Anne Libera on How to Find Yourself Again Through Humor | EP 698

Passion Struck with John R. Miles

Passion Struck Network

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4.9 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 4 December 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What if becoming who you want to be has less to do with control and more to do with letting go?

In this insightful episode of Passion Struck, John R. Miles sits down with Anne Libera, longtime Second City director, educator, and author of Funnier: A New Theory for the Practice of Comedy. Together, they explore how improvisation offers a powerful model for personal growth, creativity, and identity transformation.

Anne’s work blends comedy, psychology, and human behavior. Drawing from decades at The Second City working with performers such as Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler, Tim Meadows, and Jordan Peele, she reveals that improv is not ultimately about being funny. It is about presence, awareness, emotional flexibility, and learning to respond to life as it actually is, rather than how you wish it would be.

This episode continues our December series, The Season of Becoming. It explores who we are in the moments in between when one version of our life is fading, and another has not yet taken shape.

Get the full episode show notes here: https://passionstruck.com/life-lessons-from-improv/

Listen, Watch, and Go Deeper

All episode links are gathered here, including my books You Matter, Luma, and Passion Struck, The Ignited Life Substack, YouTube channels, and the Start Mattering apparel store:

https://linktr.ee/John_R_Miles

Download the Companion Workbook

The Becoming Workbook: How to Let Go of Old Scripts and Step Into the Next Version of Yourself

Includes reflection prompts, identity exercises, and tools for loosening rigid thinking and building creative flexibility.

https://www.theignitedlife.net/p/improv-skills-for-personal-growth

In this episode, you will learn:

Why improvisation is not about comedy. It is about attention, awareness, and responding to reality
How humor helps us navigate discomfort, uncertainty, and identity change
Why trying to control the scene often makes life harder
How to practice Yes, and in real relationships
Why reinvention requires play, curiosity, and emotional risk
The psychology behind why we cling to scripts that no longer fit
How to use comedic tools to expand your sense of identity and possibility
Why becoming is not reinvention. It is responsiveness
How to build creative confidence even if you do not consider yourself funny

Support the Movement

Everyone deserves to feel seen, valued, and like they matter.

Show it. Wear it. Live it.

https://StartMattering.com

Disclaimer

The Passion Struck podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Passion Struck or its affiliates. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a licensed physician, therapist, or other qualified professional.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Coming up next on Passion Struck.
0:02.2	A joke is a setup and a punchline, but when you equate comedy with jokes, you often equate
0:07.3	comedy with some of the darker parts of comedy and the riskier parts of comedy.
0:12.3	And instead, the really central comedy that I love and that I think anybody can do is comedy
0:20.1	of recognition.
0:25.0	If I share things about who I am and the way I approach the world, you are going to naturally be interested in them. And that's a central
0:31.9	aspect of being funny. So a lot of what I teach to talk about my students, I'm like, don't try to be funny, which, of course,
0:40.4	means trying to be funny means you're not going to be funny because there is no try.
0:44.3	There's only two.
0:46.4	Welcome to Passionstruck.
0:48.1	I'm your host, John Miles.
0:49.7	This is the show where we explore the art of human flourishing and what it truly means to live like it matters.
0:56.0	Each week, I sit down with change makers, creators, scientists, and everyday heroes to decode the human experience
1:03.0	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
1:12.0	designing your future, developing as a leader, or seeking deeper alignment in your life,
1:16.7	this show is your invitation to grow with purpose and act with intention. Because the secret
1:22.3	to a life of deep purpose, connection, and impact is choosing to live like you matter.
1:41.2	Hi, friends, welcome back to Passionstruck. I'm your host, John Miles. This is episode 698,
1:45.2	and we're continuing our December series, The Season of Becoming.
1:48.1	I've been saying this a lot lately, but it's true.
1:50.8	People think December is the end of something.
1:55.2	For most of us, it's actually the moment before things start to shift.
	...

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