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ICYMI: What we seek -- good or bad -- is usually what we find. Learn more in today's #MondayMotivation.
https://johnolearyinspires.com/2022/09/what-do-you-see-4/

Perspective not only changes what you see, but also what happens next in life. Learn more in today's #MondayMotivation.
https://johnolearyinspires.com/2022/09/what-do-you-see-4/

Perspective not only changes what you see, but also what happens next in life. What do I mean? Learn more in today's #MondayMotivation.
https://johnolearyinspires.com/2022/09/what-do-you-see-4/

What we seek -- good or bad -- is usually what we find. Learn more in today's #MondayMotivation.
https://johnolearyinspires.com/2022/09/what-do-you-see-4/

It’s been five years, 11 months and four days si

15 Sep

The race to the @MLB post-season is on… and it’s heating up as teams are looking for a path to victory. The players you know are on the teams you love because of those 30 individuals sitting in the General Manager’s office.

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johnoleary.inspires

Live + virtual speaker. 2x bestselling author. Live Inspired Podcast Host. Best last: Husband. Dad.

We've been cloned! Friends, many of you have re

Several years ago, I was getting ready for work wh

The race to the @mlb post-season is on… and it’s heating up as teams are looking for a path to victory.
The players you know are on the teams you love because of those 30 individuals sitting in the General Manager’s office.
Today, as my favorite team, the @cardinals make their push to the postseason, I’m joined by their Vice President and General Manager, Mike Girsch.
While visiting at Busch Stadium, Mike shares seldom-told stories about his journey from an Amateur Scouting Coordinator to one of the most coveted and elite jobs in professional sports.
While today’s conversation may seemingly focus on baseball, it’s actually so much more. Hear Mike share how to…
⚾ Courageously take risks in pursuit of a dream
⚾ Manage a losing streak
⚾ Celebrate the relationships that matter most
⚾ Trust the timing of life
Mike is a dear friend, and while his team is closing in on another playoff birth, this conversation will remind all of us it’s never too late to pursue a dream.
Listen to Live Inspired Podcast ep. 498 now, anywhere you get podcasts.
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#cardinals #mikegirsch #cardinalsbaseball #mlbpostseason #majorleaguebaseball #generalmanager #baseball #johnoleary #webstergroves #johnolearyinspires #liveinspiredpodcast #onfirebook #inawe #podcast #stlouis #stlouiscardinals

We first heard about Ryan from a social media frie

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3 days ago

It’s been five years, 11 months and four days since the Live Inspired Podcast launched and 499 episodes later, I’m in awe that the Live Inspired movement has grown to hundreds of thousands of weekly listeners from all 50 states and more than 115 countries across the world.It’s been an honor to have you alongside me as I had some of the most life-giving and life-changing conversations with luminaries and thought-leaders including New York Times bestselling authors, Hall of Fame athletes, Grammy-winning recording artists and literally a man who traveled to the moon TWICE!When deciding how to celebrate this special occasion, my team and I had some pretty grandiose ideas yet nothing seemed as meaningful and full circle as handing the microphone over to the person who was there when it all got started.Join me as Susan O’Leary, my mom and our very first guest, takes the reins to interview me with unexpected and hard-hitting questions, including for the first time ever — the Live Inspired 7.Whether you’re brand new or helped build the community from the ground up, this episode is for you. ... See MoreSee Less

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Mike Girsch on Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

1 week ago

The race to the MLB post-season is on… and it’s heating up as teams are looking for a path to victory.The players you know are on the teams you love because of those 30 individuals sitting in the General Manager’s office.Today, as my favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals make their push to the postseason, I’m joined by their Vice President and General Manager, Mike Girsch.While visiting at Busch Stadium, Mike shares seldom-told stories about his journey from an Amateur Scouting Coordinator to one of the most coveted and elite jobs in professional sports.While today’s conversation may seemingly focus on baseball, it’s actually so much more. Hear Mike share how to…⚾️ Courageously take risks in pursuit of a dream⚾️ Manage a losing streak⚾️ Celebrate the relationships that matter most⚾️ Trust the timing of lifeMike is a dear friend, and while his team is closing in on another playoff birth, this conversation will remind all of us it’s never too late to pursue a dream.Watch Live Inspired Podcast eep. 498 here: youtu.be/WhuHBB68xFUOr, listen here:My website: bit.ly/MikeGirschYour favorite podcast app: link.chtbl.com/tOmM9ExS ... See MoreSee Less

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The race to the Major League Baseball post-season is on... and it’s heating up as teams are looking for a path to victory.The players you know are on the teams...

