INSPIRE: “Your Life Doesn’t Get Better by Chance, It Gets Better by Change” — Nick Vujicic
What is INSPIRE?
INSPIRE is a recurring publication developed by our in-house content team focusing on the takeaways from how successful individuals spent their time at university.
We will share our learnings on those who have gone on to do great things in life and as a result, we hope this series fuels your journey from university to careers.
Strive for Excellence!
An Introduction:
Nicholas James Vujicic is an Australian American Christian Evangelist and motivational speaker who was born with a tetra-amelia syndrome: a disorder that represents the absence of arms and legs. Despite all the difficulties he had, Nick still managed to live his life up to the fullest and not merely existing.
Early Life, Education, and Career:
A moment after his birth, his mother refused to see or hold him when the nurse held him in front of her. She and her husband went out of the hospital to vomit from seeing their son with no limbs, but they eventually accepted and understood that everything happens for a reason and that this was God’s plan, thus accepting the condition of their son.
Initially, a Victoria state law prevented Nick from attending a mainstream school due to his physical disability, in spite of a lack of mental impairment. He eventually made it to a mainstream school and became one of the first physically disabled students once the laws had changed. Sadly, this made him a target to bullies which resulted in severe depression. He tried to commit suicide a few times, once when he was 8 years old, and the other was when he was 10. He tried to drown himself in the bathtub, however, he admitted that his love for his parents prevented him from trying to commit further suicide attempts.
He prayed to God, to provide him with arms and legs, initially telling God that if his prayer remained unanswered, he would not praise him indefinitely. His turning point to that belief happened when his mom showed him a person who also suffered from a severe disability. This made him realise that he wasn’t alone in his struggles and began to embrace his disabilities. Nick realized that his story could be an inspiration and a guide to others living in a similar struggle.
Along with his efforts and changed perception, he gradually figured out how to live a full and happy life. He knows how to use a computer and can type up to 45 words per minute using the “heel and toe” method. Additionally, he can throw a tennis ball, play the drums, grab a glass of water, comb his hair, brush his teeth, and swim. These are just some examples that exhibit the mental and physical strength that Nick holds, and how he has become an inspiration to many.
During secondary school, he was elected captain of MacGregor State in Queensland and worked along with the student council on fundraising events for charities and social campaigns. When he was 17, he started to give talks at his prayer group. At the age of 21, he graduated from Griffith University with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, and double majored in accountancy and financial planning. In 2005, he founded Life without Limbs, an international non-profit organisation and ministry. Finally, in 2007, he founded Attitude is Altitude, a motivational speaking company.
Up till now, Nick has published more than 5 books that have been an inspiration for many people in need. One of his most popular books, is one of his first publications, “Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life”, that was published in 2010. It has been translated into over 30 languages. Furthermore, he also has starred in a short film and been awarded as, Best Actor in a Short Film.
Takeaways:
Nick wasn’t born with a normal condition, but he has become one of the most inspiring motivational speakers, has got married, and became a father of 4. This might seem impossible at first, but as Nick states, “Failure is not important, how you overcome it is.” Overcoming failure and making the most of our situations is key.
- Don’t stress over things you can’t control. Focus on what you can. From a young age, Nick was taunted by bullies and felt that he was destined to be lonely for the rest of his life due to his condition. However, over time, he managed to build up enough effort to give better values to his life, and pushed himself above and beyond his limits — learning to love himself and the life he had.
- Gratitude is key. Humans are inherently greedy and always want more than what we already have, without knowing the fact that we’ve been given more than enough to live our lives. Nick has taught us that, the only way to ever feel enough is to stop comparing yourself to others and play a role in gratitude for the way you live.
- Give back to the community. Aside from his impairment, Nick still manages to express his concern for others and demonstrates extreme humility and empathy having created a training academy for people to share the same grievances. Being social animals, we must always remember to be kind and generous to others around us.
