Today's episode will change the way you think about personal transformation.

Have you ever caught yourself doing something you promised yourself you wouldn't do again?

• Maybe it's overworking when you said you'd slow down.
• Maybe it's checking your phone instead of being present.
• Maybe it's saying yes when you desperately wanted to say no.

Or maybe you keep returning to the same habits, relationships, or patterns—even though you know they're no longer serving you.

If you've ever wondered, "Why do I keep becoming the same person?" this episode is for you.

Drawing on two powerful conversations with bestselling authors Nick Ortner (Rewired) and Jon Gordon (The Power of Positive Habits), John reveals why lasting change isn't simply about discipline, motivation, or trying harder.

Instead, you'll discover why your brain is wired to choose what's familiar over what's healthy—and how small, repeated actions can teach your nervous system that a new way of living is finally safe.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why your brain naturally chooses familiarity over growth—even when familiar is no longer serving you
• The surprising reason discipline alone rarely creates lasting transformation
• How your nervous system quietly pulls you back toward old habits, relationships, and behaviors
• Why discomfort is often a sign you're growing—not a sign you're failing
• How tiny daily habits reshape your identity more effectively than dramatic life changes
• Why confidence usually comes after change—not before it
• How ordinary repetitions gradually teach your brain that healthier patterns are safe
• The connection between neuroscience, habits, and the science of flourishing
• Practical ways to stop living on autopilot and begin creating lasting change

Here's the truth:

Real transformation doesn't happen because you finally become more disciplined.

It happens because your mind and body slowly learn to trust a different way of living.

Because flourishing isn't about becoming someone new. It's about becoming at home with the person you've always been capable of becoming.

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 today's episode, you'll learn why the habits that shape your life aren't the obvious ones—they're the small, daily choices that quietly determine how you think, lead, and respond when life doesn't go according to plan.

If you've ever found yourself battling negative thoughts, comparing your success to everyone else's, or wondering how to stay motivated when the excitement fades, this conversation will give you a practical framework for building habits that create lasting growth.

Joining me is bestselling author and leadership expert Jon Gordon. For more than two decades, Jon has helped Fortune 500 companies, championship sports teams, military organizations, and millions of readers understand how positive habits become the foundation for extraordinary leadership and meaningful lives. In his newest book, The Power of Positive Habits, he shares the simple practices that helped transform his own life—and the lessons he's taught to some of the world's highest-performing organizations.

Together, we explore why success isn't built on dramatic breakthroughs but on consistent decisions that compound over time.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why talking to yourself instead of listening to yourself can completely change your mindset
• How to stop comparing your journey to everyone else's and start running your own race
• Why trusting your bigger life plan creates resilience during uncertainty
• The surprising habit that improves your energy, metabolism, and mental clarity every day
• How purpose statements help leaders stay focused when motivation disappears
• Why celebrating other people's success accelerates your own growth
• How to recognize the "energy vampires" that quietly drain your confidence and performance
• Why the legacy you leave is created through thousands of small habits—not one defining moment

The truth is this: your future isn't determined by a single decision. It's shaped by the habits you repeat every day. And as Jon explains, even one small change in how you think, lead, or serve others can create extraordinary results over time.

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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.

Today's episode will change how you think about anxiety, fear, and the stories you've been telling yourself about who you are.

Have you ever thought:

• Why do I keep repeating the same patterns?
• Why do certain memories still have power over me years later?
• Or maybe you've convinced yourself that this is just who you are.

According to today's guest, that's not true.

You can change your brain. You can change your emotional patterns. And you can become someone new without rejecting who you've been.

Joining John today is Nick Ortner, New York Times bestselling author of The Tapping Solution and his new book, Rewired. For more than two decades, Nick has helped millions of people use Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to overcome anxiety, release trauma, and create lasting change.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• How tapping calms the nervous system and interrupts fear patterns
• Why painful memories continue to shape your behavior years later
• The science behind rewiring beliefs that keep you stuck
• How to overcome procrastination, self-doubt, and performance anxiety
• Why we spend more energy managing fear than pursuing possibility
• The surprising reason so many people no longer feel at home in their own lives
• What it means to develop self-trust and reclaim your emotional freedom

Here's the powerful truth at the center of this conversation: You don't have to remain who you've always been.

