On Fire : The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life

THE INSPIRATION FOR THE FILM SOUL ON FIRE

In the bestselling tradition of Brene Brown’s Daring Greatly and Nick Vujicic’s Life Without Limit, this powerful motivational memoir and guide shares a seven-step framework for living with purpose, resilience, and hope after unimaginable adversity.

When John O’Leary was just nine years old, he survived a devastating house fire that left him with burns over one hundred percent of his body. Doctors were unsure he would live. Through months of grueling hospital stays, painful recovery, and years of rebuilding his life, John discovered the transformative power of mindset, community, and choice. The people who stepped in to help him—family members, medical professionals, and total strangers—changed not only his future, but his understanding of what it means to truly live.

In this emotionally honest and uplifting book, O’Leary reflects on his childhood trauma, the pivotal decisions that helped him survive, and the lessons he learned while reclaiming mobility, confidence, and purpose. Drawing on personal experience and the principles that now shape his work as a globally recognized inspirational speaker and entrepreneur, he presents a practical seven-step approach to turning hardship into fuel for a meaningful life.

Empowering and deeply moving, this book encourages you to recognize life’s defining moments—both large and small—and choose how you respond to them. It’s a call to move beyond survival, ignite passion, and live fully engaged, even when the path forward is uncertain.

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.