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2021 Most Downloaded

2021’s most listened to episodes feature comic Sebastian Maniscalco, legendary broadcaster Bob Costas and more!

Join 100,000+ friends and get weekly motivation from John.

Thursday Episode | September 16, 2021

Prioritize Things That Matter with Christy Wright (ep. 394)

John O’Leary welcomes bestselling author + personal growth expert Christy Wright to the Live Inspired Podcast to cultivate balance, ditch distractions and prioritize what actually matters. Ever feel over-scheduled, over-committed and over-tired in today’s world? That we do so…
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Bob Costas
Thursday Episode | September 7, 2021

Bob Costas: Legendary Broadcaster (ep. 392)

John O’Leary welcomes legendary sportscaster Bob Costas to the Live Inspired Podcast. Bob Costas has earned 29 Emmy awards – more than any other sports broadcaster. He is also the only person to have won in news, sports and entertainment. So, what do Bob and I have…
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Alison Levine
Thursday Episode | August 31, 2021

Alison Levine: History-Making Polar Explorer + Mountaineer  (ep. 390)

John O’Leary welcomes history-making polar explorer + mountaineer Alison Levine to the Live Inspired Podcast to share how you can achieve more than you ever thought possible. Alison Levine knows what it’s like to survive in the world’s toughest environments.…
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Ingrid Fetell Lee
Thursday Episode | August 12, 2021

Discover Joy in the Ordinary with Ingrid Fetell Lee (ep. 384)

John O’Leary welcomes designer Ingrid Fetell Lee onto the Live Inspired Podcast to share her groundbreaking work on the hidden influence our surroundings have on our emotions and wellbeing. Design expert Ingrid Fetell Lee has spent over a decade…
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Tom Vanderbilt
Thursday Episode | August 5, 2021

Joys of Lifelong Learning with Tom Vanderbilt (ep. 382)

John O’Leary welcomes Tom Vanderbilt, New York Times bestselling author of Traffic, to the Live Inspired Podcast to share the benefits of being a lifelong learner. Tom Vanderbilt, New York Times bestselling author of Traffic, is known for writing about the…
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Howard Behar of Starbucks
Thursday Episode | July 20, 2021

Starbucks’ Howard Behar on Leading with Purpose (ep. 378)

Starbucks’ Howard Behar joins the Live Inspired Podcast with John O’Leary to share lessons to nurture + inspire the human spirit through servant leadership. Howard Behar, retired president of Starbucks, joined the company when they had 28 stores and…
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Peter Montoya author of The Second Civil War
Thursday Episode | July 15, 2021

Healing a Fractured Nation with Apolitical Unification Expert Peter Montoya (ep. 376)

Apolitical unification expert Peter Montoya joins John O’Leary on the Live Inspired Podcast to share practical strategies we can use to unify our divided society. From shaming and shunning to mocking and ridiculing, it’s stunning how many relationships have been damaged amongst people…
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Mel Robbins, founder of 5-Second Rule
Thursday Episode | July 1, 2021

Mel Robbins + Her Life-Changing 5-Second Rule (ep. 372)

Influential thought leader Mel Robbins joins John O’Leary on the Live Inspired Podcast to share her proven + empowering techniques to overcome negative mental repercussions of the COVID-19 global pandemic. According to Kaiser Family Foundation, about 40% of Americans have reported…
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Thursday Episode | March 25, 2021

Move Forward with Grief: Nora McInerny of ‘Terrible, Thanks for Asking’ Podcast (ep. 344)

On the Live Inspired Podcast, John O’Leary welcomes Nora McInerny, host of Terrible, Thanks for Asking podcast and expert in moving forward with grief. In the span of a few weeks, Nora McInerny experienced three unimaginable losses: a miscarriage, the death…
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Thursday Episode | March 11, 2021

ABC News Anchor Paula Faris Finds Purpose (ep. 340)

On the Live Inspired Podcast, John O’Leary welcomes former Good Morning America + The View anchor Paula Faris to remind us our worth is more than our work. Paula Faris spent two decades ascending to two of the most coveted jobs in broadcast journalism: co-anchor on Good…
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Twitter

JOLearyInspiresJohn O'Leary@JOLearyInspires·
1h

The start of the @MLB Season brings up memories of my dream coming to fruition. Read today's #MondayMotivation. https://johnolearyinspires.com/2023/03/believe-again-2/

JOLearyInspiresJohn O'Leary@JOLearyInspires·
23 Mar

Growing up on the east side of Detroit next to a drug house, Martinus Evans (@300lbsandrunnin) had to fight his entire life. In his early 20s when he was faced with the choice “lose weight or die”, he vowed to run a marathon (without realizing a marathon is over 26 miles!).

