You Are Not the Only Variable: When to Change Yourself and When to Change Your Environment | John R. Miles - EP 816
4 September - 23 minsHave 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 th...
Series Episodes
Why Nothing You Achieve Will Ever Make You Feel Worthy | Marisa G. Franco – EP 821
Psychologist Marisa Franco reveals why lasting self-worth doesn’t come from achievement, confidence, or validation from others, but from learning to trust yourself, process your past, and reconnect with the parts of yourself you’ve learned to ignore.
55 mins
17 September Finished
How to Believe in Yourself When Everyone Tells You “You Can’t” | Cole Brauer - EP 820
In episode 820 of Passion Struck, Cole Brauer shares how purpose, resilience, and self-trust helped her overcome doubt, adversity, and other people’s limitations to become the first American woman to race solo, nonstop, and unassisted around the world.
1 hour 8 mins
15 September Finished
The Agency Paradox: Why Real Adaptability Starts Inside the Box | John R. Miles - EP 819
In this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles brings together two seemingly different ideas from his recent conversations with Martin Seligman and David Epstein to uncover what he calls The Agency Paradox: the belief that more freedom, more options, and more individual willpower will automatically make us more capable can actually leave us overwhelmed, disconnected, and unable to act.
22 mins
11 September Finished
You Don't Need More Freedom. You Need Better Constraints | David Epstein - EP 818
In this episode, John R. Miles sits down with #1 New York Times bestselling author David Epstein, author of "Range" and "The Sports Gene," to explore a counterintuitive idea from his new book, "Inside the Box:" constraints can actually make us more creative, focused, and effective.
1 hour
10 September Finished
World’s Most Influential Psychologist: The Hidden Force That Drives Human Progress | Dr. Martin Seligman – EP 817
In this landmark conversation, John R. Miles sits down with Dr. Martin Seligman, one of the world’s most influential psychologists and a pioneer of positive psychology, to explore his new book, "Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress."
1 hour 1 min
8 September Finished
