Well, hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast, Monday morning

moments with John O'Leary.

I record these so you and I can begin our days and our weeks.

And in this week, our August in awe and on fire with a burst

of inspiration we're going to begin this one with a question have you ever silenced an idea

worried that you might be rejected or maybe it wasn't a good idea in the first place have

you ever sidelined an opportunity to speak up because you are worried you want to measure up to others?

Have you ever stifled in I love you or and I'm sorry because it was too late or it may not matter to somebody else anymore?

My friends, often we think our own words or ideas or actions won't really make a difference.

We listen to the voice of fear whispering.

We're just one person, too inexperienced or too insignificant.

So we clam up when it was actually our time and our turn to share.

We play small instead of taking a risk. We stay quiet when our words and our turn to share. We play small instead of taking a risk.

We stay quiet when our words and our lives could change everything.

And in doing so, we fail to recognize that the contribution of our life we see as insignificant

is oftentimes, you ready for it?

It's oftentimes life-changing, possibly even world-changing.

One of my favorite examples of this is that of a personal journal, just everyday thoughts,

captured by a mischievous, curious, and perceptive little girl who never imagined anyone, not her sister, not her mom, certainly not her dad,

certainly no one beyond their home would ever read.

Only writing for two years of her life, she started tracking her experiences at age 13.

She wrote about her parents and her sister and her friends. She wrote about her fears and her

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