Live Inspired Podcast with John O'Leary

“Out of difference can come the reinforcement of two important values. One is tolerance and the other is awareness that people who disagree over the things they hold dear really can live together in love and respect.” - Fred Rogers Arguments and disagreements are part of all relationships. But the negativity so often echoed during them doesn’t have to be. On today's Monday Moment, join me as I share five comments we’d all be far better never muttering. A divided nation might benefit from this reminder today. But the citizens must first recognize it begins not in DC, but in their personal relationships.

Acclaimed happiness expert Shawn Achor reminds us that it’s in the darkest times that we need optimism, gratitude and social connection the most. After 12 years of earning dozens of distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University, Shawn became a New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage and Big Potential, delivered a TEDx with over 19 million views and has worked with over 30 Fortune 100 companies. As we celebrate a season of thankfulness, today's conversation will give you the tools to approach today, tomorrow and every day going forward with gratitude, optimism and happiness. SHOW NOTES: Expectations affect gratitude: Quickly, Shawn recognized that many of his peers’ expectations were met in attending Harvard and didn’t experience the same level of gratitude because his acceptance was not expected. Rather than embracing the gift of the moment, we often are too focused on looking forward.  While doing research on Harvard, Shawn saw that success wasn’t yielding happiness because your brain adjusts to what the goal is. Does success = happiness? If people become happier, raise their gratitude for the present, deepen social networks or raise their levels of optimism, then success rates rise dramatically. “Happiness during good times is more of a luxury item. When things get difficult, happiness has an even more beneficial effect.” “In the darkest times is when we need optimism, gratitude and social connection the most.” “Happiness is not irrational optimism.” “Optimism allows your brain to be the most adaptive possible when the negative occurs.” Rational optimism: starts with a realistic assessment of the present but maintains the belief that eventually my behavior will matter if linked to the right people. While teaching and researching happiness, Shawn courageously shared he was battling depression. While battling depression, Shawn learned that the majority of our happiness is interconnected with each other. In his book Big Potential, Shawn shares groundbreaking University of Virginia research on how our very perception of reality is transformed by the presence of others. If someone who is genetically predisposed to pessimism can make small tweaks to their day, they can experience impactful change. Three practical tips to increase optimism, happiness and social connectivity:  Each day, practice scanning for 3 new things that happened in the last 24 hours that you’re grateful for. When anything positive happens, jot it down on a piece of paper, throw them in a bowl and read back through them at a later date. Take a few minutes to send a positive message, email or text to someone which will create a ripple effect and a reciprocal loop. “Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we can.” Get Shawn Achor’s New York Times bestselling books Big Potential, The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness. SHAWN ACHOR’S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis. 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Confidence. 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 broken guitar that I love. 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? C.S. Lewis. He’s been the biggest influence in my life and who I’ve modeled my career after. 5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?  My mentor Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar said, “You’re never as great as you think you are and you’re never as bad as you think you are.” 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Make friends. If you want friends, you have to be a friend. Don’t let loneliness and insecurities stop you from feeling socially connected. 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 made other people feel understood and that happiness was actually possible.

After finishing dinner last Sunday, the boys asked if we could all see a movie. They knew their grandpa wanted to see the new James Bond movie and asked if we could take him to it. And so, for the first time since February of 2020, we visited a movie theater. The last 20 months have reminded all of us of the unpredictability and fragility of life. If we’ve been living intentionally, though, they’ve also served as a powerful reminder that although we can’t always choose the path we walk in life, we are absolutely free to choose the manner in which we walk it.

