In 1972 there was a historic plane crash; the only one in which the plane was flying at both cruising speed + altitude and had survivors. One of the survivors was Nando Parrado.

In street clothes and without food, Nando survived the winter in the Andes. His story was told in the 1993 movie, Alive. He was played by Ethan Hawke.

Today, we’re joined by Nando. He is one of my heroes and the most courageous survivor I’ve met. Don’t miss this unbelievable story of leadership and drive in the face of dire adversity.

SHOW NOTES

• I was angry, but I couldn't feel pain or sorrow. In a survival situation, something is triggered to protect you because if you suffer that pain, it'd be too much to survive.
• Winter in the Andes: There's snow everywhere. There's nothing and no one coming.
• All the born leaders died, [so new] leaders emerged. It's the most fantastic leadership story ever told.
• I tried to leave. I'd walk 8 paces and I'd sink all the way to my waste in deep snow.
• What kept you going? "The only thing I knew was that I didn't want to die. I'd fight until I stopped breathing. My mantra was 'If I am breathing, I am alive.'"
• You are formed by the experiences of your life. I was a typical guy, but the leaders of our team died. Something is triggered inside of you [to become a leader.]
• Nando Parrado wrote his book Miracle in the Andes 30 years after the accident, as a gift for his father. "What my dad taught me when I was young saved my life in the Andes."
• I decided to have a second life. When you understand that there is only one, you live in a different way.
• Nando went to the glacier with his wife + daughters to honor his mother + sister. See the photo here. 
• If you live your life thinking that, if you changed something from your past, your present would be better: That's insane, because it didn't happen. Live in your present.
• Plan your future by living the best you can in your present.
• There is life after tragedy. Go forward and be resilient. Realize that life will not be perfect.
• People are afraid of losing things. I get it, but I lost everything when I was very young and I came back from that.
• I'm not afraid of losing things. I'm afraid of losing time to live. 

NANDO PARRADO'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? Books by Spanish Author Carlos Ruiz Zafon because, to me, a book is entertainment. A good time on a quiet night. He's poetic and simple.

2. What is a characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? To be more timid, I wouldn't go into some situations that later I regret.

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? Photos of my grandparents.

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? Pico Mendez from Uruguay. He devotes his life remarkably to helping people. I would ask "How do you do it? How do you find the time?"

5. What is the best advice you've ever received? Never look back because the only thing you get when you look back is a bloody pain in the neck.

6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Don't change anything.

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? It was all worth it.

***

If you enjoyed today’s episode: Please subscribe, rate & review wherever you get your podcasts. See you here next Thursday!

Live Inspired with John every day on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and get his Monday Motivation email: www.JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning

Rachel Cruze helps people learn the proper ways to handle money and stay out of debt. Her new book Love Your Life, Not Theirs guides readers to live an inspired life, within their means and without the comparison game.

Rachel shares that, "Money is a topic so many people have lost hope over. I give a clear path to help you win, gain control and lower stress around personal finances."

My friends, join me and Rachel to get great tips on how to better manage your finances and more importantly: Love YOUR life.

SHOW NOTES: 

• Despited being the daughter of financial guru Dave Ramsey, Rachel did not grow up extravagantly. In fact, the Ramsey family filed for bankruptcy the year before she was born.
• "My parents taught me that work is a verb. We never had allowance as kids, we worked on commission."
• We had to get jobs/responsibilities outside of the house. Looking back, it was such a gift.
• As a mom, I get that its exhausting to have kids do things they don't want to do. But man it pays off! I've met 20, 30, 40 year olds that don't understand you have to work to make money. Its a foundational principle parents can teach kids.
• Rachel is part of Ramsey Solutions. Listen to Live Inspired Podcast episodes with other Ramsey experts: Dave Ramsey (general finances), Chris Hogan (retire inspired), Meg Meeker (raising children) +  Les Parrott (marriage).
• Check out The Rachel Cruze show on YouTube.
• "The standard of living, what we expect out of life today, can only be attained by a credit card."
• "People need to see that the stuff they are gathering up with their credit cards is not making them happy."
• Steps to begin the climb out of debt (on average people pay off debt, other than mortgage, in 18-24 months):
  1. You can do it. Don't get bogged down looking at statements. You have to keep in mind you can do it.
  2. List out all debts. Everything but mortgage. Smallest to largest. Regardless of interest rate. Pay minimum payment on everything; then pay off smallest debt first.
  3. Get a second job. Work over time, sell things, make sacrifices; do everything you can to pay off that smallest debt. Once it's paid off, put it all towards the second.
  4. Smallest to largest means you are getting quick wins. It's powerful to take destiny into your own hands; to say I can change my life when I decide to do so.
• Get your copy of Rachel's new book: Love your Life Not Theirs: 7 money habits for creating a life you love.
• If having a great car is your goal, work hard and you can do it. Stay content and grateful in the process by:
  1. Quit the comparison. Stop comparing your life to everyone elses and live yours.
  2. Live within your means.
  3. Tackle your debt + make it a habit to stay out of it.
  4. Give a little until you can give a lot. Giving feels good; the buzz from buying is lost quickly.
• Stop making excuses and start making good choices.
• "There is always hope, even if you've been on a destructive path for a long time. There might be more work, but there is hope no matter your season or age. It's up to you. It may be harder to see the light, but it is there."
• "Remembering there are seasons and that there will be change helps me get through tough times."