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2 weeks ago

We first heard about Ryan from a social media friend who read On Fire, knew our story and thought we could encourage his family.The following day, we got two additional emails from two additional friends in the community sharing the story of Ryan.Within a few weeks, dozens of emails and direct messages arrived from friends in his community, from neighboring communities and from strangers around the country sharing the story of this little boy named Ryan.So, who is Ryan?The messages introduced us to Ryan Jastrzembski, a vivacious, playful and joy-filled boy. Although he has three sisters who adore him at home, Ryan’s love is being outside and his favorite thing to do is fishing. All who know him share he’s an awesome kid that exudes life.Which made the tragedy he experienced the evening of January 24th even more difficult for Ryan and his family. He was burned on more than 90% of his body in a bonfire accident and flown 1,500 miles to the world-renowned Shriner’s Children’s Hospital in Galveston, TX for the grueling process of recovery to begin.So many people, desperate to do anything to help, thought we could assist. They believed the stunning similarities in what he was about to begin going through and what we formerly went through might bring comfort to Ryan’s family at the time.Imagining the pain that his parents faced away from their home, at the bedside of their extremely sick child, unsure of what tomorrow might have in store, as well as feeling utterly powerless to do anything for their child, I recorded a video of encouragement and texted it to Ryan’s mom, Kathleen. That first video sparked a friendship.We hopped on calls and spoke about her boy. We discussed the struggles ahead for Ryan and the difficulties ahead for her family. We texted frequently through the ups and downs of the journey. The more she shared about Ryan, the more we wanted to do for him.We sent 200 books to Ryan’s home community to be auctioned off with all money raised supporting his extended treatment. We collected letters and cards from our followers. Our coaching organization remained steadfast in support of Ryan’s parents, and we leveraged friendships in and around Galveston to support the family. For sweet Ryan, knowing his love of fishing, we reached out to celebrities in the fishing community and started a cadence of weekly videos from famous fishermen encouraging Ryan to keep fighting. Each angler promised to send gear or take Ry out fishing.And we at Live Inspired weren’t alone in our support. So many were pulling for Ryan, praying for Ryan, and hoping against hope that each passing week proved the amazing care he was getting at Shriner’s Hospital was paying off. In a world so often cold to the needs of others, it was humbling and encouraging to see all the fundraisers, all the messages and all the little things being done to ease the burden for Ryan, his sisters and his parents.And they desperately needed that encouragement. Over the past seven months, Ryan’s parents rarely left the hospital even as life persisted back in New Jersey. They learned about burn care, learned about the next steps in recovery, and managed the best they could during a period of profound difficulty for their family. They learned about the ferocious toughness of their son and were completely committed to seeing their little boy go home.And last week, on Friday September 2, 2022, Ryan Jastrzembski went home.Just not at all the home any of us had been praying for.You see, Ryan, the most remarkable little warrior we’ve ever met, after fighting through unimaginable agony for months, passed away. After dozens of surgeries and punishing procedures to foster healing, his pain has finally ended; he now lives in perfect peace.Friends, in moments like this one, when we are blindsided with the reality that sometimes our prayers go seemingly unanswered, it’s easy to justify doing—or caring—less the next time. To become hardened to hope, or to look back on our efforts as futile. After all, if we can spare ourselves the heartache that so many are feeling now over the loss of Ryan, why wouldn’t we? Why not at every turn opt for indifference instead of investment?I look no further for an answer to this than to the words shared by my friend Kathleen. Her son died in Texas last week and this week, after seven months, they finally take him home.“Life is too short.Don’t be unhappy. Don’t waste time. Tell those you love that you love them. Have fun. We all make mistakes, but it’s just a life lesson. From the bottom of our hearts, our family thanks each and every one of you for your continued prayers and support.Ryan didn't lose any battle at all. He won. He won peace and no more pain. As parents, siblings, cousins, nephew, grandchildren, friends and neighbors, loved ones, we lost a great little boy who has impacted so many lives.But so many signs Ryan has shown us, so many people he has brought into our lives, and so many people he has forever impacted.Today, we all wake up without him. But there is no rain. The sun is shining.Fish on in Peace.”Just as we prayed and supported together, so do we grieve, and so we benefit from the beautiful lessons that come from serving others.Godspeed, Ryan. And God bless you Kathleen and Scott.This is your day. Live Inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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2 weeks ago

