Wish Dish | Share Your Story

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My Stuttering Problem Helped Me Inspire Millions

November 10

Damir Pervan

Faith

with

The next thing I remember I was hanging from a bridge while he held me with his arms around my waist.

I was crying my eyes out, but it was all just amusing to him. He finally put me down and explained to me that he was joking, but I was beyond terrified by his bullying. I experienced severe stuttering and couldn’t speak fluently afterwards.

This would have been the end of my story if I was a different person. There are people who don’t fight when it gets tough, who accept reality and the limitations imposed by others. But I’m fighter, I always have been, and I wasn’t going to stop there.

Although I suffered so much because of that one man, he helped me to find my way to make a difference and help millions of people. To me, that was God directing my steps.

God gave me that adversity so I could be of service, so I could contribute to society, and alleviate the pain in other people’s lives. I was given stuttering so I could make a difference and make this world a better place.

Two years ago I started expressing my feelings and findings with stuttering on paper. I wrote about my childhood and my struggles. I wrote about my mom. I brought back all these memories and I cried like a baby, but I never stopped writing. Sometimes I wrote for hours locked in my room. I wrote about some useful techniques that I use in dealing with stuttering and how I trained my mind by focusing on my environment in order to speak fluently. It was liberating to write and share my findings on paper.

Then, in May 2016, I decided that I should turn all my notes in into a book that would change people’s lives and help them speak fluently. I decided to hire an editor and embark on this journey. Journey of service and contribution. Journey of hope and light in the world.

Then someday while I was reflecting on my life, it dawned on me. I found my purpose for living. All these years I was running away from stuttering and avoiding talking about it. But not anymore. My purpose is to inspire and encourage millions of people who stutter each day with my life story.

I’ve finished the book and it’s on its way to being published. The title is “Overcoming Stuttering, My Story: Five Ways to Speaking Fluently Forever.” The release date is April 3rd 2017 and I cannot be more happy and excited. In order to make a big difference in the world, I decided to send all the profits from my book to building schools for kids in Guatemala with the organization Pencils of Promise. I also want to dedicate it to my late mother. Why?

I want to help and inspire millions of people so that after I’m gone, the whole world remembers that I was here.

One day, friend asked me, “What is your motivation for doing this if it’s not for money or fame?” I said to him, “My motivation is seeing the faces of those kids when I build that school and seeing people speaking fluently after they read my book. Knowing that I made a difference in somebody’s life. There is no greater motivation than that.”

This is how I plan to make a difference and make this world a better place. Now it’s your turn. How are you going to make a difference in the world?

The Battle, Upon Losing Artie

The Battle, Upon Losing

the

hurricane

havingherheart

t-o-r-n
f
r
o
m

h
e
r

BREAST

her grief
threatening
to drown
the
mosh pit dancer
of a ballerina

in a river
of
her

own tears

as all await

that

first

sal. t. y.

d. r. o. p.

to. s. l. i. d. e.

d
o
w
n

her

high

rosy
cheekbones

e t e r n i t y

passespassespasesspassesby

for she willNOT
bend
nor
give THEM
thesatisfaction

of finding even a pin tuck
out of place
in the

pink tutu
that is her
unassuming armor.

heartwrench
beitasitasandwillbe

she will stand

she will plea-eh?

and she WILL
do battle
just
as

hertwinsouldid

gloves high
toes en point

lithe legs
covered
in pale
pink tights
pink tutu of armor
guarding her

and
HIS
GLOVES

laced up tight

GIGANTIC
atop seeming f r a i l t eeeeeeee

there will be no vanquishing
becauseofthis

heartbreak

THIS MAGNIFICENT LOVE
may
perhaps
be
gone
from this tangible plane

but
these sweet memories

will only serve

to strengthen
her resolve

to be

the

second

greatest

fighter

herstory

and so

a
pirouette

Grand Jetè

and with the grace of Giselle

she

once again

at ready

lithe legged
chignoned

pale pink tights

pink tutu

Cassius Clay’s
worn black
gloves

laced up

t.i.g.h.t.

and thus armored

with
one heroes

gloves

and one heroes
gentle arm

u
o n
r d
a

her shoulder

a quiet whisper in her soft ear

“you’re my girl”

off she dives once more

chignon first

into the mosh pit
I

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My Stuttering Problem Helped Me Inspire Millions

The next thing I remember I was hanging from a bridge while he held me with his arms around my waist.

God gave me that adversity so I could be of service, so I could contribute to society, and alleviate the pain in other people’s lives. I was given stuttering so I could make a difference and make this world a better place.

I want to help and inspire millions of people so that after I’m gone, the whole world remembers that I was here.

The Battle, Upon Losing Artie

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