Finding Strength in Loss: Redefining Life, Creativity, and Mindfulness

How a journey through loss sparked personal growth and inspired new ways to live.

Author

Tomas Loucky
October 24, 2024

Hello Producers,

I think I can safely say that this has been one of the biggest podcast episodes I’ve ever done, and I’m grateful for such an opportunity. I’ve been following, listening to, and supporting Jonny for a long time. Whether it’s listening to his inspiring Curious Humans podcast, enjoying his high-quality YouTube videos, or learning from his valuable materials online, it was an honour to have a chat with him and dive deeper into many interesting topics.

Jonny Miller is the host of the Curious Humans podcast and the creator of Nervous System Mastery, a five-week bootcamp designed to help founders and tech leaders cultivate calm, resilience, and emotional self-regulation. He’s known for his TEDx talk, “The Gifts of Grief,” and has spent years researching emotional resilience in leadership. As a coach, Jonny has worked with ambitious founders to help them scale themselves, drawing on his extensive experience in the tech industry. His passion for exploring the nervous system and emotional mastery has drawn students from top tech companies like Google, Apple, and Meta.

Listen to this episode to hear about the tragic loss Jonny experienced in his life, which led him to start his Nervous System Mastery system. Discover useful techniques and tips on how to live a healthier and happier life, and get inspired by a plethora of exciting projects Jonny is working on and plans to bring to life soon.

Jonny:

Curious Humans podcast:

More:

Lessons:

  • Curiosity: Your Gateway to Adventure!

  • Harness the Power of Life’s Tools

  • Unlocking Value: The Gift of Giving Back

  • Embrace Vulnerability: The Strength in Sharing

  • Create Relentlessly: Fuel Your Passion Projects

Lesson 1: Stay Curious and Keep Exploring

I love this one! I can totally relate to Jonny. I’ve always been a curious person, both as a kid and now. You can say that Jonny is too, and I love the name of his podcast. So, be curious and explore what’s out there. You might meet amazing people, try new adventures, find great opportunities, and much more. You never know what awaits you unless you try. I also sometimes stay in my comfort zone, but I try to remind myself regularly to step out and do something a bit uncomfortable every day. So, what will you do today?

Lesson 2: Benefit from Available Tools

This time, I’m not referring to any software or online tools, although you should definitely benefit from those too, such as Jonny’s app in the future. On the contrary, I mean tools such as breathwork, meditation, NSDR, and others that we discussed. As I said, I’ve tried many by myself but sadly haven’t stuck with them. But don’t be like me. Explore, research, and practice. What are your goals? What are you struggling with? What haven’t you tried yet? I need to do that too, as I know there are many benefits. Start small, stick with it, and let’s see how it goes after some time. I wish you good luck!

Lesson 3: Provide Value for Free

Whether it’s Jonny’s podcast talking about top-tier guests, his email newsletter sharing insightful findings, his free five-step email course, the emotional resilience wiki available to everyone, or much more that I may not have come across or have forgotten, you can see that Jonny genuinely wants to help people. I think we can agree that what he shares is really valuable to everyone. Of course, there are other benefits to that, such as exposure and helping him establish authority in the field. But it takes a lot of time, energy, research, and more. So, try it for yourself. What can you offer for free that would help others?

Lesson 4: Don’t Be Scared and Be Vulnerable

I think this is self-explanatory with Jonny’s experience. The majority of us can’t imagine what he’s been through when such an unfortunate event happened, and we can agree that it takes a lot of courage to speak about it openly. Understandably, it may be a bit easier over time. But remember Jonny’s TED Talk? It’s been a few years, and if you look at it, he’s done really well! Plus, the feedback was amazing. I can’t imagine how much courage it must have taken to do that. I would be scared to do it even today, speaking in front of a lot of people, being recorded, and facing big expectations, as we know how popular TED Talks are. If you haven’t done so yet, make sure to take a look.

Lesson 5: Never Stop Creating

Successful podcast. High-quality YouTube videos. Nervous System Mastery bootcamp. Countless podcast appearances. Active social media presence. Email newsletter. Emotional resilience wiki. Mobile app in the making. All the personal development work. And “regular” life. These are just a few activities, resources, and actions that Jonny undertakes. He has no excuses and indeed, continues creating! This must inspire everyone. No excuses about time, age, budget, or other resources. Try to find a way and go for it. Remember, even a small step, little improvement, or 1% increase is better than nothing. So, what will you work on today?

I always try to encourage my listeners to check out and support the guests, but this time I have to emphasize it. Not only are Jonny’s insights, information, and knowledge genuinely helpful, but he also shares a lot of amazing information for free, so make sure to have a look. I hope you’ve been making notes throughout our episode because I’ve got a lot to work on. Thanks for listening!

Keep producing,
Tommen