“My mother died on September 11, 2001."While speaking to a group of financial advisors in New Jersey several years ago, a gentleman responded to a seemingly simple question with an answer none of us would ever forget. Let me explain. I wondered if anyone might be willing to share with the group one individual who inspired them to do, be, achieve and love more fully in their lives.After a momentary pause, a hand went up from three rows deep. A gentleman stood, grasped the microphone, cleared his throat, and shared a story I’ll never forget. I wanted to share it with you today.Craig Jantz took the microphone, gathered his thoughts, looked around the room and said, “My mother. Her name was Winifred; her friends affectionately called her Winnie. She was devoted to her family, active in her faith, never uttered a bad word, was joy-filled and simply passionate about life.”After a long pause, he added, “My mother died on September 11, 2001.”There was an audible gasp in the room. With the skyline of New York just to the east, the monumental significance of that date wasn’t lost on me – or anyone else in the room.When Craig arose early on September 11th for work, he noticed he’d missed a call during the night and had a voicemail. He heard the hushed voice of his brother stating that their mother had just passed away. The brain cancer their mother had battled so courageously for months had ultimately claimed her life.Craig was crushed. This is the woman who had raised him, loved him, encouraged him, and guided him through in numerous ups and downs in life. This was his hero, his role model, his friend.This was his mom.Although the day was packed with work meetings and responsibilities, he called his partners Dave Ferrugio and Kenneth VanAuken early on September 11th. He explained what had happened, told them he wouldn’t be in that day and asked them to call if they needed anything. They responded that they were good, could handle whatever happened, and for him to take care of his family.It would be the last communication he ever had with either of them – or with anyone else he worked with at the firm.You see, Craig worked at Cantor Fitzgerald, a firm located on the 101st – 105th floors of the North Tower. On the fateful day of his family’s personal crisis, the entire world was about to be permanently and tragically altered by terrorism. Four airplanes hijacked; thousands of innocent lives lost. Including the 658 employees of Cantor Fitzgerald.Hours after learning of his mother’s death, Craig grieved the loss of his entire team, an attack on the city he loved, and an assault against the very tenets of freedom he cherished.And he wasn’t alone.Craig’s brother, Stephen Jantz, was a New York City Firefighter.As their mother grew weaker in September 2001, Stephen realized that her days were numbered. He wanted to support her as best he could. He wanted her last days to be at her home, surrounded by her family. He took a leave of absence from his New York ladder company to be with his mom. He brought her into his home and his family took care of her until the end of her life: September 11, 2001. It’s why he, too, wasn’t working that morning.Before handing the microphone back to me, Craig looked around the stunned room and shared, “My mother gave my brother and me life. Twice. And in small ways I think that’s the calling on all of our lives. In spite of all the bad stuff around we’ve been through, to encourage others to fight on and to live forward."My friends, we all know that it’s easy to get beat down by everything from trivial challenges to the massive tragedies. We can spend our days focused on all the struggles we face, the tragedies we’ve endured, and the seeming impossibility of the journey going forward.Or we can choose to be like Craig, Stephen and their beautiful mother, Winifred, and live forward.We can choose to be grateful for all we have.We can smile broadly and strive boldly until the end.We can attract others to us not so much with the physical gifts we give them, but with how we elevate them when they’re with us.We can number our days by being mindful of the absolute miracle and the delicate finiteness of life.No, we won’t be able to alter all the tragedies, acts of terrorism and sadness of the world. But in our corner of it, we can inspire others to fight on, live forward, and confidently believe that the best is yet to come.This is your day. Live Inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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2 weeks ago

I’m not a tennis fan.I don't know what the difference is between points and sets or between deuce and love. Yet even I recognize the remarkable tennis story – and inspirational story – of 24-year-old American, Frances Tiafoe. He takes the US Open Tennis Championships court tonight in the men’s semi-final match and is the first American to do so since 2006. His road to the semis has been smooth sailing, easily defeating his early-round opponents, including picking off 22-time champion Rafael Nadal. But his journey to this moment has been anything but easy. The child of immigrants escaping civil war in Sierra Leone, Frances and his twin brother Franklin spent hours inside the walls of the Junior Tennis Champion Center in Baltimore, Maryland. They did so not as anointed champions-in-the-making, but because their Dad worked there as a maintenance man. When their Mom was pulling double shifts as a nurse, the brothers went with Dad to work, even sleeping overnight on massage tables in the facilities’ storage room.Frances’ unorthodox introduction to the sport gave way to an equally unorthodox career—rising through the ranks with raw talent but lacking professional pedigree. Take one look at his players bench, which strewn with rackets, towels and discarded uniforms looks more like a teenager’s bedroom than the sideline of one of professional sports most notoriously ‘proper’ playing fields. Regardless of the outcome of tonight’s match, Tiafoe’s story doesn’t just make for good television, it's an awesome reminder to us all that talent is undeniable, excellence is possible, convention is made to be broken and no dream is too big. I’ll be a tennis fan tonight. Let's go Tiafoe! ... See MoreSee Less

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