
Sign up to save your podcasts
Or


Based on Podcast App listening data
Have you ever walked away from a conversation thinking, "That's not what I meant at all"?
Whether it's with your partner, your child, a coworker, or a friend, being misunderstood can leave you feeling frustrated, disconnected, and unseen. The surprising truth is that most communication problems aren't caused by what we say—they're caused by the emotional noise that gets in the way of what others hear.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with bestselling author Greg McKeown, creator of Essentialism and Effortless, to explore a powerful idea he calls confident misunderstanding—our tendency to believe we've understood someone when we've actually missed what matters most. Together, they discuss why this hidden gap affects every relationship in our lives and how learning to reduce emotional noise can transform the way we communicate, lead, parent, and connect with others.
Whether you're leading a team, navigating family dynamics, or simply trying to have more meaningful conversations, this episode will give you practical tools to communicate with greater clarity and create a deeper human connection. Because people don't remember every word you say. They remember whether they felt understood.
Limited Time Offers:
Full Show Notes Here: https://passionstruck.com/greg-mckeown-confident-misunderstanding/
Download the Companion Workbook and Substack Article
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores one of the defining challenges of modern life: why so many people feel invisible in a world that has never been more connected. Drawing on the Civil War phenomenon of acoustic shadows, insights from Eric Ries and Dr. John La Puma, and themes from his forthcoming book The Mattering Effect, John reveals how millions of people are living in a state of quiet disconnection—surrounded by information, productivity tools, and digital networks, yet increasingly cut off from belonging, significance, and genuine human connection.
As artificial intelligence reshapes careers, institutions become more impersonal, and digital life pulls us further indoors, many people find themselves trapped in what John calls the "pinball life"—a reactive existence spent bouncing between demands, notifications, metrics, and expectations. The result is a growing mattering gap: the painful feeling that your output is valued while your humanity is overlooked.
Through powerful examples from WALL-E, modern workplace culture, parenting, environmental psychology, and behavioral science, John explains why optimization alone cannot solve our loneliness, why survival mode often disguises itself as ambition, and how reclaiming presence is the first step toward rebuilding a life rooted in significance rather than performance.
In this episode, you'll learn:
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with physician, bestselling author, and lifestyle medicine pioneer Dr. John La Puma to explore what he calls the Indoor Epidemic—the growing disconnect between the environments humans evolved to live in and the environments where we now spend nearly 93% of our lives.
From artificial light and screen saturation to poor indoor air quality and the loss of daily contact with nature, Dr. La Puma explains how modern indoor living may be quietly contributing to fatigue, burnout, brain fog, poor sleep, chronic stress, and declining well-being. He argues that many of the symptoms we blame on mindset, aging, or productivity pressures may actually stem from environmental dysregulation.
Together, John and Dr. La Puma explore the science behind morning sunlight, outdoor exercise, forest bathing, healthy soil, immune function, cognitive performance, and why nature may be one of the most overlooked forms of medicine available today.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why burnout may be an environmental problem—not just a psychological one
• How indoor living disrupts sleep, energy, focus, and recovery
• The surprising cognitive costs of poor air quality and excessive screen time
• Why morning sunlight is critical for deep sleep and long-term health
• How forest bathing strengthens immunity and reduces stress
• Simple ways to turn everyday outdoor moments into powerful health interventions
This conversation is ultimately about alignment—whether the environments we've created are supporting the biology we've inherited, and what happens when we reconnect with the natural rhythms that help us thrive.
Passion Struck is the #1 Health and Wellness Podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to helping people live intentionally, unlock human potential, and create lives filled with meaning, purpose, and mattering.
Limited Time Offers:
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
How does a company that starts with a meaningful mission slowly become a place people no longer trust?
It happens more often than most leaders realize. Organizations begin with a desire to serve customers, employees, and communities, but over time, pressure for short-term results can quietly pull them away from the values that once defined them. The result isn't just declining performance—it's the loss of trust, purpose, and humanity.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with entrepreneur, bestselling author, and Lean Startup creator Eric Ries to explore why great companies lose their way—and what leaders can do to prevent it. Drawing on insights from his new book, Incorruptible, Eric introduces the idea of financial gravity, the invisible force that pulls organizations away from long-term value creation and toward short-term extraction. Through stories of companies like Costco, Microsoft, Walmart, Amazon, and Silicon Valley Bank, he reveals why trust is an organization's greatest competitive advantage and how leaders can build institutions that endure.
Whether you're leading a startup, a global organization, or a small team, this conversation offers a practical blueprint for creating a culture where people trust the mission as much as the results. Because the companies that stand the test of time don't just grow bigger. They stay true to what made them worth building in the first place.
Limited Time Offers:
Full Show Notes
Download the companion Substack Article and Workbook
Learn More About Eric Ries: https://www.ericries.com
Get Eric's New Book: Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Have you ever wondered if everything you've been through has a purpose?
Maybe you've worked hard to overcome disappointment, failure, loss, or burnout, only to find yourself asking, What was it all for? It's easy to believe that healing is something we do alone. But what if the final step in your own growth isn't about becoming a better version of yourself—it's about helping someone else because of what you've lived through?
In this solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores why our greatest struggles were never meant to remain private victories. Drawing inspiration from The Shawshank Redemption, behavioral coach Eric Zimmer, and Say It Now founder Walter Green, he reveals how the experiences that once wounded us can become the very source of hope, connection, and meaning for others.
Along the way, John examines why dramatic life changes so often fail, why small acts of courage create lasting transformation, and how expressing specific gratitude can deepen relationships before it's too late. He also shares a personal story of unspoken appreciation that illustrates how even one conversation can change the course of a life.
