Capitol City Speakers Bureau
  • Home
  • Speakers
  • Events
    • American Heart Month
    • Patient Safety Awareness Week
    • Stress Awareness Month
    • National Nurses Week
    • National Women's Health Week
    • Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Blog
  • Clients
  • Testimonials
  • What's New
  • About
  • Contact
  • Request
Picture

BLOG

What Kind of Life Are You Cultivating?

4/11/2019

0 Comments

 
By John O'Leary. This was originally posted on JohnOLearyInspires.com. When John O'Leary was 9 years old, he suffered burns over 100% of his body and was expected to die. He is now an inspirational speaker and bestselling author, teaching more than 50,000 people around the world each year how to live inspired. John's first book, ON FIRE: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life was published March 15, 2016. John is a contributing writer for Huff Post and Parade.com. John is a proud husband and father of four and resides in St. Louis, MO. Order John’s book today anywhere books are sold.

“Read it again, Dad.”
​

These are words James Williams heard every night for more than three months. And every night he heard them, his heart rejoiced.

Those words filled him with delight because the request came from his little boy, James Jr. They moved him because after spending more than two decades of his life either in jail or doing things that would lead him back there, he was finally free to not only read, but to live. They stirred deep emotions because the story little James wanted read wasn’t a typical bedtime story, but a magazine article featuring the good work his daddy was doing.

And this made James Williams Sr. emotional because this had not been the path he was on…and doing good work most certainly wasn’t what he’d been known for.

New Ark Farms Provides a Second Chance

James Williams was known as a “bad kid.” He was a defeated dropout, troublemaker, bum. He was a criminal, an inmate, unemployable, and on a path either back to jail or to an early death. He was, after all, a nobody.

Then he heard about an opportunity.

New Ark Farms was hiring. This business, started by an advertising executive and former attorney named Charles Rosen, had a large orchard about 90 minutes from James’ home in Newark, produced Ironbound Hard Cider, and provided transportation to and from work. This was a second chance.

You see, more than just another microbrewery, New Ark Farms exists to treat people with dignity, repair the damage of the earth, and make a difference. Their very reason for existence is to create meaningful work, provide a living wage, and afford former criminals an opportunity at not just temporary employment, but transformative physical, emotional and financial healing.

And the byproduct is delicious cider beer.

James Williams Knows His Past Does Not Define Him

More important than the delicious cider beer New Ark Farms produces is the impact it has on the workers it employs.

Perhaps the real byproduct is a man returning home fulfilled after a long day at work.

A man who embraces who he is.

And knows who he was.

Like the rings within a tree, James remembers being a bad kid, a defeated dropout, troublemaker, bum. James can recall his time as a criminal, an inmate, unemployable, and on a path either back to jail or to an early death. He was, after all, a nobody.

But that’s no longer the fruit of James Williams’ life.

Now he is a proud employee of New Ark Farms and is critical in their creation of Ironbound Hard Cider.

Today he’s an expert tree grafter, he’s a crew chief, and he’s a farmer. He lives in the city, he works on a farm, he knows the joy of an honest day’s wage for an honest day’s work.

He’s a dad. He’s a bedtime book reader. He’s a man who’s been defeated, and now feels redeemed.

And James Williams Sr, without any doubt, is a somebody.

Just ask his son.

Today is your day. Live Inspired.


Looking for your next healthcare speaker? Get in touch with us at the Capitol City Speakers Bureau today to make your healthcare event a success!
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019

    Categories

    All
    Amy Dee
    Andrew Busch
    Beth Boynton
    Bobbe White
    Chip Bell
    Christine Cashen
    Colette Carlson
    Courtney Clark
    Donna Cardillo
    Joe Flower
    John O'Leary
    Jonathan Burroughs
    Josh Linkner
    Karyn Buxman
    Kenneth Kaufman
    Kristin Baird
    Laurie Guest
    LeAnn Thieman
    Marilyn Tam
    Mary Kelly
    Mel Robbins
    Roger Crawford
    Ron Culberson
    Shep Hyken
    Steve Berkowitz
    Steve Gilliland
    Tim Hague
    Vicki Hess
    Zonya Foco

    RSS Feed

Home

SPEAKERS

EVENTS

Blog

CLIENTS

ABOUT US

Contact

Copyright © 2023 Capitol City Speakers Bureau
  • Home
  • Speakers
  • Events
    • American Heart Month
    • Patient Safety Awareness Week
    • Stress Awareness Month
    • National Nurses Week
    • National Women's Health Week
    • Breast Cancer Awareness Month
  • Blog
  • Clients
  • Testimonials
  • What's New
  • About
  • Contact
  • Request