
Passion Struck with John R. Miles
The Lens Method: A New Way to Reframe Your Inner World | EP 612
Fri, 16 May 2025
In this powerful solo episode, John R. Miles explores a skill that could radically change how you experience adversity, uncertainty, and emotional overwhelm—reframing. But not the kind tied to false positivity or denial. Instead, John unveils the LENS Method, a practical, neuroscience-backed framework for transforming the story you tell yourself—so you can move from survival to self-mastery.Drawing from research by Dr. Daniel Siegel, Carol Dweck, Martin Seligman, and others, this episode unpacks why reframing isn’t spin—it’s strategy. Through storytelling, psychology, and personal insight, John shows how to use the four LENS steps to reduce emotional reactivity, activate resilience, and reconnect with the values that define your best self.Click here for the full shownotes: https://passionstruck.com/the-lens-framework-new-reframe-your-inner-world/Join the Ignition Room!Join the new free Passion Struck Community to win Passion Struck merchandise! - The Ignition Room: https://station.page/passionstruckKey Takeaways:Reframing is not about denial—it’s about redefining the story.Cognitive reappraisal can regulate the brain’s threat response.Neuroplasticity means your brain can be trained to think differently.Learned optimism and growth mindset are skills, not traits.The LENS Method (Label, Examine, Name, Step) provides a practical path forward.When you shift your story, you shift your life.If 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!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapter 1: What challenge does John R. Miles describe about feeling disconnected internally?
Coming up next on Passion Struck, have you ever found yourself in a moment where everything looks fine on the outside, but inside it's like you're just not there? You're checking the boxes, showing up, but you've stopped feeling. In episode 612, we're not talking about burnout or breakdown. We're talking about something quieter and maybe even more dangerous. Because the real question isn't,
How do I stay strong? It's how do I shift the story I'm telling myself before it breaks me? What if resilience starts with one small internal change? And what if you already have the tools to make it? 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. If 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 PassionStruck. Hey everyone, John here, and welcome to episode 612 of Passion Struck.
Before we dive in to today's conversation, I want to share a few updates that I couldn't be more excited about. First, after months of design and intention, we have launched the Passion Struck clothing line. This collection isn't just apparel. It's wearable belief. From You Matter, Live Like It, to Own Your Own Spark, every piece was created to reflect what we stand for as a movement.
Living with courage, clarity, and purpose. To celebrate, we're also running a giveaway. When you join the Ignition Room, our community for episode reflections, prompts, and behind-the-scenes conversations, you'll be automatically entered to win a PassionStruck t-shirt and hat from the new line. Joining is completely free. Just head to the show notes to sign up.
And while we're on the subject of deeper connection, I also want to tell you about something that we're also creating. We are replacing my newsletter, Live Intentionally, with our new sub stack, The Ignited Life.
it's the written companion to everything we're building here each week i'll share mental fitness tools behind the scenes stories and practices i don't publish anywhere else both spaces the ignition room and the ignited life are built to help you take what you hear in these episodes and actually apply it to your life now on to today's episode
We're deep into Mental Health Awareness Month now, and this episode keeps pulling on a thread we've been following together from the start, how we care for our inner world when life gets messy. In episode 606, I explored why mental health isn't just emotional, it's existential. And then in episode 609, I broke down five science-backed habits that can anchor you when everything feels unstable.
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Chapter 2: Who is John R. Miles and what is the purpose of the Passion Struck podcast?
That single word yet is a reframe and it changes everything. This is where reframing becomes more than a mental hack. It becomes a way of moving through challenge with clarity instead of collapse. In episode 606, in case you want to go back and listen to it, I talked about the mattering mental health loop. When we believe we matter, we engage. When we engage, we notice.
And when we notice, we act with care. And in the Serendipity episode 600, I explored the preparedness loop. When you believe what you do might matter, you show up differently. You notice differently. You respond differently. These two loops focused on external action and how engagement leads to meaning. But this episode, this one's about the inner narrative.
Because if your inner story says, I'm failing, I'm behind, this pain means I'm broken, then it doesn't matter how many external tools or connections you have. You're still going to feel stuck. And that's why we don't need a new loop. We've already talked about those in past episodes. What we need is a new lens, because reframing doesn't erase the storm.
It gives you a window through which to see it differently. And that shift, small as it may seem, is often the difference between spiraling and steadying. So next, I want to share a tool with you, one that distills everything we've just explored, the science, the psychology, and the soul of resilience into something that you can actually use.
It's called LENS, L-E-N-S, and it's built on four simple but powerful questions designed to help you shift your inner story one frame at a time. So now that we've seen the science, the why behind reframing, let's talk about the how. Because it's one thing to know your brain can shift the story. It's another to know how to start doing it when the pressure is on.
That's where the lens framework comes in. It's a simple, powerful tool that you can use to reframe in real time. And it starts with this. The letter L. Label the story. Ask yourself, what am I telling myself about this right now? Because most of the time, we don't. We just react. We push through. But underneath that reaction is a story. And if you never pause to name it, that story runs the show.
This is where reframing begins, with awareness. Because you can't change a story you haven't named. Think about it. When stress hits, When something unexpected throws you off course, your brain doesn't default to neutrality. It builds a narrative, fast and often unconsciously. You say to yourself things like, I always mess this up. They don't respect me. I'm falling behind.
This is the beginning of the end. We rarely say these things out loud, but I think we all know they run beneath the surface and shape how we feel, how we act, and what we believe is possible. Back in that moment at Dell, standing in the kitchen, completely numb, I didn't have the language for what was happening.
But if I had labeled it honestly, it might have sounded like, I'm functioning, but I'm not here. Or maybe I built a life that doesn't feel like mine anymore. That's what this first lens is about, labeling the story so that you can stop letting it run silently in the background. And labeling the story doesn't mean judging yourself.
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