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Home | | Erik Rees: Jessie's JoyJars and a Legacy of Never Ever Giving Up (ep. 876) | Erik Rees

Erik Rees

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John O'Leary @jolearyinspires ·

For more than a quarter of a century, @RobinSharma has been devoted to helping others realize their native gifts. As a legendary personal growth expert, Robin has advised business leaders, superstar athletes, and heads of state realize their highest leadership capacities.

John O'Leary @jolearyinspires ·

ICYMI: Have you ever noticed that the best moments in life are frequently unplanned and completely unscripted? One such moment for me was the highlight of the entire filming process for the On Fire movie. Let me explain in today's #MondayMotivation.

https://johnolearyinspires.com/2024/04/sliding-home/

John O'Leary @jolearyinspires ·

Have you ever noticed that the best moments in life are frequently unplanned and completely unscripted? One such moment for me was the highlight of the entire filming process for the On Fire movie. Let me explain in today's #MondayMotivation.

https://johnolearyinspires.com/2024/04/sliding-home/

John O'Leary @jolearyinspires ·

ICYMI: In today's #MondayMotivation, I share why we shouldn't wake up from accidental living, and live an uninspired life. https://johnolearyinspires.com/2024/04/uninspired-life/

John O'Leary @jolearyinspires ·

In today's #MondayMotivation, I share why we shouldn't wake up from accidental living, and live an uninspired life. https://johnolearyinspires.com/2024/04/uninspired-life/

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🎤 Motivational Speaker
📕 Bestselling Author
🎧 Live Inspired Podcast Host
🎥 Subject of Major Motion Picture SOUL ON FIRE
❤️ Son, Husband, and Dad

Anniversaries give us permission to do something w

Anniversaries give us permission to do something we rarely allow ourselves to do: Stop racing forward, turn around and look back at the road we’ve traveled.
They invite us to remember what once seemed impossible, recognize the people who helped make it happen, count blessings we often hurry past—and imagine with hope all that might still be.
And as the one-year anniversary of the world premiere of @soulonfiremovie approaches, I want to do exactly that with you.
As unlikely as surviving burns over 100% of my body might have been, the possibility that this story would someday be written, financed, produced and released as a major motion picture is equally improbable.
It took a symphony of people saying yes. Dozens of investors, hundreds of actors, thousands of crew members.
Yet even with the financing, actors, sets, music, editing and years of effort, the film would have remained largely unseen had Sony Pictures’ AFFIRM Films not believed there was an audience ready for its message.
What a gift.
Then came the world premiere.
For one unforgettable evening, I had the privilege of inviting my family, friends, and even Mercy caregivers to join the actors, producers, crew and some 2,300 others for the first official showing of SOUL ON FIRE.
We laughed together. We cried together. We cheered together. It was joyful, unexpected, perfect. And that was just the beginning.
In the weeks that followed, people around the country did something increasingly uncommon: They got into their cars, drove to a movie theater, bought a ticket, sat beside strangers and experienced a story together. Their response helped SOUL ON FIRE earn one of the strongest audience scores of any film from 2025.
Remarkable.
And when the walls of the theater faded...
[Finish reading in the comments below ⬇️]
#MondayMorningMotivation #LiveInspired #SoulOnFireMovie #SoulOnFire #OnFire

Our October #LiveInspiredTogether call is almost h

Our October #LiveInspiredTogether call is almost here!
Join me on Zoom Monday, October 5 at 4 p.m. CT for an hour of connection, encouragement and inspiration. Absolutely anyone is welcome—and, as always, it’s completely free to attend.
I can’t wait to see you there! Let us know you’re coming by registering here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/108mVzcuQeqBqFlLUpNGDg
#LiveInspiredTogether#JohnOLeary#VirtualCommunity#LiveInspired

I couldn’t let the anniversary of the @soulonfir

I couldn’t let the anniversary of the @soulonfiremovie world premiere pass without sharing this incredible video!
Watching it again, I’m still amazed that our family’s journey led to this evening. Grace has a way of making life more beautiful than we ever dreamed possible.
Thanks to @bigbluespark and the @stlsymphony, it's a night I'll never forget.
And man, does St. Louis know how to rock a red carpet! 🔥
My friends, whether you were there with us or are getting your first look, enjoy this little trip back to the world premiere of SOUL ON FIRE.
#SoulOnFireMovie #LiveInspired #StLouis #SoulOnFire #RedCarpet #MoviePremiere

