of The Season of Becoming series, following conversations with Brent Gleeson on the danger of comfort and Henna Pryor on why awkwardness is the frontline of growth.

Listen. Watch. Go Deeper.

? Read the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/leadership-in-the-wild-oli-raison-boris-maguire/

? All links in one place ? You Matter, Luma and Passion Struck books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

In this episode, you will learn:

Why today?s global challenges require elevated leadership, not louder leadershipHow cultural immersion rewires creativity, self-awareness, and decision-makingWhy nature sharpens focus, learning, and emotional regulationWhat Samburu elders can teach modern executives about belonging and purposeWhy leadership cannot be developed in isolation?or in comfortHow stepping out of familiar systems reveals who you actually are as a leaderWhat it means to lead when connection isn?t optional?it?s survival

About the Guests

Oli Raison has spent over a decade founding, leading, and selling businesses in Kenya. He specializes in organizational culture, leadership development, and cross-cultural teams. Oli is fluent in Swahili, holds an MBA from Aston Business School, and a Certificate in Executive Coaching from UC Berkeley.

Boris Maguire has worked in over two dozen countries and lived in five. He has led teams across ten African nations, served as a startup CEO and Managing Director of a solar firm, and now leads global operations for one of Africa?s fastest-growing HR fintech companies. Boris holds an MPA from Columbia University, a BA from Duke, and a certificate from the African Management Institute.

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

? https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the only thing standing between you and the person you?re meant to become isn?t talent, time, or even confidence, but one small, uncomfortable decision you haven?t made yet?

In this powerful solo episode, Episode 702 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles closes the Season of Becoming by distilling the single most consistent lesson from hundreds of world-class performers, Navy SEALs, near-death survivors, and everyday courage-builders:

Courage is not a trait you?re born with. It?s a vote you cast every single day.

Drawing directly from four transformative conversations this season (Susan Grau, Anne Libera, Brent Gleeson, and Henna Pryor), John reveals the Four Daily Decisions of Courage that anyone can make starting today:

The courage to Listen when life breaks you openThe courage to Unscript and show up realThe courage to Commit and stop negotiating with your potentialThe courage to Practice awkwardness on purpose

If you?ve ever felt stuck waiting for confidence, clarity, or permission, this episode is your wake-up call. You?re not behind. You?re one courageous 10-second vote away.

Listen. Reflect. Become.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/courage-is-a-daily-choice/

All links gathered here (books, Substack, YouTube, community):

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

The Season of Becoming Workbook: Your Next Courageous Vote

Reflection questions + the exact micro-action planner for the Four Daily Decisions

? Download the free Companion Workbook at https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/the-10-second-vote-build-courage-habit

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed are those of John R. Miles and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the very thing you?ve been trying to hide, your awkwardness, was actually the key to deeper connection, stronger leadership, and unbreakable confidence?

In Episode 701 of Passion Struck, workplace performance expert and bestselling author Henna Pryor joins John R. Miles to unpack her groundbreaking book Good Awkward and expose the hidden crisis she calls Social Muscle Atrophy, the slow erosion of our ability to handle normal human interaction in a world gone hybrid and hyper-polished.

Henna drops the stat that stops everyone cold: 30 % of employees would rather clean a toilet than ask a coworker for help. The cost? Billions in lost innovation, fractured trust, and a growing ?mattering gap? at work.

But the fix isn?t more communication training.

It?s learning to get good at being awkward on purpose.

If you?ve ever stayed silent when you wanted to speak up, rehearsed a conversation 47 times and still didn?t have it, or felt like an imposter in your own life, this episode is your permission slip to stop polishing and start connecting.