Amanda Gore is a global teacher of joy and one of only four Australians inducted into the Speaker Hall of Fame. As one of the most admired speakers, Amanda's action-packed presentations are rooted in science-based tools to equip others to better handle change and create deep, lasting relationships with customers, colleagues and families. Today Amanda joins us for a thought-provoking conversation about addressing our core fears, discovering who we are at our essence and her own personal journey in embracing stillness to better understand her authentic self. SHOW NOTES: At the start of Covid, Amanda credits the work of Dr. David Martin that led her to dive deeply into her essence. Learn more about Dr. Martin’s work here. Core fears: I’m not good enough or I’m not worth loving. I’m unsafe in some way. Fear of separation. “As a toddler, I told myself I was responsible for my mother’s happiness.” True north question: Am I being the person I want to be in this moment? “We teach best what we need to learn.” As Amanda is focusing on the small steps to feel all ranges of emotion, she’s learning the value in stillness. Sparkly bits: How is our nonverbal communication being perceived by those around us. From Tom Kenyon’s The Great Human Potential, Amanda asks herself: What is it that I, as a being, am learning from this experience? I’m not driving myself to achieve. I’m opening my heart and now choosing to dive deeply into who I really am. Get a copy of Amanda Gore's book Joy is an Inside Job here. AMANDA GORE'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 Q. What is the best book you’ve ever read? A. Lizards Eat Butterflies by David Martin. Q. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? A. Kindness. Q. 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. They’re just things. Maybe photos or books but it’s the feeling of sanctuary of my home I’d miss. Q. 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?  A. Dr. David Martin Q. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?  A. What, as a being, am I learning from this experience? Am I being the person I want to be in this moment? Q. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?  A. Learn how to return to your core essence of love + connection and enjoy the great range of experiences. Q. 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. She tried really hard and learned a lot.

“Conversation means being able to disagree and still continue the discussion."  ― Dwight MacDonald Is it possible that rather than avoiding discussions around faith and spirituality, we might actually benefit from choosing to listen, prod, ask, debate, disagree and have healthy, constructive and mutually enriching conversations together?

Lauren Daigle is the fastest-selling new artist in the Contemporary Christian genre of the last decade. Critically acclaimed for her unique, soulful + soaring vocals, the singer-songwriter is sincere, down-to-earth and has unwavering faith.  Today, the 2-time Grammy Award winner shares how her Louisiana-roots cultivated her appreciation for music, the uplifting inspiration behind her lyrics, and how rediscovering her childlike wonder helped her find greater joy in life. Lauren also shares how she previously embraced a period of stillness amidst a whirlwind of success, how it propelled her forward into her next fruitful season + what it could mean for you during the COVID-19 pandemic. SHOW NOTES: "We're on the precipice of something extraordinary. If the whole world is still and experiencing a level of silence, great things come on the other side of those experiences." “I need to learn to love change because it is inevitable.” Lauren grew up in Lafayette, Louisiana surrounded by a  culture of music, passion + creativity. Music was a formative way of learning, a way of life + a way to come out of hard, dark times. As a teenager, Lauren was homebound because of the immunocompromising virus cytomegalovirus and music became a way to stay motivated and out of depression.  "Being still showed me the future." "My life experiences allow a texture, tone or an emotion to come out in my voice." After high school, Lauren helped build a church on a mission trip to Brazil. While there, she saw how religion can separate others + learned to see people for who they are versus what they believe in. "There are so many things in life that make us more alike than different." Before becoming an award-winning singer, Lauren wanted to pursue a career in doing pro-bono law for human trafficking victims.   "If you're in a place in life where you have dreams, things you're hoping or longing for and they don't seem to be in close proximity, surround yourself with as much influence as you can while being diligent and persistent in the work before you." Lauren shares the meaning behind some of the lyrics to "This Girl", "Look Up Child" and "You Say". December 25, 2017: After working herself into exhaustion, and many would say at the height of her career, Lauren took close to a year off of work to "be still". Lauren relates that period to pulling back a slingshot before being propelled forward + fruitful in the next season of her life. As her world tour is on pause because of the coronavirus, Lauren again plans to get lost in the stillness to let her mind, heart + spirit be refreshed + revived. Learn more about Lauren Daigle here. LAUREN DAIGLE'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? Love Does by Bob Goff. [Listen to Bob Goff on Live Inspired Podcast ep. 115!] 2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Climb trees better and get lost in wonder more frequently. 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 first thought once all people that matter to me are safe, I don't care. Let's roast marshmallows. My second thought is a $100 bill my grandfather gave me as he was passing away + giving the advice "you better know who you, whose you are and where you are." My third thought is a letterbox filled with letters from my childhood until now. 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 because I miss him. Also, Quincy Jones to learn + engulf myself in stories of his career and his personal pains + hardships. 5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Bob Goff told me to always remember who my 8-year-old self is. 6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Steady the course, stay focused, keep moving forward and when you think you've lost yourself, God will always direct you back to who you are. 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? Lauren Daigle was a woman who loved well, loved rich and loved deep.  *** 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.

