Imagine yourself limbless. How would you manage? How would you feel? Born without limbs, Australian evangelist and motivational speaker Nick Vujicic gives us a glimpse of the struggles – both physical and mental – he faces in his book Life Without Limits.
Born in 1982 to Serbian parents in Melbourne, Australia, Vujicic was the first-born of his immigrant parents. Rejected at birth by his distraught mum, it took several months before his mum came to terms with the situation and accept him for what and who he was. It helped that Vujicic’s parents had a deep Christian faith which gave them the strength needed to cope with the challenges brought by a special needs child.
To his parents’ credit, they helped their son integrate into mainstream society as much as possible. They fought for him to be educated in a mainstream school when rules at that time said he couldn’t because of his physical disability. His parents, though, argued that there was nothing wrong with their son’s intellect, thus he should be allowed in a mainstream school – they won the battle.
When he started going to school, he was often taunted and bullied by the other kids. He became depressed and contemplated suicide when he was 8. At 10, he tried to drown himself, but it was the love for and of his immediate and extended family – and knowing how much he’d hurt them by committing suicide – that prevented him from doing so.
Since a child, Vujicic has learnt to do many things for himself, such as pouring a cup of water, brushing his teeth or hair, and shaving, by making adjustments. Communicating with people has also become easier because of technological advances. He can even play the drums with the two toes on his tiny left foot at his torso!
After graduating from university, Vujicic decided he wanted to become a motivational speaker and evangelist as he saw how his own story could inspire others. It was then that he truly accepted and embraced his disability, figuring that this was what God wanted him to do with his life. He worked hard at delivering his speeches and building his business, and eventually moved to California to take his business further.
In Life Without Limits, Vujicic basically shares with the reader what he shares with his audiences when he goes around the world to talk to schools, congregations and corporate audiences. That is, we have to identify our passion in life and work towards achieving it. Yes, it may be difficult but if he can do it, so can we. His very being gives him the credibility to say such things with conviction.
Vujicic comes across as affable, warm and also intelligent. He is also just as human as the rest of us. He can get irritated and become a nasty person too. So really, we are all not that different.
When you think your life really sucks, pick up this book for inspiration, gain some perspective, and realise that things really aren’t THAT bad. There is a silver lining to be found in every cloud, even if you can’t see it yet. Even though the book has an evangelical tone, it doesn’t take away the fact that this book is written by an individual who is an inspiration to people of every race, creed or religion.
Book and eBook available from the Singapore National Library