“I never once looked back. I just wanted to pretend like I was ordinary, that I was normal. That was the great goal of my life, to be normal.” — John O’Leary

John O’Leary was a normal nine-year-old boy when he was burned on 100% his body in a house fire and given no chance of survival. Five months in the hospital and thirty surgeries later, which included the amputation of his fingers, John strived to live an ordinary life until his parents shared his story with the world and changed his life. Brian Buffini interviews John O’Leary and finds out why the most important job in the hospital is the janitor, the most important trait all humans should cultivate and how a troop of Girl Scouts prompted John to change careers and share his story with the world. Listen to John’s message of hope and get ready to be inspired!

Inspirational soundbites from today’s interview:

“I think everybody’s got a story; just generally not the one we’re telling the world.”

“We are called daily to become a better version of ourselves.”

“I looked up at my mom and said, ‘Mom, am I gonna die?’ I assumed she would say no…and Mom gave me truth. She holds my hand a little bit more firmly, she looks me in the eyes and she says ‘Baby, look at me. Do you want to die? It’s your choice, it’s not mine.’”

“On that morning, it was January 17, 1987, a child of 9, flanked by his father and his mother, made the covenant to fight on, having no clue what the 18th of January might look like or the 19th, or the first surgery or the thirtieth. All we knew on day one was the fight was on.”

“Significance is allowing the ripple effects of our talents and time and treasure to ripple out into the marketplace.”

“Ultimately what our prayers should be is not that our prayers are answered; it’s that we live into His will for our lives.”

“Embrace the gift of the moment.”

Learn more about John’s story:

Overwhelming Odds by Susan O’Leary and Denny O’Leary http://johnolearyinspires.com/shop/overwhelming-odds-book/ On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life by John O’Leary. http://johnolearyinspires.com/shop/fire-7-choices-ignite-radically-inspired-life/

John O’Leary-Motivational Speaker, Reunion with Nurse Roy https://youtu.be/aeVmrWRFOPk

Connect with John O’Leary John O’Leary Live Inspired http://johnolearyinspires.com/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JohnOLearyRisingAbove Twitter https://twitter.com/jolearyinspires

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Episode 002: An Interview with John O’Leary 38:19 Share

It's a Good Life

Shownotes Transcript

Episode 002: An Interview with John O’Leary