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Passion Struck with John R. Miles

Passion Struck with John R. Miles

Written by: Passion Struck with John R. Miles
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You built the life you were supposed to want. So why doesn't it feel like enough?

Passion Struck with John R. Miles is the #1 alternative health podcast exploring the deepest questions of human well-being — how we think, how we feel, how we connect, and how we build lives that don't quietly hollow us out from the inside. Hosted by bestselling author, Navy veteran, and former Fortune 50 executive John R. Miles, this is the show for anyone who wants to understand themselves more deeply and live more fully.

Every week, John sits down with the world's leading voices across neuroscience, psychology, medicine, philosophy, sports, business, and the arts — guests like Seth Godin, Ryan Holiday, Susan Cain, Mark Hyman, Angela Duckworth, and Arthur Brooks. Together, they explore what it actually takes to build a life that feels like yours—how to strengthen your mind and body, build relationships that sustain you, find purpose before you’ve lost it or reclaim it after you have, and break free from stress, numbness, and the quiet drift of going through the motions.

Whether you're 26 and trying to build your life the right way from the start, or 43 and wondering why the life you built doesn't feel like yours, this show meets you exactly where you are. Because the questions you're carrying deserve real answers.

New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

85 Million Downloads | Gold Stevie Award | Davey Gold for Social ImpactCopyright John Miles Alternative & Complementary Medicine Hygiene & Healthy Living Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Self-Help Success
Episodes
  • The Courage to Believe You Are Enough | Blake Mycoskie - EP 770

    The Courage to Believe You Are Enough | Blake Mycoskie - EP 770
    May 21 2026
    In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Blake Mycoskie, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of TOMS, to discuss the hidden emotional cost of success, the mental health crisis affecting high-achievers, and the powerful message behind the We Are Enough movement. After building one of the world’s most iconic purpose-driven brands and donating over 100 million shoes, Blake had everything society tells us should create happiness—wealth, recognition, impact, and success. Yet beneath it all, he was privately battling depression, burnout, feelings of inadequacy, and suicidal ideation.

    Through his healing journey, Blake discovered a truth that changed his life: nothing external can heal the belief that you are not enough. This conversation explores why so many people tie their worth to achievement, productivity, comparison, and validation—and how reclaiming intrinsic self-worth can transform mental health, leadership, relationships, and purpose.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:
    • Why success and achievement often fail to create lasting fulfillment
    • How the belief of “not enough” shapes identity, ambition, and mental health
    • The hidden emotional toll of entrepreneurship and high-performance culture
    • Why comparison and external validation keep people trapped in cycles of inadequacy
    • How Blake Mycoskie’s healing journey inspired the We Are Enough movement
    • Practical tools for emotional healing, vulnerability, and self-acceptance
    • Why redefining worth can transform leadership, parenting, and relationships
    • How to stop chasing external validation and build a life rooted in intrinsic value
    • The importance of normalizing conversations around depression, burnout, and mental wellness
    • Why human connection is one of the most powerful antidotes to shame and isolation
    If you’ve ever struggled with burnout, anxiety, perfectionism, identity loss, emotional emptiness, or the feeling that no matter what you achieve, it’s never enough, this episode offers a powerful roadmap toward healing, authenticity, and self-worth.

    Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to helping people live intentionally, unlock human potential, and create lives filled with meaning, purpose, and mattering.

    Full Show Notes: https://passionstruck.com/mycoskie-how-to-stop-chasing-external-validation/
    Get the Companion Workbook:
    Join the Movement: We Are Enough

    Connect with John
    • Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/
    • Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
    • Keynotes, books, podcast, and resources: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles
    • Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/
    • Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/

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

    Disclaimer

    The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.
    Show More Show Less
    55 mins
  • Amy Purdy on Resilience, Adversity, and How to Bounce Forward | EP 769

    Amy Purdy on Resilience, Adversity, and How to Bounce Forward | EP 769
    May 19 2026
    In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Paralympic medalist and bestselling author Amy Purdy to discuss resilience, adversity, gratitude, and reinvention. Amy shares the story of surviving meningococcal meningitis at age 19, losing both legs below the knee, rebuilding her life through adaptive snowboarding, and later facing another devastating health crisis that inspired her new book Bounce Forward. The conversation explores how to transform grief into hope, navigate uncertainty, build emotional resilience, and create meaning through hardship.

    In this episode, you’ll learn:
    • How Amy Purdy transformed unimaginable adversity into purpose and possibility
    • Why resilience is about “bouncing forward,” not bouncing back
    • The mindset shift that helped Amy rebuild her identity after losing both legs
    • How uncertainty can become a gateway to growth and reinvention
    • Why Paralympians often develop a deeper relationship with purpose and meaning
    • Practical tools for moving from grief to hope
    • How gratitude can reshape your perspective during difficult seasons
    • Why taking small, intentional steps creates lasting momentum
    • The importance of passion, creativity, and self-definition in overcoming hardship
    • How to stop letting adversity define your future
    If you’ve ever faced loss, uncertainty, burnout, identity shifts, physical challenges, or moments where life forced you to rebuild from the ground up, this conversation offers powerful insights on resilience, hope, and living beyond perceived limits.

    Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health and personal growth podcast dedicated to helping people live intentionally, unlock human potential, and create lives filled with meaning, purpose, and mattering.

    Full Show Notes: https://passionstruck.com/amy-purdy-how-to-overcome-adversity/
    Get the Companion Workbook: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/identity-after-trauma-amy-purdy

    Order Amy Purdy's new book, Bounce Forward: https://amzn.to/4tItuU4

    Connect with John
    • Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/
    • Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
    • Keynotes, books, podcast, and resources: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles
    • Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/
    • Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/

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

    Disclaimer

    The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 13 mins
  • The Prison of Protection: Why Your Armor is Blocking Your Life | John R. Miles - EP 768

    The Prison of Protection: Why Your Armor is Blocking Your Life | John R. Miles - EP 768
    May 15 2026
    What if the armor that once saved your life is now the very thing keeping you from living it?

    In this second solo installment of the Forged in Adversity series, John R. Miles explores the Recovery phase of the human journey. He dives into the "Birth of Survival Identities," explaining how the nervous system prioritizes safety over authenticity, creating protectors such as the perfectionist, the achiever, and the intellectual.

    Drawing on the cinematic archetypes of Iron Man and Will Hunting, John breaks down the distinction between Armor (protection) and Strength (capacity). He challenges the listener to move beyond "polishing the hood" of their external performance and start the internal work of reclaiming their Generative Drive.

    Key Discussion Points:
    • The Birth of Survival Identities: Why the brain creates adaptive strategies to navigate emotional unpredictability and trauma.
    • The Iron Man Paradox: Lessons from Tony Stark on how survival strategies can rescue us in one season only to imprison us in the next.
    • Will Hunting and Emotional Safety: Why the collapse of armor is the prerequisite for true connection and intimacy.
    • Armor vs. Strength: Redefining resilience as emotional flexibility and the capacity to feel without being destroyed.
    • Taxonomy of Protection: Identifying the Achiever, the Caretaker, and the Intellectual armor in your own life.
    • Previewing Transformation: A look ahead at next week’s guest, Amy Purdy, and the shift from survival to significance.
    Full Shownotes: https://passionstruck.com/survival-identity-john-r-miles/
    Explore the Companion Episode Workbook: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/survival-identity-emotional-armor

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

    Connect with John
    • Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/
    • Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
    • Keynotes, books, podcast, and resources: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles
    • Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/
    • Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/

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

    Disclaimer

    The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.
    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
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