In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with bestselling author, workplace culture expert, and leadership researcher Adrian Gostick to explore one of the most overlooked forces shaping organizations today: the gratitude gap—the disconnect between how appreciated leaders believe their people feel and how valued employees actually experience their work.

Drawing from decades of research involving hundreds of thousands of employees and leaders, Adrian reveals why recognition is far more than a leadership skill—it is a fundamental human need. Together, John and Adrian examine why people don't simply want praise; they want evidence that they matter. Their conversation explores how unexpressed appreciation quietly fuels anxiety, disengagement, loneliness, and burnout, while cultures rooted in visible gratitude unlock trust, innovation, resilience, and extraordinary performance.

John and Adrian also discuss why workplace anxiety has reached unprecedented levels, how leaders unintentionally create fear through uncertainty, and why the best managers act less like supervisors and more like stewards of human potential. Through compelling stories, practical frameworks, and decades of behavioral research, they show how recognition, empathy, and purpose can transform both organizations and the lives of the people within them.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why leaders consistently overestimate how appreciated their employees feel
• How the "gratitude gap" silently undermines engagement, trust, and performance
• Why recognition is a biological and psychological need—not simply a management technique
• How uncertainty fuels workplace anxiety and what great leaders do differently
• Why people perform at their best when they know their work contributes to something larger than themselves
• The difference between generic praise and meaningful recognition that changes behavior
• How situational leadership helps leaders meet the unique needs of every individual
• Why empathy, curiosity, and knowing people's stories are becoming essential leadership skills
• Practical ways to create cultures where people feel seen, valued, and motivated to contribute
• How leading with gratitude strengthens resilience, retention, innovation, and organizational performance

This conversation offers a practical roadmap for closing the gap between good intentions and lived experience, showing why the organizations that thrive aren't simply those with the best strategies, but those where people consistently experience that they matter.

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 Adrian Gostick:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with licensed therapist, bestselling author, and mental health educator Kati Morton to explore why so many of us continue repeating behaviors we know no longer serve us—from perfectionism and overworking to people-pleasing, burnout, and self-abandonment.

Drawing from her new book, Why Do I Keep Doing This?, Kati explains how the habits that keep us stuck often began as protective adaptations developed in childhood. Together, John and Kati unpack how our early experiences shape the "blueprints" we carry into adulthood, influencing our relationships, careers, self-worth, and sense of identity.

Their conversation explores why achievement can become a substitute for belonging, how fear quietly drives many of our decisions, and why lasting change begins not with self-judgment but with curiosity. Along the way, they discuss anti-mattering, burnout, fawning, autonomy, self-discrepancy, and the power of micro-choices to reshape our lives.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why perfectionism, overworking, and burnout are often fear-based protective behaviors
• How childhood experiences create the relationship blueprints that shape adult life
• The hidden connection between people-pleasing, fawning, and self-abandonment
• Why so many high achievers struggle with feeling unseen despite their success
• How anti-mattering contributes to loneliness, disengagement, depression, and burnout
• The difference between living intentionally and living on autopilot
• Why small, consistent micro-choices often create more lasting change than dramatic life overhauls
• How journaling and self-reflection help uncover the beliefs driving repeated patterns
• Practical ways to reconnect with yourself and build a life that aligns with your values

This conversation offers a compassionate roadmap for understanding the habits that once protected us, while learning how to move forward with greater self-awareness, authenticity, and intention.

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 dot com slash PASSION or use gift code PASSION25 for a $25 credit toward your membership.
• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order when you go to: ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes Here: https://passionstruck.com/why-do-i-keep-doing-this-kati-morton/

Download the Digital Workbook: https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/high-achievers-repeat-safe-patterns

Learn more about Kati Morton:

• Website: https://katimorton.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Katimorton
• Podcast: Ask Kati Anything

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.

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores one of the defining challenges of modern life: why so many people feel disconnected despite living in the most interconnected era in human history.