Listen. Watch. Go Deeper.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/good-awkward-psychological-safety-confidence/

All links gathered here ? including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

The Good Awkward Workbook: 7 Micro-Courage Challenges to Rebuild Your Social Muscle

Reflection prompts + daily practice ? Download the Companion Workbook

In this episode, you will learn:

Why awkwardness is the price of growth and how to pay it gladlyWhat Social Muscle Atrophy is costing your team and how to reverse itThe confidence myth we all need to retireHow embracing cringe builds psychological safety faster than perfectionHenna?s 5 science-backed practices to turn awkward moments into leadership superpowersWhy the future of work belongs to the willingly awkward

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if becoming who you are meant to be depends less on adding more and more? and more on eliminating the things holding you back?

In this special EPISODE 700 of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with fellow veteran and former Navy SEAL combat operator Brent Gleeson, bestselling author of Embrace the Suck and All In.

This milestone conversation goes deep into identity transformation under real pressure: military service, combat, losing a father, and rebuilding integrity from the inside out. Brent shares how the quietest decision of his life, choosing sobriety, unlocked discipline, connection, and clarity he didn?t know he was missing.

If you?ve ever felt stuck between who you were and who you know you could become, this one is for you.

Listen. Watch. Go Deeper.

Check the full shownotes here: https://passionstruck.com/how-to-go-all-in/

All links gathered here ? including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

The Becoming Workbook: Build Discipline. Expand Identity. Choose Your Standard.

Reflection prompts + daily structure tools ? Download the Companion Workbook

In this episode, you will learn:

How comfort becomes a slow fade away from the person you?re meant to beThe identity crisis many veterans face after serviceHow to rebuild structure, purpose, and integrity from the inside outWhy becoming is a daily choice, not a dramatic reinventionHow to eliminate the habits that sabotage your potential

Support the Movement

Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Wear it. Live it. Show it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

There is a moment when you look at your life and realize something important. You have been waiting. You have been giving your energy away. You have been putting everyone else first. And somewhere along the line, you started disappearing from your own story.

This solo episode is about that moment.

The moment you choose yourself again.

John R. Miles explores why so many of us learn to shrink to fit other people?s expectations, and what happens when you finally decide that your voice, your needs, and your well-being matter too.

He breaks down the four core patterns that lead to self-abandonment and explains how a single shift can change your confidence, your relationships, your energy, and your future. When you choose yourself even once, your life begins to reorganize around that truth.

If you have ever felt stuck or invisible, or like you have been living a version of your life that no longer feels like your own, this episode will help you take the next step back home to yourself.

Read the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/stop-abandoning-yourself/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All episode links are gathered here, including my books You Matter, Luma, and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, YouTube channels, and the Start Mattering apparel store:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the Companion Workbook

The Choose Yourself Again Activation Guide is available now at TheIgnitedLife.net.

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if becoming who you want to be has less to do with control and more to do with letting go?

In this insightful episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Anne Libera, longtime Second City director, educator, and author of Funnier: A New Theory for the Practice of Comedy. Together, they explore how improvisation offers a powerful model for personal growth, creativity, and identity transformation.

Anne?s work blends comedy, psychology, and human behavior. Drawing from decades at The Second City working with performers such as Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, Tim Meadows, and Jordan Peele, she reveals that improv is not ultimately about being funny. It is about presence, awareness, emotional flexibility, and learning to respond to life as it actually is, rather than how you wish it would be.

This episode continues our December series, The Season of Becoming. It explores who we are in the moments in between when one version of our life is fading, and another has not yet taken shape.

Get the full episode show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/life-lessons-from-improv/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All episode links are gathered here, including my books You Matter, Luma, and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, YouTube channels, and the Start Mattering apparel store:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the Companion Workbook

The Becoming Workbook: How to Let Go of Old Scripts and Step Into the Next Version of Yourself

Includes reflection prompts, identity exercises, and tools for loosening rigid thinking and building creative flexibility.

https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/improv-skills-for-personal-growth

In this episode, you will learn:

Why improvisation is not about comedy. It is about attention, awareness, and responding to realityHow humor helps us navigate discomfort, uncertainty, and identity changeWhy trying to control the scene often makes life harderHow to practice Yes, and in real relationshipsWhy reinvention requires play, curiosity, and emotional riskThe psychology behind why we cling to scripts that no longer fitHow to use comedic tools to expand your sense of identity and possibilityWhy becoming is not reinvention. It is responsivenessHow to build creative confidence even if you do not consider yourself funny

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if intuition isn?t mystical, but a form of deep perception we?ve forgotten how to trust?

