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Home | | Blinded by Tragedy, Healed by Compassion: Marcus Engel (ep. 698) | Marcus Engel

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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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johnoleary.inspires

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

“I have almost the same hands as you.” Those

“I have almost the same hands as you.”
Those words arrived in a note from a second grader named Julia after she watched SOUL ON FIRE with her family.
Julia was born missing fingers and toes. Her mom described a bright, spirited, deeply loved little girl who sometimes struggles with feeling different from the other kids at school.
But seated in that theater, Julia recognized something familiar. A boy who felt different, too. Who struggled with confidence. And who eventually discovered that his scars didn’t diminish the value of his life.
In watching that discovery, she began to see new possibilities for her own.
My friends, we hear so much about everything separating us. Julia reminds me how powerful it can be to recognize ourselves in someone else.
We don’t need identical experiences to understand one another. Sometimes connection begins with something as simple as, “You’re a little like me.”
Read Julia’s story: https://johnolearyinspires.com/2025/11/hands/
#LiveInspired #JohnOLeary #InspiringQuotes #JFKQuotes #Inspirational #SoulOnFireMovie

When we began making SOUL ON FIRE, I knew almost n

When we began making SOUL ON FIRE, I knew almost nothing about making movies. And suddenly, I was surrounded by people who had dedicated their careers to doing it!
Early mornings, long days, late nights, plenty of stress—and some of the most fun I’ve ever had working. Along the way, I learned that being a beginner can be a joy, obstacles invite us to pivot, and every single job matters.
These photos offer a glimpse of that experience. But our friends at Spotlight STL by @hec_tv captured a much closer look, going on set and speaking with the cast and crew who brought this story to life.
My friends, if you’ve wondered how it all came together, enjoy this trip behind the camera!
Watch here: https://hecmedia.org/posts/spotlight-stl-october-10th-behind-the-scenes-of-soul-on-fire
#SoulOnFireMovie #SpotlightSTL #LiveInspired #BehindTheScenes #SoulOnFire #Filmmaking
Photo credit: R.J. Hartbeck of @in_thestl

I've had a blast looking back on the past year and

I've had a blast looking back on the past year and the incredible journey of @soulonfiremovie—and I was especially excited to revisit this special Q&A panel I moderated after sharing the film with 2,300 family, friends, and supporters in attendance.
I was joined onstage by some of the incredible individuals who brought this story to life, from our remarkable producer and friend @lindabhuntington to my Irish “brother from another mother,” director @mcnamara6262.
Watching it brought back so many memories, laughs and moments I’ll never forget. So today, I’m sharing a first glimpse of that conversation, beginning with Linda—the woman who believed this story could become a movie and convinced me to pursue it.
Linda, you certainly did us proud. And I hope you know how grateful we are that you helped make this journey possible. ❤️
My friends, enjoy this never-before-seen moment from our premiere panel—and stay tuned for more of the conversation with this remarkable group!
#SoulOnFireMovie #SoulOnFire #LiveInspired #JohnOLeary #StLouisMovies #WorldPremiere

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

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

17 hours ago

“I have almost the same hands as you.”Those words arrived in a note from a second grader named Julia after she watched SOUL ON FIRE with her family.Julia was born missing fingers and toes. Her mom described a bright, spirited, deeply loved little girl who sometimes struggles with feeling different from the other kids at school.But seated in that theater, Julia recognized something familiar. A boy who felt different, too. Who struggled with confidence. And who eventually discovered that his scars didn’t diminish the value of his life.In watching that discovery, she began to see new possibilities for her own.My friends, we hear so much about everything separating us. Julia reminds me how powerful it can be to recognize ourselves in someone else.We don’t need identical experiences to understand one another. Sometimes connection begins with something as simple as, “You’re a little like me.”Read Julia’s story: johnolearyinspires.com/2025/11/hands/#LiveInspired #JohnOLeary #InspiringQuotes #JFKQuotes #Inspirational #SoulOnFireMovie ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

2 days ago

When we began making SOUL ON FIRE, I knew almost nothing about making movies. And suddenly, I was surrounded by people who had dedicated their careers to doing it!Early mornings, long days, late nights, plenty of stress—and some of the most fun I’ve ever had working. Along the way, I learned that being a beginner can be a joy, obstacles invite us to pivot, and every single job matters.These photos offer a glimpse of that experience. But our friends at Spotlight STL by Higher Education Channel TV (HEC-TV) captured a much closer look, going on set and speaking with the cast and crew who brought this story to life.My friends, if you’ve wondered how it all came together, enjoy this trip behind the camera!Watch here: hecmedia.org/posts/spotlight-stl-october-10th-behind-the-scenes-of-soul-on-fire#SoulOnFireMovie #SpotlightSTL #LiveInspired #BehindTheScenes #SoulOnFire #FilmmakingPhoto credit: R.J. Hartbeck of the-STL ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

2 days ago

I've had a blast looking back on the past year and the incredible journey of Soul On Fire Movie—and I was especially excited to revisit this special Q&A panel I moderated after sharing the film with 2,300 family, friends, and supporters in attendance. I was joined onstage by some of the incredible individuals who brought this story to life, from our remarkable producer and friend Linda Huntington to my Irish “brother from another mother,” director Sean McNamara.Watching it brought back so many memories, laughs and moments I’ll never forget. So today, I’m sharing a first glimpse of that conversation, beginning with Linda—the woman who believed this story could become a movie and convinced me to pursue it.Linda, you certainly did us proud. And I hope you know how grateful we are that you helped make this journey possible. ❤️My friends, enjoy this never-before-seen moment from our premiere panel—and stay tuned for more of the conversation with this remarkable group!#SoulOnFireMovie #SoulOnFire #LiveInspired #JohnOLeary #StLouisMovies #WorldPremiere ... See MoreSee Less

View on Facebook

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

John O'Leary - Live Inspired

3 days 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

3 days 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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