Nick Vujicic - Stand Strong: You Can Overcome Bullying (and Other Stuff That Keeps You Down)

O THER B OOKS BY N ICK V UJICIC

Life Without Limits

Unstoppable

Limitless

S TAND S TRONG
P UBLISHED BY W ATER B ROOK P RESS
12265 Oracle Boulevard, Suite 200
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921

Scripture quotations are taken or paraphrased from the following versions: The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The King James Version. The New American Standard Bible. Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org). The NET Bible, copyright 19962006 by Biblical Studies Press LLC, http://netbible.com. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Details in some anecdotes and stories have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved.

Trade Paperback ISBN 978-0-307-73093-0
eBook ISBN 978-0-307-73094-7

Copyright 2014 by Nicholas James Vujicic

Cover design by Kristopher K. Orr; cover photography by Mike Heath, Magnus Creative

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States by WaterBrook Multnomah, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House LLC, New York, a Penguin Random House Company.

W ATER B ROOK and its deer colophon are registered trademarks of Random House LLC.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vujicic, Nick.
Stand strong : you can overcome bullying (and other stuff that keeps you down) / Nick Vujicic. First edition.
pages cm
ISBN 978-0-307-73093-0 ISBN 978-0-307-73094-7 (electronic) 1. ViolenceReligious aspectsChristianity. 2. BullyingReligious aspects. 3. Christian teenagersReligious life. I. Title.
BT736.15.V85 2013
248.83dc23

2013039728

v3.1

This book, which strives to help put an end to the global bullying epidemic, is dedicated to my son, Kiyoshi, in hopes that my child and yours will grow up in a better and kinder world.

I am a bullys dream, no doubt about it.

No arms. No legs. No defense.

Born without limbs for reasons never determined, I was blessed in so many other ways. My greatest blessing was a loving and supportive family. They sheltered and encouraged me for the first years of my life. But once I left the protective shelter of family for the hallways and playgrounds of elementary school, I felt like I had a target on my chest that said, Bullies, aim here.

I felt alone in my fear of bullies, but I wasnt alone. And neither are you.

If youve been bullied, the first thing you need to understand is that their attacks, taunts, and mean acts arent really about you, any flaws you might have, or anything you might have done. Bullies have their own issues. They pick on you to make themselves feel better, to vent their anger, to feel more powerful, or even because they cant think of anything else to do.

I know its lame, but its true.

When I was a teenager, I wasted a lot of time trying to figure out why bullies picked on me. There was one guy in particular who really got inside my head. He bullied everybody, but for some reason I took it personally. I obsessed over his motives. Finally I realized that his bullying wasnt about my problems. It was about his.

You may have a bully who has had the same impact on you, getting inside your head, knotting your stomach with stress, and tormenting your dreams because you cant figure out why you are the target. Im here to ease your mind and lighten that burden.

Your bullys motives dont matter. You do.

Your safety and your happiness are important to me and everyone else who loves and cares about you; so instead of focusing on why a bully is picking on you, lets focus on helping you feel secure and happy again.

Does that sound like a plan? I think so!

But before we move on, I want you to know that there is no single infallible strategy for dealing one-on-one with bullies. And I certainly dont recommend you resort to violence if you can help it! Dont ever let a bully lure you into a fight. If a bully attacks you, defend yourself but get away as fast as you can. If you have any reason to think a bully is going to harm you physically, you need to talk to an adult who can help you before that happens.

T HE B ULLYING E PIDEMIC

Its important to understand from the beginning that many people share your pain in dealing with this problem. Being bullied, sadly, is as common as catching a cold or stubbing your toe. I travel all over the world talking to young people about this issue. No matter where I go, bullying is a major topic of concern. Teens in every school in every town and every country tell me they have mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual pain because of being bullied.

A teen in China told me that hed tried to commit suicide eight times because of being bullied at school. A cute little Korean girl in Boise, Idaho, came up to me crying after I gave a speech on bullying. She said, I get teased every day about being Korean because Im the only Asian in the whole school.

I hear similar stories from bullying victims in Chile, Brazil, Australia, Russia, Serbia, and around the world. Bullying is everywhere, and it takes many forms. Most of us are familiar with childhood bullies who threaten to beat us up, make fun of us, or turn friends against us. Adults may experience bullying in the form of sexual harassment or as discrimination based on race, religion, sexual identity, or disabilities. Bullies can be your boss, coworkers, teachers, coaches, boyfriends, or girlfriendsanyone who abuses his power or position.