To pursue your dreams you have to take action. Move it or lose it. Act or be acted upon. If you don‘t have what you want， consider creating what you want. God will light the path. Your chance of a lifetime， the door to your dreams is open. Your path to a purpose may present itself at any moment. Be ready for it. Do all you need to do. Learn all you need to know. If no one comes knocking， beat down a few doors. One day you’ll step into the life you desire.
Be willing to put yourself out there， to embrace the moment. Earlier in my career， before I got back pain， I offered after each speech to give a hug to everyone who wanted one. To my amazement and gratitude， many lined up to share a word and a little squeeze. I was amazed because every person I met in those sessions had something unique to offer， a gift that I could take away. You need to feel the same way about opportunities. Even those that may not seem golden at first may shine once you‘ve stepped up.
MAKE A BREAK
Even after you’ve built a powerful purpose and have developed huge reservoirs of hope， faith， self-esteem， positive attitudes， courage， resilience， adaptability， and good relationships， you can‘t just sit around and wait for a break. You have to seize upon every thread and weave a rope you can climb. Sometimes you’ll even find that the boulder that fell and blocked your path left an opening that takes you to a higher place. But you have to have the courage and the determination to make the ascent.
One of our mottos at Life Without Limbs is “Another day， another opportunity.” We don‘t simply have our slogan framed on a wall—we try to live it every day. Dr. Cara Barker， a psychologist and leadership coach， picked up on this when she wrote in a Huffington Post blog： “Nick Vujicic demonstrates that it’s possible to awaken the heart， giving inspiration to others through a situation that nearly everyone on this Earth would find debilitating. A hero， Vujicic finds opportunity where most would find a dead end.”
I‘m humbled by her words. Growing up， it was often difficult for me to ever imagine myself being called a hero or an inspiration to anyone. I realized as a child that being angry about what I didn’t have or frustrated about what I couldn‘t do only pushed people away from me， but when I looked for opportunities to serve others， they were drawn to me. I’ve learned not to wait around but to push ahead and make my own breaks because one always seems to lead to another. Every time I give a speech， attend an event， or visit a new part of the world， I meet people， learn about new organizations， and gather information that opens new opportunities down the road.
BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE
Dr. Barker correctly notes that once I switched my focus from my physical challenges to the blessings they presented， my life changed dramatically for the better. You can do the same. If I can recognize that the body God gave me is in many ways a great and wondrous gift， can you acknowledge that your own blessings may also be in disguise， perhaps even dwelling within an aspect of yourself that you see as your greatest weakness？
It‘s all about perspective. There is no hiding from life. You will take some hits. Unless you are blasted so hard you go into a coma， you will become frustrated， angry， and sad： Been there， done that. Still， I urge you to reject despair and bitterness. You can be buried by a giant wave， or you can ride it into shore. In the same way， challenging events in your life can push you down or lift you up. If you can breathe， be grateful. Use that gratitude to rise above depression and bitterness. Take one step， then another， build momentum， and create a life you love.
My physical handicap forced me to be bold and to speak to adults and other kids and to interact. And because of it I focused on my strengths in mathematics， so I always had a fallback profession if my speaking didn’t work out. I‘ve often thought that even some of the heartbreak I’ve endured because of my disability has benefited me by ****** me more compassionate toward others. In the same way， the failures I‘ve experienced have made me much more appreciative of my successes and much more sympathetic to others who struggle and fail.
TAKING MEASURE
Not all opportunities are equal. At the beginning of this chapter， I wrote about embracing my first movie role， after turning down that earlier offer.
Now if you watch The Butterfly Circus， you will see that Will， my character， at the beginning of the movie isn’t exactly an inspiring bloke. In fact， he‘s a bit repulsive because of the bitterness and despair he harbors in his heart. But I accepted this role because Will undergoes a transformation and overcomes his misery and resentment. Like a prickly caterpillar who transforms into a soaring butterfly， Will slowly sheds his suspicions and distrust and becomes a redeemed， loving， and inspiring person.
That’s how I want to be known on this planet. How do you want to be known？ In earlier chapters， we looked at the importance of having a purpose. When offers and breaks come your way， or when you create them for yourself， you must always ask yourself， Does this match up with my purpose and my values？
What qualifies as a good opportunity？ Anything that takes you another step closer to your dream. There are other types， of course. Perhaps your friends invited you to go out and get wasted last night. Or maybe you played video games instead of preparing for a meeting at work or reading a book to sharpen your skills. The choices you make determine the quality of the life you lead.
Be thoughtful. Develop high standards and strict criteria for evaluating how you invest your time and energy. Base your choices not on what feels good in the moment but on what best serves your ultimate goals. Measure them according to your values and principles. I use the Grandpa Nick rule： Will my grandkids be proud of this decision， or will they think their grandpappy was senile before his time？
