Passion Struck with John R. Miles

What if the way you’ve been taught to adapt is actually making you lose yourself? For weeks, The Adaptive Human has explored what it takes to navigate a world that keeps changing. Angela Duckworth showed us that our environments shape who we become. Martin Seligman showed us the power of agency. David Epstein revealed how constraints can unlock better thinking. Cole Brauer showed us what happens when you keep moving forward after the world tells you that you can't. Alec Litowitz challenged us to lift our heads and make sure we're not swimming harder in the wrong direction. But there's one question beneath it all: What happens when adapting to the world requires you to abandon yourself? In this series finale, John R. Miles brings the lessons of ten conversations together and introduces The Great Erasure —what happens when a culture becomes so focused on measuring our utility, productivity, and output that we gradually lose our sense of being valued simply for who we are. Because there is a difference between adaptation and compliance. You can change your strategy without changing your values. You can evolve without erasing your identity. You can become more capable without becoming more useful at the expense of your humanity. And ultimately, you can adapt to a changing world without surrendering your agency. In this episode, John explores: Why modern culture has confused adaptability with compliance How the “marketplace of mattering” turns worth into something we constantly feel compelled to prove Why AI makes defining yourself by your productivity increasingly dangerous How we eventually begin treating ourselves like the systems that measure us Why agency—not compliance—is the foundation of true adaptation Why you need to anchor internally before you can successfully adapt externally How constraints, culture, and environment create the foundation for sustainable growth Why you cannot optimize what you refuse to value What happens when productivity, burnout, loneliness, and disconnection are treated as separate problems Why the deeper question underneath all of them may simply be, "Do I matter?" And then comes the turning point: The Great Erasure is what happens when a world built to measure your utility begins to erase your sense of being valued. The answer isn't to stop adapting. It's to adapt without abandoning yourself. And that is where The Mattering Effect begins. Catch the full show notes. 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 you're working harder and harder—but you're still moving in the wrong direction? Alec Litowitz learned this lesson during a mountain bike race in the Pyrenees, when hesitating before a blind downhill jump nearly sent him over the handlebars. Years later, that same lesson became a framework for how he thinks about investing, leadership, AI, and life: You can't stay stuck between decisions when the environment is moving fast. Alec is an investor, entrepreneur, and founder of Magnetar Capital who has spent decades making decisions in environments defined by uncertainty. In his new book, The Adaptability Quotient , he argues that the people who thrive in the next era won't necessarily be the smartest, toughest, or most resilient. They'll be the people who can recognize when the map no longer matches the terrain—and update before reality forces them to. And that matters even more as AI changes not just the tools we use but the environment in which we think. In this conversation, Alec and I explore: Why working harder can make failure worse when you're moving in the wrong direction Why intelligence and emotional intelligence aren't enough when the environment changes Why adaptability is a meta-skill that tells you where to point your other strengths How to recognize when your mental map no longer matches reality Why waiting for certainty can become its own form of risk Why AI isn't simply a tool—and how it could either expand or erode human agency Why your values should remain stable while your strategies evolve How to know when to change your mission without abandoning your purpose Why feedback loops are essential to making adaptive decisions How to stop swimming harder and start asking whether you're still headed in the right direction Alec also shares a powerful distinction for the AI era: You can be a resistor, an adopter, or an adapter. A resistor denies the change. An adopter treats the new technology as a tool. An adapter recognizes that the technology is changing the environment—and therefore changing the person using it. That's the deeper challenge of adaptability. The question isn't simply, "How do I keep up with change?” It's: “Who do I need to become when the world I'm operating in has changed?” Check out the full shownotes. 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 things we think are helping our children succeed are actually making it harder for them to become independent? Dr. Peter Gray has spent decades studying childhood, play, education, and human development. In his new book, Restoring Childhood , he argues that childhood has a fundamental biological purpose: gradually learning to take charge of your own life. But modern childhood looks increasingly different. More supervision. More structured activities. More academic pressure. More résumé building. Less unsupervised play, exploration, and freedom. And Peter believes that loss of independence has consequences—not only for how children learn, but for their agency, mental health, ability to discover their passions, and ultimately the adults they become. In this conversation, we explore: Why childhood is biologically designed for independence Why free play teaches children skills adults can't simply teach them How we gradually took freedom and independence away from childhood Why turning childhood into résumé building can undermine agency How parenting and schooling can suppress a child's innate sense of agency The connection between autonomy, self-determination, and feeling that your life matters Why children discover their passions through curiosity and exploration—not planning How school pressure became a major source of psychological stress for young people Why Peter challenges the idea that smartphones alone explain the youth mental health crisis What parents can do today to give their children more independence Peter also shares a simple question every parent can ask their child: “Are there things that you would like to do independently that you're not doing right now?” Because restoring childhood doesn't necessarily require giving children unlimited freedom. Sometimes it starts by giving them one more opportunity to discover what they can do for themselves. Get the Full Shownotes 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.