Some of the most powerful voices on hope belong to

Some of the most powerful voices on hope belong to people who have known deep pain. @christinehandy1 is one of them.
After a painful wrist injury and a breast cancer diagnosis, Christine faced not only treatment, but the loss of an identity she had built over years of modeling. When she joined me on the Live Inspired Podcast last year, she spoke honestly about those struggles—and about the faith and friends who helped her see her beauty and worth again, scars and all.
In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’m resurfacing our conversation. My friends, if you’re carrying pain today, I hope Christine’s story reminds you that it does not get the final word.
🎧 Head here to give it a listen: https://johnolearyinspires.com/podcast/archive/christine-handy/
#BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #LiveInspiredPodcast #JohnOLeary #ChristineHandy

“I’ve been to a lot of openings in my lifetime

“I’ve been to a lot of openings in my lifetime, but I had to come to St. Louis for one like this.”
@williamhmacy shared those words at the @soulonfiremovie world premiere. And today, exactly one year later, I look at these photos and think of all the ways St. Louis made that night special.
The @cardinals and @slu_official sent Fredbird and the Billiken out to celebrate with the cast and crowd. Outside the newly renovated Powell Hall, members of the @stlouisfiredepartment raised a giant flag in honor of the real-life heroes who save lives every day. I know firsthand what their courage can mean to a family.
Inside, guests could see the baseballs Jack Buck gave me over the years, including his crystal Hall of Fame ball. Beth’s wedding dress—which was worn in the film—and my wedding ensemble were on display, too. Seeing those pieces of our lives gathered in one place is something I’ll never forget.
Whether you joined us that night, saw SOUL ON FIRE in theaters or watched it at home, thank you for being part of this past year. Your support has meant so much to our family.
And if you enjoyed these glimpses of premiere night, you can see more photos here. You might even spot a familiar face or two! https://app.kululu.com/SoulOnFire
#SoulOnFireMovie #SoulOnFire #OnFire #JohnOLeary #StLouisPride #InspirationalMovies

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

9 hours ago

Anniversaries give us permission to do something we rarely allow ourselves to do: Stop racing forward, turn around and look back at the road we’ve traveled. They invite us to remember what once seemed impossible, recognize the people who helped make it happen, count blessings we often hurry past, give thanks for all that has been—and imagine with hope all that might still be. And as the one-year anniversary of the world premiere of Soul On Fire Movie approaches, I want to do exactly that with you. As unlikely as surviving burns over 100% of my body might have been, the possibility that this story would someday be written, financed, produced and released as a major motion picture is equally improbable.It took a symphony of people saying yes. Dozens of investors believed before there was a film. Hundreds of actors stepped into a story that wasn't their own. Thousands of crew members worked behind the scenes to transform words on a page into life on a screen.Yet even with the financing, actors, sets, music, editing and years of effort, the film would have remained largely unseen had Sony Pictures’ AFFIRM Films not believed there was an audience ready for its message.What a gift.Then came the world premiere. For one unforgettable evening, I had the privilege of inviting my family and friends—along with caregivers from Mercy Hospital who had fought for my life decades earlier—to join the actors, producers, crew and some 2,300 others for the first official showing of SOUL ON FIRE.We laughed together. We cried together. We cheered together. It was all so joyful, so unexpected, so perfect. And that was just the beginning.In the weeks that followed, hundreds of thousands of people around the country did something increasingly uncommon: They got into their cars, drove to a movie theater, bought a ticket, sat beside strangers and experienced a story together. Their response helped SOUL ON FIRE earn one of the strongest audience scores of any film from 2025.Remarkable.And when the walls of the theater faded, the film began streaming around the world with messages arriving from everywhere. A business traveler watched it on a Turkish Airlines flight. A father reached out from Denmark. A widow from Spain. A youth group in the Philippines. A church in Argentina. A fraternity house in Australia. We heard from inmates who mailed handwritten letters, CEOs of Fortune 50 companies who sent emails and a six-year-old who colored a note of gratitude in crayon.Thousands of these messages filled our inboxes, mailboxes and hearts. It was overwhelming. Yet perhaps the one I think about most came from a Marine in California.He shared that after returning home from war years ago, he lost his spark for life. And for the next five decades, he never found it. Then one afternoon, by himself, he wandered into a theater showing SOUL ON FIRE. He shared that he wept throughout most of the film.He ended the note thanking me not simply for fighting for my life all those years ago, but for reminding him that it wasn’t too late for him to begin fighting for his.Read that again. After five decades, it’s not too late to begin again.My friends, maybe that is what this anniversary is really all about. Not a movie. Not box-office numbers. Not streaming totals. Not reviews, red carpets or applause. Maybe this anniversary is just a reminder of what becomes possible when we refuse to believe our story is over.A reminder that regardless of your age, circumstances, blessings, disappointments, scars or challenges, you still have a part to play.So on this anniversary, I’m not simply looking backward with gratitude. I’m looking around at all who helped carry this story forward. And I’m looking ahead with hope. Because the greatest gift of an anniversary is to stop racing forward, turn around and remember how far we’ve come.And then, renewed with gratitude, to humbly put our heads back down and keep going.Today is your day. Live Inspired.#MondayMorningMotivation #LiveInspired #SoulOnFireMovie #SoulOnFire #OnFire ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