In this transformative episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with internationally respected intuitive and spiritual teacher Susan Grau, host of Infinite Life, Infinite Wisdom, to explore one of the most profound capacities of the human mind: our ability to sense truth, meaning, and connection far beneath the surface of ordinary awareness.

Susan?s work blends lived experience, grief healing, and what she calls ?soul-level perception? to help people rediscover inner guidance in a world overwhelmed by information, noise, and emotional overload. Through her near-death experience, profound empathic abilities, and decades of guiding others, Susan reveals how intuitive knowing emerges not from superstition but from biology, trauma healing, and our innate drive for meaning.

Get the full episode show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/signs-you-are-ignoring-your-intuition-susan-grau/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All episode links are gathered here, including my books You Matter, Luma, and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, YouTube channels, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the companion workbook: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/why-you-ignore-intuition

Includes reflection prompts, identity exercises, and tools for breaking harmful emotional loops.

In this episode, you will learn:

Why revenge produces the same dopamine surge as addictive substancesWhy unresolved grievance becomes a compulsive loopThe childhood trauma that shaped James?s life missionHow the brain mistakes retaliation for relief and rewardHow political polarization and online conflict are fueled by biological cravingWhy forgiveness quiets the pain circuitry and restores clarityHow to choose healing over the temporary high of revenge

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

***

Disclaimer: The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if revenge is not a moral failure, but a biological addiction?

In this gripping episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Yale psychiatrist James Kimmel Jr., author of The Science of Revenge, to unravel one of the most dangerous and misunderstood forces shaping our lives, our politics, our relationships, and our inner worlds.

This episode continues our acclaimed series The Irreplaceables, which explores the human qualities no machine can replicate. Yesterday?s episode with Don Martin explored loneliness, the crisis between us. Today, we explore revenge, the crisis within us. James explains why the pull toward retaliation can feel intoxicating, righteous, and impossible to resist.

Through neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, and Kimmel?s own harrowing personal story, we examine how grievance hijacks the brain, why revenge activates the same dopamine pathways as cocaine and gambling, and why forgiveness is not moral niceness but a neurobiological reset.

If you have ever held a grudge, fantasized about getting even, or wondered why our culture feels increasingly reactive and enraged, this conversation is essential.

Get the full episode show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/the-science-of-revenge-james-kimmel-jr/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All episode links are gathered here, including my books You Matter, Luma, and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, YouTube channels, and Start Mattering apparel:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the companion workbook: The Clarity Reset Toolkit

Available at TheIgnitedLife.net

Includes reflection prompts, identity exercises, and tools for breaking harmful emotional loops.

In this episode, you will learn:

Why revenge produces the same dopamine surge as addictive substancesWhy unresolved grievance becomes a compulsive loopThe childhood trauma that shaped James?s life missionHow the brain mistakes retaliation for relief and rewardHow political polarization and online conflict are fueled by biological cravingWhy forgiveness quiets the pain circuitry and restores clarityHow to choose healing over the temporary high of revenge

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

***

This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Passion Struck, its subsidiaries, or any entities they represent. This podcast is not intended as a substitute for a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if loneliness isn?t a personal failure, but a biological signal that you?re built for connection?

In this powerful Thanksgiving Day episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with author, researcher, and longtime podcaster Don Martin, whose upcoming book, Where Did Everybody Go? unpacks one of the most misunderstood challenges of modern life: the loneliness crisis.

This conversation continues our acclaimed series The Irreplaceables, exploring the human qualities no machine can ever replicate. Today, Don illuminates why true healing also requires returning to each other.