JOLearyInspiresJohn O'Leary@JOLearyInspires·
13 Mar

ICYMI: A reminder that you don't need to tackle tough times alone. #MondayMotivation https://johnolearyinspires.com/2023/03/see-in-the-dark/

JOLearyInspiresJohn O'Leary@JOLearyInspires·
13 Mar

it is in enduring the darkness that permits us to actually see the stars and more fully appreciate the light. #MondayMotivation https://johnolearyinspires.com/2023/03/see-in-the-dark/

JOLearyInspiresJohn O'Leary@JOLearyInspires·
13 Mar

My friend, we all go through dark times. The good news is that your life matters, the foundation remains firm, better days are ahead and you are not alone. These aren’t platitudes, but transformational truth. #MondayMotivation https://johnolearyinspires.com/2023/03/see-in-the-dark/

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johnoleary.inspires

Live + virtual speaker. 2x bestselling author. Live Inspired Podcast Host. Best last: Husband. Dad. linktr.ee/johnoleary.inspires

John O'Leary
Growing up, my dream was clear. With absolute conf Growing up, my dream was clear. With absolute confidence, I not only knew that I’d play professional baseball, but that I’d play for my hometown St. Louis Cardinals. It was a certainty.
Until.
Until that dream, and the inevitability of obtaining it, was extinguished upon my waking up from one of more than a dozen surgeries after being burned at age nine. With great sadness, my dad shared that during the surgery the doctors were forced to amputate my fingers in order to save my life.
A new certainty crept into my mind: My life was over.
I was furious with my dad and began to cry. I wept knowing that no girl would ever want to hold my hand. I was angry because I’d never be able to write, which meant never graduating from school, which meant never getting a job. And I wept knowing that I’d never achieve my dream of playing baseball.
The journey from that burn center into recovery was filled with incredible adversity; yet overflowing with unexpected grace.
With the support of countless friends and a little personal grit, I learned to write, went back to school, graduated, and even found meaningful work. I also met and fell deeply in love with an amazing girl named Beth. A few years later she fell in love with me (that’s a different story!). We’ve been blessed with 19 years of marriage and four healthy kids.
We enjoy a wonderful life and have accomplished some remarkable achievements. Along the way I even surrendered the childhood dream of playing baseball with the Cardinals.
Until.
Until a few years ago, our office received a call from the St. Louis Cardinals organization. They shared that they were aware that I’d been dramatically impacted by their team back in 1987 when recovering from my burns. They were also aware that I had the opportunity to speak to the team during Spring Training that year…
And they were curious if I had any desire to join them for a home game to throw out the first pitch.
My friends, I have no fingers on my hands. I have no movement in my wrists, limited mobility in my elbows, and difficulty using my shoulders. Unfortunately, there was no possible way for me to throw out the first pitch.
Continued in comments...
Growing up on the east side of Detroit next to a d Growing up on the east side of Detroit next to a drug house, Martinus Evans (@300poundsandrunning) had to fight his entire life. In his early 20s when he was faced with the choice “lose weight or die”, Martinus vowed to run a marathon (without realizing a marathon is over 26 miles!).
Since then, Martinus has run eight marathons and hundreds of other races in his 300-something pound body,  been featured in Men’s Health and Runner’s World and created his own devoted community (@runslowaf) for those who feel intimidated about running.
Today’s conversation is more than taking the next right step in believing in yourself. Join us on a journey of courage, determination, endurance and what it means to love ourselves unconditionally.
And my friends, as we celebrate Martinus’ accomplishments, you’ll gain encouragement for what you can do in your own life.
Listen to Live Inspired Podcast ep. 552 now. Available anywhere you get podcasts. Links in bio.
“You missed it, Daddy.” It was early on a Sat “You missed it, Daddy.”
It was early on a Saturday morning when my five-year-old son, Jack, whispered those sad words into my ear.
