"Kid - Wake Up!" - John O'Leary (Entrepreneur, Speaker, Inspiration)
John O'Leary is an entrepreneur and speaker. Since his parents released the incredible book Overwhelming Odds, the story of how John suffered burns on 100% of his body as a 9-year-old, John has worked to come to terms with his past, rise above his fears, and share his message. Since the first time he took the stage in front of a crowd of 3rd grade Girl Guides, he's spoken to more than 850 groups in nine countries.
Humble, charismatic, and compelling, John challenges us to operate from our core by waking up and realizing there is so much more we can do. He says we can accomplish so much more than we think, each and every day. John encourages us to see that every statement, every situation has a double meaning - one that is either positive and empowering or one that is a defeatist and limiting.
He continually challenges us to consider that life can only be lived forward and understood backwards. That is, we can't always understand why in the moment something is positive or that a challenge has the possibility to push out of our comfort zone and into greatness, so we must just live it as if that were the case. Faith in that truth changed John's course. When, at nine years old, he suffered extensive burns throughout his body and given no chance to live, he fought on faith.
He tells the story of Baseball Hall of Fame Announcer Jack Buck who met him where he was, asked him to be a champion every day, and inspired him to persevere.
John says we're all capable of inspiring others, of making the same impact on someone that Jack made on him. In fact, John says that when we do this, we've captured the essence of life.
Wake up indeed ... What more can I do?
Listen to the conversation with John here:
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