Live Inspired Podcast With John O'leary

What can we gain in living from a place of unconditional love? On this Valentine’s Day, whether you are going on a hot date with your special someone, heading out with dear friends, or longingly waiting for the phone to ring, be reminded of the overwhelming demands true love requires and the profound blessing it delivers in return. Ultimately, the way we discover the love we seek is to let go of our needs, remain absolutely vulnerable in the face of fear, say yes to serving others, allow our hearts to be broken repeatedly and strive diligently to make our lives about something far bigger than ourselves.

Three-time Olympian Devon Harris has achieved his greatness. Starting as a barefoot boy trying to win a track race, Devon became a member of Jamaica’s first Olympic bobsled team. SHOW NOTES: As a young boy living in the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, Devon would stand near a light post to see the people living well-off in the distance and it motivated him to see a brighter future. Your biography is not your destiny. The whining, the complaining the justifying, until you stop that you remain powerless to improve your situation. Wi lickle, but wi tallawah! It means we are small, but we are powerful. This attitude allows us as Jamaicans to consistently punch above our weight class. We simply believe that we can do anything. The original Jamaican bobsled Olympic team in 1988 inspired the Disney film Cool Runnings. Devon competed in 3 Olympics: 1988 in Calgary, 1992 in France and 1998 in Japan. DEVON HARRIS' LIVE INSPIRED 7 Q. What is the best book you’ve ever read? A. The Art of Selfishness by David Seabury. Q.

After our region was dumped with as much as a foot of ice and snow, I was surprised when a client moved forward with a live, in-person event last week -- although I shouldn’t have been. The name of this fearless organization derives its name from a fearless dog that raced through a blizzard to save lives. My friends, too often we ignore our potential for significance. Because we don’t have the same talent as others, or lack the position in the organization to directly impact outcome, or lack charisma, appearance or resources, we cheapen our ability to dramatically impact others through our lives. In the midst of whatever storm may appear in your life this week, be inspired by today's story. 

For 18 years, Daniel Jones' mission has been to publish honest personal essays about contemporary relationships in his popular New York Times column Modern Love. It has spawned a podcast and a TV series by the same name, all focused on love. Love lost, love found and love reclaimed. Love that’s romantic, familial, platonic and unexpected. Most of all, stories celebrating love as it exists in real life. Today, Dan shares the genesis of Modern Love, some of the most memorable essays and what he's learned from reading hundreds of thousands of complex love stories. ** Learn more at JohnOLearyInspires.com **

When we’ve experienced the sharp disappointment of being let down by others, when is the right time to accept what happened, embrace what is and move forward into what could be? Although debating exactly how long holding onto righteous anger is understandable, the example of Hiroo Onoda demonstrates the dangers of clutching it for too long. What do we do with the sharp disappointment of being let down by others? When is the right time to accept what happened? And when is it appropriate to embrace what is and move forward into what could be? It’s certainly easy to identify the ludicrous foolishness of a Japanese soldier fighting decades after the war had ended. It’s far more difficult, far more important and ultimately far more liberating to acknowledge there are battles in our own lives we no longer need to wage.

Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor is a Harvard-trained and published neuroanatomist and author of the New York Times bestselling book My Stroke of Insight.  As irony would have it, at 37 years old, Dr. Jill experienced a severe hemorrhage in the left hemisphere of her brain. Within hours, she lost the ability to walk, talk, read, write, or recall any of her life. Today, Dr. Jill passionately shares her 8-year-long journey to rebuild her brain and recover all physical, emotional, and thinking abilities, in addition to her latest groundbreaking work: Whole Brain Living. Beyond neuroscience, this conversation will teach you how to work with your most powerful ally, your brain, and give you the insight to deepen your inner peace, joy, and fulfillment. SHOW NOTES: After her brother's diagnosis with schizophrenia, Dr. Jill became intrigued with the brain, earning her doctrine in neuroanatomy from Harvard. December 10, 1996: At 37 years old, a blood vessel in Jill's brain exploded and within four hours, was unable to function.

