Why Success Can Leave You Feeling Like You Don't Matter | John R. Miles & Linda Hurtado – EP 834

What happens when you achieve the life you thought you wanted, only to realize you no longer feel connected to it?
For John R. Miles, that question became impossible to ignore. After years of executive success, demanding workweeks, and responsibilities that kept growing, a simple question from his young son stopped him in his tracks: “Dad, why don't you ever laugh anymore?”
In this special live conversation from the launch of The Mattering Effect (matteringeffect.com)at the St. Petersburg Museum of History, John sits down with Emmy Award-winning Fox 13 anchor Linda Hurtado (fox13news.com/person/h/linda-hurtado) to explore the experiences that led him to investigate a question millions of people quietly carry: Do I matter?
John explains why success and mattering are not the same, how the environments around us can reward what we produce while overlooking who we are, and how this gradual loss of connection can lead to what he calls the Great Erasure.
In this conversation, you'll discover:
• Why achievement doesn't always lead to meaning or fulfillment.
• How the Great Erasure happens when systems extract our value without reflecting our worth.
• Why loneliness, burnout, and disengagement may share a deeper underlying cause.
• How the M.A.T.T.E.R. framework identifies six conditions that help people feel significant: Meaning, Autonomy, Trust, Time, Energy, and Reciprocity.
• What John learned from transforming a struggling employee engagement team at Lowe's.
• Why the Slow Fade can leave you feeling increasingly disconnected before you recognize what's happening.
• How to begin rebuilding mattering through personal choices, stronger relationships, and environments that support your well-being.
• What leaders and parents can do to help people feel seen, including the power of undivided attention and asking what support someone needs.
• How Linda's decision to leave a workplace where she no longer felt valued illustrates the importance of recognizing your own worth.
The conversation also explores John's personal turning points, the experiences that prompted him to reconsider his priorities, and why rebuilding a sense of mattering starts with how we treat ourselves and the people closest to us.
The central takeaway: You can climb the mountain you always wanted to climb and still discover it was the wrong mountain. Sometimes the next step isn't working harder. It's asking what kind of life you're actually building, and whether it allows you and the people around you to feel that you matter.
This is a special episode about the ideas, experiences, and human stories behind The Mattering Effect: Creating a Life of Meaning and Worth.

Explore "The Mattering Effect"
Get your copy of The Mattering Effect (matteringeffect.com)
What happens when you spend so much of your life showing up for everyone else that you start to disappear from yourself? Take the 90-second diagnostic to discover whether you're experiencing the signs of unmattering.
New to Passion Struck?
Explore the Passion Struck Starter Packs (passionstruck.com/starter-packs)
Not sure where to begin? Discover curated episode collections designed to help you explore the ideas, conversations, and questions that matter most.
Connect with John R. Miles
• Website: johnrmiles.com
• Speaking and Events: Book John to Speak (johnrmiles.com/speaking)
• Substack: The Ignited Life (theignitedlife.net)
• Children's Book: You Matter, Luma (youmatterluma.com)
Support the Mattering Movement
Visit Start Mattering (startmattering.com)
Every human deserves to feel seen, valued, and significant. Help make that belief visible. Wear it. Live it. Show it.
Passion Struck with John R. Miles
The #1 Health & Fitness Podcast. More than 85 million downloads.
Disclaimer
Passion Struck is provided for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. Nothing shared on this podcast should be considered medical, mental health, or psychological advice, or a substitute for consultation with a qualified professional.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.