Drawing on insights from Greg McKeown and Marcus Buckingham, the historical lessons of Acts 10, behavioral science, and themes from his forthcoming book The Mattering Effect, John reveals how millions of people are living in a state of what he calls The Great Disconnection—surrounded by digital networks, professional titles, and constant communication, yet increasingly cut off from belonging, significance, and genuine human connection.

From middle school cafeterias to corporate boardrooms, many of us spend years trying to earn belonging through performance, achievement, and success. We convince ourselves that if we accomplish enough, we'll finally feel secure, valued, and accepted. Instead, many high achievers find themselves trapped in what John calls the Admission Ticket Problem—using success to purchase significance, only to discover that visibility is not the same as being known.

Through powerful stories, historical insights, and practical reflection, John explores why performance can never satisfy our deepest need for belonging, how old stories about acceptance continue shaping our adult lives, and why feeling truly seen remains one of the most transformative experiences a human being can have.

In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why the modern world makes it easier than ever to be noticed but harder than ever to be genuinely known.
• How the search for belonging shapes far more of our lives than we realize.
• Why many adults are still navigating the same social dynamics they first experienced in middle school.
• The hidden cost of turning achievement into an admission ticket for acceptance.
• Why success can increase visibility without increasing significance.
• How old stories about belonging continue influencing adult relationships and decisions.
• What Acts 10 teaches us about expanding the circle of who belongs.

If you've ever felt lonely despite your accomplishments, invisible inside the rooms you fought so hard to enter, or disconnected despite being constantly connected, this episode offers a powerful framework for understanding why feeling seen changes everything—and a roadmap for finding your way back to what matters most.

Passion Struck is the award-winning podcast hosted by John R. Miles, helping millions of people live intentionally, unlock human potential, and create lives filled with meaning, purpose, and mattering.

Limited Time Offers
FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK
Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK

Resources:
Get the Companion Workbook
Full Show Notes

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.

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Marcus Buckingham, who is a global researcher, pioneer of the strengths movement, and bestselling author of First Break All the Rules, to explore one of the most provocative ideas in modern leadership: love as a fierce business force.

Marcus reveals why extreme positive experiences, which people spontaneously describe using the word “love,” are the only true drivers of lasting customer loyalty, employee engagement, resilience, and performance. Drawing on extensive research, he introduces the five sequential feelings (control, harmony, significance, warmth, and growth) that leaders must intentionally design into every experience to help people flourish.

 In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why love is the most powerful predictor of productive human behavior in business
• The J-curve effect and why average experiences create zero behavioral change
• The five sequential feelings required to design love into customer and employee experiences
• How to become an “experience maker” who treats every interaction as a cohesive stage play
• Why the founder’s flame matters and what happens when organizations drift into loveless machines
• The difference between fleeting moments and transformative experiences that shape long-term loyalty and growth
• Practical ways to design more loving experiences in meetings, customer interactions, and team leadership

This conversation reframes leadership as the art of designing human experiences that allow people to shed their armor and become more fully themselves — turning love from a soft concept into a measurable, strategic force for human flourishing and business vitality.

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:

• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order when you go to: ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes Here
Download the Digital Workbook

Read the Companion Substack Article

Learn more about Marcus Buckingham:
Website: https://marcusbuckingham.com/
Book: Design Love In

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.

In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Greg McKeown — bestselling author of Essentialism and Effortless, host of the What’s Essential podcast, and doctoral researcher at the University of Cambridge — to explore the hidden barrier holding back relationships, teams, and personal growth: confident misunderstanding.

Greg reveals why most of us dramatically overestimate how well we understand others and how well we are understood. This gap, fueled by emotional noise, creates disconnection in marriages, parenting, workplaces, and society at large. Together, John and Greg examine how reducing emotional noise can dramatically improve clarity, rebuild mattering, and unlock better communication in every area of life.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why confident misunderstanding is the primary bottleneck to living an essential and effortless life
• How clarity equals signal divided by noise — and why lowering noise matters more than raising your voice
• The powerful 4-step Listening Loop (Listen → Reflect → Speak → Confirm) that creates safety and real understanding
• How Satya Nadella transformed Microsoft’s culture using nonviolent communication and deep listening
• The remarkable story of how interrogator Eric Maddox located Saddam Hussein by “erasing his mind” and truly listening
• Why the deepest insights about ourselves come through interpersonal dialogue, not solitary overthinking
• Practical ways to reduce emotional noise and rebuild mattering in relationships, leadership, and polarized conversations

This conversation is ultimately about the foundation of human flourishing: the ability to truly see, hear, and understand one another. In a world of increasing disorientation and division, Greg McKeown offers a practical path to close the understanding gap and create deeper connection.

