In this episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Sunita Sah—physician, behavioral scientist, and author of Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes—to explore one of the most overlooked yet essential human forces: defiance.

Part of our ongoing series The Forces That Shape Us, this conversation dives into why we struggle to say no, even when our inner voice knows we should. Dr. Sah reveals how subtle social pressures—from authority, hierarchy, and culture—can override our values and decisions without us realizing it. She explains the neuroscience behind compliance, why defying those pressures feels so uncomfortable, and how to develop the moral courage to stand firm when it matters most.

Catch more of Dr. Sunita Sah: https://www.sunitasah.com/

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Preorder John's new Children's Book, You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

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What if luck isn’t a matter of chance—but a hidden design you can learn to navigate?

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores how some people seem to “always be in the right place at the right time” — not because they’re blessed by fate, but because they’ve learned to read the invisible rulebook of luck.

Drawing on the groundbreaking work of bestselling author Amy Leigh Mercree and economist Judd Kessler, co-author of Lucky by Design, John unpacks how hidden systems, intuitive sensing, and strategic choices shape opportunities long before they appear.

You’ll learn:

• How “luck” hides in invisible structures—and how to map them
• Why intuition is less woo-woo and more Wi-Fi, helping you detect signals others miss
• The power of “settling for silver” as a strategic advantage, not a compromise
• Practical tools to design your own luck through intentional moves

Along the way, John shares a personal story of overcoming early adversity that shaped his ability to sense and design opportunities differently. Whether you’re navigating your career, relationships, or life’s next chapter, this episode will give you a new lens for understanding how luck works—and how to work with it.

Check out the Full show notes

Preorder John's new Children's Book, You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, John shares behind-the-scenes insights, deeper dives into the episodes, workbooks, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing it: https://startmattering.com/

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John brings on Wharton economist Judd B. Kessler to unpack why outcomes that look like luck are usually the product of hidden market designs. Kessler explains the three E’s—equity, efficiency, and ease—and why designers must make those tradeoffs explicit. He shows how to win in choose-me markets (jobs, dating, college admissions) by signaling clearly and sometimes prioritizing early commitment (e.g., early decision). In high-scarcity races (restaurant reservations, tickets), he argues for “settling for silver”—acting on a strong second choice first—to beat the crowd.

The conversation gets tactical: how to stand out when AI drafts cover letters, why human connection cuts through noise, how public-school lotteries and clearinghouses really work, and how to make household labor fair using envy-freeness and full-stack task ownership (Conception-Planning-Execution). Listeners leave with a repeatable loop: see the market, learn the rules, choose the strategy—and start designing luck on purpose. 

Catch more of Judd Kessler: https://bepp.wharton.upenn.edu/profile/juddk/

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Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Subscribe🔗  and get the companion resources delivered straight to your inbox.

If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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.

In this live episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with bestselling author and medical intuitive Amy Leigh Mercree to explore the profound connection between energy, awareness, and intentional living. They discuss how tuning into your personal energy field can enhance emotional regulation, deepen intuition, and improve how you show up in the world. Amy shares practical techniques for sensing and aligning energy, blending spiritual insight with grounded, actionable tools. Amy a bestselling author of more than fifteen books, including Aura Alchemy, A Little Bit of Chakras, and A Little Bit of Mindfulness

Amy discusses how to turn your passion for healing into a thriving career of impact, purpose, and abundance, as a Certified Atomic Healing™ Method Medical Intuitive. Learn more: https://amyleighmercree.com/atomic-healing-method-certification/.

Click here for the full shownotes!

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Subscribe🔗  and get the companion resources delivered straight to your inbox.

If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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 doubt isn’t a weakness to overcome, but a gravitational force that pulls us toward meaning?

In this powerful solo episode, John R. Miles kicks off the new Forces That Pull Us series by exploring doubt—an invisible psychological and cultural force that shapes our choices, our growth, and our sense of self. Drawing on insights from performance psychologist Michael Gervais, physician-researcher Brennan Spiegel, and business ethicist Bobby Parmar, John examines doubt from three angles:

1. The Psychological Gravity — How doubt shows up internally, why FOPO (Fear of People’s Opinions) can paralyze us, and how elite performers learn to work with uncertainty rather than against it.
2. The External Pull — How unseen technological and cultural forces shape what we notice and believe, based on Brennan Spiegel’s groundbreaking book Pull.
3. Radical Doubt as a Skill — How Bobby Parmar’s framework transforms doubt from a source of anxiety into a disciplined tool for better decision-making.

This episode offers practical tools for identifying, interrogating, and harnessing doubt in your own life—whether you’re making a major decision, leading a team, or confronting internal narratives that hold you back.

Full shownotes HERE

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, John shares behind-the-scenes insights, deeper dives into the episodes, workbooks, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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.

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Bidhan “Bobby” Parmar, Shannon G. Smith Bicentennial Professor of Business Administration at UVA’s Darden School and author of Radical Doubt: Turning Uncertainty into Surefire Success. Together, they unpack why doubt isn’t a weakness to overcome but a force to harness.

