Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

Gary Sinise is an award-winning actor – most notably is his Oscar-nominated role of Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. This role reshaped the trajectory of Gary's life; not because of the acclaim for the film, but because it ignited a relentless drive in him to champion veterans' sacrifices and ensure they're never forgotten. Gary's philanthropy has made him a beloved to countless and earned him prestigious awards including: Presidential Citizens Medal, Honorary Battalion Chief by New York City Fire Department, George Catlett Marshall Medal by US Army and Honorary Marine. Today, Gary joins us as part of his media tour for his book: Grateful American: A Journey from Self to Service. It's already a New York Times best seller and after hearing our conversation… you'll understand why. Join us to for one of America's favorite, heart-led leaders. You'll get lessons on gratitude, service, celebrate America's defenders, veterans, first responders and so much more. SHOW NOTES: His role as a gang member in his high school's production of West Side Story initiated his passion for acting. Steppenwolf Theatre Company was formed with his three friends in 1974, subsequently becoming the nation's premiere ensemble theatre. Of Mice and Men: Gary directed + starred in Of Mice and Men, fulfilling a life-long dream leading to his opportunity to audition for Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump: Gary had a deep affection to veterans his entire life and felt compelled to play Lieutenant Dan in Forrest Gump. The scene with Lieutenant Dan shouting on top of the shrimp boat is pivotal because he's fighting his demons, overcoming guilt and PTSD from war, eventually allowing him to make peace. Making peace is something the Gary Sinise Foundation strives for all veterans. Turning point: The commitment to serve and honor veterans began before Forrest Gump. September 11th was an inflection point deepened that devotion. The Gary Sinise Foundation supports those who sacrifice on our behalf including active duty, veterans, first responders + their families. Learn more here. Get Gary Sinise's New York Times bestselling book Grateful American. I shared my essay on my dear friend and former US Navy SEAL Scott Wirtz. Read it here. Listen to more Life Inspired Podcast episodes celebrating veterans with Rocky Sickmann from ep. #16 and Jim Lovell from ep. #90. LIVE INSPIRED 7 To shine light on veterans, Gary asked me to share responses to the Live Inspired 7 from past guests who served our country. Enjoy Captain Charlie Plumb, Vietnam Navy veteran and Prison Of War, from ep. # 31 and Jake Harriman, Marine veteran, from ep. #114 answers. Charlie Plumb's Live Inspired 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? The Bible, chapter of Job. Unbroken, it epitomizes your philosophy and mine on winning through adversity. 2. Tomorrow you discover your wealthy uncle shockingly dies at the age of 103; leaving you millions. What would you do?Bolder Crest supports vets with PTSD to expand their reach bc they're doing a lot of good for veterans. 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? A tin cup with holes in it that I brought back from the prison camp. I keep that cup just to remind me of the challenges I face and the value of the challenge. 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 mother. She endured so much while I was over there, but never placed blame. I never heard her say a bad word about anyone. The longer I live, the more I appreciate her approach to forgiveness. I'd love to talk to her about how to forgive the unforgivable. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? A coach told me it wasn't the things around me that would change my life, it's the choices you make about the things around you. You can choose to be a loser or a winner or choose to give away that choice. 6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20? Believe in a purpose as the highest priority. 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? He was a servant. Jake Harriman Live Inspired 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? The Bible. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Dreaming! I could dream big. I tried to do crazy stuff as a kid. We made a potion out of crayons and dirt to make me fly. Then, I put on a cape and jumped into cow manure! 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? A medallion that I carried in combat. It says: [Joshua 1:9] "Be strong, courageous and remember that the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." It sealed my faith + gave me courage. I gave it to the love of my life when we got engaged. When she has to go into dark places, I wanted her to have the same medallion with her. 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? Abraham Lincoln. I'd ask: How in the world did you get through that time? And hold everything together with a nation that was literally pulling itself a part? I think he'd say "Find commonality – there are threads and values that run through all of us. Get back to those basics." I think that is what he did and succeeded. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? Never say you can't do something, you have to believe in yourself and those who love you. 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? It's going to be dark. You are going to have a lot of really horrific moments that you didn't even know were possible. But in those moments, know that there is light coming. There is truth and love in people in this world. There is more light and hope than darkness. Never forget that. 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? He learned to love and learned to leave by serving others. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram+ get his Monday Motivation email.