I’d returned late the night before from a weeklong whirlwind speaking tour and was still exhausted from the travel. Over the previous seven days I’d been in eight states and delivered more than a dozen presentations. That morning I was jet-lagged, wiped out, and in desperate need of more sleep.
Next to me, my wife was beginning to stir as Jack’s whisper grew in volume. “Daddy, wake up! You missed it!”
I had no idea what he was talking about. Was it a baseball game? Had I inadvertently missed his birthday?
Nope. It was something much simpler, but no less important.
Over 19 years of marriage, Beth and I have moved three times. With each home, we’ve
been blessed to have a grand magnolia tree tower over our front yard.
As a guy who travels a lot, I’ve been to Washington, DC, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. I’ve stared straight up in awe at the redwoods north of San Francisco. I’ve hiked through the Costa Rican rainforest, basked under Hawaiian palm trees, and heard the whispering magic of aspens in the mountains of Colorado. Yet my favorite tree remains the magnolia. And my favorite experience is playing with my family below one as it blossoms.
The official harbinger, in our household, that spring is arriving is when the glorious white, pink, and purple blooms unspool overhead, the magnolia aroma rains down, and the great tree comes to life.
The morning Jack woke me I was in my bed, lying next to my wife for the first time in a week.
The kids were a bit bigger. Beth was a little more tired.
And the magnolia tree in our front yard, which had been dormant all winter, had awakened, sprung to life, fully blossomed, and dropped its petals.
It’s an event I get my kids fired up about every spring. It’s a display that symbolizes perfectly the promise of new life. It’s an awesome spectacle.
And I missed the entire show... Continued in comments...
"If he were a horse, I'd shoot him." I’ll never "If he were a horse, I'd shoot him."
I’ll never forget the sting of hearing those words spoken about me by a physician who didn't see the hope and possibility in a 10-year-old boy hoping to regain the use of his hands.
Weeks later, I found a very different, kind-hearted, visionary physician: Dr. Carlos Pappalardo. One who looked into my heart when he spoke with me, treated me as a person, and masterfully blessed me with the ability to again use my hands.
Earlier this week I learned that Dr. Carlos Pappalardo passed away at the age of 93. 
Today, I want to share four specific encounters with this man, how they each had a profound impact on my life and how we all can learn to live a meaningful, significant, servant-oriented, faithful and generous life.
Listen to Live Inspired Podcast ep. 550. Now available anywhere you get podcasts. Links in bio.
We quickly judge others on the answers they provid We quickly judge others on the answers they provide.
We vote for politicians because of the answers they give during debates, the zingers they fire at their opponents and the pithy posts they make on social media. We follow thought leaders because of the brilliant answers they provide to the questions we have. And organizationally, we assign the title of leader to those who have all the answers.
And yet, a more nuanced and beneficial approach shouldn’t be simply in judging the answers they give, but instead the questions they ask. People often reveal themselves in the humility of the questions they ask or the unwillingness to ask them in the first place. An encounter with a young man reminded me of this truth.
My favorite aspect of speaking with audiences is always the opportunity to visit individually afterwards. A community event provided such a chance with more than 800 gathered and many of them sticking around at the conclusion to have books signed and personal stories shared. Throughout the book signing, though, I noticed a young man waiting off to the side.
As the room emptied, he eventually approached and asked if we could talk for a moment.
We walked from the atrium where others still lingered to a quiet area and sat down in the theater.
He told me how moved he was during the presentation. He shared that he was new to the area and struggling in school. High school was hard and making friends wasn’t easy. His eyes watered as he spoke.
Then he asked a telling question: “John, were there ever days when you regretted living through the fire; or days after when you wondered if you’d be better off dead?”
Continued in comments...
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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

