Passion Struck with John R. Miles
Tasha Eurich on How to Create a Shatterproof Life | 592
Tue, 1 Apr 2025
In Episode 592 of Passion Struck, host John R. Miles welcomes renowned organizational psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Tasha Eurich to discuss her powerful new book, Shatterproof: How to Overcome Adversity with Strength and Resilience, which debuts today.Full Shownotes here: https://passionstruck.com/tasha-eurich-how-to-create-a-shatterproof-life/Together, they dive deep into:The truth about resilience—and why it’s not enough.How to move from just surviving to growing forward.The science-backed Shatterproof Roadmap, a four-part framework to help you turn pain into power.Why probing your pain is the first step toward transformation.How to stop over-identifying with struggle and reclaim your personal narrative.Real-life strategies to develop mental agility, shift limiting beliefs, and face hardship with clarity and strength.The “resilience ceiling,” burnout, and why high achievers are at greater risk.Lessons from global movements, leadership legends like Marshall Goldsmith and Alan Mulally, and practical tools for becoming emotionally bulletproof.If you’re facing personal or professional challenges—or want to build inner strength that lasts—this conversation will help you become Shatterproof.Connect with Dr. Tasha Eurich: https://www.tashaeurich.com/Sponsors:Factor Meals: http://factormeals.com/factormeals50off and use code “FACTOR MEALS 50 OFF”Rosetta Stone: Unlock 25 languages for life at “ROSETTASTONE.com/passionstruck.”Prolon: Reset your health with 15% off at “ProlonLife.com/passionstruck.”Mint Mobile: Cut your wireless bill to 15 bucks a month at “MINT MOBILE dot com slash PASSION.”Hims: Start your journey to regrowing hair with Hims. Visit hims.com/PASSIONSTRUCK for your free online visit.Quince: Discover luxury at affordable prices with Quince. Enjoy free shipping and 365-day returns at quince.com/PASSIONNext on Passion Struck:In the next episode of Passion Struck, John sits down with Anne Marie Anderson, an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, sports journalist, and leadership expert. Anne Marie has spent years breaking barriers in sports media, navigating high-stakes environments, and coaching top athletes and executives on leadership, resilience, and communication. In our conversation, we'll dive into the mental frameworks of high performers, the art of storytelling, and how to build confidence in any field.For more information on advertisers and promo codes, visit Passion Struck Deals.Join the Passion Struck Community!Sign up for the Live Intentionally newsletter, where I share exclusive content, actionable advice, and insights to help you ignite your purpose and live your most intentional life. Get access to practical exercises, inspiring stories, and tools designed to help you grow. Learn more and sign up here.Speaking Engagements & WorkshopsAre you looking to inspire your team, organization, or audience to take intentional action in their lives and careers? I’m available for keynote speaking, workshops, and leadership training on topics such as intentional living, resilience, leadership, and personal growth. Let’s work together to create transformational change. Learn more at johnrmiles.com/speaking.Episode Starter PacksWith over 500 episodes, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. We’ve curated Episode Starter Packs based on key themes like leadership, mental health, and personal growth, making it easier for you to dive into the topics you care about. Check them out at passionstruck.com/starterpacks.Catch More of Passion Struck:My solo episode on 4 Powerful Trust-Building Exercises for Strong Teams and RelationshipsCan't miss my episode with Gabriella Rosen Kellerman on Thriving in the Future of WorkMy episode with Ethan Mollick on the Impact of AI on Life and WorkCatch my interview with Morgan Housel on How to Use the Past Wisely to Forge the FutureListen to my interview with Jacob Morgan on the Vital Power of Leading With VulnerabilityIf you liked the show, please leave us a review—it only takes a moment and helps us reach more people! Don’t forget to include your Twitter or Instagram handle so we can thank you personally.How to Connect with John:Connect with John on Twitter at @John_RMilesFollow him on Instagram at @John_R_MilesSubscribe to our main YouTube Channel and to our YouTube Clips ChannelFor more insights and resources, visit John’s websiteWant to explore where you stand on the path to becoming Passion Struck? Take our 20-question quiz on Passionstruck.com and find out today!
Chapter 1: What is resilience and why isn't it enough?
I feel so strongly about that because I think with the amount of change and challenge that we're all facing, many of us have unintentionally lowered the bar.
Welcome to passion struck. Hi, I'm your host, John R. Miles. And on the show, we decipher the secrets, tips and guidance of the world's most inspiring people and turn their wisdom into practical advice for you and those around you. Our mission is to help you unlock the power of intentionality so that you can become the best version of yourself.
you're new to the show i offer advice and answer listener questions on fridays we have long form interviews the rest of the week with guests ranging from astronauts to authors ceos creators innovators scientists military leaders visionaries and athletes now let's go out there and become passion struck hey Passionstruck fam, welcome to episode 592.