 RACHEL CRUZE'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? The Ideal Team Player. People that win at business are hungry (work hard), humble (humility), smart (people smart). It's a short great read.

2. What is characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? I was more spontaneous as a kid, I had a lot more off the cuff fun and would do stuff and not be worried. My responsibility level is different today, but I still wish I had more spontaneity in my life.

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? Our wedding albums. I don't know where our negatives are!

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? Christine Caine. She is one of the most infectious, bold people I've met. I love hearing her talk about Jesus. [Christine Caine was just on our show! Listen here.]

6. What advice would you give your 20-year-old self? Don't worry. You've got a great life in this next decade so enjoy.

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? Be a person that other people are influenced by; be truthful, be strong, and be humble. 

*** 

If you enjoyed today’s episode: Subscribe (automatically get new episodes), rate & review (help spread the word!) this podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

I can’t wait to see you here next Thursday! Today is your day. Live Inspired.

Live Inspired with John every day on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and get his Monday Motivation email: www.JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning

Christine Caine's hurdles may seem insurmountable: She is a survivor of both sexual abuse and cancer. At 32, she found out she was adopted. 

Yet, she is living a profoundly inspired life. Christine leads a global anti human-trafficking movement and was honored with the 2017 Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice.

Have you ever felt like your story was derailed by unexpected or unwanted news? Christine's story and tips will show you how to "let go of your history so you can step into your destiny."

SHOW NOTES: 

• John was determined to have Christine on the show after being shocked when a man recently shared that he'd been taken from his home in Africa to be a slave in the US.
• Christine's organization A21 is currently helping 28 adult victims + 14 children in the US alone.
• Learn more about A21 Campaign and 21 steps you can take to abolish slavery here. 
• Christine’s passion to help victims stems from being sexually abused for more than a decade during her youth.
• You can rise above the adversity of your past and fulfill a life of purpose. That has been my story; hopefully my past can give others a future.
• The advent of the #MeToo movement: There is a wakening that this is not okay and realization that it is far wider spread than anyone thought.
• It's important that we bring justice into the light so that justice can be brought into the circumstance.
• I would have been very angry; my faith gave me a path forward.
• It's important to find healing. Anger, bitterness and un-forgiveness do not need to be the end of your story.
• How do you encourage abuse victims?
  • It's not your fault. Don't internalize what happened or identify yourself by it. You're not what happened to you.
  • Denial doesn't help. It just pushes down anger, resentment + bitterness, all of which must come out.
  • Good counseling. Venting does not equate to healing and wholeness. Process the pain in a safe place with a counselor. When you do, you will come out the other side. 
• Christine's new book Unexpected: "Just because everything around you is crazy, doesn't mean you have to be! Be rooted."
• Unexpected things do not have to take you out; you can navigate that. My life is a testament to this truth.
• What happens to you does not need to define who you are. Your greatest challenge or unexpected news is not where the story ends.
• Secrets manifest. Learn how to disclose things in a safe place. 
• Rise above your circumstances. There's a place for lament + grief, but you have to use tools to overcome your adversity.
• Have faith in this climate of anxiety and fear. Start doing it afraid, until you are no longer afraid.
• What if we don't have faith? Take the next step toward your future and trust that there is something more than you. Decide what is the next best thing you can do. You'll step into new relationships, opportunities, one door leads to another.
• How do you do it all? I work a perfectly imbalanced life:
  1. There are seasons of high focus in different aspects of life. I center myself in faith.
  2. I'm drawn by what is important, not the tyranny of the urgent.
  3. I live disciplined, organized and enjoy the journey.
  4. I know that I can't do everything. I don't bear the burden or responsibility for everything I can't change.
  5. I lead through people, empower them and know we are better together.
  6. I do the best I can. At the end of the day, it's enough.
• How do you let go of the urgent + focus on important? 
  • Be intentional. Keep adjusting your compass to go in the direction you're going. Don't be dragged by the current of the latest craze.
  • Don't let others' agenda become yours.
  • Don't be driven by ego, this puts everything out of order.
  • Keep your soul healthy.
  • We live in an outrage society. Don't react. Respond from a place of wisdom where you feel called to lead. 

