Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

In March 2020, as state of emergencies were issued, stay-at-home orders were mandated and the doors to schools, offices and businesses were shuttered, the fear of what was to come was undeniable. And yet, our essential healthcare workers courageously risked their own lives to fight for the lives of their patients… all while being woefully unprepared in terms of sufficient PPE, ventilators or ICU b...

"What was the most important thing anybody ever did for you?" I was asked this question by a 15-year-old student at Desert Christian School in Tucson, AZ last month. For the past hour, they had heard a story about profound challenge and tragedy as well as overwhelming grace and love. They had heard a story of repeated failures and continual overcoming. They had heard the story, ultimately, of indi...

Did you know that in the United States, one in every four women, one in three teenagers and one in seven men will be abused in their lifetime? Growing up on the Caribbean Island of Trinidad, Lovern Gordon watched her father brutally abuse her mother and four siblings. After migrating to the United States as a young adult, Lovern never expected to find herself in her own abusive relationship. Today...

Have you ever had a hangover? Stayed out a little too late. Had one too many drinks. Come on, we've all been there! But the kind of hangover I'm referring to isn't the kind that a glass of water and a few Tylenol can cure. No, I'm referring to the holiday hangover. Tune in to hear the sage advice to ensure we get the most out of this holiday season.

I consider Thanksgiving one of my favorite family holidays. It's certainly a wonderful time away from work, enjoying good food, viewing football, and taking inventory of the many blessings in life. Join me as I share the original reason for this holiday + a new tradition I'll be implementing at my family feast. Today's episode will ignite an abundance of gratitude and help you celebrate Thanksgivi...

Spending several decades as a hospice doctor, Dr. Ira Byock learned much about the process of death. Perhaps surprisingly, though, spending years among the dying taught him even more about living.   But here's the good news, my friends: We do not have to wait until our own final days are upon us or until we are at the bedside of someone we care about to live out these end of life lessons. He's dis...

Susan Rogers is one of the most successful female record producers of all-time. Yet her journey to working with Prince during his iconic Purple Rain -era and other award-winning musical artists including the Barenaked Ladies and Rusted Root wasn't always clearly laid out. Today, Susan shares how her enthusiasm opened the first doors for her career in music and how she was able to make her mark in...

Surrounded by so much divisiveness, anger and cynicism, it's easy to be overwhelmed with despair and to focus on the negative. It's common to lose hope in humanity and believe things have never been so bad. Yet in the midst of a recent tragedy that rocked my hometown, it's important to not only share the calamity that occurred, but the heroes who leapt into action ensuring it wouldn't be far worse...

Even though pregnancy and infant loss are common, society often shrouds them in secrecy and sometimes even shame—starving grieving women and their partners of much-needed support. Women may leave the hospital feeling like strangers in their own bodies, facing postpartum life without a baby in their arms. And like many faced with grief, the well-intentioned but hurtful comments from loved ones may...

With the constant pace of change, dramatic shifts societally and significant challenges we face both locally and globally, a perspective of navigating these difficult days thoughtfully is critically important. Few offer a better example of serving others, leading effectively and living well than my grandfather. Grandpa was my hero growing up. Although he became a successful attorney, the lessons h...

Duane Lee Chapman, more commonly known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, spent most of the first 23 years of his life on the wrong side of the law. It wasn't until he was serving an 18-month prison sentence for a murder he didn't commit that he recommitted to his faith and turned his life around. Considered by many to be the world's greatest bounty hunter, Dog became famous for capturing fugitives on his...

I love Halloween. And I love getting dressed up for it. But for many of us, masking our true selves isn't reserved for once a year. For many, it's Halloween all the time. We wear masks in seeking approval from others. We may mold our words, our opinions and even our appearance to fit whatever room we're in. And in trying to fit in, we may go along with things we disagree with and pretend to be who...