Your past may have shaped you. It does not have to define you. And once you understand how change actually happens, you can stop managing old wounds and start building the life you want.

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 if flourishing isn't something you achieve someday—but something you practice in the life you're already living?

In this episode, John R. Miles explores the first step toward becoming fully alive: presence. Drawing from three unforgettable conversations with Navy SEAL and Paralympian Dan Cnossen, entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie, and spiritual teacher Gabby Bernstein, he examines the questions that emerge when our old ways of living no longer work.

If you've been waiting for life to settle down before you fully show up, chasing achievement in hopes that it will finally make you feel enough, or caring for everyone around you while losing touch with yourself, this episode offers a different path forward.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

• Why the life you're waiting to begin may have already begun
• How to stop treating difficult seasons as interruptions instead of your actual training ground
• Why success and achievement can never answer the question, "Am I enough?"
• What it means to remain connected to yourself when the applause grows quiet
• How self-compassion becomes the foundation for lasting transformation
• The powerful question that can reveal whether you've become a safe place to come home to
• Why flourishing begins not in some future version of your life, but in this ordinary, imperfect moment

At the heart of this episode are three questions worth carrying into your own life:

What are you waiting to begin that has already begun?

Who are you when there's nothing left to prove?

Was I a safe place to come home to today?

Because becoming fully alive isn't about finding another life. It's about inhabiting the one that's already 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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 if the guidance you’ve been searching for has been with you all along?

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to stay connected to something greater than yourself—even during grief, uncertainty, illness, or life's most overwhelming moments.

If you've ever wondered whether you're truly alone, struggled to find peace in difficult seasons, or sensed that there is a deeper wisdom available to you, this conversation will give you practical tools to access it.

John welcomes Suzanne Giesemann back to Passion Struck. A former Navy Commander and aide to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff turned evidential medium and spiritual teacher, Suzanne shares insights from her new book, Always Connected, and explains why our connection to spirit is never lost—even when we forget it.

In this conversation, you'll learn: 

• The overlooked practice that helps create a deeper connection to intuition and spirit
• How to use Suzanne's three-minute "SIP of the Divine" method—even if meditation feels impossible
• How to distinguish genuine guidance from fear, doubt, and imagination
• Why adversity and physical challenges can become profound spiritual teachers
• What evidence-based mediumship reveals about grief, healing, and life beyond death
• Practical ways to navigate disappointment, self-worth struggles, and uncertainty with greater peace

Suzanne brings together military discipline, spiritual insight, and a grounded approach to the unseen. Whether you're exploring these ideas for the first time or have been walking this path for years, this conversation is a reminder that connection is not something you create—it is something you remember. 

And perhaps the most important truth of all: even in your hardest moments, you are never alone.

For full show notes, resources, and Suzanne’s new book, visit the episode page.

Download the companion workbook.

If you liked this episode, go back and listen to Suzanne’s first appearance on Passion Struck (Episode 622).
 

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 executive coach, former therapist, and former U.S. National Team rower Whitney Otto to explore one of the most personal struggles people carry: their relationship with their bodies.

Drawing from her new book, Body Image Inside Out, co-authored with Deb Schachter, Whitney challenges the belief that body image is merely about appearance. Instead, she reveals how our feelings about our bodies are deeply intertwined with our experiences of belonging, family, achievement, health, and self-worth. Their conversation explores why negative body image often becomes a container for overwhelming emotions, how shame thrives in secrecy, and why curiosity may be a more powerful path to healing than self-improvement.

