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1 day ago

Last week I enjoyed what’s become one of my annual highlights each summer – speaking at Midwest Children's Burn Camp.The camp welcomes kids of all age and from all walks of life. These kids share the enduring bond of living with the scars of being burned and the longing for a place where they can be fully accepted. They find that love at camp.Despite the community fostered during that amazing week, though, these children know eventually camp comes to an end. They must return to their homes and the real world waiting.One of the most difficult aspects of being burned isn’t the indescribable physical pain of recovery, it’s the reminder of that time that remains embossed on the survivor’s skin. The scars serve as a constant reminder not only of the agonizing struggle endured, but of how different we remain from others because of it.For burn survivors, scars often make us feel less than, set apart, totally isolated. We seldom discuss this reality, but universally struggle with it.In the sacred, safe space of camp, though, we can be honest. When I asked what their biggest worry was, one by one they went around the room and repeated the same chorus:“I’m afraid I’ll be bullied.”“I know people will make fun of me for how I look.”“I’m worried I’ll be judged by what’s on the outside.”“I think people will label me as a freak because I’m different.”Child after child shared the fear of returning to a world that quickly judges others based on their imperfections and differences.Until we got to Serenity. She is a young teenage girl and was the last to speak. Without missing a beat, Serenity stood up to share her fear, and what I heard wasn’t what I was expecting. Her fear wasn’t that people would see her scars and judge her—but rather that eventually they wouldn’t.She shared her fear was that as she grew older, her scars might fade, and what was most unique about her would fade, too.It was like a tire screech. With her admission, Serenity threw our whole conversation in reverse. The scars—the very ones that we think will be the source of ridicule—can actually be the source of pride and a signal of our specialness.After her stunningly insightful share, I relayed an instance when I was reminded of that truth by my daughter. Grace was six years old, was seated on my lap and was tracing the outline of a scar on my arm with her little finger. Then she stopped tracing, looked at me and said sweetly,“You’re so lucky, Dad.”Now, I’ve been called lucky for a lot of things, but the way my body looks has never been one of them.When I asked her why, she pointed out to me that the scar that had caught her attention was in the shape of a heart. “Your skin is like art. You get to have different colors and different shapes all over your body. And this one is my favorite. It’s shaped just like a heart. How awesome is that?!”I looked at my right arm and for the first time in more than three decades saw a perfect heart-shaped scar on it. Grace saw what I’d missed. How awesome is that?!My friends, you don’t need to be a kid with burns to be worried about how you’ll be perceived by others.It happens every single day as we carry around our visible—and invisible—scars of life. Our disappointments, indiscretions, and rejections. Our mistakes, our circumstances, our do-overs. Too often we consider them simply painful reminders of what makes us unworthy. But the bumps, bruises, brokenness, ugliness, and scars from our past are simply one part of the story.Rather than wishing them away or covering them up, why not begin seeing the beauty of compassion, individuality, and courage they reveal? Rather than desiring to be different than we are or angry at the past, why not celebrate the splendor of the life we have today and the limitless possibility that remains for tomorrow?Rather than desiring to be somehow different than we are, why not embrace with grace and serenity the gift that your life already is?How awesome is that?Today is your day. Live inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

4 days ago

Last night, I had the honor of joining hundreds of student-athletes and their families just outside of Detroit at an event put on by the Get To Foundation.The Get To Foundation honors the life and legacy of Ben Jones who passed away in a car accident in August 2020 at the age of 30. Ben was a loving son, a caring brother, a trusted friend, and a hard-working football player and coach. And while that alone is worthy of celebration, what made Ben so special was the approach he took toward all areas of his life.A specific motto of Ben’s life was “get to….” His unwavering outlook was not that he “had to” do something, but that he had the opportunity and chance to “get to” do something special. It was a feeling of hope, a want to go into battle, and drive to take something on with enthusiasm.My friends, ‘getting’ to do something is so much more liberating than ‘having’ to do something. So often in life, though, that simple notion of “I get to” degrades into “I have to.” I HAVE to go to work. I HAVE to make dinner. I HAVE to pick up the kids from school. I HAVE to forgive him or her.But how would our lives- and the lives of those around us- be positively impacted if we looked at obligations and obstacles not as challenges to overcome but as opportunities to celebrate?I GET to go to work.I GET to make dinner.I GET to pick up the kids from school.I GET to forgive him or her.Today, let’s model Ben Jones’ legacy. Let’s shift our perspective from “Have To” to “Get To.”It will change the thoughts, words and actions we take after.And it’s sure to make our tomorrow even better than today.To learn more about Ben and the Get To Foundation, visit www.gettofoundation.org/. ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

