Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

"Sympathy is easy because it comes from a position of power. Empathy is getting down on your knees and looking someone else in the eye, and realizing that you could be them, and that all that separates you is luck." - Dennis Lahane For almost three decades, my dad has been living with the diagnosis of Parkinson's disease. Over this time, he's lost the ability to walk, drive, and earn. It's difficult for my dad to speak and lately, becoming more difficult to swallow. I obviously suspected it was hard, but staying with my dad and caring for him in my mother's absence gave me a totally different understanding. In this perplexing season, I encourage you to truly embrace what the world – pain, struggle, dreams, aspirations, wisdom – might look like for those around you. Sympathy, indifference, despair and anger are common emotions these days. The way to understand, then heal and finally unite requires that we first empathize. *** Learn how to rediscover your childlike sense of wonder to unleash inspiration, meaning and joy with my instant #1 bestseller IN AWE. Visit ReadInAwe.com today! *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Are you hoping to be rich in significance + success in 2021? Who isn't, right? My friend, this episode is for you. Over three years ago I started my membership community, Live Inspired IN STUDIO - community of like-minded friends who join me monthly via webcast to do life together + make the world better, starting with our own. This month's discussion topic is so relevant, impactful + life-giving that I needed to make sure everyone has access to it! Today we walk through a step-by-step process (created by my friend + past Live Inspired Podcast guest Jinny Ditzler) that I have completed at the beginning of every year for more than a decade. You'll leave this episode with clear priorities and commitments to achieve significance + success in all aspects of your life this year. SHOW NOTES: "Life's most persistent and urgent question is: 'What are you doing for others?'" - Martin Luther King Jr. Instead of reflecting on what's going on around us by being a temperature gauge, Bernice King encourages us to lead others by setting the temperature like a thermostat. Make 2021 Your Best Year Yet: Inspired by my friend and Live Inspired Podcast guest Jon Gordon, what's your word? What's one word to describe your 2020? What's one word that will guide you in 2021? [Hear Jon Gordon share inspiration and behind-the-scenes stories from his bestselling book The Energy Bus on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 13.] Make a circle with 6 equal parts: professional, financial, spiritual, emotional, physical, relational, personal. Ask yourself: What did I accomplish in 2020? What were my biggest disappointments in 2020? What did I learn? What advice would you give yourself? How did I limit myself? Who am I at my best? Who am I afriad to be? What masks do I wear? I am: __________ What are your personal values? What roles do you play? What are you job titles for life? In a few, broad words, what are your goals for each role Circle only three roles you want to focus on in 2021. What are three SMART goals you want to accomplish in your three priority roles in 2021? On a single piece of paper, write: What advice do you need to be reminded of in 2021? I am: ________ What are the three roles you want to focus on in 2021? What are three SMART goals you want to accomplish in your three priority roles in 2021? Learn more about my dear friend and architect of Best Year Yet Jenny Ditzler on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 12. Do life with us. Together. It's easy to feel a rush of motivation and say you're ready to embrace life's full potential, but not so easy to follow through. Join our community of friends to gather and grow from exclusive conversations as we continue our journeys together. Learn more here. *** About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselves apart with a forward-thinking culture that empowers their people and fosters loyal partnerships. Keeley Companies are a proud sponsor, partner, and super fan of the Live Inspired Podcast. Learn more about Keeley Companies.