John and Whitney discuss the hidden costs of being at war with ourselves, the role of relational mirrors in shaping identity, and why many high performers continue to struggle with feeling comfortable in their own skin despite outward success. Through personal stories, practical exercises, and compassionate insights, they offer a new framework for understanding body image—not as an enemy to conquer, but as a relationship that can be nurtured, understood, and transformed.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why body image is shaped by relationships, culture, health experiences, and belonging—not simply physical appearance
• The hidden emotional and psychological costs of being at war with your body
• How negative body image often becomes a way of managing overwhelming feelings such as sadness, anxiety, fear, and loneliness
• Why curiosity and self-compassion are more effective than self-criticism when creating lasting change
• What "relational mirrors" reveal about the people who help us feel seen—and those who diminish our sense of self
• How jealousy can become a teacher that points us toward deeper desires rather than a source of shame or comparison
• The Body Image Rotary framework and how to interrupt cycles of self-criticism before they become habitual patterns
• Why the process of getting dressed can become a daily practice of self-awareness and sensory compassion rather than judgment
• How early experiences with caregivers influence our relationship with our bodies throughout adulthood
• The simple but profound question Whitney believes every person should ask themselves: "What are you feeling?" instead of "What do I need to fix?"

This conversation offers a compassionate roadmap for moving from self-judgment to self-understanding, showing that flourishing begins not by changing our bodies, but by changing the relationship we have with them. As Whitney reminds us, our bodies are often carrying stories that our minds have not yet found the words to tell.

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:
Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK
Function Health: functionhealth.com/PASSION or use gift code PASSION25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes

Download the Digital Workbook

Learn more about Whitney Otto:
Website: https://www.bodyimageinsideout.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-otto/

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.

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 if the person you've been trying to become is actually pulling you farther away from who you really are?

In today's episode, you'll discover why so many of us spend our lives performing, achieving, and adapting—only to wake up feeling disconnected from ourselves.

Have you ever felt like you're living the life everyone expected you to build, but still wonder if something is missing?

Do you find yourself chasing success, approval, or perfection, yet struggle to feel like you're enough?

Or maybe you've become so busy meeting everyone else's expectations that you've forgotten what it feels like to simply be yourself.

According to John, the greatest form of disconnection isn't losing touch with other people.

It's losing touch with who you are.

Drawing on the timeless story of Hook, along with insights from psychology, attachment theory, and the remarkable conversations that shaped the Connection Crisis series, John explores why flourishing isn't about becoming someone new—it's about remembering the person you've been all along.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why the survival strategies that once protected you can quietly become your identity
• How childhood expectations and early relationships shape the person you believe you have to be
• What Hook reveals about memory, identity, and the gradual process of forgetting yourself
• The hidden difference between living authentically and performing for approval
• Why success often feels empty when it isn't connected to who you truly are
• How perfectionism, people-pleasing, hyper-independence, and overachievement become emotional armor
• Why belonging and mattering are essential to rediscovering your authentic self
• How trusted relationships help you remember the person you've always been
• Why real courage isn't reinventing yourself—it's trusting the person beneath the expectations
• What it truly means to flourish by returning to the life you already have with greater awareness and intention

Here's the truth:

• You don't have to become someone else to live a more meaningful life.
• You don't have to earn your worth through achievement.
• And you don't have to spend another day chasing a version of yourself that was never meant to define you.

Sometimes the bravest thing you'll ever do is remember who you've been all along.

Limited-Time Offers:

• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Function Health: Visit functionhealth.com/PASSION or use code PASSION25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK.

Full Show Notes

Download the Digital Workbook
 

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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.

Today's episode will change the way you think about leadership, recognition, and what people need most to thrive at work.

Do you ever feel like your hard work goes unnoticed?

Have you ever wondered why talented people lose motivation—even in organizations with great pay, benefits, and opportunities?

Or maybe you're a leader who's trying to build a stronger culture but isn't sure why engagement, trust, or morale still feel out of reach.

According to today's guest, the problem isn't a lack of appreciation.

It's that people don't just want to be recognized.

They want to know they matter.