Airing this episode on Thanksgiving is intentional. It?s a day framed around togetherness, but for millions of people, it is one of the loneliest days of the year. Whether you?re surrounded by family, on your own, grieving, working, or simply navigating the quiet, this conversation offers science, compassion, and practical hope.

Don dismantles the myths we?ve been taught about loneliness, reveals the societal structures that have quietly unraveled our sense of belonging, and shows us how connection can be rebuilt..

If you?ve ever felt invisible, disconnected, overwhelmed by the state of the world, or unsure how to create stronger relationships in your community, this episode is a grounding companion.

Get the full episode show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/the-loneliness-crisis/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All episode links?including my books You Matter, Luma, and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, YouTube channels, and Start Mattering apparel?are gathered here:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the companion workbook: The Connected Life Toolkit

Available now at TheIgnitedLife.net

Includes reflection prompts, community-building practices, and science-backed tools for strengthening meaningful relationships.

In this episode, you will learn:

Why loneliness is not an emotion but a biological survival signalThe real reason half of Americans report feeling lonely (and why it?s not screens)Why kids and teens are the loneliest demographic in the U.S.How the decline of malls, walkable neighborhoods, and third places quietly rewired societyWhy feeling lonely in a crowd is normal and what your brain is trying to tell youHow marginalized communities uniquely experience and overcome disconnectionWhy storytelling is a powerful tool for belonging and social changePractical steps you can take to rebuild connection

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

***

This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Passion Struck, its subsidiaries, or any entities they represent. This podcast is not intended as a substitute for a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the moment your life collapses is not the end of your story, but the beginning of your becoming?

In this intimate, live-recorded episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Jane Marie Chen, global humanitarian, cofounder of Embrace (the infant warmer that has saved more than 1 million premature babies), and author of the stunning new memoir Like a Wave We Break.

Filmed in front of an audience at the Oxford Exchange in Tampa, this conversation dives beneath Jane?s public achievements to reveal the deeply human story she has never told on stage. It is a story of childhood trauma, a decade-long mission that consumed her identity, the burnout that nearly shattered her, and the healing journey that helped her rediscover who she truly is.

This episode continues our acclaimed series The Irreplaceables. It is a journey into the traits no machine can replicate, including resilience, tenderness, reinvention, and the courage to belong to yourself again.

If you have ever felt crushed by expectations, lived for others at your own expense, or struggled to understand your own worth, this conversation is a lifeline.

Get the full episode show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/letting-go-and-becoming-your-true-self/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All episode links, including my books You Matter, Luma and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, YouTube channels, and Start Mattering apparel, are gathered here:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the free companion workbook: The Wavebreaker Healing Toolkit

Available now at TheIgnitedLife.net. It includes reflection prompts, identity-reconstruction exercises, and Internal Family Systems tools to help you reconnect with your inner self.

In this episode, you will learn:

? How childhood trauma shaped her identity as a high achiever and helper

? Why unresolved pain often drives our desire to save others

? The hidden emotional cost of heroism

? What really happened behind the scenes of Embrace, and why success without inner grounding almost destroyed her

? How meditation, Internal Family Systems, and psychedelic therapy opened her back to herself

? The truth she finally discovered: We are not the wave. We are the ocean beneath it

? How to surrender without giving up

? How to rebuild purpose after a public or private collapse

? How to finally come home to yourself

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the future belonged not to the fastest, the smartest, or the most optimized, but to the most human?

In this milestone 200th solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles reveals why your humanity ? your creativity, your emotional depth, your intentionality ? is the sharpest competitive edge you have in an AI-accelerated world.

Drawing from insights across our Irreplaceables series and weaving in lessons from guests like Scott D. Anthony, Elias Weiss Friedman (The Dogist), Amina AlTai, and Lynn Smith, John explores the core truth of the decade:

Everything that can be automated will be. Everything that can be commoditized already is. What is left, and what has always been left, is the part of you no machine will ever replace.

