Known far and wide for his positive, uplifting messages of hope, John O’Leary, a motivational speaker, author and podcaster, has inspired thousands around the world by sharing his perspective on how to live more boldly yet selflessly.
But long before developing such a positive outlook on life, O’Leary was a broken boy who became a hopeless young man. For you see, at the age of 9, the Missouri native was burned over 100% of his body in a freak accident and given zero chance to live. But somehow, some way, this average boy who loved the St. Louis Cardinals eventually found something that no one could take away from him: a positive perspective.
“The biggest impact we make is one-to-one. It is at the well. That’s where the work is done,” says O’Leary, who has spoken to millions of people across 49 states and dozens of countries over the last 20 years. “It’s not where everybody’s watching and cheering or booing, whatever. It’s quietly the work we do when no one else is even paying attention to it. And what the fire has given me permission to do is to meet broken people where they are as one of them.”
Simply put, O’Leary’s life is the definition of Romans 8:28 (NIV): And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose.
So inspiring is O’Leary’s story of finding purpose through tragedy that a new movie has been made about his life. Starring Oscar-nominated actor William H. Macy (“Fargo,” “Magnolia”), John Corbett (“Northern Exposure,” “All Saints”), Joel Courtney (“Jesus Revolution”), and Masey McLain (“The Baxters”), “Soul on Fire” is now available digitally and on home video.
“This story is not about a kid being burned, it’s about people coming alive for something bigger than themselves,” O’Leary explains. “You are given one life, make yours matter. And this movie gives power back to you to recognize that God is in your story. Don’t blink, don’t miss it. It is valuable.”
O’Leary joins us on the Crossmap Podcast to discuss why God can use anything to find the greater good, how this tragic incident reinvented his life, and his hope that this movie can change and redeem the life of one.
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