5 days ago

Kyle Petty was born into racing royalty. As a third-generation driver and the only son of NASCAR 's winningest driver ever Richard Petty, Kyle spent decades competing at motorsports’ highest divisions earning a reputation as a classy competitor and one of the greatest philanthropists that NASCAR has ever known.For more than 20 years, Kyle has hosted the annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America to raise more than $20 million for Victory Junction. Founded in honor of his son Adam, Victory Junction is a year-round camp that exists to enrich the lives of children, ages six to 16, with chronic and serious medical conditions.Today, Kyle shares an insider's perspective on stock-car racing’s rise in popularity in American culture, how he weathered the untimely death of his son and how he uses his platform to provide life-changing and life-giving experiences for others.Whether you’re a NASCAR fan or not, this episode will remind you that what you do with your time on earth matters.Listen to Kyle Petty on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 486 now:My website: bit.ly/KylePetty486Your favorite podcast app: link.chtbl.com/tOmM9ExS ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

1 week ago

Have you ever silenced an idea, worried it would be rejected or thought it wasn’t as good?Have you ever sidelined an opportunity to speak up because you were worried you wouldn’t measure up to others?Have you ever stifled an ‘I love you’ or an ‘I’m sorry’ because it was too late to matter to someone else?Often, we think our own words, ideas and actions won’t make a difference. We listen to the voice of fear whispering we’re just one person, we’re too inexperienced, too insignificant. We clam up when it’s our turn to share. We play small instead of taking a risk. We stay quiet when our words could change everything.And in doing so we fail to recognize that the contribution we see as insignificant is oftentimes life changing. Possibly even world changing. Let me explain.One of my favorite examples of this is that of a journal of personal, everyday thoughts captured by a mischievous, curious and perceptive little girl who never imagined anyone would read it.Only writing for two years of her life, she started tracking her experiences at age 13. She wrote about her parents, her sister, and friends. She wrote about fears, dreams, growing up, the power of good and the pale of evil.In one entry, she writes:“. . .I’m afraid that people who know me as I usually am will discover I have another side, a better and finer side. I’m afraid they’ll mock me, think I’m ridiculous and sentimental and not take me seriously. I’m used to not being taken seriously, but only the “light-hearted” Anne is used to it and can put up with it; the “deeper” Anne is too weak. If I force the good Anne into the spotlight for even fifteen minutes, she shuts up like a clam the moment she’s called upon to speak, and lets Anne number one do the talking. Before I realize it, she’s disappeared.”Anne Frank wrote this diary entry on Aug 1, 1944. She was 15. It was the last entry in her diary before her family’s hiding spot was raided and the Franks were shipped to Nazi concentration camps for the crime of being Jewish.Anne’s dad, Otto Frank, returned to the loft a year later a broken man. He had lost his wife and two daughters to unspeakable evil. He found in that attic, though, the unfiltered musings of his “deeper” Anne. Two years after her death, the journal of a little girl who feared being taken seriously was published. It ultimately sold more than 30 million copies, was translated into more than 70 languages and inspired adaptations on the screen and stage. It has earned a place among the most beloved books of all time.My friends, in a marketplace that often compares our value and worthiness to the most impossible of benchmarks, I hope you’re inspired by what readers of Anne’s diary are still discovering, 80 years later.That one voice matters.That the little things aren’t.That evil, in the end, doesn’t win.And that life — every life — is finite, precious, difficult, unfair and an absolute gift.Savoring your life, tracking your experiences, finding your voice and courageously using it won’t spare you heartache, rejection, or missteps. Instead, it ensures you’ll recognize that contrary to the opinions of some, that your life matters profoundly, the world is better because you are part of it and the best is yet to come.Today is your day. Live Inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

2 weeks ago

“You sit up here. If you need a thing, I’ll be in the back. Just come get me.”And with those words, I buckled my little Grace into her First Class seat, kissed her forehead and made my way to the back of the plane. Grace was joining me for a speaking event and when the airline offered to bump me to the final First Class seat, I thought it would be a blast for Grace to get spoiled up front. I made my way to back of the plane and took a seat. Moments later, a gentleman approached and asked if he could switch seats with me. He had overheard the conversation with my daughter and wanted us to have the chance to fly together. After repeatedly telling him I couldn’t possibly take his ticket, Derrick insisted and said it’s going to get awkward when the flight attendant sees us both fighting for a seat in the back of the plane. Besides, he said, if he was flying with his daughter he’d hope someone might do the same for him.I awkwardly grabbed my bag, accepted the ticket from my new friend, thanked Derrick, shook his hand, made my way upstream against the traffic of passengers and sat down next Grace … who was simply delighted to hear I’d be flying next to her.My friends, generosity is an awesome expression of love. It positively elevates the lives of both those receiving it and the one giving. Just ask a little girl in 3A who wore a smile ear to ear while sipping Shirley Temples next to her Dad last week. Love wins. This is your day. Live Inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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