Why Playing It Too Safe Is Making You Sick
Fulfillment isn’t found in safety — it’s found in alignment.
Hi friends,
I would like to begin with a moment of gratitude.
This week, Passion Struck received two Gold STEVIE Awards at the International Business Awards: one for the podcast and one for the book. That follows the same honors at the American Business Awards earlier this year. And while the recognition is surreal, what matters most is what it represents:
That people all over the world are hungry to live more intentionally.
To grow from the inside out.
To reclaim their energy, agency, and sense of mattering.
That’s what Passion Struck was built for. And it wouldn’t exist without you. So thank you—for listening, reading, sharing, and staying committed to your growth.
And today, I want to talk about something that may seem counterintuitive—but is absolutely essential to that growth:
Discomfort.
We’ve been trained to avoid it. But what if that avoidance is what’s keeping us stuck? What if, in trying to protect ourselves, we’ve slowly become more fragile?
That’s what we explore in this week’s episode.
This Week: Fulfill — The Meaning Behind Your Work and Purpose
We’re in Week 3 of our Reclaiming Wellness series:
Fuel – What you put in your body (food, rest, energy)
Feel – How you regulate emotions + heal the nervous system
Fulfill – The meaning behind your work and purpose (this week)
Flow – Integrating identity, values, and legacy
Because wellness isn’t just how you feel. It’s who you become when your days align with what matters most.
Two Guests Who Are Redefining Healing
On Tuesday, you’ll hear from Christopher Wong Michaelson and Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, co-authors of Is Your Work Worth it? They reveal what it really means to build a “meaningful career” in a world that often rewards burnout. This episode reframes fulfillment not as a luxury, but as a powerful form of healing—when your values, skills, and sense of purpose finally align.
On Thursday, I’m joined by Tien Tzuo, who is best known as the founder of Zuora and one of the architects of the subscription economy. Tien is asking a deeper question in his current work: What’s the soul of your business? In this conversation, he unpacks why healing our relationship with work begins by redefining what work is for—and how purpose-driven companies can be a catalyst for human flourishing, not just profit.
What We’ll Explore This Week
As we step into the Fulfill pillar of our Reclaiming Wellness series, we ask a question at the core of your well-being: Is your work working for you? Not just in terms of productivity, performance, or status—but in terms of meaning, alignment, and emotional integrity. Because it turns out, your nervous system can’t be well if your purpose is starving.
True wellness isn’t just about how you feel at rest—it’s about how you feel in motion. It’s about the quiet sense of congruence that comes when your values are reflected in your calendar, your energy, and your effort. When your work drains you, you don’t just lose time. You lose clarity, confidence, and connection. But when your days begin to reflect what matters most, something shifts—not just in your mind, but in your body. You recover faster. You lead better. You come alive.
This week, we’ll explore what it takes to build that kind of congruence—not someday, but starting now. Through solo reflection and powerful guest conversations, we’ll challenge old definitions of success, reconnect with the soul of our work, and ask what it really means to live like we matter… not just outside of work, but within it.
In Case You Missed It
🎧 Episode 649 – Wolfgang Linden
How to know when it’s time to take a risk
Learn from one of the world’s leading experts in health psychology, whose research shows how mindset and emotional processing directly influence our ability to heal.
Wolfgang’s work reveals that comfort can quietly become a trap—what he calls emotional quicksand. The longer we stay in unfulfilling patterns, the more we convince ourselves that change is impossible. But healing and growth don’t always require a dramatic leap. Sometimes, they begin with small acts of courage—tiny shifts that retrain your mind and body to embrace uncertainty again.
🎧 Episode 650 – Dr. Kevin Tracey
How the Vagus Nerve Fights Rheumatoid Arthritis
Dr. Kevin Tracey, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, shares how decades of work on the vagus nerve have led to a historic breakthrough:
The FDA has just approved the SetPoint System, a groundbreaking implantable device that stimulates the vagus nerve to reduce inflammation. This could transform treatment for 1.5 million people living with rheumatoid arthritis—and opens new doors for other inflammatory diseases.
The Next Step: From Inspiration to Integration
One of the core goals of Passion Struck isn’t just to give you something powerful to think about—it’s to help you live it. Real growth happens when insight becomes action.
And because intentional living isn’t just something we think about but something we embody, I also created the Passion Struck apparel line—clothing designed to be a daily reminder that you matter.
Each hoodie, tee, or cap isn’t just fabric. It’s a statement, a nudge to align your days with what matters most. A way to carry fulfillment with you, even in moments of discomfort.
If the podcast lights the spark, this is where we build the fire—one intentional step at a time.
Live Life Passion Struck,
John