1 hour ago

John O'Leary - Live Inspired
Growing up, my dream was clear. With absolute confidence, I not only knew that I’d play professional baseball, but that I’d play for my hometown St. Louis Cardinals. It was a certainty.Until.Until that dream, and the inevitability of obtaining it, was extinguished upon my waking up from one of more than a dozen surgeries after being burned at age nine. With great sadness, my dad shared that during the surgery the doctors were forced to amputate my fingers in order to save my life.A new certainty crept into my mind: My life was over.I was furious with my dad and began to cry. I wept knowing that no girl would ever want to hold my hand. I was angry because I’d never be able to write, which meant never graduating from school, which meant never getting a job. And I wept knowing that I’d never achieve my dream of playing baseball.The journey from that burn center into recovery was filled with incredible adversity; yet overflowing with unexpected grace.With the support of countless friends and a little personal grit, I learned to write, went back to school, graduated, and even found meaningful work. I also met and fell deeply in love with an amazing girl named Beth. A few years later she fell in love with me (that’s a different story!). We’ve been blessed with 19 years of marriage and four healthy kids.We enjoy a wonderful life and have accomplished some remarkable achievements. Along the way I even surrendered the childhood dream of playing baseball with the Cardinals.Until.Until a few years ago, our office received a call from the St. Louis Cardinals organization. They shared that they were aware that I’d been dramatically impacted by their team back in 1987 when recovering from my burns. They were also aware that I had the opportunity to speak to the team during Spring Training that year…And they were curious if I had any desire to join them for a home game to throw out the first pitch.My friends, I have no fingers on my hands. I have no movement in my wrists, limited mobility in my elbows, and difficulty using my shoulders. Unfortunately, there was no possible way for me to throw out the first pitch.So, it was with some anxiety that I responded: Absolutely!It required a little creativity on how to balance the ball on my hand, a couple weeks of ‘training’ in the backyard with my sons and an extremely generous strike zone from the umpire, but six years ago a childhood dream became a reality. A kid, donning a St. Louis Cardinals jersey, made his way to the mound, waved at his parents, blew a kiss to his wife and kids and threw a first pitch bullet!My friends, 36 years ago a little boy was expected to die.But in 2017, a packed Busch Stadium with over 46,000 Cardinals’ fans saw a 40-year-old guy prove unequivocally that he had no chance at ever becoming a major league ball player. But more importantly: They saw a guy in awe of the life he gets to live reminding them that anything is possible in their lives, too.As we journey professionally and personally, we will never understand the miracle of life fully.Until.Until we allow the unexpected to happen.Don’t just be happy when it happens in someone else’s life, though. Expect it in yours, too.This is your day. Play ball and Live Inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

4 days ago

John O'Leary - Live Inspired
Growing up on the east side of Detroit next to a drug house, Martinus Evans had to fight his entire life. In his early 20s when he was faced with the choice “lose weight or die”, Martinus vowed to run a marathon (without realizing a marathon is over 26 miles!).Since then, Martinus has run eight marathons and hundreds of other races in his 300-something pound body, been featured in Men's Health and Runner's World and created his own devoted community for those who feel intimidated about running, Slow AF Run Club.Today’s conversation is more than taking the next right step in believing in yourself. Join us on a journey of courage, determination, endurance and what it means to love ourselves unconditionally.And my friends, as we celebrate Martinus’ accomplishments, you’ll gain encouragement for what you can do in your own life.Listen to Live Inspired Podcast ep. 552 now:My website: johnolearyinspires.com/podcast/archive/martinus-evans/Your favorite podcast app: link.chtbl.com/tOmM9ExS ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

1 week ago

John O'Leary - Live Inspired
“You missed it, Daddy.”It was early on a Saturday morning when my five-year-old son, Jack, whispered those sad words into my ear.I’d returned late the night before from a weeklong whirlwind speaking tour and was still exhausted from the travel. Over the previous seven days I’d been in eight states and delivered more than a dozen presentations. That morning I was jet-lagged, wiped out, and in desperate need of more sleep.Next to me, my wife was beginning to stir as Jack’s whisper grew in volume. “Daddy, wake up! You missed it!”I had no idea what he was talking about. Was it a baseball game? Had I inadvertently missed his birthday?Nope. It was something much simpler, but no less important.Over 19 years of marriage, Beth and I have moved three times. With each home, we’vebeen blessed to have a grand magnolia tree tower over our front yard.As a guy who travels a lot, I’ve been to Washington, DC, when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. I’ve stared straight up in awe at the redwoods north of San Francisco. I’ve hiked through the Costa Rican rainforest, basked under Hawaiian palm trees, and heard the whispering magic of aspens in the mountains of Colorado. Yet my favorite tree remains the magnolia. And my favorite experience is playing with my family below one as it blossoms.The official harbinger, in our household, that spring is arriving is when the glorious white, pink, and purple blooms unspool overhead, the magnolia aroma rains down, and the great tree comes to life.The morning Jack woke me I was in my bed, lying next to my wife for the first time in a week.The kids were a bit bigger. Beth was a little more tired.And the magnolia tree in our front yard, which had been dormant all winter, had awakened, sprung to life, fully blossomed, and dropped its petals.It’s an event I get my kids fired up about every spring. It’s a display that symbolizes perfectly the promise of new life. It’s an awesome spectacle.And I missed the entire show.My work requires a good bit of travel. There will occasionally be things that I miss. Many of you can probably relate.But sometimes do you feel like you’re missing it…and you haven’t even gone anywhere? Times when you are physically present, but emotionally absent? That life is happening all around, but you aren’t really present? For any of it?From family dinners to corner diners, from airport terminals to team meetings, there exists a vast chasm between our physical presence somewhere and wholehearted engagement once there.We were not made to be in a thousand places at once.We were made to be here, in this moment, right now.To truly live In Awe, we must embrace the miracle replete within each moment in life. Experiences like sunshine in the park, brainstorming meetings in the conference room, and the commute at the end of the day can become significant only when we give it our full attention.So set down the phone. Put away the newspaper. Let go of the mistakes from yesterday and the worry for tomorrow.It’s time to wake up. It’s important not to miss it.Your life is a gift and if you’re too busy racing through it, you may miss the grandeur of the gifts right in front of you.Today is your day. Live Inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