Why What Matters Most Is Rarely the Loudest What if the things getting the most attention in your life aren't actually the things that matter most? We live in a world that rewards visibility. The viral headline. The impressive title. The dramatic turnaround. The big announcement. The person who creates the most noise in the room. But some of the most valuable things in life work differently. They compound quietly. In this episode of Passion Struck , John R. Miles explores why human beings are so easily drawn toward what is visible, dramatic, and immediate—and why that can cause us to overlook the people, decisions, relationships, and foundations that create lasting value. The episode begins with the famous Joshua Bell experiment, in which one of the world's greatest violinists played a $3.5 million Stradivarius in a Washington, D.C., Metro station and collected just $32.17. The music hadn't changed. The context had. John then connects this phenomenon to markets, workplaces, leadership, and his own experience at Dell, where a promising Android and cloud strategy was ultimately abandoned amid the company's dependence on Microsoft. The deeper lesson is about salience : our tendency to notice what is flashy and immediate while overlooking what is subtle and important. In this episode, you'll discover: Why visibility and value are often two very different things What the Joshua Bell experiment reveals about human attention Why intelligent people can still get pulled toward hype and spectacle How organizations can reward dramatic behavior while overlooking quiet contribution What John's experience at Dell taught him about confusing legacy value with future opportunity Why human trust, dignity, culture, and connection can be harder to measure—but enormously consequential How conformity can cause us to abandon our own judgment when everyone else agrees Why Alex Edmans' advice to “see the other side” is such a powerful decision-making practice How to use John's Signal Audit to separate external applause from intrinsic value Why real adaptability isn't always about moving faster—it can mean stopping, filtering the noise, and seeing what others are missing The question to take with you is simple: Where are you giving your best energy to something loud while starving something quiet that actually matters? Because the crowd will always react to what is flashy and immediate. Your job is to learn how to recognize the signal. Grab the Full Show Notes 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 question you’re avoiding is the one you most need to answer? We often think courage means doing something difficult or frightening. But Scott Simon says the place people struggle most isn't physical courage—it’s having the courage to ask and answer hard questions. In this episode, Scott Simon and Gregory Stock bring together two decades-long bodies of work: Scott’s exploration of courage and Gregory’s groundbreaking Book of Questions , which became a New York Times bestseller and sold millions of copies. Their new book, The Book of Questions: Courage , is built around a simple idea: the right question can take you beneath the surface of your life and reveal what you actually believe, fear, want, and value. And sometimes, one honest question can change the direction of your life. In this conversation, we explore: Why asking yourself a hard question can require more courage than taking action The question Scott says cuts directly to the core: What lie are you telling yourself to keep yourself safe that is actually holding you back? Why great questions don't give you answers—they create space for self-discovery How vulnerability can make people feel more connected rather than more exposed Why one meaningful question can turn an ordinary dinner into an hour-long conversation that people remember Why we often avoid deeper conversations even with the people we know best What we're losing in an increasingly distracted, answer-rich world Which questions we should deliberately refuse to outsource to AI Why AI can provide information but still cannot tell us who we want to become The question Scott believes everyone should ask: What is something extraordinary you've done well before you felt ready or confident? One of the most powerful ideas in the conversation is that a good question doesn't close a conversation—it opens one. So before you move on with your day, ask yourself: What is one question I've been avoiding because I already suspect I know the answer? That might be where your next chapter begins. Get the full show notes 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.