Whether you've been with us for a while or tuning in for the first time, I am so thrilled you're here. You're now part of a global movement dedicated to unlocking your potential, forging resilience, and making what truly matters matter most.
let me ask you this what if resilience isn't just about bouncing back what about bouncing forward what if the key to overcoming life's toughest challenges isn't just grit but the ability to adapt pivot and transform adversity into fuel for growth that's exactly what today's guest dr tasha york
explores in her brand new book, Shatterproof, How to Overcome Adversity with Strength and Resilience, which officially launches today. Tasha is a renowned organizational psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and one of the most sought after voices on self-awareness, leadership, and psychological agility.
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Chapter 2: How can we go beyond surviving to thriving?
In today's episode, we go deep into the science of resilience, what it really takes to withstand life's pressure and come out on the other side, not just intact, but stronger, clearer, and more intentional. At the core of today's discussion is the Shatterproof Roadmap, a transformative research-backed framework that includes tools like probing your pain, auditing your identity,
and crafting choice. These aren't just abstract ideas. They're tangible, science-based practices that will help you take control of your narrative, reframe struggle, and turn hardship into personal power.
We explore why some people thrive through chaos while others feel crushed by it, the danger of over-identifying with suffering, and how you can train your mind to face adversity with self-awareness and mental agility. Tasha also shares actionable strategies for breaking free from victimhood.
rewriting limiting stories and developing real resilience, the kind that serves your growth, not just your survival. If you've ever faced a moment that knocked you down, a personal loss, a professional setback, or a season where nothing seemed to go right, this episode will equip you to rebuild, reimagine, and come back stronger than ever.
But before we dive in, let's take a moment to reflect on the incredible week we just had here on PassionStruck. Last Tuesday, I welcomed Wes Adams and Tamara Miles to discuss their new book, Meaningful Work, a must-listen for anyone seeking to align purpose with performance.
Last Thursday, Donald Miller shared his updated Building a Story Brand 2.0 book and gave us an exclusive look into his AI platform that's revolutionizing how we can communicate and connect. And then on Friday, Dr. Kurt Gray shared
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Chapter 3: What is the Shatterproof Roadmap?
Now the Weary Family Foundation endowed chair at Ohio State joined me to discuss political division, moral psychology, and how to find common ground in an increasingly polarized world. If you missed any of those episodes, I highly recommend going back. They're packed with transformative insights.
And if you're new here, we've created episode starter packs on topics like mental resilience, personal mastery, leadership, and intentional living. You can find them on Spotify or at passionstruck.com slash starter packs. For even deeper tools and exclusive insights, sign up for my Live Intentionally newsletter at passionstruck.com.
And if you prefer watching these powerful conversations, head over to the Passion Struck YouTube channel. Now, let's dive into this empowering conversation on the true nature of resilience and how to become shatterproof with Dr. Tasha Urich. Thank you for choosing PassionStruck and choosing me to be your host and guide on your journey to creating an intentional life. Now, let that journey begin.
I am absolutely honored and thrilled to have Dr. Tasha Urich on PassionStruck. Welcome, Tasha.
Thanks for having me, John. Thrilled to be here.
Today, we're going to be discussing your brand new book, Shatterproof, which debuts today, the day that this podcast is coming out. But I have to tell you, when I was opening up the book and I came to your dedication, I always loved looking at them. And then a name just jumped right off the page to me, Marshall Goldsmith.
someone that you call your honorary dad and I have loved Marshall's work for decades and I've actually had him on the show and his work has been so deep to me that I ended up anchoring a whole chapter in my book Passion Struck on his lessons from the earned life.
I wanted to start out today by asking you what role has Marshall played in shaping your approach to leadership resilience which we're going to be talking a lot about today and ultimately this book.
Well, I could talk to you for the entire 60-minute podcast about that. I actually, funnily enough, right before we started recording, I just got off the phone with him. We're talking about a friend's birthday party we're going to in a few weeks in New York. But Marshall came into my life when I was just finishing my first book, Bankable Leadership, in 2012.
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Chapter 4: How do myths about resilience mislead us?
And since then, he is everything from a mentor to someone that he and I coach CEOs together. So he's a colleague to somebody that I love going to a piano bar and having a glass of champagne and singing show tunes with.
So I think the biggest thing that Marshall has taught me is this, and this is a Peter Drucker quote that he often recites, which is that the purpose of life is not to prove how smart you are or how right you are, but to make a positive difference. And that's instilled in everything that I hope to do.
I love that. And I have to tell you, when I had him on the podcast, if people want to go back and listen to it, he gave me teachable moments midstream as we were doing the podcast. And then once we got off, he stopped before he got off and gave me very frank feedback for about five minutes straight.
And then after he did it, which he did in a kind way, but a very straightforward way, he said, you've got to get to Nashville because I walk every day. And the next time you're here, I want to take a walk with you. So I got to take him up with that. But one thing that I love about his work is he emphasizes this idea that fulfillment comes from the alignment of our values.
And then he often talks about our aspirations and our ambitions rather than external achievements. How does that concept connect with your vision of becoming shatterproof?