21 hours ago

Our October #LiveInspiredTogether call is almost here!Join me on Zoom Monday, October 5 at 4 p.m. CT for an hour of connection, encouragement and inspiration. Absolutely anyone is welcome—and, as always, it’s completely free to attend.I can’t wait to see you there! Let us know you’re coming by registering here: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/108mVzcuQeqBqFlLUpNGDg#LiveInspiredTogether#JohnOLeary#VirtualCommunity#LiveInspired ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

23 hours ago

I couldn’t let the anniversary of the SOUL ON FIRE world premiere pass without sharing this incredible video! Watching it again, I’m still amazed that our family’s journey led to this evening. Grace has a way of making life more beautiful than we ever dreamed possible.Thanks to Big Blue Spark and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, it's a night I'll never forget.And man, does St. Louis know how to rock a red carpet! 🔥My friends, whether you were there with us or are getting your first look, enjoy this little trip back to the world premiere of Soul On Fire Movie. #SoulOnFireMovie #LiveInspired #StLouis #SoulOnFire #RedCarpet #MoviePremiere ... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

2 days ago

Some of the most powerful voices on hope belong to people who have known deep pain. Christine Handy is one of them.After a painful wrist injury and a breast cancer diagnosis, Christine faced not only treatment, but the loss of an identity she had built over years of modeling. When she joined me on the Live Inspired Podcast last year, she spoke honestly about those struggles—and about the faith and friends who helped her see her beauty and worth again, scars and all.In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’m resurfacing our conversation. My friends, if you’re carrying pain today, I hope Christine’s story reminds you that it does not get the final word.🎧 Head here to give it a listen: johnolearyinspires.com/podcast/archive/christine-handy/#BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #LiveInspiredPodcast #JohnOLeary #ChristineHandy ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

3 days ago

“I’ve been to a lot of openings in my lifetime, but I had to come to St. Louis for one like this.”William H. Macy shared those words at the Soul On Fire Movie world premiere. And today, exactly one year later, I look at these photos and think of all the ways St. Louis made that night special.The St. Louis Cardinals and Saint Louis University sent Fredbird and the Billiken out to celebrate with the cast and crowd. Outside the newly renovated Powell Hall, members of the St. Louis Fire Department raised a giant flag in honor of the real-life heroes who save lives every day. I know firsthand what their courage can mean to a family.Inside, guests could see the baseballs Jack Buck gave me over the years, including his crystal Hall of Fame ball. Beth’s wedding dress—which was worn in the film—and my wedding ensemble were on display, too. Seeing those pieces of our lives gathered in one place is something I’ll never forget.Whether you joined us that night, saw SOUL ON FIRE in theaters or watched it at home, thank you for being part of this past year. Your support has meant so much to our family.And if you enjoyed these glimpses of premiere night, you can see more photos here. You might even spot a familiar face or two! app.kululu.com/SoulOnFire#SoulOnFireMovie #SoulOnFire #OnFire #JohnOLeary #StLouisPride #InspirationalMovies ... See MoreSee Less

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