Creator Profile Avatar for John R. Miles
John R. Miles
Creator Profile Avatar for John R. Miles

John R. Miles

@john_r_miles • 690K total followers
John R. Miles is a best-selling author, a combat veteran, and the visionary behind the globally acclaimed Passion Struck® podcast, which has inspired millions to live with purpose and intention. A former U.S. Navy officer and Fortune 50 executive, John now dedicates his life to helping people of all ages discover their inherent worth and live more meaningful lives. His award-winning book, Passion Struck, and his thought leadership in intentional behavior change have earned him international recognition. You Matter, Luma is John’s first children’s book, born from his own childhood experiences with emotional adversity and a lifelong belief in the power of mattering. Through heartfelt storytelling, John empowers young readers to embrace who they are and know that they truly matter. He lives in Tampa, Florida, where he continues writing, podcasting, and speaking to audiences around the world.
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Most people do not disappear suddenly. They slowly learn to trade authenticity for usefulness. Over time, many begin organizing their lives around performance, productivity, and survival while quietly losing the feeling that who they are matters beyond what they provide. That is the hidden cost of modern life: visibility without genuine connection. When people stop feeling seen, valued, and needed, something inside them contracts. But when people experience real acknowledgment, emotional safety, and human significance, they expand again. That is the heart of The Mattering Effect. Pre-order now: [www.matteringeffect.com] #TheMatteringEffect #JohnRMiles #Mattering #Belonging #HumanConnection #MentalHealth #EmotionalHealth #PurposeDrivenLife #IntentionalLiving #PassionStruck
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1 mth
I recently had the opportunity to appear on BLOOM Tampa Bay’s daily health and lifestyle show on WFLA News Channel 8, hosted by the wonderful Amber Freeman. BLOOM focuses on the topics that shape how we live—health, wellness, relationships, mental well-being, and the everyday choices that help us grow into healthier and more fulfilled lives. It was the perfect setting to talk about the message behind You Matter, Luma. At its heart, this book is about a simple truth many people forget: every person matters. When children understand their value and the ripple effect of kindness, they begin to see how their actions can change the world around them. I’m grateful to Amber and the BLOOM team for creating a space where conversations about well-being, purpose, and emotional health can reach families across the community. These conversations matter—especially for the next generation. Thank you for helping us spread the message that **you matter… and the kindness you share matters too.**
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4 mths
BIG NEWS! Passion Struck just won the Gold Stevie Award for Best Business Book at the 2025 American Business Awards!⁣ ⁣ This isn’t just a win for the book—it’s a win for everyone committed to living with purpose, igniting their potential, and making what truly matters, matter most.⁣ ⁣ Thank you to every reader, supporter, and believer in this mission. This is only the beginning. 🔥 ⁣ #PassionStruck #StevieAwards #BestBusinessBook #PurposeDriven #Leadership #PersonalGrowth
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1 yr

Latest posts

We hear every day about the epidemics of loneliness, burnout, anxiety, disengagement, and hopelessness. My research led me to a different conclusion. I don't believe these are separate epidemics. I believe they are symptoms of something deeper: the gradual erosion of people's sense that they are seen, valued, and significant within the groups and institutions that organize their lives. Dr. Zach Mercurio has been one of the leading voices advancing the science of mattering, so his endorsement was especially meaningful. "Underneath the stress, endless striving, and loneliness we see today is a quieter question: Do I matter? John Miles explores this question with wisdom, rigor, and heart." Thank you, Zach, for helping move this field forward. "The Mattering Effect" releases October 6. Do you think loneliness, burnout, and disengagement are separate problems—or symptoms of something deeper?