If you've been carrying pain, questioning your purpose, or wondering whether your struggles mattered, this episode offers a hopeful reminder: the experiences that shaped you can also become the gifts that shape someone else's life.
Limited Time Offer
Full Show Notes HERE
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Walter Green, author, mentor, and former corporate CEO, to confront a universal human truth: why you need to say it now rather than regret it later. We live in a fast-paced, performance-driven culture where we routinely postpone deep expressions of gratitude, leaving a profound emotional deficit in our closest relationships. This hesitation forces millions of people to walk through life feeling completely invisible, only for their loved ones to finally articulate their value during a funeral when it is too late for them to hear it.
Through his global initiative, the Say It Now movement, and his foundational book, This Is the Moment, Walter reveals how replacing traditional, posthumous eulogies with living tributes can fundamentally heal our relationships. This conversation explores the hidden grief of unspoken gratitude, the vital difference between being loved for what you do versus being valued for who you are, and how to move past social awkwardness to communicate specific appreciation while the people we care about are still here to hear it.In this episode, you’ll learn:
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Eric Zimmer, behavioral coach, author, and host of the award-winning podcast The One You Feed, to discuss why so many people struggle to maintain consistent habits, the hidden psychological exhaustion of constant self-reinvention, and the science behind his upcoming book, How a Little Becomes a Lot. We live in a culture obsessed with radical life overhauls and hyper-optimization, yet this big-bang approach to personal growth often triggers burnout, friction, and an endless cycle of starting over.
Through his extensive work in behavioral psychology, Eric reveals a truth that changes how we approach self-improvement: lasting transformation occurs through low-resistance actions consistently taken in the same direction over time. This conversation explores how to navigate the dry stretch of the long middle, neutralize the emotional drama of a setback using the renew framework, and shift away from a harsh internal critic toward a neuroscience-backed habit of self-compassion.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles reveals why achieving everything you ever wanted can still leave you feeling profoundly empty—and what real, radical transformation actually requires.
Most of us treat personal growth like a home renovation project: we try to stack better habits, tighter routines, and sharper skills on top of the same old foundation. But true change—the kind that rewires who you are at the core—doesn’t work through simple addition. It demands dissolution.
In part three of our solo series, Forged in Adversity, John explores the hidden architecture of profound human change through raw, unvarnished conversations with Amy Purdy and Blake Mycoskie, weaving in the timeless, cautionary, and triumphant lessons from The Count of Monte Cristo.
Together, their stories expose a critical truth: Healing is not about patching up or returning to your old self. It is an alchemical process of burning away the armor that once saved you so that something entirely new can emerge.
In this episode, you will learn:
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Have you ever felt like no matter how much you accomplish, it still doesn't feel like enough?
You hit the goal. You earn the promotion. You build the business. From the outside, your life looks successful. Yet somehow the finish line keeps moving, and the voice telling you that you should be doing more never gets quieter.
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with entrepreneur, philanthropist, and TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie to explore one of the most common struggles among high achievers: believing that your worth has to be earned. After building a globally recognized company, donating more than 100 million pairs of shoes, and achieving extraordinary success, Blake found himself battling depression, burnout, and the painful belief that he still wasn't enough.
Rather than offering another conversation about achievement, Blake shares what happened when he stopped looking for fulfillment in external success and began rebuilding his life from the inside out. Together, he and John explore why so many people tie their identity to productivity, comparison, and validation—and how reclaiming intrinsic worth can transform the way we lead, love, and live.
If you've ever wondered why success hasn't brought the peace you expected, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: your value was never meant to be measured by what you accomplish. It begins with recognizing what has been true all along—you are enough.
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
What do you do when the life you planned suddenly disappears?
Whether you're facing loss, a health crisis, burnout, or an unexpected setback, it's easy to believe your best days are behind you. But what if your greatest challenge could become the beginning of a life you never imagined?
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Paralympic medalist, bestselling author, and resilience advocate Amy Purdy to explore what it truly means to bounce forward. After surviving meningococcal meningitis at just 19 years old and losing both of her legs below the knee, Amy faced the impossible task of rebuilding her identity. Instead of allowing adversity to define her future, she discovered a new path—one rooted in purpose, courage, and possibility.
Together, John and Amy explore why resilience isn't about returning to who you were before hardship. It's about becoming someone stronger because of it. They discuss how gratitude changes the way we experience suffering, why uncertainty often creates unexpected opportunities, and how taking small, intentional steps can help you move forward when the future feels uncertain.
If you're navigating a difficult season or wondering how to move forward after life didn't go according to plan, this conversation will remind you that your circumstances don't determine what's possible—your next step does.
Pre-Order The Mattering Effect: https://matteringeffect.com/. Take the 90-second diagnostic to see if you're disappearing.
Explore the Show: https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. New to Passion Struck? Start with the best episodes curated for you.
Connect with John
Support the Movement: https://startmattering.com/. Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck — #1 Alternative Health Podcast. 85M+ downloads.
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.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
From the publisher's feed
Ranked by our users in the last 21 days

2,586 Listeners

828 Listeners

3,307 Listeners

21,067 Listeners

12,718 Listeners

2,017 Listeners

31,724 Listeners

3,421 Listeners

9,143 Listeners

27,673 Listeners

822 Listeners

915 Listeners

19,285 Listeners

2,645 Listeners

8,471 Listeners