On attitude and gratitude, inspired by Nick Vujicic

There is something magical about Nick Vujicic! I do not think a mere phrase “it’s a miracle” would do any justice to the amount of time, effort and determination Nick has put in, that contributes to the remarkable individual he is today. He may have been born without limbs, but his strong will and unwavering belief helped him overcome the most challenging years as he grew up and stepped into adulthood – today, he is one of the most sought after motivational speakers in the world. Seeing Nick Vujicic on stage for the first time at a private event, just like everyone else, I couldn’t help but admire the qualities Nick embodies as an individual; strong in character, positive, appreciative, vigorous, loving and confident. In his talk, Nick recounted several significant moments in his life interwoven with insights that brought his strong sense of purpose and belief to the forefront. At some point in our lives, each one of us experiences a phase of self exploration where we start asking “who am I?”

We tend to identify and relate ourselves to the existing notions of how the society expects us to be. Back in my teenage years, I used to ask myself and was fearful of “what if I cannot fit in”? But are we supposed to fit just right to the mould? What happens if we can’t? While I was preoccupied with thoughts of not being able to fit in, it limited me from reaching for my potential. I eventually came to realize, by the end of my college years that I had given too much significance and too much credit to “how I thought the society wants me to be”. For many years, as I was growing up, I did not recognize the importance of an attitude of gratitude towards who I am as an individual. I was too engrossed in how to be like everyone else but myself. Try looking at it this way, without an honest conversation with myself; I would get lost by a constant fixation on what I am lacking in comparison to others - heaving long sighs with self depreciating thoughts. The world is vast, full of wonders and uncertainty. I realized the first step to understand the world was to understand oneself. Without an understanding and acceptance of who I am, I wouldn’t be able to grasp hold of my weaknesses and come about facing them honestly. Nor would I be able to develop or focus on my strengths. I am grateful that it did not take me long before I learned to rewire my thought process and began to believe, in the word of Nick Vujicic, that “the greatest encourager and discourager is you” – in other words, be your own best friend. I am a firm believer that ‘attitude determines your life’, because your attitude plays a crucial role in the way you perceive the world and the way the world perceives you. Our action will always be an accurate reflection of our inner thoughts and beliefs. An attitude of gratitude is powerful because it helps you to be appreciative and not to take things for granted. It is powerful because the feeling of gratefulness enables us to see things clearly and not be clouded in our judgement of life in general. Many times we fail to recognize the destructive power of self limiting thoughts which leads us to having a defeatist attitude. While in fact we can choose to engage in an inner dialogue that is encouraging and motivating. The key is to recognize that it’s not what happens to you that matters; it’s how you choose to respond. Focus on building on your strengths and start by being aware and then learning from your weaknesses. Practice an attitude of gratitude. We all have a choice and a chance to change for the better.