Stay positive. Feed yourself so you can feed others. These are the key messages of Jon Gordon, author of bestselling book The Energy Bus and today's guest. 

Jon and I met a few months back when we shared a stage at a client event. I've always loved the transformative fable he shares in The Energy Bus (about what happens when you change your mindset when entering "the bus of life" each day) and was excited to hear more about the man behind the story. Today, you're invited to hear this discussion! 

Jon shares "stories even his closest friends haven't heard!" Many about the little known challenges leading up to his best-selling book career (the book was rejected 30 times before it was published; it had little reception for the first 5 years).

Jon's story is about being positive and feeding yourself so you can feed others. Here are a few of my favorite takeaways: 

• "Sometimes you have to lose a goal to find your destiny." - Gordon
• "There is one song and we are part of the symphony." - Gordon
• "We are positive not because life is easy. We must be positive because life is hard." - Gordon
  • Negative thoughts will always come in; you don’t have to believe them. Your faith must be greater than you fear.
• You must overcome negativity to become a successful leader.
• The "bus" story came to me during a walk of prayer and gratitude.
• People CAN become more positive! No one wants to be negative, we blame circumstances and that breeds more negativity. Realizing this gave me the concept for the Energy Bus and the idea that you have to be the driver of your own bus. You have to empower yourself.
• "Don’t allow life to define you. Define your life." - Gordon [Tweet this.]
• Why did Jon succeed? Faith and grit.
• A few ideas from Jon to become more positive:
  • Feed the positive, not the negative.
  • Learn to talk to yourself; not to listen to yourself.
  • Research shows you can’t be grateful and stressed at the same time. Spend timing each day being grateful: Gratitude journaling, take a gratitude walk, etc.
• "The media is the bible for the fearful." - Gordon
• "We create our world not from the outside in but from the inside out." - Gordon
• Enroll in Jon Gordon’s Positive University for free in January 2017. 

Jon Gordon's Live Inspired 7 

1. What is the best book you've ever read?

All the Places to Go. My main takeaway is that life is an open door; God puts doors in front of you.

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

Invest in others continue to pour into Positive University and more for nonprofits I love: Homes for Hope in Mexico and FCA, the Dream Center in LA.

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?

Pictures of my family and my grandparents’ pictures that sit on my desk. Pictures of my parents who both passed away.

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?

Abraham Lincoln.

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

Dr. James Guild's advice, talk to yourself instead of listen to yourself.

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20?

Don’t stress so much. Enjoy the ride. The message in my books Training Camp and The Energy Bus.

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?

Positive.

***

If you enjoyed today's episode: Subscribe (automatically get new episodes), rate and review (grow the Live Inspired. movement) 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 everyday on Facebook & Twitter and get his Monday Motivation email: www.JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning

Let's move our focus from the cold winter to where the sun is shining: Spring!

One of my favorite parts of spring is March Madness. I love sports, I love baseball and I love the race to the final game (especially when the underdog wins). 

Most importantly, after the final game, I love when they play the Luther Vandross song, One Shining Moment, while showing the highlights of the best plays from the entire tournament. They tie it all together and today, I am going to do something similar for you. 

On today's episode, I'll recap each of my guests from Season 1 and my main takeaway from each. So many great tips on living inspired. Here we go!

• Susan O'Leary [my mom, author, speaker, mother, Christian leader] Mom  helped me kick off the season talking about life, the fire that change everything and her insights on resilience, faith, family and redemption.
   
• Brian Buffini [business owner, speaker & author] He shared the question his grandfather asked when reviewing work for the family painting business: "Can you put your name on it?" If the answer wasn't yes it had to be fixed. That tangible work ethic is the foundation of Brian's success today.
  
• Teri Griege [author, ironman athlete, cancer survivor] Addiction and cancer threatened her life; grace, endurance and hope gave it back. Teri will remind you what is TRULY possible when you stop making excuses.
  
• Joe Buck [World Series sports announcer, son of my hero Jack, author] Had his his first interview about his new book Lucky Bastard with us! He shared about being the son of my hero, the greatest gift he received from his daughter which offered us all a reminder that: Perspective truly matters.
  
• Michaela Haas [author, journalist, fellow sojourner] Her book Bouncing Forward was my favorite this year covering a life-changing topic: "Post traumatic growth."
  
• Rory Vaden [bestselling author and self-discipline expert] "Discipline becomes dormant in the absence of a dream; so DREAM BIG." And SO MANY amazing nuggets like this one.
  
• Dave Ramsey [bestselling author, nationally syndicated radio host] You do not want to miss this opportunity to hear Dave on the other side of the microphone! He shares amazing humility, humor and financial tips.
  
• Kathy Buckley [author, speaker, comedian, overcomer] She is a model for keeping joy, humor, determination and passion for people through life's tribulations. As a deaf comedian, she has garnered special tools she shares with us to improve our own relationships and lives.
  
• Don Yaeger [9 time bestselling author; journalist] Wrote 25 books, many nonfiction about some of the biggest names in sports history. Don shares the biggest lessons he learned from these legendary people. 
  
  
• Rachel Macy Stafford [NYT Bestselling author and founder of Hands Free Mama] Shares beautiful lessons about setting aside daily distractions so that you can have your best life today. She asks us a poignant question: How will you redefine your success for yourself this year?
  
• Tom Ziglar [Son of Zig, bestselling author, podcaster, CEO of Ziglar Inc.] Tom will walk you through the "zombie cure" or sleep walking through life.

Today's guest is former St. Louis Blues Hockey hero, Gino Cavallini. You'll love hearing the live reunion from my ON FIRE book launch party. [Watch the video.]