You will uncover why creativity is the purest expression of a lived life, how emotional depth builds trust faster than any KPI, and why intentionality is the one domain AI will never touch. This episode is not just a reflection. It is a blueprint for staying irreplaceable in the age of automation.

If you have ever wondered how to protect the parts of you that make you who you are, this episode will awaken you to the daily practices that transform vulnerability into a superpower.

Read the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/why-humanity-is-your-competitive-edge/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All resources, including Passion Struck, You Matter, Luma, The Ignited Life Substack, and the Start Mattering Store, are collected here:

? linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Want to apply to today?s episode?

Download the free companion workbook: The Human Edge Field Guide, available now at TheIgnitedLife.net

Inside, you will find reflection prompts, science-backed exercises, and the three daily practices John teaches in this episode to keep your humanity sharp in a machine-shaped world.

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

StartMattering.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the biggest barrier to your potential is not a lack of skill or opportunity but the quiet voice inside whispering, ?You are not enough??

In this powerful episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with former national news anchor Lynn Smith, who spent 15 years at NBC, TODAY Online, and CNN Headline News before making the courageous decision to walk away from a life the world told her was perfect.

What she discovered after stepping off the national stage became the foundation of her work today and the inspiration behind her new children?s book Just Keep Going, a beautifully crafted story that teaches resilience, courage, and self-belief from the earliest ages.

This episode continues our acclaimed series The Irreplaceables, an exploration of the human traits no machine can replicate, including courage, presence, reinvention, and voice.

If you have ever battled self-doubt, faced a major crossroads, or felt pulled to reinvent who you are, this conversation offers a clear and grounded pathway forward.

Listen + Watch + Go Deeper

All episode resources, including You Matter, Luma, Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, and YouTube channels, are gathered here: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the free companion workbook: The Brain Bully Breakthrough Toolkit

Available at TheIgnitedLife.net, our Substack.

A step-by-step guide to quiet your inner critic, rebuild confidence, and communicate with intention.

About the Episode

Get the Full Episode Shownotes Here: https://passionstruck.com/how-to-beat-the-brain-bully-lynn-smith/

In this episode, you will learn:

Why Lynn walked away from a ?dream career? in national news to rebuild her identityHow to silence the Brain Bully, the inner critic that distorts your self-worthWhy perfection destroys connection and why authenticity creates trustThe deeper meaning behind her book Just Keep Going and why adults need these lessons tooHow to communicate with clarity, courage, and emotional presenceWhy reinvention requires both letting go and stepping forwardHow to rebuild confidence after leaving a familiar identity behind

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the future isn?t something that happens to us? but something we shape?

In this future-defining episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with innovation thinker and bestselling author Scott D. Anthony to explore the 11 epic disruptions that reshaped civilization and the hidden patterns that will shape the next era of human possibility.

Drawing on Scott?s new book Epic Disruptions and his decades of work alongside Clayton Christensen, John unpacks why breakthroughs like gunpowder, the printing press, the iPhone, and AI follow a predictable rhythm, why leaders routinely miss the future even when it's right in front of them, and what it means to think in two time horizons at once.

This episode continues our acclaimed series, The Irreplaceables: a journey into the human capacities no machine can duplicate.

If you're navigating change, leading through uncertainty, or simply trying to understand the world that?s coming, this conversation is your roadmap.

Read the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/epic-disruptions-that-changed-history/

Listen + Watch + Go Deeper

All episode resources, including my books You Matter, Luma and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, and Start Mattering store are gathered here: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

To go deeper, download the free companion workbook:

The Disruption Decoder: available now at TheIgnitedLife.net

Inside, you?ll find frameworks, reflection prompts, and practical tools to help you anticipate change, widen your imagination, and build the mental agility required to lead in an era of accelerated disruption.