Every Monday moving forward, join me for a quick burst of inspiration during Monday Moments. Each week, I'll cover a different topic that will spark you to live more inspired. I am honored to be joined by my dear friend Dennis Gillan to discuss a topic that desperately needs to be revisited: suicide prevention. Today, we will break down the stigma around mental health and how to better care for ourselves + others who are struggling or suffering with suicide. Take this powerful episode as reminder that the best is yet to come. SHOW NOTES I share a poem written by 10-year boy titled I Am the Piece That Never Fits. Dennis Gillan lost two brothers to suicide. Listen to his story on ep. #46 of the Live Inspired Podcast. Comic Adam Cayton-Holland shares about losing his sister to suicide on ep. #99 of the Live Inspired Podcast. If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). ### If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

SoulPancake is an entertainment company with a mission to make the world a better place. How? By creating content that explores meaningful topics with integrity, heart + humor. You've likely seen some of their viral hits (that have amassed nearly one billion views!) like Kid President, Tell My Story + My Last Days. Shabnam Mogharabi, co-founder, shares the best tips she's discovered while curating the signature SoulPancake content for 10 years. SHOW NOTES It doesn't matter what you do, just try to be of service to the world. Take it offline: Use relationships formed online to initiate offline experiences in order to build deeper connections. Be present: The internet makes us feel more connected but, we're forgetting to actually show up in a real way for others outside of social media. Counteract negativity by embracing joy: Build a practice: Shift your brain to reinforce positive reactions. Express gratitude: Regularly expressing gratitude for others, without any strings attached, has a profound impact on our own happiness. Be vulnerable: Vulnerably builds deep, meaningful relationships and creating a critical a sense of belonging, ultimately combating loneliness. Build deep relationships to create your community: Give non-romantic + romantic relationships a similar level of care + attention. Make a consistent habit of connecting with others. Create simple touch-points to build relationships (ex: texting emojis once a week) Make mental notes that can trigger you to touch-base with others SoulPancake's co-creator actor Rainn Wilson, and Shabnam built SoulPancake as a positive space to counteract the negative news cycle. My main takeaways: Social media is changing the way we show up for others. It can elevate, but should not, replace our interactions with others. Break down walls that divide us: Shabnam's father hosts a weekly open house of worship to build community and unity across religions. Watch SoulPancake's viral hits like Kid President, Tell My Story, My Last Days and others on YouTube. I wrote a Monday Motivation essay about Susan sitting shiva with her friend. Read it here. For more ways to create belonging through building a community, listen to our guest Radha Agrawal on ep. #98 of the Live Inspired Podcast. SHABNAM MOGHARABI'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I read it once a year. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Playful and imaginative nature. I try to bring it into the culture of SoulPancake. 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 great grandmother's ring. It's passed to the oldest woman in every generation and represents family, tradition and togetherness and bridges generations. 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. I didn't have as many deep conversations as I wish I had. He grew up with seven siblings, five of which died before they were adults. I'd ask him about him growing up as one of the two surviving children. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? Professionally: hire people that are smarter than you. Personally, self-care is important. If you're not full, it's hard to care for others. 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Don't take things so seriously. There is a very long life ahead of you. 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? Aristotle said, "a person cannot truly determine if they've had a happy life until their end of the live". I have a very long life left to live. I don't feel like to committing to one sentence yet. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

In honor of Valentine's Day I went deep into the vault -- we're over 100 episodes deep now! -- to feature one of our resident love experts Les Parrott. He'll give us practical tips to love (and live!) more inspired. This episode originally aired in June 2017. Les is a co-creator of the match-making software behind eHarmony, psychologist, professor, author, husband, and father. He's shared his expertise with Oprah, Barbara Walters, and Tom Brokaw and today he shares it with us. Are you ready to improve, maintain and ignite all of your relationships to live more inspired? SHOW NOTES: Fight Night – the event Les and Leslie (his wife) host where couples talk about their conflict and how to leverage it to bring them closer together. Saving Your Marriage before It Starts is their most popular book. We aren't entitled and don't always get what we feel we deserve – so we must learn how to adjust to the things beyond our control. Have you faced marriage myths with honesty? Ex: This person should make me whole. We're set up for heartache; nobody can complete us. The most important thing you'll do for your relationships is what you do for yourself. If you try to build intimacy with someone before you have done the work of getting whole on your own, your relationship will become an attempt to complete yourself. Your relationships can only be as healthy as you are. A few things you can do to become a little more whole: Embrace your significance. Can feel deep down that you have a purpose on this planet? Unswerving authenticity. Are you following your path regardless of what anyone says? Self-giving love. Realizing others needs are different than yours. There are three kinds of fights: Bad fights – tear us apart / rip away the fabric of our relationships Dumb fights – have no purpose / are silly Good fights – bring us closer together Don't avoid conflict, turn the fight into a good fight. You make them "bad" or "good" by the choices you make / context within the fight. Empathy is a single skill that will change your relationship the most. Conflicts dissipate when you see the conflict from their side and they see it from yours. Try to accurately see the world from their perspective. Empathy has two components, your head, and heart. Sympathize with your heart, analyze with your head. We typically do one well, recognize which one you struggle with and make yourself do it, too. Take Les's Deep Love Assessment: Partners answer a series of questions separately and instantly get a private, custom roadmap for lifelong love. LES PARROTT'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? Either Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman or Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman. 2. Tomorrow you discover your wealthy uncle shockingly dies at the age of 103; leaving you millions. What would you do? I'd establish, on college campuses, centers for healthy relationships to give education to a whole new generation. We'd see divorce rate drop dramatically – and when you lower the divorce rate, it positively impacts rates of education, wealth, etc. 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 laptop. 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 wife Leslie, she loves the beach. I love that she loves the beach and we've had some of our greatest talks there. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? Master the capacity to adjust to things beyond your control. Life is unfair. 6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20? Relax. Slow down a bit. It's 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? A man who loved his family with all his heart. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

