Hello, my friends and welcome to the live-inspired podcast, Monday morning moments.

It's a Valentine's Week edition with John O'Leary.

John, everything is going to work out fine.

With these words, my sweet dad was trying to encourage me to cheer up.

It wasn't working, though.

After being burned at age nine and spending five months in hospital, I was finally about to go home from my wheelchair still connected to a heart monitor with a feeding tube snaking up through my nose, body wrapped in bandages covering either open sores or fresh scars.

It sure did not feel like everything was going to work out fine.

Unbelievably, I looked back at my sweet dad and responded,

"'That's easy for you to say.

You got mom, you got a family, you got a job, you got a home.

Dad, I may never have any of those things.

And for many years, and many of them were actually difficult years, I was proven right.

Although passionate and precocious as a little guy, there were many moments in my life dominated by fear.

I was anxious about how people would respond to my injuries, saddened by all that I could not do, and angry at the potential robbed

from me. And deep down, if I'm being honest with you, I was afraid I'd never have anybody to share

my life with anyway. During those years, I was completely preoccup'd never have anybody to share my life with anyway.

During those years, I was completely preoccupied with what I wanted for my life, what I needed from a relationship, what someone else out there could do for me.

In other words, if you're listening closely on this Monday morning, my focus was entirely on me.

This emphasis on self is one strongly encouraged by society today. We are challenged to focus singularly on our personal lives and our individual versions of our

happiness. Our celebrities share the freedom they found in letting

go of expectations from others and choosing themselves first. Celebrations of self-care and

proclamations of living personal truth are everywhere on social media. Even many of our

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