You're smart. You're informed. So why do you still make terrible decisions? We like to believe that intelligence and information protect us from bad decisions. They don't. Professor Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School and Fellow of the British Academy, returns to Passion Struck to reveal the psychological forces that can distort our judgment—from confirmation bias and anchoring to herd behavior, emotional decision-making, and our tendency to follow whatever information is most visible. His new book, The Madness of Markets , uses financial markets to expose a much bigger truth about human behavior: the same biases that influence investors can shape the decisions we make in our careers, leadership, relationships, and everyday lives. Even Isaac Newton wasn't immune. In this conversation, Alex explains: Why being intelligent doesn't make you rational Why more information doesn't necessarily lead to better decisions How confirmation bias makes us see evidence that supports what we already believe Why we tend to overreact to information that's flashy, visible, and impossible to ignore How anchoring causes the first information we encounter to influence our later judgment Why millions of people making the same mistake can create collective irrationality rather than canceling one another out How compelling stories can overpower better evidence Why culture, human capital, reputation, and innovation can matter enormously even when they're difficult to measure Why AI may change the decisions humans make without eliminating human bias And the one question Alex believes can make you wiser: “What is the other side?” Alex's advice extends far beyond investing. Before you change jobs, relocate, end a relationship, make a major purchase, or commit to an important belief, look for the strongest argument against your own position. If you can't see it yourself, find someone you trust who disagrees with you and ask them to make the case. Because becoming a better decision-maker isn't always about knowing more. Sometimes it's about learning to see what you're missing. Listen to the full shownotes Download the FREE Companion 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.

What if the proof you're waiting for never comes? The apology. The promotion. The recognition. Someone finally admitting they were wrong about you. Someone finally telling you that you belong. What if you're waiting for proof that you don't actually need? After conversations with Cole Brauer and psychologist Marisa Franco, John R. Miles noticed a powerful connection between their work. Cole was told she was too small to survive the Southern Ocean. A year later, she sailed solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world—without ever receiving the apology or reversal she had been waiting for. Marisa's research reveals the other side of the equation: when we already believe we're unworthy, even love, success, compliments, and positive feedback can fail to change that belief. Sometimes, the evidence simply doesn't match the story we already carry about ourselves. In this solo episode, John brings those two ideas together to explore The Verification Trap —the tendency to wait for external proof before allowing ourselves to believe we're capable, worthy, or ready to move forward. You'll discover: Why a genuine compliment can sometimes make people feel worse instead of better How rejection can become part of the story you believe about yourself Why success and achievement don't necessarily resolve a deeper sense of unworthiness How your memories can become a database that filters the evidence you receive Why waiting for someone to reverse their judgment can keep you stuck The difference between being validated and actually believing you're worthy What Cole Brauer's story teaches us about moving forward without permission Why healing requires honesty rather than constantly trying to become a better version of yourself John's two-question Verification Check for identifying where you're waiting for external proof How to take the smallest possible step toward something you've been waiting for permission to do And John gets personal, sharing a previously untold chapter of his own life and what rebuilding after divorce taught him about validation, action, and self-trust. He realized that the proof didn't come before he moved forward. The proof came after. The Verification Check Ask yourself: What specific proof am I waiting for before I let myself move forward? Then ask: If that proof never arrives, is there a version of this where I go anyway? Because sometimes you don't need the verdict reversed. You need to leave the dock. Read the Full Show Notes 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.