Joining John R. Miles is Adrian Gostick, bestselling author, workplace culture expert, and one of the world's leading researchers on leadership and employee engagement. Drawing on decades of research involving hundreds of thousands of leaders and employees, Adrian reveals why recognition is one of the most powerful—and overlooked—drivers of trust, resilience, innovation, and performance.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why leaders consistently overestimate how appreciated their employees actually feel
• How the "gratitude gap" quietly undermines engagement, trust, and performance
• Why recognition is a fundamental human need—not just a leadership technique
• How uncertainty fuels workplace anxiety and what exceptional leaders do differently
• Why people perform at their best when they know their work truly matters
• The difference between generic praise and meaningful recognition that changes behavior
• How situational leadership helps you bring out the best in every individual
• Why empathy, curiosity, and understanding people's stories have become essential leadership skills
• Practical ways to create a culture where people feel seen, valued, and motivated to contribute
• How leading with gratitude strengthens resilience, retention, innovation, and long-term organizational success

Whether you lead a global organization, a small team, or simply want to become a better colleague, this conversation will change how you think about the people around you—and the impact you have on their lives.

Because the greatest leaders don't simply inspire performance.

They create environments where people know they matter.

Limited Time Offers:

• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Function Health: functionhealth.com/PASSION or use gift code PASSION25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes

Download the Digital Workbook

Learn more about Adrian Gostick:

• Website: https://adriangostick.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adriangostick/
• X: https://x.com/adriangostick

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 internationally acclaimed speaker, activist, and best-selling author Spencer West to explore the journey of breaking free from external expectations and overcoming identity distortion.

Drawing from his remarkable life—including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro on his hands—Spencer shares why so many of us unknowingly build lives around inherited definitions of success and why safety often becomes the greatest obstacle to authenticity. Together, John and Spencer examine why belonging without authenticity ultimately leaves us feeling empty, how identity becomes distorted over time, and why flourishing begins the moment we stop asking who the world wants us to be and start asking who we truly are.

Their conversation explores the psychological mechanics of what Spencer calls "the trap," the profound difference between simple belonging and true mattering, and how he redefined his disability from a medical circumstance into a core pillar of his identity. Spencer also introduces practical frameworks from his new book, Breaking Free, including how to find your personal spotlight, cultivate a sense of play, and pivot from a life of passive passion to one of deep, systemic purpose.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why so many people fall into the trap of living a safe, uninspired life instead of an authentic one.
• The critical distinction between simple belonging and true mattering, illustrated by Spencer's childhood gym and cheerleading experiences.
• How identity distortion occurs when we shelve our authentic selves to meet external structures.
• Spencer's transformative experience in Kenya that redefined his disability into a superpower and calling.
• What "the trap" looks like in daily life and how to recognize when you are caught in a cage of your own design.
• How to find your personal spotlight through low-stakes creative exploration and intentional play.
• The evolutionary shift from personal passion to systemic purpose, using the context of his historic ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro.
• The symbol of the cairn and how we all have the capacity to serve as navigational markers for others.
• Spencer's keys to impactful public speaking: knowing your audience completely and sharing universal human lessons.
• Why embracing vulnerability and mistakes on stage creates deeper human connection.

This conversation offers a powerful roadmap for understanding why we become who we are, how to reject a safe but uninspired life, and what it takes to intentionally build a life focused on authentic purpose.

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:

1. Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK
2. Function Health: functionhealth.com/PASSION or use gift code PASSION25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
3. FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes

Download the Digital Workbook (Ignited Life Article)

Learn more about Spencer West:
Website: https://www.spencer2thewest.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spencer2thewest
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spencer2thewest
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer2thewest

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.

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles continues the Connection Crisis series by exploring one of the most overlooked reasons we feel disconnected—not from other people, but from ourselves.

Many of us believe our struggles stem from the people in our lives or the circumstances around us. But what if the real barrier to connection isn't external at all? What if the invisible identities we developed to survive childhood are still quietly shaping our relationships, careers, and sense of self today?

In this episode, John introduces a powerful new framework: The Backpack We Never Chose—a metaphor for the emotional survival strategies, protective identities, and hidden attachments we carry long after they have outlived their purpose. Drawing on attachment psychology, neuroscience, William James' concept of the "I" and the "Me," and his own journey through burnout and corporate leadership, John reveals why so many of us confuse our coping strategies with who we really are.