Empathy doesn't excuse poor behavior. Rather, it seeks to understand it and strives to redeem it. Today, as we continue to navigate a global pandemic, face challenges professionally + personally, I encourage you to draw from my grandpa's wisdom: Surrender yourself for the betterment of someone else. Let go of your former life as individuals and embrace a unified one, together. Be fused fully to whether storms, chart dreams and achieve goals. *** Learn how to rediscover your childlike sense of wonder to unleash inspiration, meaning and joy with my instant #1 bestseller IN AWE. Visit ReadInAwe.com today! *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Matt Miller is a proven + award-winning leader who focuses on building positive relationships that lead to impactful + measurable change. His motto is "love is key" and I'm honored to share that he joined our team as Lead Live Inspired Coach last year. We first met eight years ago, I was invited to speak at the elementary school where Matt was principal. His devotion, attentiveness and respect for and from the teachers + faculty was unmatched. Even more impressive was his ability to empower young students to become leaders and harness their unique gifts. Today Matt will share his best tips on how to strengthen your leadership, liberate yourself from personal + professional challenges and set attainable goals to make 2021 your best year yet. SHOW NOTES: Growing up in the small town of Corning, Iowa, Matt credits his four grandparents as the reason he works hard, wakes up early and enjoys gardening. Even as a young lifeguard, Matt has had a passion for the kids that needed the extra help which led him to become a special education teacher and then spending 23 years as a principal. Matt enjoyed watching children, especially those that needed extra help, succeed. Quickly realizing the important role teachers + administrators played in students' success, he pursued becoming a principal. Students of effective teachers can confidently answer "yes" to these two questions: Does my teacher care about me? Is my teacher committed to my success? How we see things determines our behavior which determines the results that we get. Power of popsicles: On his first day as principal, Matt used popsicles to build relationships with notorious troublemakers by empowering them to be leaders in their community, an approach that surprised veteran staff members. At our 2014 LAUNCH Leadership Conference, Matt shared the strategy he was using to lead young elementary students in setting + attaining goals which had a profound impact on influential business leaders. Live Inspired Coaching pillars: Find your one: what's the one thing you want to get focused on this week? Stay in your circle: The only person we have control over is ourselves. If we're not happy with the results that we're given, go back to the top and ask, "how can I see this differently,' or "who can help me see this differently?" Take the next right step. The Live Inspired Coaching program has empowered thousands of individuals achieve their personal + professional goals through our exclusive, personalized and unmatched process built on inspiration, personal leadership principles and individual accountability plans. Learn more here. "What we choose not to do is just as important as what we choose to do." "The mind quits before the body." As individuals, we need three things: A goal, plans to achieve that goal and agency of ourselves. Love family, love others. What are we grateful for? "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." – Stephen Covey How to make 2021 your best year yet? What is the one thing I want to get better at? What is in your circle that you can do every day to take that next right step? What is a relationship that needs improvement in my life? Matt mentions how Live Inspired Podcast guest Doug Lindsay's perspective on hope resonated deeply with him. Learn more about Doug + his resilient journey on ep. 322. Read the guest blog by Len Dino I referenced here. Transform your work. Transform your life. Learn more about our exclusive, personalized and unmatched process Live Inspired Coaching here. Gather + grow. Join our community of like-minded individuals in Live Inspired In Studio here. MATT MILLER'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Free spirit. 3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? Handwritten notes from all the kids, parents and teachers but specifically the first note my dad ever wrote me as a freshman in college. 4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? All four of my grandparents and I want to tell them how appreciative I am. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? My wife Annie telling me to get my Master's when seeing my passion for teaching children. 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Continue to think outside the box. 7. It's been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? Loved family. Loved others. *** About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselves apart with a forward-thinking culture that empowers their people and fosters loyal partnerships. Keeley Companies are a proud sponsor, partner, and super fan of the Live Inspired Podcast. Learn more about Keeley Companies.

The words we speak, and those we hear, influence and directly shape the world in which we live. Words are powerful and last week in our nation's capital we witnessed a clear example of this truth. Five people were killed, dozens injured and one of the most sacred spaces in our country was desecrated. Rather than debate the cause of this tragedy, let's take pause and heed wisdom from a political voice from our past. Delivered more than five decades ago, Presidental candidate Robert Kennedy speaks to the profound divisions we were and are experiencing as a nation as well as the hope of how we still can heal together. Today, we must extinguish the smug, self-righteous tone many pundits exude – and then we echo – about those with different beliefs than ours. We must acknowledge that the rhetoric has magnified divisiveness, increased hatred and does nothing to benefit any of us. How do we even begin to do this? Well, this week, I encourage you to: Turn off the news. Take a break from social media. Be highly aware of the voice you are listening to and the words you are speaking. The change we actually need will never be delivered by a politician. It's not that easy and never was. It requires a softening of our biases, a changing of hearts and a desire to be love in a marketplace still starving for it. *** Learn how to rediscover your childlike sense of wonder to unleash inspiration, meaning and joy with my instant #1 bestseller IN AWE. Visit ReadInAwe.com today! *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

