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By Mallory Mattingly
Former professional surfer Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack when she was 13-years-old. Now, as a mother of four, Hamilton reminds us that “life is what you make of it.”
“There will be pain. There will be hardship. The joy in enduring is you get to see the other side…The pain you never thought you could make it through,” she wrote on Instagram.
“And then you experience joy again! God says there is purpose for us,” Hamilton continued. “To be loved by Him and to love others! This is the ultimate peace. And no we are never going to be perfect but we can experience joy amidst the many seasons life may bring. ”
Now, over 20 years since the attack, Hamilton uses her platform to share how all of us can overcome fear.
“[Fears] can blind you or stop you in your place or hold you back from just pursuing the good and beautiful things in life,” she said on Sadie Robertson Huff’s “WHOA That’s Good” podcast.
Related: Bethany Hamilton Cherishes Motherhood: ‘What a Gift’
“A lot of times our fears are just things built up in our heads. They’re not necessarily truth. To me, it’s like, first, look to God and see what he says; second, pray; talk to a friend,” the surfer continued. “Just don’t hold it all inside because I think when we hold it inside, we end up [with] this mental block.”
She also uses her platform on social media to share how a positive mindset changed her life after the accident.
“How was I able to surf with one arm + compete and do crazy awesome things in surfing,” she wrote in a post on Instagram. “I have shared with you all before just how much an epic mindset changes everything. Choosing to be thankful, and realizing that so much more is possible than we may think! Often our mindsets are limiting, but we don’t have to stay in those limiting mindsets! Now being a mom and doing daily activities with my four children, this same sentiment is true.”
“I have spent 20 years now living life with one arm,” Hamilton continued. “It is normal for me now to do daily things with my arm. There are days where I see the ease of having both arms for others, but that does not need to hold me back, because I can adapt! I have adapted and changed in so many ways for the better because of my accident years ago. You can adapt too!”
“What has pushed me to be resilient is no doubt my willingness to try,” she finished. “But even more so my faith and life foundation being in God. I hope you can overcome the hard times in your life and find hope when all else fails.”
Through her journey as a mother, athlete and survivor, Hamilton inspires others by demonstrating that overcoming hardships and fears is possible through faith, resilience and a positive mindset.
Read Next: Bethany Hamilton Know About Hard Times, But She ‘Always’ Has Hope
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