Nick Vujicic: A Powerful Communicator. Amani AlSaffar

Transcription

1 Nick Vujicic: A Powerful Communicator. Amani AlSaffar Wentworth Institute of Technology 12/04/2012

2 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 MAIN BODY OF REPORT 4 CONCLUSION 8 REFERENCES 9 BACK COVER 10 2

3 Executive Summary The objective of this research project was to study the powerful motivational speaker, Nick Vujicic and find out whether he is heard because of the content of his speeches, or because of the man he is, a man without limbs. Nick Vujicic is one of the most powerful communicators, targeting many teenagers, with the purpose of inspiring them to be their inner self and to overcome life s challenges. This research investigates the reasons behind his success. This research report was conducted using both primary and secondary sources. First a study was conducted about Nick Vujicic and his background/past. Another study was also conducted about his speech content, and the approaches he uses during his speeches. Many theories and themes were taken into consideration, such as the theme of empathy vs. sympathy. The findings from this research indicate that one reason behind Nick Vujicic s success is his unfortunate defect. This conclusion can help many disabled people overcome their daily challenges and see the optimistic view of things, therefor it is recommended that Nick Vujicic targets disability centers, in order to inspire and motivate people who share the same pain he does, to see the light in the dark just as he did. 3

4 Main Body of Report There are many techniques a motivational speaker can conduct in order to fulfill the purpose of her/his speech, but what is the true reason as to why a motivational speaker is heard? There is the idea that maybe a motivational speaker is heard due to his/her condition rather than the content of the speech. If a regular person stands on a stage and gives a speech about living life, some might choose to ignore him. But if a disabled person stands on a stage and gives a speech about living, will it encourage the audience to actually listen? Whether Nick Vujicic is heard because of his condition or the content of his speech is a question that has a valuable answer as it may help many potential speakers. If the answer to the question is the content of his speech then many can learn from Nick Vujicic. If on the other hand the answer to the question is his condition, than it may open the eyes to many people out there with certain disabilities to the fact that they can actually make a difference to the world we live in. The Beginning Nick Vujicic, pronounced Vooy-cheech is an Australian motivational speaker born with a rare disorder called tetra-amelia syndrome, which means he was born with the absence of all four limbs. Being born with such condition, living a normal life can be challenging. Nick did not only suffer physically but also mentally and emotionally. Growing up around regular children was hard for Nick; he had to overcome many challenges in order to carry himself around. Nick was also a victim of bullying in school, when the children around him could not come to terms with his condition. This resulted in his isolation. Can you imagine waking up every day knowing for a fact that you will never be able to walk or run? Or never be able to hold a loved one? Any human would feel helpless, alone, and would not help but wonder about their future, how they would survive. Dark thoughts would linger in the mind of any person put in Nick s position. Nick had many reasons to make his life a misfortune and just give up, but he came to terms with his disability instead. As Nick grew up, he learned to be creative in order to accomplish his day to day activities. He adapted to his condition and learned to deal with it. Slowly Nick learned how to be 4

5 more independent as he found innovative ways to accomplish his tasks alone. Nick learned how to do many tasks such as comb his hair, swim, play sports, write, and many other activities others considered impossible for a limbless man. Instead of allowing his disability to hold him back, he used it as a motive to make a difference, and that s when his journey started. In only grade seven, Nick was elected captain of his school where he was able to work with many charities and conduct local disability campaigns. After high school Nick continued his education until he obtained a degree in Accounting and Financial Planning. Age 19 is when Nick really started pursuing his dream of encouraging and inspiring the people around him, by giving speeches to students, teachers, business workers, and other figures. Nick became well known around his community, and it didn t take long for people to know his name and work. In 2005, Nick was nominated for the Young Australian of the Year Award, which is a true honor to any person since nominations for this award are only given to great people. Today Nick Vujicic is a well-known and successful motivational speaker who is not only known for his condition, but also his ability to inspire and move his audience. Nick travels around the world sharing his story with others, inspiring them to live their life being happy and grateful. Nick claims that he only overcame all the obstacles and made it this far due to his faith in God. He believes that there is more than what meets the eye. Motivational Speaking Almost by definition, a motivational speaker delivers speeches with the goal of motivating or inspiring an audience. A motivational speaker s goal is to spark a certain thought and stir up specific emotions in order to motivate his/her audience into thinking or doing something. A motivational speaker s speech purpose could be anything, inspiring a person to quit smoking for instance. There are many techniques and qualities a motivational speaker can acquire in order to achieve his/her goal. Nick Vujicic uses humor a lot throughout his speech. His speeches are not only informative and inspirational but also entertaining as he shows off his techniques that get him through the day. Nick uses jokes throughout his entire speech, in order to engage with his audience. Along with humor, Nick also uses examples from his own life to deliver a message. 5