Why do you still feel like you're not enough—even when your life looks successful from the outside? You can have a successful career, loving relationships, and people who genuinely care about you—and still struggle to believe you're worthy of love, connection, or belonging. Marisa G. Franco, psychologist and author of the New York Times bestseller Platonic , returns to Passion Struck to explore the deeper science behind self-worth in her new book, Worth: The New Science of Self-Esteem and Secure Attachment . Her argument challenges one of the most common ideas about self-esteem: you don't become worthy by achieving more, becoming more impressive, or convincing yourself that you're extraordinary. Instead, worth begins with something much harder—and much more honest: learning to accept yourself as you are. In this conversation, Marisa explains: Why achievement, compliments, and positive affirmations often fail to fix low self-worth How childhood memories can become the lens through which we predict rejection, abandonment, or failure Why trying to appear “secure” can actually disconnect you from your authentic self The hidden cost of making your worth dependent on achievement Why healing isn't becoming a better version of yourself—it's reconnecting with the parts of yourself you've learned to ignore What “open memories” are and why unresolved experiences can continue shaping how you see yourself decades later How attachment styles can be understood as adaptive responses rather than fixed identities Why we need to stop treating our emotions as problems to solve and start allowing them to move through us How memory reconsolidation may help us create new meaning around painful experiences Why sometimes becoming healthier means allowing a relationship to end rather than abandoning yourself to save it One of the most powerful ideas in our conversation is this: The goal isn't to convince yourself that you're extraordinary. It's to recognize that you're worthy even when you're ordinary. Marisa's work offers a different way to think about healing: not as a project of optimization, but as the process of coming home to yourself. Click here for the full shownotes Download the FREE Companion Digital Workbook 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 happens when someone tells you that you're too small to do the thing you've been working toward your entire life? For Cole Brauer, that moment could have been the end of the story. Instead, it became part of the beginning. Cole was told she was too short to compete in the Southern Ocean. She was cut from a major team after traveling across the Atlantic and giving up paid opportunities to pursue the dream. A year later, she was sailing solo around the world. But what makes Cole's story so compelling isn't simply the achievement. It's everything she had to become along the way. Cole grew up in a small town on Long Island, moved across the country, changed academic and career directions, lived in a van, taught herself the mechanical, electrical, and rigging systems of a boat, and eventually found a community and a purpose through sailing. Then came the ultimate test: more than 130 days alone at sea. She talks openly about the loneliness and anxiety that hit her roughly two weeks into the voyage, when the team and community she had relied on suddenly disappeared. Instead of trying to suppress those feelings, she learned to understand them, participate in nature, take care of her body, and keep moving forward. Cole also shares why she chose her boat over the possibility of winning when she encountered two massive storms near Cape Horn, why First Light became more than a vessel to her, and how that relationship ultimately became a mirror through which she learned to see herself differently. In this conversation, we explore: What to do when someone else's definition of you becomes a limitation you start believing yourself. Why Cole sees rock bottom not simply as failure, but as a place from which you can begin climbing again. How purpose can sustain you when money, fame, and recognition aren't enough. Why Cole believes our lives aren't predetermined and that we can restart far more times than we think. What four months alone at sea taught her about loneliness, anxiety, self-care, and self-trust. Why nature became one of Cole's greatest teachers and helped make the unpredictable feel more understandable. How she learned to separate emotional reactions from the decisions she needed to make in moments of crisis. Why she chose to protect First Light rather than risk the boat for a chance at winning near Cape Horn. How gratitude helped her recognize the people who made the journey possible. Why the solo journey wasn't the end of Cole's transformation, but the beginning of discovering who she really was. Cole's story is ultimately a reminder that adaptation isn't always about becoming someone new. Sometimes it's about discovering who you were capable of becoming all along. And sometimes the people who tell you that you can't are simply showing you the limits of their imagination. As Cole says, when someone tells you there's no way you can do something, sometimes the only answer is: "Yeah, okay. Just watch me." Get the Full Shownotes Download the FREE Companion 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.

