On this episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles chats with Janet Ettele, author, musician, and student of Buddhist teacher Khentrul Lodrö Thayé Rinpoche, about how the principle of Joyous Effort can change the way we live, work, and grow.
They dive into why living with purpose isn’t about ticking boxes or chasing external wins—it’s about how we keep showing up, with heart and intention, even when it’s hard. Janet shares her journey from Berklee College of Music to the Buddhist path, and how writing her “How Life Works” fiction series helped her bring timeless teachings into real, everyday life.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, drained by spiritual buzzwords, or wondered how ancient wisdom could actually fit into your modern routine, this episode is both grounding and uplifting.
Click HERE for the full show notes
Join the Ignition Room!
Join the new free Passion Struck Community to win Passion Struck merchandise! - The Ignition Room: https://station.page/passionstruck
Together, John and Janet explore:
- Joyous Effort is not about forcing or hustling—it's a compassionate commitment to growth and presence.
- The Six Perfections (Paramitas) offer a practical framework for living with wisdom, generosity, and balance.
- Routine, repetition, and practice—often overlooked—can be sacred tools for transformation.
- You don’t need a monastery to practice spirituality; daily life is your training ground.
Catch more of Janet Ettele: https://janetettele.com/
Catch More of Passion Struck:
- My solo episode on 5 Proven Ways to Overcome Emotional Fatigue
- Can't miss my episode with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on How to Find Your Innate Basic Goodness
- Catch my interview with Natalie Namaste on How to Unleash Your Solar Plexus Power
- My interview with Sharon Salzberg on Building Equanimity in a Chaotic World
- Listen to my interview with Dandapani on How to Harness the Incredible Power of Your Mind
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_RMiles
- Follow him on Instagram at @John_R_Miles
- Subscribe to our main YouTube Channel and to our YouTube Clips Channel
- For more insights and resources, visit John’s website
Want 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.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com