I am so honored to have had the opportunity to introduce you to these amazing people; true examples of living inspired. Season 2 starts next Thursday and you are going to love the guests we have lined up! Make sure to subscribe, rate & review wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for being part of the Live Inspired community and please keep inviting your friends to join us - we continue to climb the charts (top 20 on iTunes Business!) and touching lives.

Get weekly #MondayMotivation email: JohnOLearyInspires.com/Monday-Morning

"You can have everything in life you want, as long as you just help enough other people get what they want."

This is one of the most popular quotes from legendary speaker, Zig Ziglar and it is absolutely modeled through his son Tom's life today. 

Tom Ziglar has influenced 250 million lives through his work. On today's show, Tom will  share about growing up with Zig as his father and how his dad walked the talk he shared with the world. 

Tom shares about falling in love with sales, defines what "sales" really means and early failures he endured as a young president of his father's company.

These were my main takeaways from our time together: 

• "Did you do everything you could? If yes, then you can sleep good tonight." 
• Zig didn't begin speaking until his late 30s; it's never too late to start a new path.
• The best advice Zig gave Tom (after he felt he was unfairly treated): "The only taste of success some people have is when they take a bite out of you."
• Tom defines sales as: Listening and helping people solve their problems
• "Truth doesn't go out of style. There isn't much 'new' under the sun; we just forget what we once knew to be true." - John O'Leary
• Zombie Effect: showing up at work barely on time, doing minimal work, never offering his/her opinion. (The academic word is disengaged.) Gallup study shows 60% of employees are disengaged. Imagine a 10-seater bike with only 3 people pedaling. This is a life issue; not just a business issue.
  • The cause: They have no dreams.
    • The solution: Dream! Then everything you do each day is helping you get closer to it.
      • Help your employees dream; show them you care. 
• Get Zig & Tom's book Born to Win: "You must plan to win. Prepare to win."
• Live to Win webinar answers this question: "What's the fastest way to success?" By helping you replace bad habits with good one. Changing one a week for 52 weeks.
• Check out Ziglar Podcast Episode #405 where I was interviewed

Tom Ziglar's Live Inspired 7

1. What is the best book you've ever read?

The Lord of the Rings

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

Thank God for someone who lived a good, long 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?

Dad's bible. He underlined it. in fact, I have a lot of his underlined books. That is just priceless.

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?

Dad.

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

"You are what you are and where you are because of what's gone into your mind. And you can change what you are and where you are by what goes into your mind." This is my favorite quote from dad.

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20?

There's a lot of tempting answers! Don't start that business! It might be a Dave Ramsey thought - Pay cash for everything! I'd get more financially in-tune early on.

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 lived pure and simple by putting the right things into his mind. 

***

If you enjoyed today's episode, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on iTunes and anywhere you get your podcasts! You'll be the first to know when a new episode is available AND you will help grow our LIVE INSPIRED Movement. 

I can't wait to see you here next Thursday! Until then, remember: Today is your day. Live Inspired.

"Discipline becomes dormant in the absence of a dream. So dream big."

This quote is from today’s guest, Rory Vaden.

Rory is an expert and a coach on self-discipline. He’s written books about it, built his business around it but most amazingly – has built a life inspired by it.

Today he is a bestselling author, soon to be father, one-time impoverished young man who began making his financial way as a college student during his summers learning how to do what he has coined as “take the stairs.”

This episode will inspire you to set goals, dream big and hold yourself accountable. You'll have actionable takeaways to begin living your life more inspired today than ever before. Don't miss it!

Here are a few key takeaways: 

• Take the stairs - do the important work that needs to get done today so that you will be ahead in life tomorrow... most people live in an "escalator mentality" of doing what is easiest, fastest.
• Success is messy! It's something you figure out how to do along the way. Free yourself from perfection and instead just focus on making progress.
• It's hard to be nervous when your heart is on service.
• Success is never owned, it's only rented and it's due every day.
• Order a copy of Rory's books: Take the Stairs and Procrastinate on Purpose 
• Tune into Rory's Action Catalyst Podcast Ep. 135 where he interviews John.
• Get my Monday Motivation newsletter each week here.

The LIVE INSPIRED 7 segment is a series of 7 questions, shared “rapid fire” and answered boldly (without prep!) by our guests. My hope is to leave you reflecting on our guest’s answers and YOUR answers… and excited to apply ideas from today’s show to help you live an inspired life.

Rory Vaden's Live Inspired 7 

1. What is the best book you ever read?

How to Win Friends and Influence People, by Dale Carnegie. My main takeaway was have empathy for others and be selfless in your communication.

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

I would use it to start charities and invest in businesses that generate outcomes. I'm always looking to multiply by spending time and money on things today that will produce results tomorrow.

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?

I don't think there's anything. I wouldn't go back in.

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?

Martin Luther King, Jr. I would love to ask. What was it like? How did you do it - so elegantly transform hatred?

5. What is the best advice you've ever received?

It's hard to be nervous when your heart's on service.

6. Looking back, what advice would you give yourself at age 20?

Stay the course. You always get paid for how hard you work! All the work you don't feel paid for or respected for right now - it will pay off. Stay the course.

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?

The guy who helped people take the stairs and believed that the right way was a different way and it paid off, and they could do it.

***

If you enjoyed today's episode, subscribe, rate and review this podcast on iTunes and anywhere you get your podcasts! You'll be the first to know when a new episode is available AND you will help grow our LIVE INSPIRED Movement. 

I can't wait to see you here next Thursday! Until then, remember: Today is your day. Live Inspired.