"Living without limits means knowing that you always have something to give, something that might ease the burden of others." Nick Vujicic
A Review: Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life, a book by Nick Vujicic
What limits do we place on our lives? How can we live a life without limits; a purposeful life?Recently, I read a book that was so compelling, I couldn't put it down. It was the personal journey of Nick Vujicic, a motivational speaker and inspiring author of "Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life," born without limbs; a condition known as Tetra-amelia, and his struggles to overcome his limitations and build a purposeful life.
Know More About Nick:
Nick, the eldest child of a deeply religious, Serbian family, was born in Brisbane, Australia in 1982.His parents found out in the delivery room that their new baby had no arms or legs except for two toes on a partially formed foot. His parents were inconsolable when they found out about their baby's condition but soon turned to their Christian faith for solace, and then made a commitment to love their son unconditionally and raise him as best they could. At one point, they even moved to the USA to help Nick get access to better prosthesis and medical care, but returned to Australia when conditions didn't improve.
"Motivation gets you through the day, but inspiration lasts a lifetime." Nick Vujicic
Nick spent his early years struggling to make meaning of his life; he was bullied and picked on, felt limited by his disability and, at one point, at age 10, even considered suicide. However, through perseverance, faith in God, the loving support of his family and a series of fortuitous events, Nick turned his life around once he realized that pushing past insecurities about his physical limitations would give him the impetus to create a purposeful life: "At first I was not willing to confront that what was really wrong with me wasn't my body, it was the limits I put on myself and my limited vision of the possibilities for my life."
Accepting his divine destiny and the endless possibilities that he now enjoys did not come easy,however, there were signs and help along the way. There were several pivotal moments and stories shared in this book that helped Nick embrace his life and focus on achieving his dreams. At 13, he read a newspaper report about a man who was fully paralyzed and bedridden. The story made Nick recognize that he had possibilities and could do more with his life. An exchange on stage with a young girl, at a talk he gave for 300 teenagers, changed his perspective and helped him to stop questioning his self-worth.
"I do believe my life has no limits! I want you to feel the same way about your life, no matter what your challenges may be." Nick Vujicic
When Reggie Dabbs, an American motivational speaker, shared his own inspirational story at a High School assembly, Nick was impressed and imagined himself doing same. Mr. Arnold, the school janitor and Christian youth leader, prodded Nick for three months to give his first speech and when he finally gave one, everyone applauded his effort. Not long after, Nick started receiving invitations to give more speeches. By 17, he started his nonprofit company; Life Without Limbs, and embarked on a life of inspired Christian service to others and motivational speaking engagements.
Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life is filled with stories and uplifting messages of the power of faith and the importance of believing in our purpose and destiny. Each chapter addresses an important attribute that helped Nick on the road to building a life without limits. Nick doesn't gloss over the heart-wrenching pain and challenges he experienced in his childhood, however, he balances them with events and lessons that gave him hope and strengthened his faith. The inspirational, anecdotal stories shared in the book are helpful and engaging; affirming Nick's generous spirit and determined personality.
For anyone who might be feeling unworthy and limited, this book will uplift and inspire you to have faith and follow your dreams. Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life is full of fantastic nuggets of wisdom and a few that stood out are: "If you have the desire and passion to do something, and it's within God's will, you will achieve it." and "When you step outside of yourself and your own concerns to reach out for others, it will change you. You will be humbled. You will be inspired."
Today, Nick speaks around the world and runs his companies, Attitude is Altitude and Life Without Limbs.Org. Nick's book teaches us that the only limitations in our lives are the ones we hold in our minds. He invites us to release them and meet our destiny. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this inspirational and highly recommended book. What are your thoughts? What limits do you place on your life? What are you willing to do to help you change?