Are you ready to celebrate Valentine's Day right this year? This holiday is about so much more than Hallmark cards and boxes of heart-shaped chocolates. It's about the power of love - all love not just romantic love - in our lives. I'll share two love letters I've written, the life-changing impact they've had and challenge you to write one, too. [The winner of the challenge will get a $100 gift card to take their loved-one to their favorite restaurant.] Today's episode will leave you ready to live (and love!) inspired on Valentine's Day... and everyday. Will you accept the #LoveLetterChallenge? SHOW NOTES How to Accept the Love Letter Challenge: 1. Identify someone in your life that inspires you + write him/her a love letter. It can be your partner, spouse, child, parent, loved one, neighbor, colleague, friend, coach, anyone! 2. Take a picture (of you and your loved one, you holding a pen about to write, of your letter, whatever you choose). 3. Post + tag me on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter and with #LoveLetterChallenge.4. Enter by 11:59 PM CST on Sunday, 2/10 to be entered to win $100 gift card to a restaurant of your choice to take your loved one to.* Every day in 2017, I (secretly) wrote my wife a love letter in a leather-bound journal, presenting it to her on Christmas. Jack Buck changed my life, but I never really said thank you. After his death, I wrote a love letter to him and shared it with his wife and son, with hope + reassurance that Jack felt it too. Joe Buck, Jack's son, was on ep. #3 of the podcast. I shared my story + Jack Buck on ep. #32 of the podcast. The MLB Network produced a video on my unlikely friendship with Jack Buck. Check it out here. I mention the love I have for my mom Susan O'Leary. Listen to her on preview ep. #0 of the podcast. *** * No purchase necessary. Legal residents of USA. Contest begins 2/7/19 and ends 2/10/19. Full rules here. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

The book Proof of Heaven ignited a conversation around the globe about how heaven can be scientifically proven by examining near-death-experiences (NDE). It shared the NDE of the author, neurosurgeon Eben Alexander, MD, and it soared to the top of the New York Times bestsellers list. Today we are joined by Dr. Alexander to discuss his NDE, how it changed his understanding of science, the world we live in today, the life beyond it and what it means in your inspired life. SHOW NOTES Dr. Alexander was agnostic + studied neuroscience until falling into coma from meningitis, leading to a NDE, which he should not have survived. This incident completely changed his world view. Today, he shares what NDE can teach us about consciousness and researches how elements of science and spirituality intersect. Learn more about 2 NED cases Dr. Alexander mentioned: Anita Moorjani wrote Dying to Be Me after being treated for advanced lymphoma in February 2006. Dr. Mary C. Neal, orthopedic surgeon, wrote To Heaven and Back after her lengthy time submerged underwater. Get Dr. Alexander's #1 New York Times Bestseller Proof of Heaven. Get Dr. Alexander's most recent book Living in a Mindful Universe. Get Dr. Alexander's book The Map of Heaven. Dr. Alexander shares his story of being adopted as being "chosen" by his parents. Figure skating champion + Live Inspired Podcast guest Scott Hamilton, shared the same perspective. Listen to the discussion on episode 68. DR. EBEN ALEXANDER'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? Beyond Physicalism: Toward Reconciliation of Science and Spirituality by Edward F. Kelly. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Curiosity. Through much of my academic career, curiosity was drilled out of me and the last 10 years have been a strong reawakening of an extraordinary, unbridled sense of curiosity. 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 dad's pocket Bible that was with him during World War Two because it got him through so much and is a rich source of connection to me. 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? Albert Einstein. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? My son, Eben Alexander IV, encouraged me to write down everything I remember about my near-death experience before reading anyone else's experience. 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Love yourself. The best way to manifest that is to show love for other beings. Love, compassion, forgiveness, acceptance and mercy are the greatest gifts we can give ourselves and others. 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? I made progress. I awakened. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