6 Instead of just telling the audience about how to overcome challenges, Nick uses examples from him own experience to assure the audience that his techniques work. When Nick presents theories, he presents them with evidence that they are sufficient, which is directly linked to his experience, and therefore to his condition. Empathy vs. Sympathy Empathy is basically understanding what someone else is going through or feeling because you might have some kind of relation to the experience yourself, while sympathy is acknowledging someone s emotional experience and providing comfort. Empathy touches an individual on a personal level, where they feel as though the other person s story was their own. Sympathy is not as deep as empathy, where you understand the story but don t necessarily feel as though it happened to you. Throughout Nick Vujicic s career, the content of his speeches was mainly about his experience. Nick portrays his life in a manner that motivates the audience. As we all know Nick Vujicic s journey in life was not an easy one, his disability is after all a rare condition. Nick s story is so touching and compelling that it inspires people. Seeing a man who has no limbs with such a high positive spirit is touching. Imagine listening to a man without arms talk about how he is never going to hold his loves hand, but it doesn t matter because he can hold her with his heart. It is quite, moving and inspiring. The audience engagement with Nick throughout his speech is outstanding. Many individuals from the audience tend to leave rather emotional and teary-eyed because of the content of Nick s speeches. Hey Nick! I watched your videos 12 months earlier I was broken, disturbed, frustrated, and angry with my life. But after watching you, I feel like blessed... Can t explain how I am feeling now days... My life is changed in such a way that I can t explain in words... Nick, I would like to tell you one thing that YOU are a Man of Steel your thoughts, your smile, your speeches are amazing and can touch anyone s heart... Thank you Nick for everything that you have given me indirectly. It may or may not be possible for you to read this comment but I was searching several ways to reach you or write to you something... Thank you... It s my dream to meet you one day and hug you. God bless you, superman. This is a comment posted on Nick Vujicic s official website Lifewithoutlimbs.org by a fan on November 7, 2012 by admin. This comment was under the title A Life Time 6

7 Transformation, which proves that Nick s audiences truly get attached to his tragic story, therefor learning a valuable lesson, that no matter how tuff things get, there is a God above of us that is greater than any obstacle one might face. The way Nick engages with the audience allows them to empathize with him, as they feel like they were put in his shoes. One of Nick s main advantages is the fact that people empathize with his condition, which made his speeches as influential as they were to his audiences. Nick presents examples from his own experience that are so compelling that audiences are bound to listen. This factor has helped Nick greatly with his career. His story after all is a known heart wrenching one, which definitely made him a well-known figure. Interpretation Other motivational speakers might have all the qualities that Nick Vujicic has, and deliver the same type of content in their speeches, and still not receive the same response from the audience as Nick would, because they don t have a story behind them like Nick does. Nick Vujicic s speeches are directly related to his past and how he got through life and overcame all the obstacles that were around him. The content of his speech cannot be said by a regular motivational speaker who hasn t actually experienced living life without limbs. Nick is proof that there is sunshine after the rain, when the audience see his condition, they automatically feel better about themselves and remember to thank god, because there are people out there going through worse. Nick Vujicic had the advantage of his condition throughout his career. It is a tragedy indeed to be born without limbs, as there was nothing anyone could have done to prevent it, but Nick Vujicic did make something out of it, as now he is more successful than most of the people his own age. His defect made him known in his area of expertise. Instead of letting his condition bring him down, he embraced it and used it to his advantage. Nick Vujicic had a dream and a goal to make a difference in this world, and indeed he did to many people out there. 7

8 Conclusion It is plausible to say that Nick Vujicic is a successful motivational speaker due not only to the content of his speeches that are completely linked to his condition, but mostly to the man he is, a man without limbs. If Nick was a man in perfect health who did not have a touching story behind him, he would not have been as successful. The content of Nick s speeches mainly depends on his day-to-day experiences and his journey as a whole. If Nick was a perfectly shaped man then the content of his speeches would definitely change. This can motivate many disabled people to pursue their dreams and goals. Many people nowadays let the darkness affect them, as they see the cup half empty rather than half full. Nick saw his defect as a gift, a gift that allowed him to truly become someone great. If people all around us thought that way, the world would truly be filled with greatness and positive thinkers. To conclude this report, it is suggested that Nick Vujicic specifically target disability centers and schools. Nick found a way to find the light in the dark, he should share it with people who are lost like he was. Nick learned a lot throughout his journey, but there must have been something someone could have done in order to ease his pain throughout the process. If Nick shares his journey with the targeted audience, many people will be motivated to do better and think better. 8

9 References Walters, Lilly. Secrets of successful Speaker: How You can Motivate, Captivate, and Persuade. Pennsylvania: McGraw-Hill, Ink., Vujicic, Nick. Life without Limits. New York: Doubleday Religion, Santoso, Timoius. Biblical Allusion in Nick Vujicic s Testimony Man without Limbs: Life without Limits Intertextual Analysis. (n.d.): 19. Mail Foreign Service. Mail Online. 1 July < world-famous-swimmer-surfer-footballer.html> Nick Vujicic. Life without Limbs. n.d <http.// Ventrella, Scott W. Global Post < 9

10 Nick Vujicic: A Powerful Communicator. Amani AlSaffar Amani AlSaffar is currently a sophomore at Wentworth Institute of Technology, majoring in Business Management. Amani graduated from Bahrain Bayan School located in Bahrain, which is in the Middle East. Amani has lived most of her life in Bahrain, but moved to Boston to pursue her Bachelor s Degree. Cell phone: (857) alsaffara@wit.edu COMM Business Communications Professor John Donovan 10