“We do not have to love. We choose to love.”  ― M. Scott Peck There is a significant gap between living from a place where we feel obligated to perform and living with a mindset that views service as an opportunity. Today, I share how I was reminded of this through the simple action and words of my wife. 

Lt. Col. (ret.) Waldo Waldman is a Hall of Fame leadership speaker and New York Times bestselling author of Never Fly Solo. After overcoming his massive claustrophobia and fear of heights, Waldo became a highly experienced and decorated combat veteran, with over 2,650 flight hours and 65 real-world combat missions. Today, Waldo shares tools and techniques to overcome obstacles, break performance barriers, and take charge during times of change. This episode will leave you ready to recommit yourself to excellence, to diligently prepare for every mission and collaborate with others through trust, mutual support, and courage. SHOW NOTES: Courage-monger: champion for those who want to take action in their lives when feeling debilitated by fear, doubt and uncertainty. Even terrified of heights and small spaces, Waldo knew he wanted to fly planes after visiting his dad at work as an airplane mechanic. Passion has to be greater than fear. Make your friends your mentors and your mentors your friends. Instead of being fearful of those that are better than him, Waldo chooses to befriend them and model after them. In spite of his fear of heights and claustrophobia, Waldo became Instructor Pilot of the Year out of 308 others. Responsibility trumps passion. When faced with adversity, distract yourself from yourself by focusing on the win and those who are depending on you. Ask with honor. Take with honor. "You can't coach the uncommitted." "Your comfort zone is your danger zone." LT. COL. WALDO WALDMAN'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 Q. What is the best book you’ve ever read? A. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie. Q. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? A. Sense of silliness. Q. 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. My harddrive . Q. 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? A. My twin brother Q. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? A. Be careful with who you spend time with. Q. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? A. You're on the right path. It's okay to take the road less traveled and face your fears. Q. 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. He gave people wings to fly.  

“Forecasting is very difficult, especially when it involves the future.” - Yogi Berra Research shows that 94% of news stories are negative. Twenty-four hours a day our friends in the media proclaim the end is near, the other side is out to get us, and if our agenda doesn’t advance, the best days are behind us. In the midst of all these challenges, how do we move forward? Join me to hear how you can view your life through a different, healthier, more accurate lens. It will inspire you to spend far less time worrying about the negativity others proclaim and far more time actually leading a life that positively matters.

According to a recent Monster.com survey, 95% of workers are thinking about quitting their jobs. Coined as "the Great Resignation", millions of Americans are searching for more happiness, fulfillment and flexibility after facing burnout and lack of growth opportunities. Ken Coleman, bestselling author of From Paycheck to Purpose and career expert, shares how to discover meaningful work and practical steps to make it a reality. If you or someone you know is looking to go from a day job to a dream job, this episode is for you. SHOW NOTES: Get clear with what you were born to do by aligning your talent, passion and mission. Develop a purpose statement. It provides clarity, confidence and courage to be what you were meant to be.  "When we find opportunities to serve others, we are making investments with no idea of the return. Look for opportunities to pour into the lives of others." Seven stages to discovering and doing work that gives you both a great income and big impact: Get clear  Get qualified  Get connected Get started  Get promoted  Get your dream job Give yourself away to work like no one else Get a copy of Ken Coleman's From Paycheck to Purpose here and The Proximity Principle here. KEN COLEMAN'S LIVE INSPIRED 7 Q. What is the best book you’ve ever read? A. Dig Your Well Before You're Thirsty by Harvey Mackay. Q. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? A. Curiosity. Q. 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. My childhood Bible or the portrait of my wife from our wedding day. Q. 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? A. Theodore Roosevelt. Q. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? A. Be patient. Learn the value and discipline of patience. Q. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? A. Be patient. Q. 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. He served his God. He served his family. He served his fellow man with everything he had.