What if having more freedom doesn't always make you more free? We tend to believe that adaptability means having more options, more resources, more independence, and more control. But after conversations with Martin Seligman and David Epstein, I began to see a different pattern. Sometimes unlimited freedom creates paralysis. Sometimes individual willpower becomes isolation. And sometimes our greatest breakthroughs happen not when we escape our constraints, but when we learn how to work intelligently within them. That's the paradox at the heart of this episode. David Epstein's Inside the Box shows how constraints can focus creativity and turn seemingly small problems into breakthroughs. Martin Seligman's Agency asks a deeper question: What happens when human beings believe their actions can actually change the future? Put those ideas together, and a new definition of adaptability emerges. Real adaptability isn't about controlling everything. It's about knowing where you have agency—and using it well. In this episode, I explore: Why General Magic's enormous freedom became one of its greatest weaknesses—and how smaller, more focused ideas became eBay and the PalmPilot. Why Mendeleev's breakthrough began with a textbook deadline rather than a magical dream. The first question of the Agency Check : What constraint are you running away from that might actually contain your focus? What my experience at Lowe's taught me about the danger of trying to solve enormous problems all at once. Why UPS discovered that its routing challenge was ultimately a human learning and change-management problem, not simply a technology problem. Martin Seligman's distinction between "I can" and "we can" —and why sustainable progress requires both individual and collective agency. Why unlimited information can create a poverty of attention, and what Gloria Mark's research reveals about the cost of constant task switching. David Epstein's Hemingway Principle for protecting tomorrow's most important work from today's urgent distractions. How to conduct your own Constraint Check and Agency Check when you're feeling stuck or helpless. The question isn't whether you can control everything. You can't. The question is whether you can identify what is actually within your agency , stop wasting energy fighting what isn't, and then act with intention inside the reality you've been given. Because adaptability isn't unlimited freedom. It's agency within reality. Click for the full shownotes 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.

Have you ever felt like you need more options, more time, more freedom, or a bigger opportunity before you can finally make progress? What if the opposite is true? Today, John R. Miles sits down with New York Times bestselling author David Epstein, author of Range and The Sports Gene , to explore why constraints can sometimes unlock the creativity and focus that unlimited freedom cannot. David's new book, " Inside the Box, " challenges one of our most deeply held assumptions: that more freedom is always better. Sometimes, having too many possibilities makes it harder to decide what matters, where to focus, and what to do next. David explains how constraints can channel us into productive experimentation—and why some of the biggest breakthroughs begin with a much smaller problem than we expect. He shares the surprising reality behind the Mendeleev story, revealing how a simple textbook problem helped lead to the periodic table. He also explains what the failure of General Magic can teach us about innovation, why UPS discovered that its routing problem was really a change-management problem, and how Pixar uses constraints and small experiments to improve its biggest creative projects. John and David also dive into one of the biggest challenges of modern life: protecting our attention. David shares how research by Gloria Mark changed the way he works, why constant task switching can increase stress, and how he now structures his day around monotasking, batching, and deliberately protecting his attention. In this episode, you'll learn: Why more freedom and more options aren't always better How constraints can actually increase creativity and innovation The surprising truth behind the Mendeleev and periodic table story Why many breakthroughs begin with a much smaller problem What the failure of General Magic teaches us about innovation Why defining the right problem may matter more than finding the perfect solution How UPS turned a technology problem into a learning and change-management problem Why people need to understand change before they will trust it How to protect your attention in a world designed to fragment it Why multitasking may be damaging your ability to think deeply How to identify the bottleneck that's actually slowing your progress The bigger lesson is one David returns to throughout the conversation: Sometimes the answer isn't to escape the box. It's to look more closely at what's inside it. Because the problem right in front of you may not be the obstacle to your next chapter. It may be the doorway. Click for the full shownotes Download the FREE Companion 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.

