Does it ever feel like you’re waiting for your own life to start? You’re sitting in your car at the end of the day, staring at the front door, realizing you have to "gear up" just to walk inside. You’ve become a world-class manager of a life you’ve stopped inhabiting. You’re winning the efficiency game, but you’re losing the human one. In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles explores the psychology of resistance and the difficult move from utility to aliveness. He identifies why we choo...
Apr 17, 2026•18 min•Ep. 757
What if the reason you feel unfulfilled is that you’ve been approaching it all wrong? In this episode of Passion Struck , I sit down with Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, the visionary minds behind Stanford's Life Design Lab and co-authors of How to Live a Meaningful Life . We tackle one of personal growth’s biggest myths: that meaning is something you find. Instead, Bill and Dave present a groundbreaking concept—meaning is something you design. We delve into why high-achievers often feel "fine but ...
Apr 16, 2026•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 756
Shadow work helps you uncover the hidden parts of yourself, but what happens after that? In this episode of Passion Struck , I sit down with Keila Shaheen, the million-copy bestselling author of The Shadow Work Journal , to explore the step most people miss: integration. While shadow work helps us confront the “invisible bag” of childhood wounds and hidden traits we carry, it is only part of the equation. Keila explains why true healing requires shifting from reflection to action—what she calls ...
Apr 14, 2026•51 min•Ep. 755
Does your life look successful on the outside but feel empty on the inside? In this episode of Passion Struck , John R. Miles introduces a simple way to measure what truly matters: the ROI of Aliveness . Most of us spend our lives trying to be as productive as possible. We focus on checking off to-do lists and meeting everyone else's expectations, but we often forget to check in on ourselves. John explains why focusing only on your "output" leaves you feeling disconnected and replaceable. He sha...
Apr 10, 2026•27 min•Ep. 754
What if the question underneath everything in your life is this: Do I matter? In this episode of Passion Struck, I sit down with Angela Maiers to explore one of the most fundamental human needs—the need to feel seen, valued, and needed. For decades, Angela has studied what makes people feel seen, valued, and needed—and what happens when they don’t. What she’s found is simple, but powerful: when people stop feeling like they matter, everything else begins to break down. We talk about how this sta...
Apr 09, 2026•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 753
What if one of the biggest barriers to connection, performance, and trust isn’t prejudice—but something more subtle, more pervasive, and harder to detect? In this powerful episode of the Passion Struck podcast, I sit down with renowned social psychologist Claude Steele to explore his groundbreaking new book, Churn. Claude introduces the concept of churn —the internal psychological state we experience in high-stakes situations when we worry about how we might be judged based on our identity. Whet...
Apr 07, 2026•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 752
You’re doing everything right—so why does it still feel wrong? In this powerful solo episode of Passion Struck , John R. Miles launches the new April series Purpose by Design by exposing a hidden force shaping modern life: the Invisible Scoreboard. It’s the system of metrics you didn’t consciously choose—but that quietly defines how you measure success, spend your time, and evaluate your worth. From chasing productivity and responsiveness to optimizing for external validation, many high performe...
Apr 03, 2026•16 min•Ep. 751
What if your exhaustion isn’t a personal failure, but the result of invisible systems shaping your life? In this episode of the Passion Struck podcast, I sit down with Wharton economist Corinne Low, author of Having It All , to unpack one of the most misunderstood challenges of modern life: why so many of us feel depleted even when we’re doing everything “right.” Corinne introduces a powerful idea called “the squeeze”—a period where demands on your time, energy, and identity all peak at once, wh...
Apr 02, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 750
What if the real crisis of our time isn’t stress, burnout, or even anxiety—but a loss of meaning? In this powerful episode of the Passion Struck podcast, I sit down with Arthur Brooks—for the third time—to explore his most urgent work yet: The Meaning of Your Life: Finding Purpose in an Age of Emptiness. Arthur reveals a striking trend: since 2008, rates of depression and anxiety—especially among young, high-achieving individuals—have surged dramatically. But beneath the surface, he argues, this...
Mar 31, 2026•51 min•Ep. 749
Your phone isn't just an app—it’s an architect of your self-worth. We’ve all been there: you sit down for "just five minutes" to check a notification, only to look up an hour later feeling anxious, drained, and empty. For years, we’ve blamed our own lack of willpower. But on March 25, 2026, a landmark legal verdict officially changed the story: It’s not you. It’s the machine. In this urgent episode of Passion Struck , John R. Miles unpacks the "Big Tobacco moment" for the digital age. We dive in...