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7 hr
I used to think personal growth was measured by how much I could improve myself. Over the years, I've come to realize that growth reaches far beyond me. Every version of me becomes part of someone else's world. The patience I practice shapes the conversations I have. The attention I give determines whether the people I love feel seen. The peace I cultivate becomes something they get to experience, too. That's why this question has stayed with me all week: Who benefits if I never evolve? The answer reaches far beyond me. Every step I take toward becoming more present, more compassionate, and more intentional has the potential to change someone else's day, someone else's home, and maybe even someone else's life. #PersonalGrowth #IntentionalLiving #Flourishing #PassionStruck #JohnRMiles
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13 hr
One idea from my conversation with Guy Kawasaki has stayed with me long after we stopped recording. He explained that even when our messages are encrypted, the information surrounding them—who we talk to, when we connect, and the patterns of our daily lives—can reveal more than we realize. That insight changed the way I think about privacy because it reminded me that our lives are made up of far more than the words we say. We spend so much time protecting our passwords that it's easy to overlook something deeper: the quiet spaces where relationships grow, ideas take shape, and trust is built. Those moments deserve care because they are part of what makes us fully human. Technology will continue to evolve, but preserving the freedom to choose what we share and what we keep close is one way we remain authors of our own lives rather than simply becoming another stream of data. #PassionStruck #GuyKawasaki #DigitalPrivacy #AI #Technology
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1 day
Every child asks the question... "Do I matter?" It's a quiet question, but it shapes confidence, belonging, resilience, and the way children see themselves for years to come. That's why I wrote You Matter, Luma—a story to help children discover that their worth isn't something they have to earn. It has been there all along. I'm excited to share that You Matter, Luma is currently on a limited-time deal on Amazon, making it a wonderful opportunity to add it to your home, classroom, or gift it to a child who needs this reminder. Thank you to every parent, grandparent, teacher, counselor, and reader who has embraced Luma's story. Your support has helped it become a Mom's Choice Awards® Gold Recipient and touched families around the world. 💛 If you know a little one who could use this message, now is a great time to pick up a copy.
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2 days
There are moments in an author's journey that feel especially meaningful, and today was one of them. Stepping into the recording studio to narrate The Mattering Effect was an incredible experience. There's something deeply personal about sharing these ideas in your own voice—bringing the stories, research, and message to life exactly as they were meant to be heard. I'm deeply grateful to the entire team at Random House Audio for trusting me with the opportunity to narrate my own book. Thank you for making this experience such a memorable one. I can't wait to share The Mattering Effect with you this October—in print, in audio, and, I hope, in a way that reminds each of us that we matter more than we know. #thematteringeffect #audiobook #JohnRMiles #PassionStruck #youmatter #bookstagram
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5 days
How much of your life have you spent believing that peace lives just beyond the next milestone? I know I have. For years, I treated success like the horizon. I believed that if I just kept moving—one more promotion, one more project, one more accomplishment—I would finally arrive at the place where life could begin. But horizons were never meant to be destinations. They're meant to give us direction. The problem isn't ambition. The problem is believing that meaning, contentment, or worth are waiting somewhere beyond the next ridge. The people we love don't meet us in the future we've imagined. They meet us in the present we choose to inhabit. Walk toward your horizons. Dream boldly. Build extraordinary things. Just don't spend your life waiting for the horizon to give you permission to live. If this resonates, my latest essay, What Horizons Are For, is available now through The Ignited Life. Link in the comments.
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1 wk
One of my favorite moments from today's conversation with Jess Ekstrom was her reminder that purpose isn't something we stumble across one day. It's something we build through the way we show up for other people. She shared a simple shift that really stayed with me. Instead of asking, "What am I selling?" ask, "Who am I serving?" The moment we connect our work to the person on the other side of it, even ordinary tasks begin to carry extraordinary meaning. I think that's why so many of us keep chasing the next milestone. We're hoping it will finally make us feel like we matter, when that feeling is often created in the small moments of service happening right in front of us. If this resonates with you, you're going to love today's full conversation with Jess Ekstrom on Passion Struck. I'd love to hear what part of it speaks to you most. #JohnRMiles #PassionStruck #JessEkstrom #Motivation #MeaningfulWork #Leadership
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1 wk
For a long time, every time I found myself slipping back into an old pattern, I assumed the explanation was simple: I wasn't trying hard enough. If I lost my patience, checked my phone instead of being present, or said yes when I wanted to say no, I treated it as evidence that I needed more discipline, more willpower, or more commitment. What I've come to understand is that change is often more complicated than that. The hardest part of transformation isn't usually a lack of awareness. Most of us know exactly what we want to do differently. The challenge is that another part of us is still trying to keep us safe, and our nervous systems often mistake familiarity for safety. Sometimes we don't return to old patterns because we want to stay the same. Sometimes we return because the old version of our lives feels more recognizable than the new one we're trying to build. That realization changed the way I think about growth. Maybe the question isn't, "Why can't I change?" Maybe it'
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1 wk
Some places never really leave us. For me, it's my grandfather's back porch. I can still smell the charcoal on his Weber grill. Hear the conversations. Feel the quiet lessons he never knew he was teaching. It reminded me of something I've been thinking about lately. The places we inhabit are never just backdrops to our lives. They quietly shape our habits, our relationships, our memories, and even the people we become. Every room teaches. Every neighborhood leaves an imprint. Every workplace advertises its values. And one day, the places we create will continue teaching long after we're gone. So maybe legacy isn't only what we leave in people. Maybe it's also what we leave in places. What's one place that still lives inside you? 📖 My latest essay in The Ignited Life explores why the environments we build become part of the lives they shape.