Bobby explains how our brains rely on three systems—pursue, protect, and pause—and why learning to strengthen the “pause” system can transform how we make decisions in moments of uncertainty. They explore why information alone doesn’t change behavior, the dangers of being a “right-answer getter,” and how to become a “better-answer maker.” Through real-world examples ranging from career paralysis to leadership dilemmas, Bobby offers tools for using doubt as a catalyst for clarity, resilience, and smarter choices.

Whether you’re leading a team, making big life decisions, or simply navigating the unknown, this conversation reframes doubt as the superpower you’ve been overlooking.

To learn more about Dr. Bobby Parmar: https://www.darden.virginia.edu/faculty-research/directory/bidhan-l-parmar

Click here for the full shownotes!

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Subscribe🔗  and get the companion resources delivered straight to your inbox.

If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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.

Gravity is everywhere—yet we rarely think about its impact on our health. In this episode, Dr. Brennan Spiegel, UCLA Professor and author of the groundbreaking new book Pull: How Gravity Shapes Your Body, Steadies the Mind, and Guides Our Health, joins John R. Miles to reframe gravity not just as a force of physics, but as a hidden variable in human health and resilience.

They explore how posture, balance, grip strength, and heart rate variability reveal your “gravity relationship,” why serotonin is really a “gravity management substance,” and how gut health, mood, and even mental states like anxiety and depression are shaped by gravitational forces. Spiegel introduces concepts like “gravity intolerance,” “graviception,” and “gravi types,” showing how simple practices, from standing desks and rucking to inverted yoga, can help you find your personal Goldilocks zone for optimal health.

This conversation will change how you think about your body, your mind, and the invisible forces pulling on both.

Click here for the full shownotes!

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Subscribe🔗  and get the companion resources delivered straight to your inbox.

If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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 is the story you’re telling yourself right now?

It may not feel like it, but every single one of us is living inside a story. Psychologists call it a self-narrative — the ongoing script that explains who we are, how we got here, and where we’re headed next. These stories shape what we notice, what we ignore, and what we believe is possible.

If your inner story says, “I’m not enough,” then every critique, silence, or setback feels like proof of inadequacy. But if your story says, “I am resilient, I am growing,” those same experiences become evidence of strength. The circumstances don’t change. The story does.

In this final episode of my Decoding Humanity series, we’re looking at the power of story: why it matters, how it’s formed, and how you can begin to rewrite it using the S.T.O.R.Y. framework.

Full shownotes HERE

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, John shares behind-the-scenes insights, deeper dives into the episodes, workbooks, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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.

Life has a way of testing us in ways we never imagined. For some, those tests are inconveniences or temporary setbacks. For others, like Sandy Yozipovic, there are battles that most of us could not even fathom. Imagine one day waking up paralyzed from Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease that attacks the nervous system. And then, years later, you are told you have Stage 4 cancer, and the prognosis is grim.

Most people would crumble under the weight of such a diagnosis. Sandy faced both. Yet, instead of surrendering, she chose to stack the odds in her favor and build a life of faith, resilience, and healing.

Her story, which she shared with me on the Passion Struck podcast, isn’t just about survival. It’s about how to live intentionally when life delivers its harshest blows. It’s about finding strength in the unseen, turning fear into faith, and proving what it looks like to truly overcome impossible odds.

Sandy is co-founder and President of Fullness of Life Foundation –a nonprofit that provides public information, education, and awareness regarding the use of advanced, integrative medicine in the prevention and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases. Their “Give Them Wings” program helps with the financial barriers that families face by sponsoring the treatment for children with life-threatening cancer or other diseases. Her healing journey led her to the Envita Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she experienced firsthand the power of integrative and personalized medicine. 

Click here for the full shownotes!

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Subscribe🔗  and get the companion resources delivered straight to your inbox.

If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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 does it really take to start over — to walk away from something you’ve built and chase something entirely new? In this inspiring conversation, John R. Miles sits down with Joel Beasley, technologist, entrepreneur, and host of Modern CTO, one of the most respected podcasts for technology leaders worldwide.

But this episode isn’t about scaling tech companies, it’s about scaling yourself. Joel opens up about the mindset shifts that took him from self-taught coder to globally respected podcast host, and now, into a completely new arc: pursuing his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian.

Together, John and Joel unpack what it means to create meaning beyond metrics, why relationships are the true currency of leadership, and how to turn fear and failure into fuel for growth. Whether you’re a technologist, entrepreneur, or simply someone feeling the pull toward something more, Joel’s story will leave you rethinking what’s possible when you dare to start again.

Click here for the full shownotes!

Go Deeper: The Ignited Life Substack

If this episode stirred something in you, The Ignited Life is where the transformation continues. Each week, I share behind-the-scenes insights, science-backed tools, and personal reflections to help you turn intention into action.

Subscribe🔗  and get the companion resources delivered straight to your inbox.

Catch more of Joel Beasley: https://moderncto.io/joel-beasley/

If you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.

Get the full companion workbook at TheIgnitedLife.net

Full episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JohnRMiles

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts

Everyone deserves to feel valued and important. Show it by wearing 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.