You'll discover why perfectionism, hyper-independence, people-pleasing, and the relentless pursuit of achievement often begin as adaptive responses to early life experiences—and how those same strategies can quietly become barriers to authentic connection, belonging, and mattering.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why hidden attachments are often more powerful than attachment styles alone
• How childhood survival strategies become adult identities
• Why perfectionism, people-pleasing, hyper-independence, and overachievement are forms of emotional self-protection
• The surprising reason your brain prefers familiar pain over unfamiliar freedom
• How your nervous system influences your relationships, choices, and emotional reactions
• William James' powerful distinction between the "Me" and the "I"—and how it can transform the way you see yourself
• Why identities often feel safer than intimacy
• A practical framework for recognizing the emotional "backpack" you've been carrying throughout your life
• How to begin releasing outdated survival strategies through intentional micro-choices and self-compassion
• The one question that can change everything: "Does this still belong to me?"

This episode is an invitation to stop mistaking your protective patterns for your identity. Because the version of you that learned how to survive your past isn't necessarily the version that's meant to lead your future. Healing doesn't begin by becoming someone new—it begins by choosing what you're finally ready to set down.

Passion Struck is the #1 Health and Wellness Podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to helping people live intentionally, unlock human potential, and build lives rooted in meaning, purpose, belonging, and mattering

.Limited-Time Offers

• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Function Health: Visit functionhealth.com/PASSION or use code PASSION25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK.

Full Show Notes

Download the Digital Workbook

If this episode resonated with you, please follow the show, leave a review, and share it with someone who may be carrying an invisible backpack of their own. Together, we can create a world where more people feel seen, valued, and deeply connected.

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.

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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 attachment expert, former licensed marriage and family therapist, and relationship coach Adam Lane Smith to explore why so many people struggle with relationships—not because they're broken, but because they're living out unconscious attachment patterns formed in childhood.

Drawing from more than two decades of research into attachment science, neurobiology, and human behavior, Adam explains how insecure attachment shapes everything from our romantic relationships and family dynamics to leadership, workplace culture, anxiety, burnout, and even our physical health. Together, John and Adam examine why relationship chaos isn't random, how early family systems program our nervous system for survival instead of connection, and why so many high achievers unknowingly sacrifice belonging in pursuit of performance.

Their conversation explores the biology of attachment, the role of oxytocin, cortisol, serotonin, and dopamine in shaping behavior, why modern work environments often reinforce insecure attachment, and how secure relationships become the foundation for resilience, purpose, and flourishing. Adam also introduces practical frameworks for regulating the nervous system, rebuilding trust, creating healthier relationships, and breaking generational cycles that keep families stuck.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why attachment styles are formed in childhood—and continue shaping adult relationships
• How anxious and avoidant attachment quietly influence leadership, work, and family life
• The biological connection between loneliness, anxiety, depression, and human connection
• Why so many high achievers succeed professionally while struggling emotionally
• How insecure attachment contributes to burnout, workaholism, and relationship breakdown
• The hidden reason Gen Z is delaying marriage, relationships, and family formation
• Adam's framework: Ownership + Skills + New Experiences = Lasting Change
• Practical techniques to regulate your nervous system before trying to change your behavior
• How secure attachment transforms parenting, leadership, communication, and long-term fulfillment
• Why meaningful relationships—not achievement alone—are the foundation of a flourishing life

This conversation offers a science-backed roadmap for understanding why we become who we are, how our earliest relationships continue influencing us decades later, and what it takes to intentionally build the secure connections 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:

• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Function Health: functionhealth.com/PASSION or use gift code PASSION25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes

Download the Digital Workbook

Learn more about Adam Lane Smith:
Website: https://adamlanesmith.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AttachmentAdam
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/attachmentadam

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.

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

• Website: https://johnrmiles.com
• Book John to Speak: https://johnrmiles.com/speaking/
• Substack: https://www.theignitedlife.net/
• Children’s Book — You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/

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.