CHRISTINE CAINE'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? The Bible and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I read it decades ago and keep coming back to it. 

2. What is characteristic or trait that you possessed as a child that you wish you still exhibited today? Lack of cynicism. I loved when I was not jaded. I have to proactively fight to be unjaded. I wish I didn't have to fight so hard.

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? Passport!

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? Billy Graham. I'd ask, "How did you keep your passion alive?"

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Remain a life-long student.

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20? Chill out. Don't be so uptight about everything. It will happen.

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? She stayed the course.

*** 

If you enjoyed today’s episode: Subscribe (automatically get new episodes), rate & review (help spread the word!) this podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

I can’t wait to see you here next Thursday! Today is your day. Live Inspired.

Live Inspired with John every day on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and get his Monday Motivation email: www.JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning

Mitch Albom, author of the bestselling memoir of all time, Tuesdays with Morrie, never meant to be a writer.

Hear the unlikely way Mitch found himself writing his beloved professor's memoir; and what it means for your unfulfilled dreams. (Hint, there just might be a silver lining!)

Hear what it was like to learn Morrie's life lessons, from Morrie himself - first as a student in his classroom and, ultimately, as a friend in his hospital room.

My friends, 15 million have read the book. Countless have watched the movie (produced by Oprah!). Today, we will hear the story behind the wisdom Morrie shared 20+ years ago.

Don't miss this world-class episode. 

SHOW NOTES: 

• "You know you've done a lot, when you realize how little you've done."
• The first time Mitch met his professor, Morrie Schwartz, he wanted to drop his class. Listen to find out what made him stay.
• "Morrie opened my eyes to being a whole person - and that, that was an accomplishment in it of itself. He made me think in terms of being multi-dimensional instead of just 'get a job, get a career, do well.'"
• Morrie asked Mitch to keep in touch; 16 years passed without contact. Mitch said, "There was no time to concern myself with the past... only the future. I lost track of Morrie."
  • Do you have a Morrie? Can you make time to reach out to him today? What might he say if you did?
• Tuesdays with Morrie is about Mitch's "visit after I saw him on TV and realized how guilty I felt. He was in the throws of ALS, but was much more positive about life than I was."
• Mitch saw the gap between them and wanted to know: What does Morrie know that I don't, about life now that he's looking [death] in the face?
• Mitch wrote the book to help offset Morrie's medical bills. Mitch thought: "I'll write it and it will be over. I'll have done one nice thing for this man."
• After being turned down by many publishers, Tuesdays with Morrie was published; without fanfare. It didn't debut on as a bestseller.
• Man plans and God laughs.
• What would Morrie say today? "Let me know if my head is getting swelled by this... because they aren't celebrating me, they're celebrating the message."
• Morrie felt enlightened when he was dying; his whole perspective changed in the last two years of his life.
• "I am on the last great journey of life and everyone wants to ask me what am I packing. " - Morrie Schwartz
• What was the main lesson you learned from Morrie? "I asked, 'Why don't you accept the sympathy of your visitors?' He said, 'Why would I ever take from people? Taking makes me feel like I'm dying, giving makes me feel like I'm living.' That was a very profound lesson for me and I've never forgotten it."
• The more you give the better you feel. The earlier you discover that formula, the happier you're going to be.
• The best fatherly article John has ever read, was written by Mitch, about Chika, an unlikely friend and daughter he met in Haiti. Read it here.   

MITCH ALBOM'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? Gilliad, by Marilynne Robinson. It's a story of an old preacher getting ready to die, writing a letter to his young son. He shares his thoughts on life. It moves me no matter what page I open to.

2. Tomorrow you discover your wealthy uncle shockingly dies at the age of 103; leaving you millions. What would you do with it? Give it away.

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? All the pictures of me and my wife with Chika.

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? God. The first question I'd ask, "What don't we understand about why we suffer? If you created the world in your image, there's a disconnect between the pain we endure and the glory we think we're going to enjoy after we die."

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? My mom said to me, "You're only going to have a few really good friends in your life no matter how many people you meet. People will disappoint you. The only thing you can do better than to have [a few] people who will always be there and be true, is to marry the best one."

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20? Slow down. Stop thinking your life is measured by how much you accomplish. Pay attention to how nice people are being to you and how less than nice you are being to them. Recognize that you have a responsibility to the rest of the world, not just yourself. Take a breath now and then... like the Billy Joel lyrics, "Slow down you crazy child, you're so ambitious for a juvenile."

