Passion Struck with John R. Miles - How You Use Joy As Your Compass EP 106

Episode Date: February 11, 2022

Check Out Our Sponsors: NUTRAFOL: Get $15 off your first month at nutrafol.com promo code PASSIONSTRUCK. GRAMMARLY: Get 20% off premium at grammarly.com/PASSIONSTRUCK. I am currently reading The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell, and one of my favorite quotes from him is, "find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the pain." Joy is such a powerful compass. It is a gift that actually helps us navigate the complex demands that vie for our attention. It invites us to slow down, discover what is most important to us and those around us and helps us decide in ways our ego, pride, fear, or sense of scarcity could never do. And, I think there is so much truth in that quote. When you use joy as your compass, it may not always guide you to the most comfortable, popular, or painless decisions. The power of Joy is more profound than that. Through joy, you can transcend to places where life can happen intentionally, and you can become the best version of yourself. Thank you for listening to this Passion Struck Podcast episode on how to self-love yourself. I hope you keep up with the weekly videos I post on the YouTube channel, subscribe to, and share your learnings with those who need to hear them. Your comments are my oxygen, so please take a second and say 'Hey' ;). -- ► Subscribe to My Channel Here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnRMiles SHOW NOTES 0:00 Introduction 1:38 Why joy is your compass 2:50 Grammarly and Nutrafol 5:50 Story of Kristen Jane Anderson 9:14 Taking steps to growth 13:34 How to overcome obstacles through Joy 15:51 Living a joyful life FOLLOW JOHN ON THE SOCIALS * Twitter: https://twitter.com/Milesjohnr * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnrmiles.c0m * Medium: https://medium.com/@JohnRMiles​ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john_r_miles * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milesjohn/ * Blog: https://passionstruck.com/blog/ * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/passion_struck_podcast/ * Gear: https://www.zazzle.com/store/passion_struck/ -- John R. Miles is a serial entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of Passion Struck. This full-service media company helps people live intentionally by creating best-in-class educational and entertainment content. John is also a prolific public speaker, venture capitalist, and author named to the ComputerWorld Top 100 IT Leaders. John is the host of the PassionStruckPodcast. A show focused on exploring the mindset and philosophy of the world's highest achievers to learn their lessons to living intentionally. Passion Struck aspires to speak to the humanity of people in a way that makes them want to live better, be better and impact. Stay tuned for John's latest project, his upcoming book, which will be published in summer 2022. Learn more about me: https://johnrmiles.com. New to this channel and the passion-struck podcast? Check out our starter packs which are our favorite episodes grouped by topic, to allow you to get a sense of all the podcast has to offer. Go to https://passionstruck.com/starter-packs/. Like this? Please join me on my new platform for peak performance, life coaching, self-improvement, intentional living, and personal growth: https://passionstruck.com/ and sign up for our email list.  

Welcome visionaries, creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, leaders and growth seekers of all types to the Passion Struck podcast. Hi, I'm John Miles, a peak performance coach, multi industry CEO, maybe veteran and entrepreneur on a mission to make Passion Go viral for millions worldwide. do so by sharing with you an inspirational message and interviewing eye achievers from all walks of life who unlock their secrets and lessons to become an action-struck. The purpose of our show is to serve you the listener by giving you tips, tasks and activities you can use to achieve peak performance and for too much action-driven life you have always wanted to have. Now let's become PassionStruck. Welcome back to Episode 106 of the PassionStruck Podcast and thank you each and every one of you who comes back weekly to listen and learn to live better, be better and impact the world. If you're new to

the show or you would like to introduce this to friends or family members, we now have episode starter packs. These are collections of your favorite episodes organized by topic, and it gives a great way to get a new listener introduced to everything about us here on the show. Just go to passionstruck.com slash starter packs to get started.

And also, if you'd prefer to watch these episodes instead of listening to them, you can check out our YouTube channel at JohnRMiles, where we have over 230 different videos. We've had well over 500,000 views of the channel. Just go to JohnRMiles on YouTube and check it out. In today's episode, I'm going to discuss why joy is such a powerful compass. It's a gift that actually helps us navigate the complex demands that vie our attention.

It invites us to slow down, discover what is most important to us and also those around us. And it helps us to side in ways our ego, pride, fear or sense of scarcity could never do. I'm currently reading the book, The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell. And one of my favorite quotes from him is, find a place inside where there's joy, and the joy will burn out the

pain. And I think there's so much truth to that quote. When joy is our compass, it may not always lead us to the easiest, happiest, or most popular decisions. Joy works more deeply than that. It leads us to places where life can happen intentionally and where we become the best versions of ourselves. In my episode today, I'm going to do something a bit different. I'm going to tell a fictional story and use it as a way to bring this episode to light. I'm very interested in hearing your thoughts about this new approach and how it resonates with you. Thank you for choosing PassionStruck and choosing me to be your hosting guide on your journey to living a no regrets life.

Before we begin, I would like to emphasize that this podcast is part of my desire and effort to bring zero cost information to the general public. In keeping with that theme, I would like to thank the sponsors of today's episode. Producing a quality podcast requires a lot of content creation, and I'm constantly looking for ways to up my game and efficiency. That is why I love GrammarLate and use it daily, whether it's writing podcast show notes and article,

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And, they're offering PassionStruck listeners a special discount. Go to Grammarly.com slash PassionStruck to sign up for a free account. And when you're ready to upgrade to Grammarly Premium, get 20% off for being my listener. That's 20% off at gramr-a-m-m-a-r-l-y.com slash passion struck. 80 million Americans, both men and women, experience thinning hair. It's common even normal, but it's not openly talked about. So going through it can feel lonely and frustrating. That is why it's so important to take charge of

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Please consider supporting those who support the show and make it possible. Now, back to passion striker. It was past 6 p.m. on a cold Michigan day and Kristen, Jane Anderson, was trudging through the park, tugging at her nick loves as she set out to end her own life. She was just 17 and long to be happy. Kristen grew up in a typical American family where she had the freedom to do what she enjoyed and had horrific siblings and supportive parents. Yet inside, Kristen felt deep emptiness. Life hadn't been going as she hoped, especially after losing her grandmother and three other friends within the space of two years. Following that, she was raped by someone she considered a friend, and that experience

only compounded the brokenness that she felt. She had taken to smoking, drinking, and parting with her friends, all in a bit to escape the pain and mask her mental struggles. However, she awoke to find them returning each day and felt she had lost all purpose, which led her to become very discouraged and overwhelmed. Kristen decided that her only escape from all her troubles was to lay on a train track and allow herself to be run over by the train. Avating the cops in any curious eyes, she managed to get herself on the railroad track and lie

in position as the train approached. She get herself on the railroad track and lie in position as the train approached. She lay still with the hopes that all her heartache and numbness would be over in a flash, but then the unexpected happened. She was run over by over 33 different freight cars that were traveling at over 55 miles per hour, but somehow was still conscious and alive. However, it left her with her legs completely severed. Eventually, she was rescued by emergency workers and stabilized at

the hospital. But now, she had to live the rest of her life without legs. Even with a second chance at life, the next three years after the incident worked extremely difficult. There were more surgeries. She was placed on different pain killers, antidepressants. She still felt major depression, and still more thoughts of suicide flooded her dreams. But then, she found hope primarily through her Christian faith, and Kristen began taking practical steps

to live each day intentionally. With renewed joy, she ended up getting off her antidepressants and pain medications that the doctors told her she would have to take for the rest of her life. Kristen finished her degree. She told her story of recovery on the Oprah Winfrey show, authored a book titled Life In Spited Me

and started the foundation reaching you ministries to help prevent teenagers and young adults from attempting suicides. Furthermore, she got married, amazingly had kids and became a popular speaker at college's church's women's events. What steps did Kristen take to transition for being a suicidal teenager to taking back her life and becoming a well-accomplished woman? teenager to taking back her life and becoming a well-accomplished woman. After surviving the suicide attempt, Kristen realized that her problems were not external, but rather caused by her inability to live with joy from within. Upon this realization, she took the responsibility to consciously take steps to be intentional about her growth and be guided by joy through life. She began to pay attention to everyday moments and decided to make the most of them rather than just exist on autopilot as most people do.

Here are some of the practical steps that Kristen took to make joy in the guiding compass through her journey of recovery and now every step of her life. And we can apply all of these to our own lives. The first is, Kristen developed an attitude of gratitude. And Adage goes, they who are thoughtful will be thankful. The truth is, no matter what situation we all find ourselves in, there are still reasons, even if it's just one, to be grateful. For as long as there's life, there's hope for better days. So make a list of all the things that you're grateful for, and you will see that gradually joy will begin to fill your heart and guide you onto better days.

Second, Kristen found a focus on self-love. The need for self-love and compassion cannot be overemphasized. In fact, I talked about it just last week in episode 104 where I discussed self-love. Value and take proper care of yourself. Know that you deserve good things and celebrate your wins. No matter how small they may seem. Appreciate and do something special for yourself every day. It doesn't have to be a big thing. Your self-love may just be a walk around the block or gazing up at the stars at night. You can grow into bigger ones from these small steps as things fall in place and joy begins to flow from within. Third, Kristen became compassionate and learned

how to give to others. One potent means of securing joy is by making others joyful in whatever little ways that you can. You receive more of what you give and you should realize that you always have something to offer to make others feel joy and kindness. When you see the smile on someone else's face that you're helping, it makes it all worth it. This will stir a good feeling in you and naturally make you a more joyful person. The fourth thing that Kristen did is she started to have a regular exercise routine.

An exercising is one underrated activity that can help one become happier. Numerous studies have shown that exercise increases in dwarfs, dopamine, adrenaline, and endocannabinoids. Brain chemicals associated with feeling happy, feeling confident, feeling capable, and improving one's overall well-being. Recognize the value of this beneficial physical activity and participate in it to improve your mood and infuse joy into your life. Fifth, Kristen got herself out into nature.