Mar 27, 2026•18 min•Ep. 748
Your beliefs don’t just reflect reality—they shape it. Today, we explore a powerful and often uncomfortable truth: the script you live by is often written by assumptions you never chose. Joining me is behavioral expert and bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable , Nir Eyal, to discuss his groundbreaking new book, Beyond Belief . In this conversation, we challenge the idea that our limits are structural. Nir explains how beliefs influence everything from our physical pain tolerance and re...
Mar 26, 2026•1 hr•Ep. 747
If humans evolved for love, connection, and pair bonding, why does modern life feel so lonely? Today, we explore one of the most overlooked forces shaping human flourishing: intimacy. Joining me is evolutionary biologist and Executive Director of the Kinsey Institute, Dr. Justin Garcia, to discuss his groundbreaking book, The Intimate Animal: The Science of Sex, Fidelity, and Why We Live and Die for Love. In this conversation, we challenge the idea that love is purely cultural or emotional. Just...
Mar 24, 2026•53 min•Ep. 746
The biggest risk isn’t change, it’s staying exactly where you are. Most people treat life transitions as a gamble, clinging to the "Safe Bet" of a familiar routine even when that routine has begun to feel confining. We think we’re being responsible by sticking to the script, but in this episode, John R. Miles reveals the hidden "Soul Tax" that accrues when you perform a version of yourself that no longer exists. Drawing on the practical philosophy of Henry David Thoreau and a deep-dive conversat...
Mar 20, 2026•26 min•Ep. 745
What do you do when your life looks successful on the outside… but everything underneath it collapses overnight? Today’s conversation explores identity, resilience, and intentional reinvention with Bianca D’Alessio, a powerhouse real estate broker, entrepreneur, TV personality, and author of Mastering Intentions. In her late twenties, just as her career was gaining momentum, Bianca’s father was convicted of financial fraud. Overnight, her family lost stability, reputation, and the identity they ...
Mar 19, 2026•53 min•Ep. 744
Is technology making healthcare faster and more efficient, or is it making it more brittle, bureaucratic, and less human? Today, we zoom out to explore the systemic forces reshaping our lives with one of the most influential voices in modern medicine. Joining me is Dr. Robert “Bob” Wachter, chair of the Department of Medicine at UCSF and the "father of the hospitalist field," to discuss his landmark new book, "A Giant Leap." In this conversation, we challenge the notion that AI is merely another...
Mar 17, 2026•55 min•Ep. 743
There is a moment most people never name. It’s not a dramatic collapse or a sudden crisis. From the outside, your life looks flawless—the routine is steady, the success is visible, and the applause is frequent. But inside, a silent shift has occurred. The wins that used to ignite you now feel borrowed, and the applause begins to echo in a hollow room. You’ve realized the old script of your life hasn’t broken; it has simply finished serving the person you used to be. In this profound solo deep di...
Mar 13, 2026•24 min•Ep. 742
Why do some people recover from illness, trauma, or adversity stronger than before, while others struggle to regain their footing? Today’s episode explores one of the most overlooked drivers of health and healing: resilience. Joining me is board-certified cardiologist, ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent, and author Dr. Tara Narula to discuss her powerful new book, The Healing Power of Resilience. In this conversation, we challenge the traditional model of healthcare that treats symptoms but ov...
Mar 12, 2026•1 hr•Ep. 741
Why do we find ourselves repeating the same emotional patterns, reacting to the same triggers, and feeling stuck in a loop of stress even when we know better? Today, we are diving into the intersection of biological optimization and psychological freedom with the founder of the biohacking movement. Joining me is the legendary father of biohacking, Dave Asprey, to discuss the groundbreaking insights in his new book, "Heavily Meditated." In this conversation, we challenge the idea that your person...
Mar 10, 2026•57 min•Ep. 740
There is a moment most people never name. Nothing dramatic happens—no big collapse, no urgent crisis. From the outside, the routine looks fine, the success is visible, and the applause is steady. But inside, something shifts: the wins that used to light you up start to feel borrowed, and the applause begins to echo hollow. In this profound solo deep dive, John R. Miles kicks off the Life Beyond the Script series by naming the quiet "off" feeling that high achievers often ignore. Drawing on his o...
Mar 06, 2026•22 min•Ep. 739
Why do we feel a "disclosure hangover" the moment we reveal something real, yet feel a persistent sense of loneliness when we stay silent? Today, we are diving into the complex psychology of human connection with one of the world's leading experts on the science of secrets and sharing. Joining me is Harvard Business School professor and author Dr. Leslie John to discuss her groundbreaking new book, "Revealing." In this conversation, we challenge the conventional wisdom that "less is more." Lesli...
