<p>This one was a hard one to write. I couldn’t think of any other examples other than personal ones.</p>
<p>Do people need to compare themselves with others in order to appreciate what they have? </p>
<p>“She has nicer hair than me. He runs faster than I do. Her father buys her everything, while my father is stingy.” Every day, these hackneyed, disgruntled ramblings sound throughout cities. Due to human nature, feelings of envy and jealousy naturally arise due to comparisons with other people. However, these comparisons also hold the ability to precipitate a sense of appreciation. Although not a requisite, comparison to other people is still a strong stimulus for appreciation, especially when it boils down to a matter of suffering by disease or disability.</p>
<p>After encountering and seeing disabled and interminably sick patients, many are emotionally moved and realize how much better off they are. In 2008, a young man in his 30s led a conference in Hong Kong. A crowd of 40000 people was present, and the atmosphere was initially cheery and bustling. The young man’s name was Nick Vujicic. As he walked up onto the stage, silence fell over the crowd as a flurry of flashes from camera crews blinded the area. It was not the eminence of Vujicic that silenced the crowd – it was the fact that he was walking onto the stage with no legs and no arms, smiling as if nothing were wrong. Silence continued as he greeted the crowd enthusiastically, eliciting no response from the crowd. </p>
<p>The tense atmosphere is a clear indicator of a change in mood. Nick Vujicic, who noticed the stark change in the audience, began retelling the story of how he ended up limbless. He was born in Australia by a healthy pair of parents who never had a history of any genetic disabilities or defections. However, when Vujicic was born, the doctors discovered that he had caught a rare defection that resulted in a lack of limbs and therefore a lack of legs and arms. At an early age of eight, Vujicic had already given up on his life, ready to believe that there was no future for him. By ten years of age, he attempted suicide but was saved by doctors after being rushed to the hospital. </p>
<p>As he grew up, Vujicic recalled, he matured not only physically, but mentally. After his initial attempt to suicide, Vujicic decided to try to do something more with his life – he graduated with a degree in business and attempted painting with his mouth. By now, he calmly stated during the conference, he was a successful man with a job in business, while also traveling around the world to tell his story of not giving up. Never lose hope, he says. Never. Tears forming in his eyes, he tells the audience about how he felt like he could never get back on his feet, both literally and figuratively. However, by not giving up, Vujicic is able to make the most out of his life without feet and hands. By the end of the speech, the crowd was in tears, and cameras were no longer flashing as the cameramen bowed their heads out of respect.</p>
<p>Indisputably, the doleful life story told by Vujicic was poignant enough to move the attending people and stimulate them into a sense of appreciation for their own situations after a comparison to Vujicic’s. As a member of the audience at the conference, I can truthfully assure that ever since the conference, I have never appreciated life more than how I appreciate it now. Born with hands and feet, unlike Vujicic, I have grown to be thankful for what I have and rather than grumbling about what I don’t have. Heaven knows that with the rising poverty levels today, this kind of attitude is essential to a better overview of life.</p>
<p>Score out of 12 and any suggestions or comments please and thank you!</p>