 MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Va., April 21, 2009 - Imagine going through life having both hands tied behind your back and not being able to use your legs.
Nick Vujicic, from Melbourne, Australia, was born with no arms and no legs, but despite the circumstances, he managed to overcome those setbacks in life and deliver a message of motivation and faith to a Camp Pendleton audience, April 17.
Vujicic, whose motivational words were listened to by Marines, sailors, families and civilians, encouraged people to never give up and to use their faith to overcome the hardships of life.
He created Life Without Limbs, a non-profit organization that travels around the world to help inspire people and provide an optimistic view on their lives. Vujicic challenges people to dream big, to trust your faith with all your heart and to not grow weary when we fail to understand the great purpose for our lives.
“Life without purpose is a life without meaning, (therefore) a life without meaning is a life without hope,” said Vujicic during his presentation. “The greatest gifts in life are love and peace.”
During recent years, Vijucic has learned to become independent and take care of all his personal needs. He’s able to do everything from brushing his teeth and combing his hair to dressing himself and taking care of other personal hygiene tasks. He gets around the house by jumping around and, outside the house; an electric wheelchair assists him. For leisure, he enjoys swimming, fishing and playing soccer.
“I think individuals like Nick (Vujicic) help us all realize how much we take for granted. A man like him, with no arms or legs and such a positive attitude toward the world gives us the inspiration to do more with our lives,” said Private First Class Malcolm C. Perez, an small-arms technician with Security Battalion, Marine Corps Base, “It amplifies the human spirit in all of us.”
Because of his unique personal story, Vujicic is able to speak to groups of all types. It gives him a chance to talk to the young, old, impoverished, imprisoned, business people, communities of all races, those with disabilities and those without them.
|
