When the odds are against you what do you do?

We all face some form of adversity from time to time yet there are those who have been dealt a short hand at birth and through no fault of their own, have had to struggle against the greatest odds to move past their adversities and become role models for the rest of us.  One such individual is Nick Vujicic, a man born without limbs.  I have written about him in the past but his story is too compelling to ignore, so once again I am using him and his life as an example that needs to be admired and modeled. I was listening to a television story about many admirable personalities and his name was mentioned. They showed how he had jumped off the side of a pool and swam to the side without fear or any second thoughts.  For most people that feat would not be something to write about but when you hear his name and know this person, you stop short and say:  Wow—if he can overcome his demons, so can I. 

  

We have a friend who at the age of 50 is just learning to swim.  She hyperventilates and gets extremely nervous near the water and yet here is a man, born without arms and legs and he jumps in the water and swims with confidence and ease.

It is the demons that are within us that prevent us from reaching our fullest potential. When interviewed Nick shared that at a young age he wanted to end his life,not because he didn’t believe in himself but because he was bullied and ridiculed by his peers and other insensitive people.   It wasn’t the physical challenges that devastated this man it was the mental devastation that tried to destroy his sense of faith and hope;  It was the insensitivity of others that started to get in the way of his sense of value and worth. 

This story can be any one of our stories.  People put down and kick those who are hurting and vulnerable.  If you look different, then people look at you in a strange way and with a critical eye.  We all have our idiosyncrasies and we all have something that seems different and strange to others but our differences should not be the criteria by which we are judged and/or acknowledged. 

  

If you have ever wondered why a person with extreme handicaps was born, I believe the answer is quite simple—to teach the rest of us what truly living is all about.  For a person like Nick Vujicic, he believes that he is truly blessed.  His greatest demons were the bullying treatment from his peers as a youth.  Once he rose above those obstacles, he was able to sour and live his life with conviction and new possibilities.  He never doubted his capabilities; it was the negative words and actions of others that took him out but once he realized where his power came from, he moved onward and upward knowing that as a child of God, he, too, could make a difference in the world.

Without question,people can be cruel and they can hurt your feelings but it is important to understand that no one else can destroy your beliefs or your inner knowingness  except you.  If you are willing to continue on your journey with conviction, inner strength and a resourceful attitude that says—I am unstoppable, you will succeed.

Our demons are our minds---the inner voice that is constantly telling us to be afraid, to worry and to doubt because we are different.  Those words and thoughts have only one purpose—to keep you stuck and controlled by negativity.  Like my friend who decided to take up swimming lessons at her age in life, she choose to fight back, to tackle her demons and to overcome.  At first it was a huge struggle because the pull of fear and doubt was tugging hard at her heart and belief system but I am happy to say, she is winning the battle. When the odds are against you, how do you handle the situation? I encourage you to look around and see those who are less fortunate than you and then decide how you want to be remembered.  

Joan Marie Ambrose

Author, Creative Writer, Motivational Speaker