By stepping out into nature and appreciating all the beautiful things that exist, you get to see life from a much bigger and broader perspective. Activities such as taking a walk through the park, sitting and watching birds fly, hiking mountains and visiting the beach can be very relaxing and contribute to you becoming a joyful person. Engage in them and just see how valuable they can be to your growth. Six, Kristen found new habits around things that she enjoyed, whether it's painting,

playing an instrument, listening to music, playing games, or dancing, spend quality time on activities that you enjoy, and that make you happy. By doing so, your mood will constantly improve and you will begin to express joy from within. The seventh thing that Kristen did was she got out of her comfort zone.

Comfort is a major roadblock that stops people from experiencing real joy and it holds them back from reaching for more in life and instead they remain where they are. You need to step out of the status quo out of this fixed mindset and aim for great new things. By doing so, you will gain new experiences which will allow you to become even more fulfilled. Even if things don't work out as you picture them too, you will get the joy that comes from trying, knowing you did your best and dared to reach

for more. Eighth, Kristen surrounded herself with optimism to people. Whether we like it or not, we are naturally influenced by the friends we keep and the people we constantly interact with. Therefore, you must spend your time with people who have a positive mindset and outlook on life and seeking joy. These are the people who will encourage you and keep you accountable through your journey towards having a joyful life. The journey towards letting go of past trauma and becoming a joyful person can be an arduous task, especially when the hurt has been continually recalled in one's memory, which leads to the thought of it sinking into the subconscious. And getting over your hurtful past, you need to focus entirely on the little steps forward

and build successively on each while trying your best not to keep looking back upon the past. Oprah Winfrey is a great example of this. You may not know this, but she was molested when she was in her early childhood. And through that experience, she said the words, turn your wounds into wisdom, born in rural poverty and raised by a mother dependent on government welfare payments in a poor urban neighborhood. Winfrey learned to rise above her past and grow to become a well-accomplished woman and the greatest black philanthropist in US history.

Like Oprah, you need to realize that your hurt can make you stronger and better if you learn the lessons from them and use them to help yourself and others avoid whatever led to that situation or to encourage others in similar conditions and circumstances. One thing you also need is support from others. Healing cannot be done in isolation. Expose your challenges to someone you can confide in who will encourage you and keep you accountable through your journey towards healing.

Notably, the place of your spirituality in faith goes a long way, just as it did for Kristen Anderson, whose Christian faith helped her find meaning and purpose after her attempted suicide. Believe in a supreme being, surpasses every earthly possibility and helps us tap into the divine, giving us the much needed strength and grace to overcome challenges. Find your spirituality and stand firm in it. Remember, it is up to you to see that your healing is complete. Build up your mind with positive thoughts by reading encouraging books such as The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren, Pivotal in Christian's own healing,

listening to positive messages and interacting with people who will help contribute positively to your growth. Focus on becoming a joyful person which will eventually become your reality. There are so many rewards and benefits attached to reaching your desired goal of becoming a person who has led through life by joy. You become a much better, livelier and healthier person, not just for yourself, but for those who are around you as well. You will better maximize your potential and reach as high as you dare to dream. There is hope for suffering and hardship to offer growth and understanding and choose

and joy. From the experience of suffering, wisdom emerges. When things are going well, we rarely step back and face the brutal reality of what is taking place in our lives. A difficult situation, however, often focuses us out of our externally focused state, causing us to reflect inwardly on our experiences. It allows us to see ourselves deeply, with joy comes self-esteem and self-respect, which can help guide you if you're experiencing difficult situations. A life driven and guided by joy is genuinely fulfilling. When you've started living this life,

things will fall into place and everyday becomes one to look forward to. You become strengthened to rise above challenges and life becomes more meaningful. And all you will be able to help others, either for friends and family, and be of immense value to the world at large. As Dutch Catholic priest Henry Noem said,

joy does not simply happen to us. We have to choose joy and keep choosing it every day. And I hope you found today's message inspiring. And if there is another topic like today's that you would like to hear me discuss, or there's a specific guess that you want me to bring on the podcast, please DM me either on Instagram, at John R. Miles, or on LinkedIn, at John Miles. I also wanted to remind you that from March 4th through 6th, I will be undertaking the 4 by 4 by 48 challenge, which is 4 miles every 4 hours for 48 hours with 50 other special operators from the military, and the proceeds from this challenge go to support nonprofits who are helping veterans recover from PTSD and traumatic

brain injuries. If you're interested in supporting this challenge and what we're trying to do for veterans, go check out the show notes and I will have links to where you can join this cause. Now go out there and live life passion strap. Thank you so much for joining us. The purpose of our show is to make Passion Go viral. And we do that by sharing with you the knowledge and skills that you need to unlock your hidden potential. If you want to hear more, please subscribe to the Passion Start podcast on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to your podcast ad. And if you absolutely love this episode, we'd appreciate a five star rating on iTunes and you sharing it with three of your most

growth-minded friends, so they can post it as well to their social accounts and help us grow our passion start community. If you'd like to learn more about the show and our mission, you can go to passionstruck.com where you can sign up for our newsletter, look at our tools, and also download the show notes for today's episode. Additionally, you can listen to us every Tuesday and Friday for even more inspiring content.

And remember, make a choice, work hard, and step into your sharp edges. Thank you again for joining us. you