When John O’Leary was nine years old, he was almost killed in a devasta
ting house fire. With burns on one hundred percent of his body, O’Leary mustered an almost unimaginable amount of inner strength just to survive the ordeal. The insights he gained through this experience and the heroes who stepped into his life to help him through the journey—his family, the medical staff, and total strangers—changed his life. Now he is committed to living life to the fullest and inspiring others to do the same.
An incredible and emotionally honest account of triumph over tragedy, On Fire contains O’Leary’s reflections on being that little boy, the life-giving choices made then, and the resulting lessons he learned.
The First Choice You Must Make To Ignite A Radically Inspired Life
The first choice you must make to ignite a radically inspired life is to own your life. It is to leave entitlement behind and realize that it is up to you to make the changes in your life.
Stop making excuses.
This is your life.
Do you want to die?
No?
Good.
Then act like it.
Are You Truly Alive?
[bluebox]
No.
I didn’t just ask, “Are you breathing?”
I’m not asking if you have a pulse or are existing or enduring.
No, I want to know if you are really living.
Do you feel excited about your life? Like you are present for each moment, big and small? Like you can handle the challenges that come, embrace the opportunities before you, and be fully satisfied in any situation?
Are you living a radically inspired life?
If not, it’s time to discover the power of taking ownership of your life. Regardless of the challenges you face today, this is a choice. A choice that ignites within us the power to surrender to things we just can’t change, fight for the things we can, and celebrate each moment on the journey going forward.
Life is not about avoiding death, it’s about choosing to really live.
Here is your inflection point.
No more It’s not my fault.
Embrace the freedom of It’s my life.
Because this is your life.
This is your time.
This matters.
Act like it.
Choose to own it.[/bluebox]
What Does A Radically Inspired Life mean?
A radically inspired life means you embrace the lessons from your past, actively engage in the miracle of each moment, and ignite the limitless possibility of tomorrow. Now, it certainly doesn’t mean a painless existence of error-free living. Far from it. But a radically inspired life means you possess the ability to learn from past mistakes, rise above personal challenges, and thrive in life, no matter your circumstances.
We all endure moments when everything in life seems to be progressing exactly as planned: our kids are healthy, business is thriving, and dreams are unfolding, and then Boom! An explosion.
Life completely changes.
Maybe your moment was an unwanted diagnosis.
A sick child.
A sudden death.
A business deal gone bad.
Regardless of the cause, your entire life was rocked.
I call these moments inflections points. This is a pinpointed moment in time that changes everything that follows. In an instant, the trajectories of life, business, and relationships are altered.
There are positive scenarios, too.
The moment a new relationship buds, the offer of an incredible opportunity at work, or coming to a new understanding or perspective in life.
More important than the inflection point itself is how you choose to react to it. Whether that moment ends up impacting your life positively or negatively is, ultimately, a choice.
It’s your choice.
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Complement On Fire with How will your measure your life?