Embracing your emotions at work is the key to being more fulfilled, genuine + professional. Liz Fosslien, co-author + illustrator of the just-released book No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work, joins us to share how to recognize, understand + channel emotions to be the best versions of ourselves. This light-hearted conversation will help you value and feel your emotions so you can live + work more inspired. SHOW NOTES: Suppressing emotions is not sustainable. Processing your emotions will allow you to feel better. Currently we (1) seek jobs we're passionate about + (2) our work is literally in our hands (via phone) 24/7. Therefore, our self worth is tied more closely to the work we do. Combat the stress + burnout that come from caring about work "too much" by intentionally striking a balance between work and home + feeling your feelings. Tips to Embrace Your Emotions: Engage in what's happening in the moment to ignite happiness. A wandering mind leads to obsessively thinking (read: stress, anxiety). Check out the research on this that Liz mentioned here + here. How to interact with 3 difficult types of people at work: Jerks (mean, uses vulnerability against you): Have empathy / a conversation with them. Dissenters (always points out problem, never has solution): Ask, "What could you have done differently?" or "What can you do to improve the situation?" Slackers (not doing the job their supposed to do): You can not offer a criticism without offering a solution. Receive feedback better. Specifically: Create an emotion flak-jacket. Remind yourself: "I need this to improve. He/she shared this because they value me and my success." Create a Smile File: Receive a note that makes you feel good? Save it to this file. The next time you receive critic, this file will remind you of your strengths, too. Resist "us v. them" + embrace "we." People are different. Explore those differences with curiosity. Stimulate belonging: Create a space where people feel welcomed + wanted. Counter sadness by expressing gratitude. We often paint a more depressing picture of the world than what is true. Get Liz's new book No Hard Feelings here. Learn more about Liz + her work on her website. Liz mentioned the video the MLB Network created about my unlikely friendship with Jack Buck. Check it out here. LIZ FOSSLIEN'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? Catch-22 by Joseph Heller. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Staying a little weird. We morph into professionals or parents (+ feel like we have to set examples). It's important to love the life you're living. 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? The book my partner made featuring photographs of our lives. 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? Haruki Murakami who wrote What I Talk About When I Talk About Running. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? When I left the traditional corporate world, "One of the worst things we do is have the courage to step out and go on our own path but still judge ourselves on someone else's rubric. It's a beautiful thing to want something that originates from yourself." 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Just chill out! It's okay. You can be weird the right people will love you for it. Be smart. Be curious. Be kind. 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? She helped me feel better. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

True or false: The world is worse than ever before. FALSE. My friends, today's guest shares hard facts as to why this is the best time in human history. He'll expose which elements of your life are making you feel otherwise. Most importantly, he'll share the value of recapturing a true, positive perspective + what it could mean for your relationships, business, life + world. Gregg Easterbrook is the New York Times Bestselling author of the book It's Better Than It Looks: Reasons for Optimism in an Age of Fear. Today, he reminds us that it's great day and the best is truly yet to come. SHOW NOTES The United States is in its best condition it's ever been: Pollution, discrimination, rate of heart disease + cancer are trending down. Life expectancy, education, living standards, middle class income, human freedom are trending up. Globally, we are better off: Global malnutrition and extreme poverty are at the lowest levels in history. Twenty five years ago, 40% of the global population was malnourished. Twenty five years ago, global extreme poverty was 40% v. 10% today. So why do we feel like things are worse today? Social media exaggerates the negative and buries the positive. The physical proximity (and frequency) of social media to our faces enhances its psychological impact. Negative news sells, distorting its pervasiveness and our reality. We allow personal anecdotes to sway our overall outlook. Optimists think problems can be fixed. Pessimists thinks we are doomed. Being optimistic is a choice that we make. Our country was built on optimists. It's easy to feel bitter—it's the path of least resistance. Being an optimist is hard but rewarding. The trend of civilization is forever upward, we should be hopeful because the best is yet to come. Get Gregg Easterbrook's book It's Better Than It Looks: Reasons for Optimism in an Age of Fear. Get Gregg Easterbrook's book Beside Still Water: Searching for Meaning in an Age of Doubt. Check out Gregg's weekly "Tuesday Morning Quarter Back" column that he's written for 17 years, here. GREGG EASTERBROOK LIVE INSPIRED 7 What is the best book you've ever read? Willa Cather's My Antonia What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Besides being slender? More outgoing. 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 flash drive with my next book which grows out of Beside Still Water. 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? Jesus, the greatest moral philosopher of the sapiens and the first question would be, "is there hope?". What is the best advice you've ever received? I view myself as an artist, not a journalist. "Listen to your muse." A muse often tells you things you wish you didn't hear. Follow your muse wherever she leads you. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? If you want to make a lot of money as a writer, chose one genre and stick to it. It's been said that all great people can have their lives summed up in one sentence. How do you want yours to read? He was debonair. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

