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About The Book
When John O’Leary was nine years old, he was almost killed in a devastating 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. O’Leary very clearly shares that without the right people providing the right guidance, at the right time, he never would have made it through those five months in the hospital, let alone the years that followed as he struggled to regain mobility, embrace his story, and ignite clarity of his life’s purpose.
On Fire encourages us to seize the power to choose our path and transform our lives from mundane to extraordinary. Once we stop thinking solely on the big moments in our lives, we can begin to focus on those smaller opportunities that tend to pass us by. These are the events—the inflection points in our lives—that can determine how we feel about life now, where we are headed in the future, and how many lives we can impact along the way. We can’t always choose the path we walk, but we can choose how we walk it. Empowering, inspiring, remarkably honest, and heartfelt, O’Leary’s strength and incredible spirit shine through on every page.
Reading Group Guide
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Introduction
When John O’Leary was nine years old, he was severely burned on one hundred percent of his body in a devastating fire that also nearly destroyed his family’s home. Nobody expected him to survive the first night. Against overwhelming odds, though, John did survive, and endured months in a hospital, dozens of surgeries, and losing his fingers to amputation. But John’s real fight truly began when he left the hospital and had to adjust to his new reality, to strive every day for small milestones, and to live a life with purpose and positivity.
The insights and inner strength John gained through this experience and the heroes who stepped into his world 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.
Topics & Questions for Discussion
1. John says at the beginning of the book that, if given the choice, he would choose to do it all over again—to be burned, to go through the surgeries and the rehab. Why do you think he feels that way? What has he gained from this traumatic experience?
2. Consider the choice John’s mother offers him in the emergency room: “Do you want to die? It’s your choice.” While most of us may not face such a dramatic choice, we do all experience what John calls “inflection points,” or moments that can change everything. What are some of the choices that have changed the course of your own life?
3. John’s tone throughout On Fire is frank, honest, and even humorous at times. Why do you think John is able to reflect, years later, on his painful experiences with this kind of wit and good spirit? Can you think of a time in your life when humor made a difficult situation more bearable/relatable?
4. How did John’s parents, particularly his mother, affect the course of his rehab? What lessons did she teach him through tough love? Did John as a child appreciate her method? Does he appreciate her method today?
5. Consider the epigraph from Henri J.M. Nouwen for Chapter 2: “In our own woundedness, we can become sources of life for others” (page 25). How does John become a source of life, and inspiration, for others? Are there other people—either in your own life, or in the larger world—who also serve as examples of this concept?
6. John decides upon leaving the hospital that he will pretend that everything is normal. He does not share his story with his closest friends, and then in college he uses alcohol as a “mask.” What does it take for John to accept himself, “dimples, pimples, scars and all”? (page 39). How does this relate to your life?
7. How did John’s parents’ book, Overwhelming Odds, and the process of writing and promoting it, change John’s own outlook? How did it become a turning point for John in his own life?
8. John says that many of us see and value ourselves through others’ eyes. How does John’s family—his wife, his children—help him to see the gift in his scars? How does his value in others’ eyes change over time?
9. Before his accident, John wasn’t sure if his brother Jim even liked him; but after the accident, John knew: Jim didn’t just like him, he loved him. How can a traumatic event like this one bring families together, or show the true nature of our relationships?
10. Dr. Ayvazian includes Lavelle, the janitor, on rounds each morning to show him that his work matters, that his work has a purpose: by keeping John’s room clean, Lavelle was protecting John from life-threatening infections. Why is it important for every individual to feel purpose and motivation in their daily work?
11. John shares that he recently chose to express his love and gratitude to his dad, who has Parkinson’s disease. What has John learned about his own purpose from his father’s attitude toward his disease, and what does this teach us about the choices we can make in our own lives?
12. Think of all the people along the way who inspired John during his recovery: his parents, his siblings, Dr. Ayvazian, Glenn Cunningham, Nurse Roy, the physical therapists Brenda and Maureen, and of course, Jack Buck. Who do you think made the biggest impact on John’s life? Why?
13. How can you take the 7 choices and apply them in your life? What might get in your way? What’s your next step toward leading a radically inspired life?
Enhance Your Book Club
1. John was greatly influenced and affected by Man’s Search for Meaning by Dr. Viktor E. Frankl. Read and discuss this book for an upcoming book club meeting. How does Frankl’s view of experiencing and living life after tragedy compare to John’s?
2. Like Jack Buck, Glenn Cunningham, and John O’Leary himself, ask yourself the question What more can I do? Discuss with your book club: What can you do together as a group to give back to the community? From volunteering to writing letters to collecting and donating items to a charity, discuss the options and take the first step together!
3. Learn more about John O’Leary and his inspirational speaking, read John’s blog, or sign up for a weeklong inspirational email program to kickstart your own transformation: http://johnolearyinspires.com/.
About The Reader
John O’Leary shares his expertise on overcoming adversity and how to live inspired with more than 50,000 people at more than 120 live events each year around the world. In 2006, he was inducted into the Energizer “Keep Going” Hall of Fame. He was selected as Saint Louis University young alumni of the year in 2008, was voted “Speaker of the Year” for Vistage International, and was recently chosen as one of the Top Ten “Most Interesting People” in Saint Louis, Missouri. He is also a lifestyle contributor for ParadeMagazine.com. He considers his greatest success to be his marriage to Beth, their four young children, and his relationships with friends and family.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (March 15, 2016)
- Runtime: 6 hours and 30 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781442397088
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): On Fire Unabridged Audio Download 9781442397088
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