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:

• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order when you go to: ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes Here: https://passionstruck.com/greg-mckeown-confident-misunderstanding/
Download the Companion Workbook and Substack Article

Learn more about Greg McKeown:
Website: https://gregmckeown.com/
Podcast: What’s Essential Books: Essentialism and Effortless Free Course: Less But Better (gregmckeown.com)

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.

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:

• The Civil War phenomenon of acoustic shadows offers a powerful metaphor for modern loneliness and disconnection.
• How AI-driven uncertainty is reshaping careers and contributing to a growing crisis of visibility and relevance.
• The hidden psychological cost of treating yourself like a machine in a performance-driven culture.
• Why many high achievers are trapped in survival mode while mistaking it for ambition.
• How the Indoor Epidemic is shrinking our world and weakening the everyday interactions that build belonging.
• Why digital proximity often creates the illusion of connection without delivering genuine human significance.
• The concept of the "pinball life" and how reactive living erodes agency, presence, and self-worth.
• What WALL-E teaches us about optimization, awareness, and reclaiming our humanity.
• Three practical ways to step out of survival mode and reconnect with yourself and the people around you.
• Why mattering is not something you achieve through proof, but something you experience through presence.

If you've ever felt exhausted despite your accomplishments, invisible despite your efforts, or disconnected despite being constantly connected, this episode offers a powerful framework for understanding the forces shaping modern life—and a roadmap for finding your way back to what matters most.

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

Limited Time Offers
FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order at ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK
Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK

Resources: 

• Get the Companion Workbook
• Full Show Notes

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.

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:

• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order when you go to: ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK

Full Show Notes Here

Download the companion Substack Article and Workbook

Learn more about  Dr. John La Puma:
Website: https://www.drjohnlapuma.com/
Get the book: Indoor Epidemic 

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.

Why do good companies lose their humanity? In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with entrepreneur, author, and Lean Startup creator Eric Ries to explore a growing crisis hiding in plain sight: why so many people no longer trust the institutions that shape their lives. From global corporations and banks to everyday organizations, many entities begin with a clear mission to serve but gradually drift away from the core values that made them meaningful in the first place.

Drawing from his groundbreaking new book, Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great, Eric explains how mission-driven organizations become vulnerable to "financial gravity"—the powerful systemic force that slowly pulls leaders away from long-term value creation and toward short-term extraction. Together, John and Eric examine why trust is the most valuable asset an organization can possess, how successful companies lose their soul, and what leaders can do to build institutions that remain aligned with their purpose for generations.

Through the lens of real-world stories involving Costco, HEB, FedMart, Silicon Valley Bank, Walmart, Microsoft, and Amazon, this conversation reveals why organizational trust is eroding across society and what it takes to create companies that people genuinely believe in.

In this episode, you will learn:

• The hidden force of financial gravity and how it quietly reshapes organizational behavior.
• Why organizations routinely lose their humanity as they become more successful.
• The tragic story of Sol Price, FedMart, and the governance secrets that protect Costco today.
• The critical operational difference between shareholder primacy and mission primacy.
• Why Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse offers vital lessons about corporate purpose and integrity.
• The concept of the invisible leader and why shared purpose shapes behavior more powerfully than hierarchy. Practical blueprints for founders, executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders who want to build organizations that endure without losing their soul.

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:

• FODZYME: Get 30% off your first order when you go to ICanEatAgain.com/PASSIONSTRUCK
• Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at SHOPIFY.COM/PASSIONSTRUCK

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

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.