Have you ever reached a point where you stopped believing that what you do could actually make a difference? Maybe you tried harder. Maybe you kept showing up. But after enough setbacks, rejection, or disappointment, something inside you started asking, "Why bother?" Today, John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Martin Seligman, one of the most influential psychologists of our time and a pioneer of positive psychology. For more than six decades, Seligman has studied learned helplessness, optimism, resilience, and human flourishing. His new book, Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress, brings that work to a much bigger question: What makes individuals—and entire civilizations—believe they can shape the future? Seligman explains that agency is built from three capacities: efficacy, optimism, and imagination. Together, they give us the ability not only to believe that we can act but also to envision a future worth acting toward. But this conversation goes far beyond individual psychology. John and Marty explore what happens when agency becomes collective, why societies need to balance “I can” with “we can,” and how mattering and agency may be connected. Marty argues that our actions begin shaping our sense of self through the responses we receive from other people and the world around us. When our actions repeatedly produce no response, learned helplessness can take hold. They also take the conversation into the future of AI, education, creativity, and human possibility. Seligman describes how AI is already allowing him to test ideas that once would have taken years to investigate—and why he believes the technology could become an extraordinary amplifier of human agency. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why Seligman believes agency—not just happiness—is central to human flourishing How learned helplessness became the foundation for his lifelong study of human agency The three psychological capacities that make up agency: efficacy, optimism, and imagination Why some people stop acting when their efforts repeatedly fail to produce a response How agency and mattering may reinforce one another Why the future may depend on balancing “I can” with “we can” What ancient civilizations can teach us about the psychology of human progress How AI is changing the way Seligman conducts research and thinks about creativity Why education may need to shift from teaching children to be “smart” toward character, leadership, kindness, cooperation, and flourishing What Seligman hopes his grandchildren—and future generations—will believe about human possibility This is ultimately a conversation about one of the most important questions we can ask ourselves: Do I believe that what I do can make a difference? Because agency doesn't mean believing you control everything. It means believing that your actions still matter. Click for the Full shownotes Download the FREE Companion 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.

Have you ever worked harder and harder at something, only to wonder why nothing seems to change? You may assume the answer is that you need more discipline, more motivation, or more grit. But what if the problem isn't you? Today, John R. Miles explores that question through two very different lenses: Angela Duckworth's research on how situations shape our behavior and Jared Diamond's work on when individual leaders actually make a difference. John also puts both ideas to the test in his own life after spending two weeks in Blue Ridge, Georgia, where he discovered that he felt calmer, clearer, and more patient—not because he had become a different person, but because he was no longer in the same environment. But there's another side to this. Sometimes the environment really is the problem. And sometimes you are the person the moment requires. Jared Diamond's "Hamlet Test" asks whether someone else could have produced the same outcome. His comparison between Harry Truman and William Shakespeare reveals the difference between being replaceable and being uniquely suited to a moment. John brings both ideas together into the Fit Check: two questions that can help you figure out whether you need to change yourself, change your environment, or simply stop avoiding the work that only you can do. In this episode, you'll learn: Why trying harder isn't always the answer How your environment can bring out completely different versions of you Why grit and willpower are sometimes not enough How to tell the difference between a bad day and a bad environment Jared Diamond's "Hamlet Test" for determining when someone truly matters Why some people are replaceable in one situation but indispensable in another How to recognize the moments when the outcome genuinely depends on you The two questions in John's Fit Check How to stop wasting energy trying to win in environments that work against you How to identify the moments that deserve your full attention The goal isn't to become someone who can thrive anywhere. It's to become wise enough to know which rooms you need to change—and which moments are yours to own. Check the Full Shownotes 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 makes someone a great leader? Is it talent? Timing? Character? Circumstance? Or simply being the right person in the right place at the right moment? Today, John R. Miles sits down with Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and bestselling author Jared Diamond to explore one of the biggest questions in his new book, Profits, Profits, Profits, Coaches and Kings: When Do Leaders Matter? After spending decades studying civilizations, geography, human societies, and why nations succeed or collapse, Diamond has turned his attention to leadership. And his answer challenges the way we usually think about great leaders. Some leaders genuinely change history. Others recognize an opportunity that history has already created. And some may be talented, successful, and famous—but would not have made much difference if someone else had been in their place. In this conversation, Jared explains how he uses history as a series of “natural experiments” to separate the impact of a leader from the circumstances surrounding them. You’ll learn: When leaders actually matter Why some leaders are uniquely qualified to change history—and most aren't How timing and circumstance can determine whether a leader succeeds The difference between creating an opportunity and recognizing one Why Churchill was a great wartime leader but far less effective in peacetime What Harry Truman can teach us about leadership and courage Why founders can have an outsized impact on the institutions they leave behind How the “Hamlet test” reveals whether someone was truly indispensable What Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, and John Wooden reveal about distinctive leadership Why leaders should be judged partly by what happens after they leave Why leadership is about more than techniques—and why philosophy matters And Jared shares one of his most important lessons for leaders: Stop looking for the one most important thing. Great leadership, he argues, is about getting the many important things right. This is a conversation about leadership, history, circumstance, and legacy—but ultimately, it raises a question every leader should ask: If you disappeared tomorrow, what would actually be different because you were here? Click for the Full Shownotes Download the FREE Reflection Guide 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.

