Every failure’ a step to success

Born without limbs

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 15: “Never give up, even after repeated failures, because each failure means a step closer to success,” says a man who had every reason to give up on life.

Nick Vujicic was born without limbs and once contemplated suicide during his childhood out of frustration at his seemingly helpless situation, but thought better of it after realizing the guilt, pain and suffering it would bring his parents.

He has since learned to deal with those circumstances and is now a sought after motivational speaker across subjects such as disability and hope.

Vujicic gave a talk Sunday on the topic “Living a life without limits” at the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry auditorium.

Speaking to a mixed audience of Arabs and non-Arabs from atop two tables joined end to end, Nick Vujicic, without arms and legs but with a fully developed torso and with two small feet one of which has two toes, looked small as he paced about. But when he began to speak those awe inspiring words, people in the room forgot how he looked and he seemed taller than everybody else.

“Fear,” he started off, “is the biggest disability of all. You shrink at the thought of failure even without trying,” emphasizing he said “one should not lose hope and keep on trying what one want to make out of their life until they succeed. You don’t know what you can achieve until you try it,” he added.

He also said that one should be thankful for what they have. “There’s no use complaining about what you don’t have,” in obvious reference to himself.

He challenged his audience and their perspectives, encouraging everyone to dream big and improve their own attitudes regarding the obstacles in their lives. A message driven home by his own persona, his disability a constant reminder that every day challenges they face in their lives can be overcome; that they should use, to the best of their ability the gift they have been given.

He also shared key values and attitudes that give one the insight to draw strength from every circumstance by choosing to have the right approach.

“If you put your happiness in temporary things, your happiness is temporary;” “Your biggest discouragement comes in your mind;” “It’s no use to hold your love one’s hands if you can’t hold their heart;” and on faith “Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there;” “You can’t pass hope if you don’t have hope yourself;” and “You can’t pass integrity if you don’t have integrity;” are some words of wisdom he imparted.

Born Dec 4, 1982 and the first-born child of devout Serbian Christian parents, in Melbourne, Australia with the rare Tetra-amelia disorder: limbless, missing both arms at shoulder level, and legless but with two small feet, one of which has two toes. His parents were initially devastated upon his birth. He grew up otherwise healthy.

His life was filled with difficulties and hardships. One was being prohibited by Australian law from attending mainstream school because of his physical disability, even though he was not mentally impaired. But during his schooling, the laws were changed, and he was one of the first disabled students to be integrated into a mainstream school.

He learned to write using his the two toes on his left “foot,” and a special device that slid onto his big toe which he uses to grip. He also learned to use a computer and type using the “heel and toe” method which he usually demonstrates during his speeches, throw tennis balls, answer the phone, shave and get himself a glass of water.

Vujicic was being bullied at school, which made him grow extremely depressed, and by age 10, started contemplating suicide. After begging God to grow arms and legs, he eventually began to realize his accomplishments were inspirational to many, and began to thank God for being alive.

As Nick grew up, he learnt to deal with his disability and started to do more and more things on his own. He adapted to his situation and found ways to accomplish tasks that most people could only do by using their limbs, such as cleaning teeth, brushing hair, typing on a computer, swimming, fishing, playing sports, and much more.

As time went by, Nick began to embrace his situation and achieve greater things. In grade seven, he was elected captain of his school and worked with the student council there on various fund-raising events for local charities and disability campaigns.

According to him, the victory over his struggles throughout his journey, as well as the strength and passion he has for life can be credited to his faith, his family, his friends and the many people he has encountered during his life who have encouraged him along the way.

A key turning point in his life was when his mother showed him a newspaper article about a man dealing with a severe disability. This led him to realize he wasn’t the only one with major struggles. When he was seventeen, he started to give talks at his prayer group, and eventually started his non-profit organization, Life Without Limbs.

Nick graduated from college at the age of 21 with a double major in Accounting ad Financial Planning. He began his travels as a motivational speaker, focusing on topics that today’s teenagers face. He also speaks in the corporate sector, although his aim is to become an international inspirational speaker, in both Christian and non-Christian venues. He regularly travels internationally to speak to Christian congregations, schools, and corporate meetings. He has spoken to over two million people so far, in twelve countries on four continents (Africa, Asia, Australia and North America).

Nick travels around the world for his organization Life Without Limbs and he is a speaker in great demand who shares his mission with millions of people worldwide.

But it wasn’t always that way. As a child, Nick was teased by other children. He couldn’t manage it and more and more withdrew into himself. As a teenager, he decided that it couldn’t go on like this. He wanted to take his own life, so he threw himself from the sink on which he was placed. “I hope I would break my neck,” he says. But nothing happened.

“The problem was, he says now, “that I thought the circumstances had to change. Only then I could be happy. I let the circumstances lead me. And the circumstances were, in my case, without arms and legs, not always very nice.”

Nick’s mother, who looked at the struggle of her son, suggested to him not to look at his limitations, but on the contrary to the good things. “I did so literally,” he says. “I sat down in front of the mirror and looked at myself. I thought for example that I had beautiful eyes. I said to myself: ‘Those eyes are mine, no one can take them from me.’

“In that way, bit by bit, I learned to see the positive side of things. As a result, I got peace in my heart and I learned, by trial and error, to give less attention to the circumstances, but to deal with them. Now I am a satisfied and happy person. All other things don’t matter any more.”

Nick Vujicic also spoke before students at the Gulf University for Science and Technology earlier in the day last Sunday.

http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org