2 weeks ago

John O'Leary - Live Inspired
"If he were a horse, I'd shoot him."I’ll never forget the sting of hearing those words spoken about me by a physician who didn't see the hope and possibility in a 10-year-old boy hoping to regain the use of his hands.Weeks later, I found a very different, kind-hearted, visionary physician: Dr. Carlos Pappalardo. One who looked into my heart when he spoke with me, treated me as a person, and masterfully blessed me with the ability to again use my hands.Earlier this week I learned that Dr. Carlos Pappalardo passed away at the age of 93. Today, I want to share four specific encounters with this man, how they each had a profound impact on my life and how we all can learn to live a meaningful, significant, servant-oriented, faithful and generous life.Listen to Live Inspired Podcast ep. 550 now:My website: johnolearyinspires.com/podcast/archive/pappalardoYour favorite podcast app: link.chtbl.com/tOmM9ExS ... See MoreSee Less

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John O'Leary - Live Inspired

2 weeks ago

John O'Leary - Live Inspired
We quickly judge others on the answers they provide.We vote for politicians because of the answers they give during debates, the zingers they fire at their opponents and the pithy posts they make on social media. We follow thought leaders because of the brilliant answers they provide to the questions we have. And organizationally, we assign the title of leader to those who have all the answers.And yet, a more nuanced and beneficial approach shouldn’t be simply in judging the answers they give, but instead the questions they ask. People often reveal themselves in the humility of the questions they ask or the unwillingness to ask them in the first place. An encounter with a young man reminded me of this truth.My favorite aspect of speaking with audiences is always the opportunity to visit individually afterwards. A community event provided such a chance with more than 800 gathered and many of them sticking around at the conclusion to have books signed and personal stories shared. Throughout the book signing, though, I noticed a young man waiting off to the side.As the room emptied, he eventually approached and asked if we could talk for a moment.We walked from the atrium where others still lingered to a quiet area and sat down in the theater.He told me how moved he was during the presentation. He shared that he was new to the area and struggling in school. High school was hard and making friends wasn’t easy. His eyes watered as he spoke.Then he asked a telling question: “John, were there ever days when you regretted living through the fire; or days after when you wondered if you’d be better off dead?”I told him honestly that there were many difficult days that I struggled mightily. Five long months in the hospital, losing my fingers to amputation, lots of difficulties in school, challenges in dating and struggles professionally. Even today, as good as life is, many days are hard.I shared that although I wouldn’t have chosen any of the challenges, looking back on them it’s so clear to me now that through them my character was forged, my faith was tested and a drive to live fully was stoked.I asked him about what he’s going through.We discussed his family, his struggles, his school and his life. It was an honest, painful and beautifully open conversation. We exchanged information to stay connected and at the end, as we got ready to step back into crowds and life, I asked what he was thinking now.He took a deep breath, looked up at the ceiling, then back at me, before responding, “Today is the first day of the rest of my life. I want to live.”The young man then committed to talking to his school counselor, being honest with his family and even gave me permission to share the conversation with his principal.The fight, in other words, was no longer just his. The despair of today was no longer greater than the hope for tomorrow. And the darkness no longer more powerful than the light.My friend, we all go through dark times. The good news is that your life matters, the foundation remains firm, better days are ahead and you are not alone. These aren’t platitudes, but transformational truth.You see, light is awesome. It shows us the way. It provides clarity.And yet, it is in enduring the darkness that permits us to actually see the stars and more fully appreciate the light.This is your day. Live Inspired. ... See MoreSee Less

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