If you’ve been trying to change your life but keep falling back into the same habits, this episode is for you. Today, John R. Miles sits down with Angela Duckworth, one of the world’s leading psychologists and the bestselling author of Grit. Angela has spent her career studying why some people are able to achieve their goals and reach their potential. But in her new book, Situated , she shares a powerful idea that changes the way we think about personal growth. We tend to believe that change comes from within. We tell ourselves to be more disciplined. Try harder. Find more motivation. Have more willpower. But Angela explains that we often overlook something incredibly important: what’s around us. The people we spend time with. The spaces where we live and work. The mentors we learn from. And the culture that surrounds us. All of these things are shaping our behavior more than we realize. The good news is that you don't always have to force yourself to change through sheer willpower. Sometimes, changing your situation can make it easier to become the person you want to be. Angela shares her research-backed framework for understanding the four parts of your environment that can shape your life: your space, your peers, your mentors, and your culture. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why changing what’s around you can help you change your life Why grit and willpower alone are not enough How the people around you shape your behavior and goals How to create an environment that makes better choices easier Why the right peers and mentors can change what you believe is possible How workplace and social culture influence who you become The four parts of your situation you can intentionally change How to make your environment an ally instead of an obstacle This episode is about taking a different approach to change. Because sometimes the answer isn’t to ask yourself to try harder. Sometimes, you need to look around and ask: What in my life is making it harder to become who I want to be? Click for the full Shownotes Download the FREE Companion Reflection Guide for The Adaptive Human series 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.

If you constantly feel like you should be doing more, achieving more, or becoming more, this episode is for you. Today, John R. Miles sits down with Caleb Campbell, a former NFL player and author of the new book Unstriving. For much of his life, Caleb believed that success would finally make him feel like he was enough. But after spending years pursuing achievement and reaching goals he once dreamed about, he discovered something many high achievers eventually learn: You can get what you wanted and still feel like you're not enough. Today, Caleb is sharing a different way to think about ambition, success, and the pressure so many of us feel to constantly prove ourselves. His message is not about giving up on your goals or becoming less ambitious. It's about learning how to pursue the things that matter to you without making your worth dependent on whether you achieve them. You can use this advice for anything: Your career. Your goals. Your relationships. The pressure you put on yourself. The next accomplishment you're chasing. The part of your life where you keep thinking, “Once I get there, then I'll finally feel like enough.” In this episode, you'll learn: Why success and achievement can never permanently make you feel like enough The difference between healthy ambition and constantly striving for approval Why reaching a major goal can sometimes leave you feeling empty How to stop tying your identity to your performance What Caleb learned from pursuing his dream of playing in the NFL How to pursue big goals without losing yourself in the process Why you don't need to stop being ambitious to stop striving This is an episode for anyone who has ever felt exhausted by the pressure to constantly do more, be more, or prove more. By the end, you'll have a different way to think about success—and a clearer understanding of what it means to pursue your potential without making achievement responsible for proving that you matter. Read the full Show Notes Download the FREE Companion 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.

What if everything you’ve been told about midlife is wrong? If you’ve ever worried that your best years are behind you, that it’s too late to change, or that getting older automatically means losing your energy, purpose, or sense of possibility, this episode is for you. Today, John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Margie Lachman, a leading lifespan psychologist and author of Primetime: A New Vision for Midlife , who has spent more than 30 years studying what actually happens to us during the middle years of life. Margie reveals why the idea of a “midlife crisis” is largely a myth—and why midlife can actually be one of the most powerful periods of growth, confidence, purpose, and control. She explains why you are not locked into who you are, why the choices you make in midlife can shape how well you age, and how your relationships, health, and sense of purpose can influence the decades ahead. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why midlife isn't the crisis we've been led to believe it is Why your personality and sense of control can continue to change Why it’s never too late to make meaningful changes How your choices in midlife can affect your health later in life Why purpose and contribution become so important as we age How giving and receiving support affects your well-being Why staying connected can protect against loneliness and isolation What “generativity” means and why it matters How to think differently about the second half of your life This is an episode about challenging the story you've been told about aging—and realizing that you may have far more time, possibility, and influence over your future than you think. Your best years may not be behind you. They may be ahead of you. Catch the full show notes. Download the FREE 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.