How do you respond when something is seemingly impossible? Especially when it's life or death? At 21 years old, Doug Lindsay developed a rapid heart rate, dizziness and fainting spells which led him to fear that he was suffering the same mysterious illness that affected his mother and aunt. As symptoms became debilitating, Doug dropped out of college and spent the next 11 years bedbound. Doctors were baffled, so Doug scoured medical textbooks in a relentless, 14-year pursuit to not only diagnose the mysterious illness, but also develop the treatment and assemble the team that would ultimately perform the innovative surgery. If you're seeking a message of hope, perseverance and a reason to believe the best of our days remain in front of us, this episode is for you. SHOW NOTES: "I talk about the role of hope and character in innovation and life. I came to do that after getting sick at 21, spent 11 years homebound + bedbound and when no one knew what to do, I developed the surgery that fixed me." While describing an idyllic childhood, Doug recalls his mom was always too sick to work but without understanding the extent, she was unable to find help. "You don't make fun of people for things they can't change." "I didn't know what I wanted but I was glad there were people looking out for me and sending me to places that were waiting for me." Doug's aunt + grandparents helped supplement his merit-based scholarships to attend Rockhurst University to study biochemistry. Just as Doug was starting a summer job doing biochemistry research, he was diagnosed with mono. When he returned for his senior year, he was unable to attend classes and Doug realized he was struck with the same mysterious illness his mom was experiencing. "If I find something for me, I may find something for us." A watch without a watchmaker: If God created the universe, why wouldn't he or she be using the tools of nature? "Sometimes I am riding on faith. Sometimes I am riding on science. Sometimes I am riding on medicine." Around the turn of the millennium, while paging through medical textbooks, Doug discovers something doctors may have missed: the autonomic nervous system. As a 24-year-old disabled college dropout in a reclining wheelchair, Doug shares the treatment for his own disease in front of the world's top researchers at The American Autonomic Society. Eighteen months later, Doug begins working with his mentor + medical researcher Dr. Cecil Coghlan to apply theories. After two years, they come across a circumstance that could potentially be fixed with surgery that did not exist yet. At this point, Doug spent 22 hours a day in a hospital bed, writing with dictation software and was too weak to hold a book. Specific hope: It blinds you to success greater than you're aiming for and it blinds you to gratitude for the good things that happen every day. "Hope is the belief that something positive can happen. What can we make happen that's just enough to remind you there is value and joy in persisting, even in hard times." Clinical bravery: Because of the team that took the risk to perform the innovative surgery, Doug was able to four miles 130 days post-surgery. Determined to make a life of success if the surgery was successful, Doug also wanted to live authentically. "Joy fades. Sorrow spikes but it doesn't maintain that same intensity at all times. Winning doesn't make life not hard." If you give a best effort and don't succeed, you know you can count on yourself. If circumstances change, that best effort will lead to success. If you can't give a best effort, you may win but you'll still lose. We are united by suffering. Do your best for those who don't have the chance. Watch Doug Linday's TEDx Talk here. Learn more about Doug Lindsay, including his medical consulting, here. DOUG LINDSAY'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? The belief in others. 3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? My computer and my mom's Bible from high school. 4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? I'd have to meet with my mom although I admire Thomas Jefferson, Marcus Aurelius and Aristotle. I'd share how proud of her I am for the example she set as someone who lived with suffering yet grace. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? In science, you run the experiment. 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Leaving aside my medical diagnosis, love beyond your small family unit. Love is real. 7. It's been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? My story is complex enough so I feel like it will be: That's the guy that did that thing. *** About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselves apart with a forward-thinking culture that empowers their people and fosters loyal partnerships. Keeley Companies are a proud sponsor, partner, and super fan of the Live Inspired Podcast. Learn more about Keeley Companies.

"Push away from the spot where you're stuck to move toward a new destination, perspective." It is my hope for you to embrace all the hope and joy that are possible in your new year. Please allow this excerpt from my #1 national bestselling book IN AWE to help you see the truth that the possibilities before you are endless, if only you look… (chapter 1, page 5) *** Learn how to rediscover your childlike sense of wonder to unleash inspiration, meaning and joy with my instant #1 bestseller IN AWE. Visit ReadInAwe.com today! *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

"The Enneagram is a tool that awakens our compassion for people just as they are, not the people we wish they would become so our lives would become easier." Ian Morgan Cron is the bestselling author of The Road Back to You and the champion of the Enneagram, an ancient personality typing system that identifies nine types of people + how they relate to one another and the world. Today we'll discuss how the Enneagram can: Provide a framework for how we can live into our most authentic selves Reveal the wisdom each personality type can offer to others Call out your strengths + transform your relationships in every sphere of life. If you'd like to become more self-aware in your personal and professional life – this episode is for you. SHOW NOTES: "Who am I, am I really loved, what's my mission and how do I integrate my brokenness into who I am?" Wounded healer: Ian grew up with an alcoholic father and his own addiction and recovery has helped him help others. During a snow day at 13 years old, Ian had his first experience with alcohol and ended being taken by ambulance to the hospital for alcohol poisoning. "In our woundedness we find connection and commonality." After other addiction struggles, Ian realized he cannot do life alone and embraces a community of wisdom with his faith. "If you don't have the conscious awareness of God's presence in the world, ask for it. Be open and willing to have that spiritual experience." As a priest and spiritual director, Brother Dave helped Ian discern the ongoing activity of grace in their life and understand the Enneagram in a whole new way. Developing self-knowledge: Enneagram Assessment is an ancient personality typing system that identifies nine types of people + how they relate to one another and the world. Enneagram Types: 1 – The Reformer 2 – The Helper 3 – The Achiever 4 – The Individualist 5 – The Investigator 6 – The Loyalist 7 – The Enthusiast 8 – The Challenger 9 – The Peacemaker Favorite quotes from our conversation: "Your number is not determined by what you do so much as by why you do it." "The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves. The resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. If in loving them we do not love what they are but only their potential likiness to ourselves, then we do not love them. We only love the reflection of ourselves we find in them." "The Enneagram does not put you in a box. It shows you the box you're already in and how to get out of it." "The Enneagram reveals to you who you were before the world told you who you were supposed to be." Get a copy of Ian Morgan Cron's The Road Back to You here. Learn your Enneagram type! Ian's iEQ9 Assessment will provide a comprehensive, type-specific report with in-depth information about your Enneagram type. Enter the code LIVEINSPIRED to receive 10% an assessment today on Ian's website. IAN MORGAN CRON'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life by James Hollis. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Unfeathered creativity. 3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? I have some beautiful guitars I would not like to lose. 4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? Catholic monk and writer Thomas Merton. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? To become a saint means to become my true self. - Thomas Merton 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? You're in good hands. 7. It's been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? We are loved. *** About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselves apart with a forward-thinking culture that empowers their people and fosters loyal partnerships. Keeley Companies are a proud sponsor, partner, and super fan of the Live Inspired Podcast. Learn more about Keeley Companies.

