What a Man with No Arms And No Legs Can Teach Us About Success

Nick Vujicic (pronounced Voy-a-chich) was born in Australia on December 4th, 1982. Doctors were shocked when he was delivered, as Nick has no arms nor legs. This was completely unexpected, ultrasounds didn’t show any complications or issues. As you can imagine, life was tough for Nick. Growing up Nick was teased and by age 8, Nick contemplated suicide.

Eventually, Nick realized that limits were self-imposed. Now Nick travels the world as a motivational speaker and shares his experiences. Nick can teach us much about what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur when faced with what seem to be impervious obstacles to overcome.

Perspective - Nick said “You must realize where you are and what you have.” You can’t let yourself see obstacles, they will only serve to demotivate you. Rework has a chapter dedicated to constraints. The gist of it is that constraints force creativity. Megacorps have bureaucratic processes, you don’t. Megacorps are large aircraft carriers, you are a small naval destroyer. Focus on what you have, use small as an advantage. Constraints will set you free.

Hope - Can you imagine what it would be like with no arms or no legs? I’ll say it, it would suck. Look at the 1000’s of Youtube videos of Nick. How happy does he look? While watching his videos, it’s easy to forget the obvious and focus on his message. Hope is powerful. Hell, Barack Obama campaigned on Hope.

Vision - Nick said “I’m going to be on the Oprah show.” The crowd applauses. He then went on to say “she just doesn’t know it yet.” Laughter ensues. The message is clear. Don’t be afraid to dream big. Apple was almost bankrupt, Google wasn’t taken seriously, and Facebook was created in a dorm room. Dreams can help establish a purpose. Dream big.

Perseverance - Never ever give up. I wonder how many times it took Nick to learn how to kick a soccer ball? Balance a ball on his head? Answer the phone? Type on the computer? Swim? He didn’t give up. We shouldn’t either. “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” - Billy Ocean

Patience - Success will not happen overnight. Your time will come. Keep taking baby steps and work diligently towards your dreams. Overnight success takes years.

Being an entrepreneur brings along a roller coaster of emotions. When you’re at the bottom, remember Nick Vujicic and his wonderful attributes. Use him as inspiration to boost you to the next level.

You can follow me on Twitter @jprichardson

-JP

If you made it this far, you should follow me on Twitter. Follow @jprichardson

-JP