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1 wk
For a long time, this was the voice I mistook for strength. Push harder. Ignore the warning lights. Get through today. Recover later. It worked, at least for a while. The work got done. The goals moved forward. From the outside, it looked like resilience. What I didn't understand was that there is a difference between carrying a heavy season and building a life that never allows you to put the weight down. Eventually I realized that my body wasn't interrupting my life when it asked for rest. It was trying to protect the life I was working so hard to build. Flourishing doesn't ask us to become less ambitious. It asks us to stop treating ourselves like machines that earn care only after they've earned exhaustion. #Flourishing #Mindset #IntentionalLiving #EmotionalWellbeing #PassionStruck #JohnRMiles
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1 wk
For most of human history, we didn't build connection by sitting side by side, consuming the same thing. We built it by standing shoulder to shoulder, creating something together. A barn. A home. A garden. A meal. A community. Long before we had movie theaters and streaming services, we had shared effort. We had projects that required cooperation, communication, patience, and trust. Somewhere along the way, we became experts at consuming experiences together while spending less time making things together. Maybe that's why building feels different. There is something about creating alongside another person that changes the relationship itself. A shared challenge becomes a shared story. A task becomes a memory. The thing you build eventually matters less than the fact that you built it together. Perhaps one of the simplest ways to strengthen a relationship isn't finding something new to watch. It's finding something worth making. #PassionStruck #LeidyKlotz #Connection #Relationsh
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1 wk
One thing that really stayed with me from my conversation with Dr. Dana Suskind was this idea that we may be preparing our children for a world that no longer exists. For decades, we've optimized for grades, achievement, credentials, and performance because those were the rules of the game. But if AI can do more and more of the things we once considered uniquely valuable, what happens next? Dana's answer was surprisingly simple: we double down on what makes us human. You can't teach empathy through optimization. You can't automate curiosity. You can't outsource connection. Those things are built in the seemingly ordinary moments we often overlook: boredom, imagination, difficult conversations, playing with a cardboard box, and the wonderfully imperfect relationship between a parent and a child. I left this conversation wondering if the future belongs less to the children who are the most optimized and more to those who are the most deeply human. 🧡
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1 wk
The future belongs to the most human among us. Holding "Human Raised" reminded me of something Dr. Dana Suskind said during our conversation: The greatest challenge of the AI era isn't building smarter machines. It's raising humans who never lose the qualities machines can't replicate. Connection. Curiosity. Empathy. Resilience. Wonder. Those aren't just parenting goals. They're the foundation of a flourishing life. Today's episode of Passion Struck with Dr. Dana Suskind is one of the most important conversations I've had this year. If you're raising children—or helping shape the next generation—I hope you'll give it a listen. Because the future won't be defined by AI alone. It will be shaped by how deeply we choose to invest in one another. 🎙️ Episode available now. #PassionStruck #DanaSuskind #HumanRaised #Parenting #Leadership #AI #HumanFlourishing #ChildDevelopment #Mattering #FutureOfWork #EmotionalIntelligence
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2 wks
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