The grass is always greener… on the side you water. As we pivot away from 2020, what one word will describe your year to come? *** Learn how to rediscover your childlike sense of wonder to unleash inspiration, meaning and joy with my instant #1 bestseller IN AWE. Visit ReadInAwe.com today! *** Did you enjoy this episode? Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

At a time that many of us feel there is less to celebrate than usual, today's guest reminds us that despite the challenges there is so much good! Even better, he shares tips so you can see it for yourself. Jarrett J. Krosoczka, New York Times-bestselling author/illustrator behind the wildly popular Lunch Lady and Jedi Academy series, wrote the graphic memoir Hey, Kiddo that moved me profoundly. In it, he shares about the gift of his grandparents, who raised him because of his mother's heroin addict. Today's conversation will remind you that what you've weathered does not have to hinder your opportunity to live a better, bigger, bolder life now. SHOW NOTES: At 3 years old, Jarrett began being raised by his maternal grandparents while his mother was battling a heroin addiction. As the son of immigrants, Jarrett's grandfather taught his children their lineage and the importance of hard work. Pandora's Box: As a child, Jarrett used sketching as a way to process his unique situation yet it was when his wife was pregnant with their first child that talk therapy helped him better understand his past. "My grandfather once said I was sickeningly well-behaved as a kid. Part of that was fear losing stability." Hey, Kiddo: In Jarrett's award-winning young adult memoir, he candidly shares his unconventional childhood, the nightmares that haunted him and how drawing became his outlet to express himself. In 2012, Jarrett openly shared about his childhood for the first time publicly during a TED Talk. This allowed him to find the balance of sharing his story, hearing other's stories and self-care to prepare him to write Hey, Kiddo. Watch his TED Talk here. In the audio-version of Hey, Kiddo, the influential teachers in Jarrett's life voiced their parts of the story. While working at Camp Sunshine, a family camp for critically and terminally ill children, Jarrett was inspired to create more tender stories for a younger audience. Jarrett's second graphic novel Sunshine will be published in 2021 and details the life-changing story of a Camp Sunshine camper + the profound impact it had on his life. Raising compassionate kids: "As parents, we lead by example. We suspect our kids aren't paying attention but they will remember the way we behaved more so than the way we talked." Two-year process: Receiving dozens of rejection letters from publishers, Jarrett figured they favored his illustrations over his writing. Every week, he'd send new artwork to publishers which led to a publishing deal for his first book Good Night, Monkey Boy. In his wildly successful Lunch Lady series, Jarrett highlights the often-overlooked and underappreciated workforce of those serving children. Get Jarrett J. Krosoczka's book Hey, Kiddo here. Pre-order Jarrett J. Krosoczka's second graphic novel Sunshine here. Learn more about Jarrett J. Krosoczka here. JARRETT J. KROSOCZKA'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? I wish I still had that level of imagination. 3. Your house is on fire, all living things and people are out. You have the opportunity to run in and grab one item. What would it be? My flat files that have the artwork from all of my books. 4. You are sitting on a bench overlooking a gorgeous beach. You have the opportunity to have a long conversation with anyone living or dead. Who would it be? My grandfather and we'd feed Stanley and Leroy the seagulls. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? Whenever someone wronged me, my grandmother would say, "tell them to $h!t in their hat," and my grandfather would say, "sometimes when you talk to a-holes, you get $h!t on." 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? I wouldn't tell my younger self anything because that younger self needed to not know that things were going to be okay. 7. It's been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? Are you sure I could only have one sentence? Just read the books. *** About our sponsor: Keeley Companies wholeheartedly believes that if you get the people right -the results will follow. They set themselves apart with a forward-thinking culture that empowers their people and fosters loyal partnerships. Keeley Companies are a proud sponsor, partner, and super fan of the Live Inspired Podcast. Learn more about Keeley Companies.