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 mistake
• How behavioral economics challenges the myth of rational decision making
• What mental representation is and how it distorts the choices we believe we’re making
• Why loss aversion and sunk costs keep us chasing bad outcomes
• How uncertainty, competition, and ego interact to produce overconfidence
• Why AI and algorithms often magnify human bias instead of correcting it
• Practical 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 conflict
• The 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 understanding
• What taboo tradeoffs (refusing to compromise sacred values for gain) and tragic tradeoffs (competing sacred values) reveal about human nature
• Why 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 it
• How reclaiming inherent worth forms the unshakeable foundation of significance
• The difference between extraction (success) and circulation (meaning) in daily life
• Why mature attention shifts from facade (impressing others) to windows (truly seeing)
• How immersion in the ordinary creates deeper resonance than chasing intensity
• Why 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 truth
• How the heart functions as our strongest muscle and most reliable compass
• The difference between nostalgia and the healing use of memory
• Why dreams remain essential to aliveness in the second half of life
• How immersion, not excellence, creates meaning and creativity
• A simple question that reveals whether something is life-giving or life-draining
• How the metaphor of the meteor explains why aging can bring greater clarity
• Why caring deeply for the smallest detail connects us to the wider human story
• What it means to say yes to life in a way that affirms that you matter
• How 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 own
• The Wheel of Love: 10 concrete expressions including compassion, mirth, forgiveness, listening, creativity, and carefrontation
• The Seven Paths to Inner Peace and how to integrate them for personal and societal flourishing
• Science-backed benefits of kind giving: Reduced stress, greater happiness, purpose, and even physical health
• Why following your calling from an early age leads to a balanced, meaningful life
• Stories of the "one mind": Interconnected consciousness beyond the brain, including maternal intuition
• Practical ways parents can model and raise kind children in today's culture
• How 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 exhaustion
• The science of Dunbar's number and its role in anxiety, burnout, and division
• How shrinking your world restores focus, empathy, and real impact without isolation
• Practical ways to identify and nurture your true tribe in 2026
• Why large-group thinking treats others as threats and how small-scale living rebuilds peace
• Reflections 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 loss
• The 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 connection
• Why fertility and reproductive choices are not “women’s issues” but human issues that demand broader understanding
• The danger of tying women’s worth to motherhood and how redefining agency frees us all
• What 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 demand
• Why optimal anxiety is the gateway to flow—not the enemy—and how to use stress as fuel
• The power of "The Shift": Moving from proving yourself to simply being yourself
• Real lessons from elite performers, including Usain Bolt, Alex Honnold, and NBA superstars
• How the 10-Hertz alpha state works and practical ways to access it
• Why 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 talent
• The five essential roles every high performing team must have and what happens when one is missing
• Why traditional team building often creates more friction instead of trust
• How elite teams, from professional sports to special operations units, adapt leadership based on context
• How to identify your own natural role and help others play to their strengths
• What 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.