Today we discuss a topic that many families are dealing with quietly, quietly... 72,000 Americans died from drug overdose last year. That's a two-fold increase in a decade. I'm sure you've heard similar stats like this in the news, along with headlines including words such as "opioid crisis" + "heroine epidemic." Today, my friend Steve Grant joins us to share his story, how this epidemic has deeply touched his life + what it means for you on your journey to live inspired. SHOW NOTES: Learn more about Chris + Kelly's Hope here. Read the original essay I wrote when I first met Steve here. The original essay was part of our Monday Motivation. Sign up to receive Monday Motivation each week in your inbox here. "An issues so many families are dealing with quietly, quietly..." "I have grief, but I don't have guilt. I did everything I could. If I could re-do something, I'd send him to a 12 - 16 month rehab program. He needed to be rewired." What tips would Steve give to parents? When friends come: No back packs upstairs + doors open It's important for kids to have some after-school activities Always call if they are staying somewhere Take the liquor out of your house "Most important, keep open lines of communication, you have to be willing to talk about sensitive issues. Always have an interest in where your kids are, what they are doing and who they are doing it with." Enjoy thinking about a current topic through an inspired lens?Check out episode 73 with Sue Klebold, mother of Columbine High School shooter Dylan Klebold + mental health advocate. Listen to Sue's inspired take on what we can do in the wake of growing gun violence here. STEVE GRANT'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you've ever read? John Grisham's book, A Time to Kill. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? I was a risk taker. 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? A photo with my sons that is very important to him. 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? Mickey Mantle. I'd ask about how he was so talented + ended up being an alcoholic / abusing his body so much. I think his answer would be about a lot of things we talked about today. Something controlled him that he couldn't gain control over. 5. What is the best advice you've ever received? It's not always as it seems. 6. What would you tell your 20-year-old self? Try harder in everything that you do. 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? He did everything he could to help young adults and adolescents who struggle with addiction, substance abuse and mental illness. *** If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe, rate & review on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday! Live Inspired with John daily on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram + get his Monday Motivation email.

Today's episode is about you. Specifically, how to make sure 2019 is absolutely your best year yet. I'll give you a peek at the exercise (created by Jinny Ditzler) I complete every year to ensure I have my best possible year. Since starting this process 10+ years ago, I've: Become more inspired + stayed focused on living inspired Improved my spiritual health + focused on my marriage Built a speaking business Written ON FIRE, which became a #1 national bestseller + has been translated into 12 languages Launched the Live Inspired Podcast, of which you are a part! Grown top line revenue + bottom line profitability for my organization My friends, these are just a few of the goals I set and then achieved thanks to this process. Join me to get clear on what you want to achieve personally and professionally in 2019 + set yourself up to make this your best year yet. SHOW NOTES: Goals must not just be set, but lived into every day. Have you identified what worked (and did NOT work) last year? Your best is within reach! Join me IN STUDIO* to create a blueprint for your best 2019 here. *Live Inspired IN STUDIO with John O'Leary is a membership community where like-minded friends 'come together' online monthly + leave feeling better, encouraged, energized, calm, focused, capable + supported. Next week IN STUDIO, we're creating blueprints to make 2019 our Best Year Yet. Registration is open for a very limited time. Register today so you can join us and make 2019 Your Best Year yet here. Questions about IN STUDIO? Email shannon@johnolearyinspires.com *** Next week on the Podcast, my guest will be my old friend Steve Grant. Check out his amazing story here. Get Jinny Ditzler's book Your Best Year Yet here.