Unstoppable
From the age of eight, Bethany Hamilton knew she wanted to be a professional surfer. The ocean is her happy place. Surfing is Bethany’s passion. Being born in Hawaii to surfer parents, it is in her blood, her DNA.
And while at first glance, this may seem a rather ordinary story, Hawaiian girl becomes world champion surfer, what makes it absolutely extraordinary is that Bethany became national surf champion with one arm!
Many have read her book, Soul Surfer, and fell in love with Bethany’s deep faith, unfailing ambition, determination and extraordinary courage.
Weeks after her attack by a tiger shark, Bethany returned to the water to continue her life’s purpose, dedicating her time to intense mental, spiritual and physical training.
What strikes me the most about Bethany’s story is her “no-excuses” attitude. She could have given up and nobody would have blamed her. After all, she only has one arm. Certainly, this could prevent her from winning competitions. Why even bother? She could have succumbed to the fear of being attacked again and let that prevent her from going back into the water altogether. Competing at the level at which Bethany wanted to compete would mean long hours of rigorous physical conditioning. Bethany never gave up. She literally dove back into the water with even more determination and desire to become the top in her sport. And she is. Not only that, she is a role model for many, especially young girls, spending time off the surf board public speaking, sharing her story which is one of faith, resilience and courage.
What is it that you want more than anything in the world? What is your life’s purpose?
I saw an Instagram post that read: “Your life is as good as your mindset.”
This saying resonated with me.
We all have the ability to do what Bethany did: ditch those excuses that get in the way of our dreams: I am not smart enough; I’m not talented enough; I’m not young enough; I’m not pretty enough. Those “what if” questions: what if it doesn’t work; what if I look bad; what if I fail?
We need to let go of whatever limiting beliefs we have and like the Nike ad says: Just do it!
Because the truth is Bethany struggled. A lot. She fell often. She got injured many times. She lost multiple competitions. She failed over and over again, but didn’t allow failure or defeat to hold her back. Yes, it was challenging, but she kept going, her eyes on her goal.
We also need to expect to fail; assume it to be hard and keep going anyway, taking massive action towards making our dreams a reality.
Perhaps you want to write your memoir, get your nursing degree, lose some weight, begin an exercise regimen, try skydiving. Whatever you are longing for, take the chance. We have one life. Let’s live our purpose!
Bethany did not allow her circumstance to stand in the way of making her dreams a reality and neither should we.
What have you been using as your reason for not pursuing your goal?
And p.s., our circumstances have nothing to do with our results.
Perhaps this pandemic is making you feel stuck. I’ll tell you this: while you’re not taking action towards living the life of your dreams, plenty of people are using this time to make their dreams a reality. Just sayin’.
Bethany became who she is today not despite her circumstances but because of them. She allowed her circumstances to work for her, not against her. We can do the same!
Like Bethany, let’s dive in, fall often, get back up, and ride this amazing wave called life.
“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.” — Bethany Hamilton
Click here to explore ways you can make your dreams a reality xxx
