Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

Earlier this month I had the honor of recording a live podcast with legendary actor William H. Macy at his home. While his house was stunning, the view of the mountains was magnificent, and the evidence of a wildly successful career was scattered throughout the house, it wasn’t any of that stuff that impressed me. Instead, what fascinated me most from our visit is something desperately needed from our leaders today. Let me explain.

Jodi Wellman is a positive psychology expert in pursuit of igniting others to lead a zero-regret life. As the founder of Four Thousand Mondays, Jodi shines light on the scarcity of time and how we have the power to lead squander-free lives with urgency and meaning. With the average life expectancy being 80 years, we get roughly 4,000 Mondays in our lifetime. Today, Jodi joins us to share how her mother’s death jostled her awake, how we’re in control of how we spend our days, and the practical, small changes we can make to rekindle our passion and curiosity for life. My friends, this conversation will help us get out of autopilot and build more vitality and meaning into our lives.

Last week, country music lost one of its most iconic stars. Over the course of several decades, Toby Keith’s perfectly deep, rich voice belted out 42 songs that became top-10 on the Billboard Country chart. While many of those songs were about bars, or girls, or his love for his country, it is one of his most gentile songs that remains not only one of my favorite songs, but an anthem we should try to live out loud throughout our lives. And the backstory of the song is as inspiring as the song itself.

Comedian Paul Ollinger dives into his pursuit of financial success and the realization that money isn't the key to happiness. He shares how childhood beliefs shaped his outlook, the risks of early retirement, and the importance of personal growth beyond wealth. The conversation explores the complexities of finding fulfillment and the value of experiences over material possessions.

John O'Leary shares what the upcoming Super Bowl and Denny O'Leary can teach us about embracing change on this Monday Moment segment. Change is inevitable, sometimes forced by the conclusion of a sports season, the ending of a relationship or the loss of a job. Whether perceived as positive or negative, none of us will be spared the shifts to our identities that happen throughout the course of our lives. Win or lose, change often leaves us not just questioning what we’ll do, but who we are.  

Tarek El Moussa, the HGTV star known for "Flip or Flop" and "Flipping 101," is a two-time cancer survivor and dedicated family man. In this engaging conversation, Tarek shares how he navigated the subprime mortgage crisis, turned personal struggles into opportunities, and the resilience he developed through various life challenges, including health issues and divorce. He emphasizes the importance of role models and mentorship, highlighting how these influences shaped his journey from a difficult past to a thriving career in real estate.

Each month in 2024, we’ll be celebrating individuals who are On Fire For Good. This month, we share the incredible work of Tom Wiley and the December 5th Fund. Thank you, Tom, for showing us what it means to be On Fire For Good. My friends, do you know someone living On Fire For Good? Tom’s story was submitted by a member of the Live Inspired community, Ryan Farmer. If you know someone you want to nominate for recognition this year, visit www.OnFireForGood.com to access the nomination form. Look for our next On Fire For Good Profile on February 26!  

As the curator of TED for more than twenty years, Chris Anderson has seen first-hand how the world’s boldest thinkers have shared their most uplifting ideas and the ways in which ideas can spread. In his recent book Infectious Generosity released earlier this week, Chris explores how simple, ordinary, and seemingly unremarkable acts of human kindness have the potential to impact the lives of millions. Today, Chris guides us in how to cultivate a generous mindset, how to embark on our own generous acts—whether gifts of money, time, talent, connection, or kindness—and how to prime them to have self-replicating (and even world-changing!) impact. My friends, whether you give with open hands or seek the inspiration to make a difference, this conversation is for you.

Six weeks after completing the filming for ON FIRE, I am still digesting the experience of having a full-length feature film capture the most tragic, intimate, painful, redemptive, and joyful aspects of my life. It was a surreal experience that moved me deeply, reinforced the profound gift of life, and shined a brilliant light on the power of unconditional love. Sometimes that love was captured in the heroic actions of young siblings while a fire rages in their house. Sometimes it was personified in an Emergency Room when a parent pulls back a curtain, sees their child in agony, loses their breath, moves through their own fear, and personifies grace. Sometimes it was experienced through the excellent care of a nurse, the outstanding effort of a janitor, or the consistent, hope-inducing voice of a radio announcer. But as valuable as it may be learning lessons portrayed on screen, it was sometimes what quietly occurred behind the scenes that exemplified most impactactfully the power of love in action. The model of that servant leadership, though, wasn’t an actor, a producer, or our director. It was someone instead who didn’t audition for the role or get paid for the work, but embraced it fully regardless. It was my wife, Beth.

Erin Stafford is a burnout and peak-performance expert who surrounded herself with some of the most motivated, ambitious, famous overachievers in the world. And yet, even these leaders suffer from severe cases of burnout as they struggle to adjust to a post-pandemic world and the pressures it put on their personal and professional lives. With 52% of all workers feeling burned out and 67% saying their burnout has only gotten worse over the last two years, the fact is we’re pushing harder and covering less distance than ever before. This exhaustion is making us feel unhappy, unfulfilled and frustrated, and leads to less creativity and less focus in our goals. Today, Erin shares how to recognize the signs of burnout, the steps to avoid it and how to bounce forward in work, relationships, faith journeys… and beyond. My friends, if you’re looking for a conversation to help you or someone you love move beyond exhaustion and burnout to renewed excitement and engagement with life, this episode is for you.