John R. Miles

If you'd like to continue the work, visit theignitedlife.net for episode workbooks and reflection tools.

Watch the full conversation on YouTube at John R. Miles or PassionStruck Clips, or explore intention-driven apparel at startmattering.com.

As we continue The Meaning Makers, remember, significance grows where safety supports truth.

Contained, grounded, forward.

I'm John Miles, and you've been PassionStruck.

Coming up next on Passion Struck.

Welcome to Passion Struck.

I'm your host, John Miles.

This is the show where we explore the art of human flourishing and what it truly means to live like it matters.

Each week, I sit down with changemakers, creators, scientists, and everyday heroes to decode the human experience and uncover the tools that help us lead with meaning, heal what hurts, and pursue the fullest expression of who we're capable of becoming.

Whether you're designing your future, developing as a leader or seeking deeper alignment in your life, this show is your invitation to grow with purpose and act with intention.

Because the secret to a life of deep purpose, connection and impact is choosing to live like you matter.

Hey friends, and welcome back to episode 718 of Passion Struck.

We're continuing our series, The Meaning Makers, an exploration of how meaning is built, sustained, and sometimes eroded across a life.

Last Thursday with Alex Emus, we examined The Winner's Curse.

The paradox where success under uncertainty often reflects overestimation rather than skill.

We saw how intelligent, capable people make costly choices when systems reward escalation, confidence, and momentum while obscuring long-term cost.

Today, we take that insight inward.

because the same dynamics that distort markets also shape identity.

When people spend years trying to succeed inside systems misaligned with how their minds actually work, the cost accumulates internally as exhaustion, self-doubt, emotional overload, and a growing sense of invisibility.