What if the very thing we worry about making us somehow unattractive or unworthy is in reality the very thing that makes us most beautiful and loveable? In a marketplace that celebrates physical perfection and individual accomplishment, one of the last lessons taught by Mother Teresa reminds us what matters most. Learn more about Bill McKendry on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 430 here.

Growing up with parents who were deaf, Bill McKendry has a unique perspective on communication and the power it holds.  In fact, it's what ignited his passion to be a voice and communicator for those who need help.  At the height of his successful 35-year career in advertising and marketing, Bill left a large advertising agency to launch non-profit DO MORE GOOD. Using his expertise from iconic brands including American Express and Target, Bill focuses on magnifying the missions of non-profits to multiply their impact.  Join us for a conversation about using challenges as a way to meet others with empathy, passion and do more good. SHOW NOTES: Do More Good helps to magnify the missions of non-profits and multiply their impact through marketing, communications and branding. Before learning to speak, Bill communicated through American Sign Language with his parents who were deaf since birth. Native to Michigan, Bill fell in love with Colorado at 14 years old and continues to maintain a connection to the area. D

"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." - Maya Angelou Birthdays, anniversaries and holidays are obvious dates to celebrate. Bake a cake, light the candles, sing a song, gather together, toast to life. But what do we do with the dates that remind us not of what we have, but of all we lost? How should we treat those anniversaries? For my family and me, one such date is January 17th. On that date 35 years ago, I was burned on 100% of my body. We all face fires in life; we all get burned. Ultimately whether our life story is an epic to celebrate or a tragedy to mourn has surprisingly little to do with the events within our lives and far more to do with the manner in which we respond to those events.

Mattie Jackson Selecman dreamt of being an author, yet she never expected her first book Lemons On Friday would be about the tragic + unexpected loss of her beloved husband of 11 months. Daughter of country megastar Alan Jackson and New York Times bestselling author Denise Jackson, Mattie became a widow at 28 years old and was forced to navigate a future drastically different from the one she had planned. Relying on her faith, she embarked on a deeply personal journey through devastating loss and the difficult dance that followed. This conversation is a reminder that no heartbreak or loss is unredeemable and by confidently clinging to hope, we can truly heal. SHOW NOTES: Value of work + humility: Growing up in the quintessential country music family, Mattie is grateful for how her parents raised her and her siblings. In her book, It's All About Him, Mattie's mom Denise candidly shared her and Alan's marital struggles, giving Mattie the confidence to share her own difficult journey. Intrigued by the history,

When I was just nine-years-old laying on what was expected to be my deathbed after a house fire, my mother guided me with a question that changed the trajectory of my life: John, do you want to die? That day we made a commitment to faithfully, courageously and collectively fight on. We had no idea of what tomorrow might hold. All we knew was the fight was on.

After narrowly escaping the devastation of 9/11, Kushal Choksi recognized he had been so consumed in pursuing the “American dream” that he had forgotten to pursue his own. From being a Wall Street trader immersed in the material world, Kushal embarked on a quest to find answers to life's biggest questions. Today, hear Kushal share how he explored his doubts with spirituality, the peace he ultimately found and what it means for you. SHOW NOTES: Kushal grew up in a densely populated small town in India where he could drive a bike from one side to the other in 20 minutes. Beautiful balance: He admired his dad’s razor-sharp intellect and refreshing happiness. For the first time since being in America, Kushal witnessed fear on 9/11. Ecclesiastes 12:8: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher. “Everything is meaningless!” While initially uncertain, Kushal began practicing SKY breathing with spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. SKY Breathing: Uses the natural rhythms in our breath to harmonize the dif

"Things work out best for those who make the best of how things work out." - John Wooden   Life will happen, challenges will mount, headwind will blow, difficulties will arise and the year ahead will become far different than the one you currently imagine. And yet, the power of one reminds us that although we cannot always choose the path we walk in life, we are always free to choose the manner in which we walk it. The choice we make makes a mighty difference in our lives – and the lives of those we encounter. Today, this week and into the year ahead, choose to treat others with dignity and compassion. Soften your voice, smile more often, laugh more easily, seek to understand, unclench your fist, open your heart and recognize that this life – that indeed your life – is a profound gift.