We all have moments of trauma, abuse, childhood wounds, or toxic relationships that have broken us. And yet, our past brokenness doesn't have to stand in the way of a life of filled with hope, joy and peace.   In sharing her own journey of processing brokenness, Toni Collier reminds each of us of the bright light that stands on the other side of healing from shame and suffering.     As a speaker,...

If you needed a motto to tell the world what matters most to you, what would it say? If a single tattoo could articulate what guides your life, how would it read? After returning safely from his first tour in Iraq, Cpl. Todd Nicely pondered these questions and then engraved a permanent reminder of lessons he had learned: Your choices change lives.   My friends, these words are a good reminder for...

Six months into his second deployment, Corporal Todd Nicely of the United States Marine Corps stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) during a routine security patrol. The squad leader is one of only two modern day veterans that have endured battlefield injuries resulting in the loss of all four limbs and survived. Immediately after enduring the horrific blast and suffering massive injurie...

Over the past two months, I've had the honor of speaking to healthcare leaders across different disciplines, employed by different hospital systems, located in different geographic regions and serving very different populations. Regardless their size, geography, or patient population served, though, I've reminded these leaders of the profound impact in seemingly small acts of kindness. From the we...

Studies show that more than one out of every five students will be bullied this year. Chances are this is happening to someone you know and care about. With October being National Bullying Prevention Month, today's guest is a reminder that everyone's actions matter and we all have a role to play in bullying prevention. Tina Meier's life changed on October 16, 2006 when her 13-year-old daughter Meg...

Fear and love are the two great motivators. While fear suffocates, love liberates. With which lens do you most frequently choose to see the world? With so much negativity, violence and brokenness in the world, it's common to grasp onto and utilize the perspective of fear to view the world. Fear of others. Fear of the unknown. Fear of tomorrow. Fear of life. Today, I share one of my favorite quotes...

When Adam Robarts was asked by a family member what he would choose to do for a career if he were not an architect. Without hesitation he replied: A hospice nurse. It was just five years earlier that he had a profound experience accompanying his father through the final weeks of life before he died of cancer in Uganda. And yet, Adam could not have imagined then that nine months after that conversa...

My friends, I don't remember what hotel I stayed while in Las Vegas last week. I don't recall if I rented a car or took an Uber. I didn't have any interest in gaming or going out; I didn't have time for meals or shows. In other words, so much of my experience in Las Vegas is already a blur further validating the slogan that what happens there, stays there. But I do remember Steve. Let me explain.....

Does money buy happiness? According to Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton, yes… if you're spending it right. Named by Wired Magazine as one of '50 People Who Will Change the World', Michael has spent decades uncovering the fascinating human truths that influence our relationship with money, social norms and political correctness. Today, Michael joins us to share how smarter spending...

"What advice would you give yourself at age 20?" It's a question I've asked every single guest on the Live Inspired Podcast. And after 500 episodes, the answers always move me. As the interviewer, I always learn something from the answer. But it wasn't until the tables were turned and I was asked that question that I realized the true power of taking a moment to consider the answer in our own life...

It's been five years, 11 months and four days since the Live Inspired Podcast launched and 499 episodes later, I'm in awe that the Live Inspired movement has grown to hundreds of thousands of weekly listeners from all 50 states and more than 115 countries across the world. It's been an honor to have you alongside me as I had some of the most life-giving and life-changing conversations with luminar...

When you look at your life, what do see? When you read the headlines, what leaps off at you? While you visit with family, or work with colleagues or commute through life, what do you see? What we seek, we find. Choosing to see life like this doesn't make challenges fade. It just ensures the next time you glance into a mirror, struggle in a relationship or feel discouraged by life you can honestly...

The race to the Major League Baseball post-season is on… and it's heating up as teams are looking for a path to victory.    The players you know are on the teams you love because of those 30 individuals sitting in the General Manager's office.   Today, as my favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals make their push to the postseason, I'm joined by their Vice President and General Manager, Mike Girsch...