Well, one thing that Marshall says a lot that really resonates with me is that happiness and success are independent variables. And what that means to me is chasing success is not going to bring you happiness.
you have to if you want to be successful chase that if you want to be happy chase that but don't assume that there's a causal relationship and the way that comes into my new book shatterproof is a high level this book is for stressed out strivers people who have big ambitions who want to be the best version of themselves who want to contribute and make a positive difference
but they are increasingly weighed down by the demands that continue to come at them. And I think we can all agree that we live in a world where the world is going to just keep asking more of us. And so where I think Shatterproof comes into that concept is we spend so much time pushing, striving. I'm a terrible example of this this week. I was up until 5 a.m.
yesterday writing my newsletter, which proves I am just as imperfect as all of us. But if we do that, we often do it at the expense of our own well-being, our own happiness, and more fundamentally, our own needs. And so what becoming shatterproof is all about is not sacrificing your success.
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Chapter 5: What makes someone truly shatterproof?
No matter what difficult or bad things are happening, if we practice gratitude, if we have a positive mindset, if we get social support, that we will actually get better and happier and stronger through challenges. But as I mentioned earlier, what resilience scientifically can do for us and what the most renowned resilience researchers say is that it exists to help us survive, right?
There was one study that was done in Italy during COVID lockdowns, and they didn't define resilience as the ability to thrive through a global pandemic. They simply defined it as the absence of depression and anxiety. So the second myth is that our level of resilience is not just learnable, but wholly under our control. And what we know from the research on this is actually two things.
Number one, in terms of the learnability This is not a slam dunk. There was one meta analysis, which is a study of studies. They looked at 45,000 data points of interventions designed to improve resilience. And they actually found that not only were those interventions not effective, But in many cases, they reduced the well-being of the trainees.
Now, that doesn't mean that there aren't other studies that show that there are small effects. But by the way, there are usually only small effects. There are other studies that show no effect. So that's the first piece. The second piece is the people who need resilience most are the people who often have the fewest resources of resilience.
So examples of this might be people who went through early childhood trauma. It might be people who are living, as I do, with a chronic illness and disability. But the idea there is if we see resilience as wholly learnable and wholly under our control, it leads to something I call grit gaslighting, which is if you can't cope, maybe you just didn't spend enough time on that yoga mat.
Maybe you just didn't think positively enough. The third myth, and this one's actually pretty simple. The research shows that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger is actually incorrect. The truth is when we're exposed to ongoing chronic stress, it actually depletes our resilience and makes coping and staying strong and not breaking even harder. So that's the landscape that we're in.
That's what we're dealing with here in terms of the myth versus the reality of resilience. Now you asked the question, how is being resilient different from being shatterproof? There's a couple of ways that I think this distinction makes sense. So where resilience is reactive, right? We wait for things to get better. We do our coping practices and our self-care.
Becoming shatterproof is a new complementary skill set to resilience. that says we will get stronger through adversity if and only if we proactively harness it to grow right it bad things just happening to us does not magically make us more resilient but if we harness those events it can make us shatterproof The second distinction is that resilience can be pretty defensive, right?
It focuses on endurance. It doesn't focus on upping our game. And it gets us back to the baseline of where we were. Becoming shatterproof is offensive. It gives us access to the best version of ourselves. And my and others' research on this shows that it increases meaning, personal growth, inner peace, even physical health.
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Chapter 6: How does personal experience shape resilience?
What's different about becoming shatterproof and specifically something I call the shatterproof roadmap, which is a four-step process to follow to become shatterproof, is that it's aimed at reducing the specific needs that you are not getting met. that are causing adversity to have an even worse effect on you.
And so I think you can think about those terms interchangeably, and they're not in contradiction with each other, but shatterproof is really a new scientifically supported skillset that can help us, especially when our resilience is running low.
Tasha, I'm so glad I read your book because I know the connection points that you're making, but people always ask, why do you read every single book? Because when an interview totally goes a different direction than I'm planning it to go, it's nice to have it as the backdrop so you can read it right.
Have I taken you off track? Have I ruined the plan?
No, no. You took a few sections and just combined it in one, which is great. So I'm going to just go back.
a step to the introduction of your book, because I don't want to leave it without talking about Emily's parking lot brawl, because I think it really does a good job of illustrating how the most high achieving, resilient people can take a hit and reach their breaking point, which is exactly what happened to me. Why was that the right starting point for the book?
So Emily, just to briefly summarize, is a successful professional in healthcare. She has three children who are younger and therefore require a lot more time and energy. She has a husband who is battling health challenges. Of course, at her job, they're asking her to do more with less as we all are continuously. I wonder like how much less can we actually do more with at any given point?
And she thinks she's handling the stress well. Something pops up, which is that her son starts having behavioral problems. He's having tantrums at home, tantrums at school. His teachers are concerned about him. And To her great regret, she and her husband started talking about the situation. And she said, this doesn't seem like it's a huge pressing challenge.
Let's see what the school can do for him. Let's see what we can do for him. And let's reassess, right? Let's reassess in a month or six weeks. They learned shortly after that her son was being bullied by a girl in his grade named Greta. And Emily thought that she was fine through all of this.
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