No Arms Or Legs, But An Indomitable Spirit
CHICAGO (CBS) - Every morning, there is likely someone out there who wakes up and thinks, "I don't know if I can make it through another day."
That perspective may change if they have occasion to meet Nick Vuijic. As CBS 2's Don Schwenneker reports, he doesn't allow that type of thinking into his life, even though some would say he has every right to.
Vuijic is a motivational speaker and all-around good guy. He has met presidents and prime ministers and traveled the world, and his YouTube videos have drawn some 40 million views.
He was also born without arms and legs. And he just doesn't seem to need them.
"I travel a lot for a guy without legs," Vuijic said. "We get around, you know, and that's my hope, it's my heart. It's to reach out not just to a generation – not just to the United States, but the world – to let people know that when you are in a situation when you don't see hope, you want to give up, but there is hope!"
Vuijic loves talking to kids. He thinks his disability is actually an asset when it comes to getting their attention.
"I get up in front of 1,400 kids. Before I open my mouth, they're curious. They're interested to know, well, 'Sure, he has something to say, if he's going to smile, and that guy has no arms, no legs, I'll listen to this,'" Vuijic said.
After getting their attention, he really tries to drive the point home, that after falling down, you've got to get back up.
"You've got to try. A lot of them don't try because, 'What if I fail?'" Vuijic said. "That fear of failure is more disabling than having no arms and no legs."
When he's not speaking to thousands of people around the world, his free time is pretty full too. He's learning to golf, likes jamming with his iPod, and he's even started surfing. But he says there are still some things he wants to try.
"I want to go scuba diving deeper. I already did at 30 feet. I want to go deeper," Vuijic said. "I want to go to the heights of the sky and jump out of a plane for fun. I don't know if we're going to have the cord right here and me pull it, in tandem and all that, I have no idea."
And knowing Vuijic, he probably will.
His latest venture is writing. He just released his book, Life without Limits,which is a story about himself, but he also finds it a way to make the story about you and how you can change your life.