About the Episode

In this episode, you'll learn:

How 11 breakthroughs ? from gunpowder to the iPhone ? rewired the worldWhy disruption is predictably unpredictableWhy even great organizations failWhy innovation is always a team sportWhy AI mirrors the printing press more than we realizeThe human side of disruption

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

StartMattering.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if the cure for modern loneliness? was sitting right beside you?

In this powerful solo episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles explores the ancient, biological, and emotional forces behind the human?dog bond and why it may be one of the most potent antidotes to isolation in our accelerated, camera-off, hyper-distracted world.

Drawing on insights from Elias Weiss Friedman (The Dogist) and Amina AlTai, John unpacks how dogs became our first empathy teachers, how belonging shapes every aspect of human flourishing, and why connection is the real currency of a meaningful life.

You?ll discover how a 14,000-year-old partnership rewired our brains for companionship, what ?the belonging equation? reveals about modern relationships, and why the micro-moments we share with dogs hold the blueprint for healing loneliness in families, teams, workplaces, and communities.

This episode continues our acclaimed series, The Irreplaceables ? a journey through the human capacities no algorithm can replace.

If you?ve ever felt disconnected, invisible, or hungry for deeper relationships, this episode is your invitation to rebuild the bonds that make life matter.

Read the full show notes here:

Listen + Watch + Go Deeper

All episode resources?including my books You Matter, Luma and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, and Start Mattering store?are gathered here:

? linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

To go deeper, download the free companion workbook:

The Connection Compass ? available now at TheIgnitedLife.net

Inside, you?ll find reflection prompts, science-backed exercises, and conversation starters to help you strengthen your empathy muscles, audit your relationships, and rebuild belonging in your everyday life.

? About the Episode

Discover how the human?dog bond became one of evolution?s greatest hacks for emotional regulation and safety.Learn why belonging isn?t accidental ? it?s built through predictable patterns of trust, attention, and repeated positive regard.Explore the neuroscience behind loneliness, and why dogs may activate the same circuitry that heals social pain.Understand how modern work is unintentionally designing disconnection ? and what Amina AlTai?s research reveals about rebuilding community and purpose.Gain practical steps to create a ?purpose-aligned tribe? in your life: at home, at work, and in the relationships that matter most.

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

? StartMattering.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Amina AlTai, executive coach and author of The Ambition Trap, joins John R. Miles to expose why top achievers burn out despite ?having it all.?

They dismantle hustle culture?s grip, swap wound-driven ambition for gift-aligned purpose, and unpack Amina?s 3 E?s (Excellence, Enjoyment, Ease) plus the Resentment Line to end self-abandonment.

From her near-death wake-up to systemic ambition penalties, they prove rest is resistance and wholeness at work heals teams and organizations.

Listen + Watch + Go Deeper

Full shownotes here: https://passionstruck.com/amina-altai-the-ambition-trap/

All episode resources?including guest links, John?s books You Matter, Luma and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, and the Start Mattering Store?are gathered here:

? linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

To learn more about Amina AlTai, visit aminaaltai.com.

? About the Episode

The Wake-Up Call: How Amina?s workaholism and toxic relationship to success nearly cost her life?and what it took to rebuild both her health and her definition of success.Painful vs. Purposeful Ambition: The crucial difference between ambition driven by wounds and ambition driven by purpose?and how to know which one is guiding you.The 3 E?s Framework: How identifying what brings Excellence, Enjoyment, and Ease helps you uncover your inner genius and design a life aligned with it.The Resentment Line: Why burnout begins when we live below our ?resentment line??and how to set boundaries that honor your worth.The Ambition Penalty: How gender, race, and identity shape the way ambition is judged?and why historically excluded groups face a double bind when they strive.Rewriting Hustle Culture: Why ?working more? doesn?t make you more valuable, and how leaders can redefine productivity through presence and permission.Collective Wholeness: What it means to move from individual achievement to collective ambition?a model of success where we rise by being more ourselves, together.

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Each week, John shares behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and reflections to help you turn intention into action.

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? Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important.

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?? StartMattering.com

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