How Your Environment Shapes Your Life (And What to Change Today) | Leidy Klotz - EP 794

**John R. Miles** (0:00)
Coming up next on Passion Struck.

**Leidy Klotz** (0:02)
I don't think anyone would argue that, okay, we want people to be more engaged in the physical world, and the distraction is the phone or the iPad or whatever. And I think instead of fighting the distraction, just using the distraction as a cue, right? When I reach for my phone in the morning, I think space before screen, I'm about to check my emails, and now instead of doing that, first I'm going to take in my physical surroundings, and I just think it's a practice that we can get in the habit of. You could also put a picture of the physical world on your screen saver, that would remind you when you looked at it, but I just used the screen as a cue to say, no, have I taken in this physical world around me.

**John R. Miles** (0:40)
Welcome to Passion Struck. I'm your host, John Miles. This is the show where we explore the art of human flourishing, and what it truly means to live like it matters. Each week, I sit down with change makers, creators, scientists, and everyday heroes to decode the human experience, and uncover the tools that help us lead with meaning, heal what hurts, and pursue the fullest expression of who we're capable of becoming. Whether you're designing your future, developing as a leader, or seeking deeper alignment in your life, this show is your invitation to grow with purpose and act with intention. Because the secret to a life of deep purpose, connection, and impact is choosing to live like you matter.
Hey friends, and welcome back to episode 794 of Passion Struck. This month, we're exploring what it means to flourish. We began with awakening, learning to pay attention to ourselves, our bodies, and the practices that keep us granted through uncertainty. Last week was about rewiring. Nick Gortner helped us understand how old experiences become lasting patterns, and John Gordon reminded us that the habits we practice each day shaped the people that we're becoming. This week, we're focusing on cultivating. On Tuesday, Dr. Dana Suskin showed us that human beings are raised through connection, that curiosity, resilience, empathy, and belonging develop in relationship with other people and through the environments that surround us. Today, we're taking that idea one step further, because people shape us, but places shape us too. Most of us spend a tremendous amount of energy trying to change ourselves. We download another app, start another habit, read another book, yet we rarely stop to ask whether the environments we're living and working in are helping us flourish or quietly working against us.
My guest today is Leidy Klotz. Leidy is a professor at the University of Virginia, where he teaches courses on sustainability, design and innovation, exploring how the environments we create shape the way we live, learn and relate to one another. He's an engineer, a former professional soccer player and the bestselling author of Subtract, a book that challenged our instinct to always add more when less might serve us better. His new book, In a Good Place, asks a different question. How do the places where we live, work and play help us thrive? In today's conversation, we talk about why proximity predicts friendship better than shared interests. While children notice things that adults gradually stop seeing, and how our homes, workplaces and communities either support or undermine our basic need for agency, competence and connection. We also discussed the simple practice of putting space before the screen.
What beavers can teach us about human flourishing, and why creating something together often builds deeper relationships than merely consuming something together. And one of the most moving parts of our discussion centers on Leidy's daughter, Josie, whose life and spirit shaped this book in profound ways, and whose story reminds us that places don't just hold memories, they carry love forward across generations. If you're enjoying this flourishing series, please share today's episode with someone who might appreciate it. Please follow and subscribe to Passion Struck on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
You can watch the full video version of today's conversation along with additional clips on our YouTube channels. And if you'd like to go deeper, you'll find today's companion workbook and reflection guide at my sub stack at the ignitedlife.net. Now let's dive in with Leidy Klotz. Thank you for choosing Passion Struck and choosing me to be your host and guide on your journey to creating an intentional life that matters. Now, let that journey begin.
I am absolutely thrilled today to welcome Leidy Klotz to Passion Struck. Leidy, how are you today?

**Leidy Klotz** (4:31)
I'm terrific, John. It's great to be here.