From Stones to Mortar: The Central Metaphor

What if the "stones" of your success, the titles, the trophies, and the milestones, feel loose and unconnected because you’ve ignored the invisible bond meant to hold them together?

In this powerful solo episode of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles explores "The Mortar of Connection." Drawing on the collective intelligence theories of Steven Sloman and the psychological insights of Alex Imas, John explains why the "Hollow High" occurs when we optimize for the "win" while neglecting the "join."

This episode takes you from the ancient Giza plateau to the modern boardroom to discover the "alchemy of the mix." You will learn how to transition from Quiet Disorientation to a life of Unity over Uniformity, using your Sacred Values as the grit that makes your connections unshakeable. It’s an invitation to stop bidding on a life that doesn’t fit and start building a structure that can finally support the weight of a life that matters.

Passion Struck is the #1 alternative health podcast and personal growth podcast dedicated to human flourishing and the science of mattering. It is ranked #1 on FeedSpot’s list of the Top Passion Podcasts on the Web, recognizing the show’s ongoing commitment to thoughtful, human-centered conversations like this one.

Check the full show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/finding-meaning-after-success/

All links gathered here, including books, Substack, YouTube, and Start Mattering apparel: https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Key Quote: "The cost of conviction is the grit in the mortar; without it, connections crumble under pressure, but with it, meaning seals the architecture against isolation’s erosion." — John R. Miles

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• The Alchemy of the Mix: Why meaning lives in the "Between Us" space and how collective intelligence turns a pile of rocks into a sanctuary.
• The Grit of Conviction: How to identify your Sacred Values and why they are the non-negotiable "grit" required for connections to hold under pressure.
• Avoiding the Winner’s Curse: A deep dive into Alex Imas's research on why we overpay for "stones" that actually weaken our internal structure.
• The Application vs. The Pit: Why meaning is an act of application, and how to move your values from the "pit of someday" to the joints of your current relationships.
• The Miracle of the Cure: Understanding the "Setting" process of our choices and why unity—not uniformity—is the ultimate goal of a cured life.
• Extraction vs. Circulation: How to stop treating life as an auction to be won and start seeing it as an architecture to be inhabited.

The Mortar of Connection Companion Resources

Download our free digital companion workbook featuring practical reflections on avoiding the Winner's Curse, identifying your "sacred grit," and mapping your own collective layers of meaning. Explore the guide:

Connect with the Ecosystem

• Pre-order You Matter, Luma: https://youmatterluma.com/
• Support the Movement: https://StartMattering.com
• Join The Ignited Life Community: https://TheIgnitedLife.net

Disclaimer

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