[Update on 09/19/2009: See the video that I just found on YouTube at the end…]
Original Post from 07/08/2006…
Everytime you are ready to give up, every time you think:
- I am too tired right now…
- I am too sleepy right now…
- I am too hungry right now…
- I am not feeling too well…
- I don’t have the strength…
- I don’t have the time…
- I don’t have the money…
- I don’t have the patience…
- I don’t have the will …
- I just need one last puff…
- I just need one last drink…
- My parents didn’t give me the education…
- My parents didn’t give me the right values…
- God didn’t give me the looks…
- God didn’t give me the intelligence…
- God didn’t give me the talent…
- God didn’t give me the skill…
- God didn’t give me the gift of…
- I can’t…
- I won’t…
- I am not…
Every time you catch yourself saying one of the things above, just think of this guy:
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“There were times when I felt depressed and angry because I couldn’t change the way I was, or blame anyone for that matter. I went to Sunday School and learnt that God loves us all and that He cares for you. I understood that love to a point as a child, but I didn’t understand that if God loved me why did He make me like this?
Is it because I did something wrong? I thought I must have because out of all the kids at school, I’m the only weird one. I felt like I was a burden to those around me and the sooner I go, the better it’d be for everyone. I wanted to end my pain and end my life at a young age, but I am thankful once again, for my parents and family who were always there to comfort me and give me strength.”
….
“I have many dreams and goals that I have set to achieve in my life. I want to become the best witness I can be of God’s Love and Hope, to become an international inspirational speaker and be used as a vessel in both Christian and non-Christian venues. I want to become financially independent by the age of 25, through real estate investments, to modify a car for me to drive and to be interviewed and share my story on the “Oprah Winfrey Show”! Writing several best-selling books has been one of my dreams and I hope to finish writing my first by the end of the year. It will be called “No Arms, No Legs, No Worries!”
Are you capable of inspiring others like this? Would you be capable of inspiring others like this at least before you die?
Start on the path today – the path of doing something to make yourself worthy enough of inspiring others. If not tomorrow, someday you will be successful, I promise.
My hat’s off to Nick Vujicic, my newest Guru Drona .
Update on 09/19/2009:
Just found this video on YouTube. This one brought tears to my eyes.
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Words fail me ! Ravi u know iam not a sissy but as soon as i saw the photo of WILL tears just poured from my eyes… no i hadnt even read his message yet… i admire his courage and i would like to tell him that YES HE IS TRULY BLESSED and he is GOD’s favorite … and thats one of the reasons why he is like how he is [ physically i mean ] but his mind is incomparable bcos, i feel he is born to set an example to the world…and show whats the meaning of determination, courage, loving and living life to the fullest without expecting sympath, but expecting to be treated as an equal. I salute him and pray to God that anything he does is crowned with unprecedented exemplary success and may he be succcessful in lighting the lamp of compassion and all the great qualities he has in the rest of the occupants of this planet … GOD BLESS HIM !
Thank you Ravi.
Very inspiring!
Nick shows not only the power of faith, but also the limits most people place on themselves is between their ears.
I hope my path crosses with yours and his some day.
Bill
Im pretty sure I will do something that inspires people You said ‘you want to be interviewed by Oprah’ I used to visualize myself being interviewed by some great personalities. I used to change roles and ask questions and answer them myself. questions like ‘Manoj how did you manage to accomplish this great feat?’ ‘Can you give our audience some of your valuable tips’:)
I don’t even know how I arrived at your site, Ravi, but the Lord works in mysterious ways. If I can get it together, I will send you a picture of myself in a setting much as yours in the picture on your site.
Several years ago I visited Nalerigu, Ghana, West Africa, for the purpose of sharing Christ’s love with the people of the tribe of Mamsupial.
I have never been anyplace more uncomfortable in my life. It was HOT, and HUMID, with the only relief being the daily rain storm which gave temporary coolness. As soon as the rain was over, the humidity increased and the sun came out full force.
I’m not whining, I just want to set the stage.
My own personal comfort was quickly forgotten as we began to minister to the people. But, you know what, I received far more blessings than I could begin to give out. Such a trip has a profound effect on one’s total being. Here were people with literally nothing, giving me what little they could find. I will never feel disadvantaged or needful again.
I hope to return in the near future, not strictly on missions, although I have one, but to just be there, get to know people, visit their homes (mud huts), and return a portion of the kindness and love they gave me. My mission is to take and install several water purification devices. None of the water there is fit to drink, if it’s not in a sealed bottle, you don’t drink it.
I had hoped to raise several hundred thousand dollars to build a purification plant. This is aomething I know I can’t do, but God can.
Oddly enough, recently I was in a meeting at my son’s college, and several of the young people spoke about trips they had taken last summer. One young man had been party to installing purification devices that would provide sufficient water for 10,000 people a day. The cost, around $2000.00, not $200,000.00. He showed me how HE would do it. Now the mission can probably be accomplished for under $10,000.00 for enough devices in place to allow the entire village to have clean, pure water. I don’t really know the size of the village, but I would guess it to be about 35,000, half of which are children who will never reach adulthood.
Like you, I want to make a difference in a small segment of the world.
I would love for Ophra to contribute a tenth (the tithe) of the amounts she gives away, just for fun. She could probably provide water for the entire country of about 70,000,000.
Enough, I just felt a kindred spirit there, and I hope the Lord will allow you to accomplish your goals, and He will, if they are also His.
God Bless,
Mister Luke, my Ghanain name.
Ravi, Nick Vujicic’s story is truly amazing! I was having a bad day today and after replying to your response to my questions about DAP I decided to follow ravisrants.com and somehow clicked on a link to this post. Most amazing! Thanks!
Roger,
Yes, Nick is an incredible human being who has gone beyond his limitations to inspire so many of us.
Everytime I’m frustrated about something, I think of Nick, get inspired, stop whining and get going again 🙂
– Ravi Jayagopal