What if the thing you regret most someday isn't what you did—but what you never tried? In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with behavioral economist and bestselling author Dan Ariely to explore why we make decisions that don't always serve our long-term well-being. Dan's research reveals a surprising pattern: in the moment, we tend to regret the risks we take. But when we look back over our lives, we often regret the risks we didn't take. The conversation goes far beyond risk. John and Dan explore why vulnerability is one of the biggest areas where people play it safe, how bureaucracy can drain passion from work, why companies struggle to measure the things that matter most, and what we may lose when we optimize everything for efficiency. They also discuss: Why we often choose short-term safety over long-term fulfillment The difference between regretting action and regretting inaction Why romantic relationships are one of the biggest areas where people avoid risk How bureaucracy can quietly kill motivation and passion Why companies measure productivity but struggle to measure care, connection, and meaning What happens when organizations treat people like functions instead of human beings Why AI's pursuit of efficiency could come at the expense of meaning and human development How feeling appreciated can influence motivation and performance Why investing in human capital should be treated differently than simply treating people as a cost The question you should ask yourself: Where in your life are you playing it safer than you really want to? Dan's larger message is difficult to ignore: the life we build isn't shaped only by the choices we make. It's also shaped by the chances we decide not to take. Full shownotes here Download the FREE Companion 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.

What would change if you stopped worrying so much about what everyone else thinks of you? Actor, entrepreneur, and father Josh Duhamel has spent decades in the spotlight, but he says one of the biggest things he has learned with age is that he no longer needs to pretend for anyone—and that caring too much about other people's opinions once kept him from living his “full version” of himself. In this deeply personal conversation, John R. Miles sits down with the actor, entrepreneur, and father to talk about identity, success, fatherhood, presence, and what it means to build a life that actually feels like your own. Josh opens up about: Why success doesn't automatically make you feel like you've done enough How the need for validation can keep you chasing the next achievement What helped him stop caring so much about other people's opinions Why his cabin in Minnesota brings out a different version of himself How changing his environment helped him become more present Why fatherhood completely changed his definition of success What he hopes his children remember about him Why family memories now matter more to him than material success How he's learning to embrace simplicity, curiosity, and being present One of the most revealing moments comes when Josh talks about what success means to him now. Despite everything he has accomplished, he admits that he still feels like he has more to prove and achieve. Click here for the full show notes Learn more about Gatlan Download the FREE Companion 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.

What if protecting your brain from cognitive decline starts decades before you ever notice a problem? In this powerful conversation, John R. Miles sits down with neurologist and bestselling author Dr. David Perlmutter to explore the emerging science behind his new book, Brain Defenders , and why the brain’s immune system may hold one of the most important keys to long-term brain health. David explains how specialized immune cells called microglia can either support the brain or become destructive when challenged by inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, poor sleep, and other environmental factors. The hopeful part is that many of the factors influencing this process are within our control. You’ll learn: Why the brain’s immune system may be central to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, PTSD, and other brain disorders What microglial cells do and why their metabolism matters How poor sleep can affect inflammation after just one night Why exercise, metabolism, diet, and relationships all influence brain health The surprising connection between oral health and the brain Why traumatic brain injury and PTSD can share common biological pathways How alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and a sedentary lifestyle can affect the brain Why brain health should be addressed decades before cognitive decline appears What David thinks about supplements, vitamin D, B vitamins, and personalized testing What the emerging research on GLP-1 medications could mean for neurodegenerative disease Why David believes we are the architects of our brain’s destiny David also explains why he believes the conversation around Alzheimer’s needs to shift from simply treating disease after it appears to understanding and addressing the factors that may influence brain health much earlier in life. His message is ultimately one of agency: the choices you make today are helping shape the brain you will have tomorrow. Check the full shownotes here Download the Companion Digital Workbook 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.