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 learned, he loved and he learned some more; and tried to be better everyday than he had been the day before.

*** 

If you enjoyed today’s episode: Subscribe (automatically get new episodes), rate & review (help spread the word!) this podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

I can’t wait to see you here next Thursday! Today is your day. Live Inspired.

Live Inspired with John every day on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and get his Monday Motivation email: www.JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning

"It was good until it wasn't."

Erik Wahl valued hard work and success. Achievement + money were his measurement and, by his early 30s, he was very successful in corporate America.

Until he wasn't. During the dot-com bust in 2000, Erik lost the "financial fortress" he'd built and his identity along with it. This led him to ask the life-changing question:"Who were you before the world told you who you should be?"

Erik answered this question, made BIG changes in his life + redefined success. Now, as a performance graffiti artist, he helps clients like IBM, Microsoft and Disney answer this bold question, too. Today, we're going to "unearth great things lying dormant inside" of you. Join us! 

SHOW NOTES:

• Watch the entire episode on YouTube.
• Often we're rewarded based on the 3 Deadly P's: Power, prestige + possession.  
• Our script for how to live is off, we tend to live with a scarcity mindset. "I must secure what's mine so I can build; there's not enough available." Choose abundance instead.
• When you're rocked at your core foundation - financial, relational, health - you realize you long for something more.
• "As a speaker, I bypass the cynical brain + go straight to the heart. I stretch minds so we can see everything a bit differently."
• A mind stretched never returns to its original dimensions.
• Create for the sake of creating, not the finished product.
• I changed my definition of success: "What if success is a good meal with my wife and boys at the end of the day? I don't need certain life elements to be a certain way to be successful."
• Today, Erik is a performance graffiti artist. Check out John's behind the scenes tour of Erik's studio.
• Opportunity for love, relationship and empathy are hidden in plain sight. Don't be too "successful" to see them.
• Better leaders are more creative + adapt to change.
• Everyone is creative, but our creativity is hidden in uncertainties + the quietness of life... a space we don't often enter.
• Creativity, like gratitude, is a discipline. Embrace the choice to be creative like you embrace doing other difficult things.
• When asked "Who here is an artist?" Every hand goes up when we're kids, very few as adults. Why? Hear Erik's answer.
• "Let go of the idea that we 'earn value' through how we perform on paper, what college our kids go to, what car we drive."
  • How do I pivot into this? Look at your life + values. Are you living a life of success or significance? Does your calendar reflect your priorities?
• Art is an exploration of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Can I get out and dance with my wife and not let the critics or my own internal voice of judgement stop me from the enjoyment of moving with someone I love?
• How do we encourage the next generation to hold tight to their crayons? Commission your child to create. While doodling, they're thinking expansively + problem solving, not for a grade.
  • "Paint a picture of what you want to be when you grow up, and I'll take you for ice-cream... Write a poem about how much you love your mom, and I'll take you to a game."
  • Ask questions about your child's creation. It gives you insight to who they are.
• Spontaneity is a mini lab to practice living present in the now.
• Follow Erik at www.TheArtofVision.com
• Demarius "found" Erik's first geo-cached painting. 
• Erik dedicated his books Unthink and The Spark & The Grind to his wife and business partner, Tasha.
• For those of us enduring a trying season in our marriage, what would you say? Focus on why you got married, to: Lift each other up, help your spouse become the very best, become better as two then we could be as one. You entered into it with excitement, love and lust; revisit those emotions. 
• It's how you act and react to bumps in the road that defines your marriage.

ERIK WAHL'S LIVE INSPIRED 7

1. What is the best book you’ve ever read? The Soul of Money by Lyn Twist. It changed my relationship with what had been a dominant identity for me.

2. Tomorrow you discover your wealthy uncle shockingly dies at the age of 103; leaving you millions. What would you do with it? Decreasing my wants and needs has been the most fiscally conservative policy I could have taken on. We'd use it to give to others; build traction for someone else's vision..

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? One of my wife's photo albums because I know how much she would want those and I want to see her face when I come out with it in hand!

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? St. Francis of Assisi, he came from a life of privilege and chose a life of connectedness. I'd want to talk with him about that transition + experience.

5. What is the best advice you’ve ever received? Be present. 

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20? Don't be so guarded around shaping your identity; you have no idea of what this future "you" will be doing in life... thinking you know is a recipe for challenge.

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?  Servant.

*** 

If you enjoyed today’s episode: Subscribe (automatically get new episodes), rate & review (help spread the word!) this podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

I can’t wait to see you here next Thursday! Today is your day. Live Inspired.

Live Inspired with John every day on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram and get his Monday Motivation email: www.JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning