Nick Vujicic is an Australian man who was born with a rare disorder that left him with no arms or legs. While many people would have let this challenge break them, Nick has instead chosen to look at the positive side of his situation, as he is one of only seven people who have survived this rare syndrome.

Nick has gone on to live a normal life, and he is now married with two children. He spends his days traveling the world working as a motivational speaker in the hopes of inspiring others to push through life’s challenges.

Nick recently opened up about how his parents and his faith in God helped him through the most challenging part of his life.

“It was the truth of knowing that God has a plan for me and that he hasn’t forgotten me,” Nick explained. “My parents said that I’m special, and they used that word so many times in my life I began to dislike it. I didn’t want to be special; I wanted to be normal. Those were the difficult times when I needed those seeds of encouragement in my life. They were trying different ways to plant the word in my heart and in my mind that I would be growing in faith.”

“As you hear the word, you grow in faith. Sometimes I had good days, sometimes I had bad days,” he continued. “There are even days I remember where it only took within five minutes of getting to school before someone teased me and then I was down again. My parents would just encourage me every time I came home. I was definitely learning that the truth of your value is not determined on how you look or what you can do, but knowing that you’re created for a greater purpose.”

Nick went on to explain how he came to realize what his purpose in life was.

“I want to be real and say that I believe it is worse being in a broken home than having no arms or legs. You can have arms and legs and have a broken heart,” he said. “In perspective, whatever we’re going through we can still be thankful. That was the first step, of tow, that really gave me a turning point. [The next step] came actually through a reporter who wrote a story in a newspaper of a man with a disability. That story really encouraged me and changed my perspective. I realized I have a choice either to be angry at what I don’t have or thankful for what I do have.”

“I had zeal of change in me and a zeal for life and a passion for really living my life to its fullest potential in Christ. I was 15 years old when I read John, Chapter 9, about a man who was born blind and no one knew why he was born that way,” Nick continued. “Jesus said he was born that way so that the words of God would be revealed through him. That’s when I’m like, ‘Wow, if He has a plan for a blind man, then he has a plan for me.’ I didn’t really need to know what that plan was at the time, but I just trusted. I asked him [Jesus] to come into my life, forgive me of my sin and give me His peace.”

We can all learn a lot from this amazing man! Check out his motivational speech in the video below, and SHARE this story so your friends and family can see this as well!