Mar 05, 2026•59 min•Ep. 738
What happens when the script you’ve lived for decades suddenly ends, and you’re forced to write a new one? Today, I am joined by a true pioneer of broadcast journalism and a household name for nearly two decades as the co-host of Good Morning America, Joan Lunden . We are discussing her deeply personal new memoir, JOAN: Life Beyond the Script . In this conversation, Joan pulls back the curtain on the transitions that defined her—from the high-pressure world of morning television and being a trai...
Mar 03, 2026•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 737
What if Henry David Thoreau wasn’t escaping work but redesigning it? In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with author and thought leadership expert Ken Lizotte to explore his transformative new book, Walden for Hire: Business Lessons from Henry David Thoreau . Together, they dismantle the myth of Thoreau as a solitary hermit removed from society. Instead, they reveal a disciplined builder, an innovative entrepreneur, and a master architect of intentional living. Lizotte rev...
Feb 27, 2026•54 min•Ep. 736
Why does modern life feel so "thin and frantic," even when we are more connected than ever? Today, we are venturing into the "Celtic fringe" to sit with the man widely considered the preeminent mythologist of our time. Joining me is New York Times bestselling author Dr. Martin Shaw to discuss his profound new masterwork, Liturgies of the Wild . In this conversation, we move beyond the clinical and the therapeutic to explore the mythic imagination. Martin argues that we are currently suffering fr...
Feb 26, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 735
Why do so many children feel invisible, even in homes filled with love? Today, on the official launch day of my new children's book, You Matter, Luma , we are diving into the heart of why "mattering" is the most important foundation we can build for the next generation. Joining me is Dr. Gordon Flett, the world’s leading researcher on mattering and author of the groundbreaking paper on "Anti-Mattering." In this conversation, we reveal a startling disconnect: while only 8% of parents think their ...
Feb 24, 2026•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 734
If you were to look into a mirror right now that didn't show your face, but showed your true value, what would you see? In this high-stakes solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles confronts the "Big Tobacco" moment of the tech industry: the landmark trial revealing how algorithms are engineered to replace our children’s self-worth with digital scorecards. Building on his deep-dive conversations with Yale’s Dr. Laurie Santos on "Duck Syndrome" and Harvard’s Dr. Alison Wood Brooks on the "TA...
Feb 20, 2026•22 min•Ep. 733
What if the stories we've been told about love are not just incomplete, but actively making dating and relationships harder and more painful? In this eye-opening episode of the Passion Struck podcast, renowned relationship scientist Dr. Paul Eastwick joins John R. Miles to unpack his groundbreaking new book, Bonded by Evolution: The New Science of Love and Connection (Crown, February 10, 2026). Drawing from two decades of research, Eastwick reveals that humans evolved not to rank desirability or...
Feb 19, 2026•54 min•Ep. 732
What if the key to true happiness isn’t more achievements, more connections, or even more love poured your way, but actually feeling loved in the moments that matter? In this powerful episode of the Passion Struck podcast, world-renowned happiness expert Sonja Lyubomirsky and the preminent relationship researcher Harry Reis join John R. Miles to discuss their groundbreaking new book, How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most (Harper, February 10, 2026). Their ra...
Feb 17, 2026•58 min•Ep. 731
If you could go back to the exact moment your "Performance Folder" was created—the instant you decided you had to be perfect, useful, or invisible to be seen—what would you say to that younger you? In this pivotal solo episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles introduces The Luma Effect : the lifelong cascade that begins when a child internalizes the truth of their intrinsic worth before the world hands them a conditional script. Building on his powerhouse conversations with Rebecca Goldstein on ...
Feb 13, 2026•22 min•Ep. 730
What if the secret to a meaningful life isn’t "high performance" but a state of being unusually alive? In this essential installment of the Passion Struck podcast, New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle joins John R. Miles to discuss his transformative new book, Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment (Feb 2026). The author of The Culture Code and The Talent Code, Coyle has spent decades decoding the secrets of the world’s most effective groups. In Flourish, he pivots...
Feb 12, 2026•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 729
What if the most human thing about us isn’t happiness, survival, or even love but the relentless need to feel we matter ? In this profound installment of the You Matter series on Passion Struck, MacArthur Fellow and National Humanities Medalist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein joins the show to unpack her groundbreaking book The Mattering Instinct : How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us (Liveright, January 13, 2026). A philosopher and novelist celebrated for Plato at the Googleplex and The...
Feb 10, 2026•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 728