In 2021, we’ve encountered challenges, experienced cheerfulness and witnessed change, together. As we celebrate over four million downloads, I’m incredibly grateful for our Live Inspired community. Whether subscribing to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or another listening platform, sharing episodes with friends + family or engaging with us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn, this milestone would have been reached without you. Today, join me as I recap the most downloaded episodes of the last year. From Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph to New York Times bestselling author Mel Robbins, today’s episode is the best way to close out the year and start 2022 off right. SHOW NOTES: Peter Montoya, an apolitical unification expert, shares practical strategies to unify our divided society on ep. 376. Marc Randolph, the co-founder of Netflix, shares stories about starting the iconic brand and his unconventional idea of success on ep. 388. Howard Behar, retired president at Starbucks, shares his tips on how

"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." - Helen Keller What can a basketball team in southwest Texas teach us about real victory? It turns out real victory isn’t merely about what we can do for ourselves and get for our team, but ultimately what we can invest into others and achieve together. Watch the video of Coronado High School's Marcus Mitchell here.

"To be content with little is hard; to be content with much, impossible." - Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach In the midst of this holiday season, what better time to take pause and celebrate the amazing blessings already present in our lives. For the past five years, every podcast guest has been asked a series of rapid-fire questions known as the Live Inspired 7. The third question is: Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? Join me as I share what I would retrieve. Plus, I share some of the most remarkable responses that remind us that real joy, real peace and real love are seldom wrapped and almost never found under the tree. SHOW NOTES: What would you go back in and save? These past Live Inspired Podcast guests share the important reminder that real joy, peace and love are seldom wrapped and found under the tree. Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Lauren Daigle from ep. 248. Bestselling author and post-traumatic

"We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when [adults] are afraid of the light." - Plato Many people send out Christmas cards this time of year. These cards typically feature pictures of smiling kids, happy couples, cute dogs, new homes. Many cards include images of beautiful Christmas trees, Santa leaving gifts, Snoopy driving sleighs, or nativity scenes. But several years ago, it was a seemingly bland card, with a seemingly odd message, that most deeply moved me. On a plain blue card weren’t pictures, images, families or snowflakes, but four words.

Fr. Ray Kelly, affectionally known as the singing Irish priest from Britain's Got Talent, became a worldwide sensation. The video of him singing a touching rendition of "Hallelujah" went viral with more than 80 million views. With an astonishing ability to connect with others through his remarkable singing, Fr. Ray joins us to share his fascinating journey from parish priest to Britain's Got Talent fame. Today's episode is an early Christmas blessing that's sure to delight. SHOW NOTES: Moving from civil service, Fr. Ray became called to priesthood, becoming an ordained priest at 36 years old. Understand the power of Christmas. Say "no" to overconsumption + commercialism and "yes" to helping others. After recently losing his beloved dog Buddy, the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas" takes on even more of emotional meaning. Watch Fr. Ray Kelly sing his rendition of "Hallelujah" for newlyweds Chris and Leah here. Learn more about Fr. Ray Kelly here. If you enjoyed today's episode, you'll love our Musicians playl

In what aspect of your life do you “gotta figure that out?” Today, choose to stop blaming others for perceived slights or injustices, and begin embracing your role in making things better. Choose to vulnerably share with a friend what is going on and your need for help going forward. And choose to chart a new path, dream boldly and live intentionally to ensure far better days remain ahead.

What if the best thing that's going to happen in your life hasn't happened yet?  Antonio Neves, author of the bestselling book Stop Living on Autopilot, is an award-winning journalist and success coach known for asking tough questions. Today’s conversation is the perfect antidote to beat burnout and combat complacency. Prepare to leave reignited to boldly take action to live a life of happiness + fulfillment. SHOW NOTES: Professional question-asker: Growing up in a small, blue-collar Michigan town, Antonio faced challenges that motivated him to be more interested in others' stories than sharing his own. How would you introduce yourself to others if you couldn't reference your career? Just because you're good at something doesn't mean you're supposed to be doing it. While a successful sales rep, Antonio dreamt of working in the entertainment industry. With just a thousand dollars, he moved to New York City to work multiple jobs before getting his break years later with television network Nickelodeon. When mom