Bethany hamilton quotes

I think sharks are beautiful creatures, and I don't think we should stop going in the ocean because of them. You drive down the road and you get in an accident, but most people end up driving down the road again. Surfing is you're going into their home and it's just a natural part of life.

The media can be challenging, but at the same time, without the media, I would not have been able to share my personal story. Often the media can bring beauty and encouragement to people's lives...

In the end, my love for surfing helped me overcome my fear of sharks.

God has a lot more to give and to offer than the world has to give.

It was what God had taught me growing up that helped me overcome my fear and get back on the board. 'Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go' (Joshua 1:9).

Losing an arm is kinda lame at one point, but at the same time, so much good has come out of it.

I can't change it, That was God's plan for my life and I'm going to go with it.

I'm just waiting for God to tell me what to do, but whatever it is, I want to be doing something like I am doing now-serving God and helping people.

God will give us the strength to be able to handle things. I mean, you can try to do it on your own, and sometimes you can pull off some stuff, but in the long run, it's much easier with Him by our side.

I gave my heart to Jesus when I was five-years-old and since then it's been a special relationship. To me it's not a religion; it's just talking to God, reading his word, and doing my best to honor him in everything I do.

You don't need easy, you just need possible.

Doing everything with one arm, being well-known, and having a book and a movie, it's fairly abnormal. As far as just not having to worry about past experiences, I've healed very well.

I have been able to be just a good light to people and just share His love. I wake up every day and [try to] honor God in everything that I do and I may fall short sometimes, but all I want to do is love Him.

Surfing is a huge passion of mine. I'm and addict to it in a sense. I think it is a good addiction. I spend about anywhere from two to eight hours a day in the water when I am home. I enjoy competing and traveling. I don't know, I just like being in the ocean and enjoying God's creation. Just the adrenaline you get and its good exercise you get at the same time.

I don't really want people looking to me for inspiration. I just want to be a sign along the way that points toward Heaven.

To lose your everyday life of surfing and being creative on waves, enjoying the ocean - that's scary to me. It was essential to at least try surfing again and get out there and see how it went.

My only real fear was that I would not be able to surf again because I was concerned that I would not physically be able to do it. I knew that if I wasn't able to surf then my life would really change.

Courage doesn't mean you don't get afraid. Courage means you don't let fear stop you.

My faith in God is a huge part of my life, and yeah He has blessed me with an amazing family, and group of friends. In the Bible he tells us to think positively about ourselves, to not be down on ourselves. So I just try to live the way He wants me to, and make the best decisions I can.

Like, with one arm I know I can surf, but competitive surfing can be really frustrating, and sometimes you don't do as well as you want to. It can be discouraging at times. But whenever I do get frustrated, I just focus on God.

The author describes how impressed she was with the detailed storyboards that outlined her movie – "not just sketches, but real art". She then describes a Hawaiian sunset as, "God painting His storyboard on the sky".

Surfing is very special and unique. It's really hard to explain unless you've tried it. It's being out in the ocean in the sun, the water on your skin, and the adrenalin rush when you catch a wave. You have to be creative so it's like an art form in a way.

I believe in Jesus Christ, and I believe He gave me the passion and determination to continue surfing. You fall off the horse, and you get back on. I had to go for it.

My favorite thing [about surfing] is being creative on waves; it's like an art form. You can do whatever you want on that wave if you work hard at it and just have fun out there.

Besides surfing, I play tennis, volleyball, I swim, I run hills, or I do high-intensity, high-interval workouts. I'm up at 5 A.M. every day.

Compassion can drive us to do amazing things and give us perspective.

The paramedic whispered in my ear 'God will never leave you or forsake you.'

People can do whatever they want if they just set their heart to it, and just never give up, and just go out there and do it.

I guess my faith in Jesus Christ is what kept me going day by day. I just trusted in him and I believe that he's the one who gives me the strength and ability to overcome struggles and problems day to day. I'm just grateful for him, as he has blessed me with just an amazing family that has supported me through every step of the way.

Being out there in the ocean, God's creation, it's like a gift He has given us to enjoy.

Life is a lot like surfing… When you get caught in the impact zone, you’ve got to just get back up. Because you never know what may be over the next wave.

Learning how to deal with people and their reactions to my life is one of the most challenging things... people staring at me, people asking rude questions, dealing with media, stuff like that.

Your looks do not define who you are.

Our health and well-being is something that we can almost control, to a certain extent. We can choose to eat healthy, we can choose to think positively, and we can choose to have good posture. All this stuff makes a difference, and the way that you look and feel, and your confidence.

Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That's what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.

I love the ocean, and I love surfing. It's something so special and unique, and surfing is unlike any other sport. Skateboarding is amazing, you get the adrenaline rush, but you don't get the feel of the ocean, of doing its own thing. Totally surrounding you. Definitely a unique thing, it's a blessing, and a huge part of my healing process I would say.

I believe in God. Nobody made me believe; I don't think you can or should try to force someone to believe something. And even though my parents taught me stuff about God and read Bible stories to me from as early as I can remember... it was my choice to become a believer in Him. The way I see it, putting our faith in God is something that each person has to come to on his or her own. It's your own personal relationship with Him; a bond that's as unique as a fingerprint.

I don't know how long I'll be competing but I'll always be surfing. I'll be surfing until I'm old.

Getting back on the surfboard after the [shark] attack was the hardest thing and I did it! After that, the hardest thing was my first competition.

Life is full of what-ifs. You can’t let it hold you back. If you do, you’re not really living at all… just kind of going through the motions with no meaning

Love is bigger than any tidal wave or fear.

That's really what ultimately matters - the emotions and feelings that you experienced and people around [whom] you experienced [them].

None of us are going to have perfect lives. Our own vision of what we think is good maybe different from what He [God] thinks. And we forget that. We think we know what's best and we don't.

I think it doesn't matter if you are the best surfer in the world. I'm going to try to be the best surfer I can be. It's not all about competing and being the best. It's more about having fun and just doing what you love.

Strive to find things to be thankful for and just look for the good in who you are!

Being able to turn to Jesus after the shark attack kept me alive.

Fear is something that can really hold us all back from different things in life. It's important to notice what your fears are and try to conquer them.

Love God; love others; do your best in all you do, even if you fall short!

Surfing is so unique and it's something that no matter what level you are, you can go and have fun. You can pick and choose the waves that you want to surf, so if it is too big and scary, you can wait until it changes and gets more to your level. Every time you go out it's always different and unique. It's almost like a place you can just de-stress.

I just love being on the ocean and being creative on the waves and the feeling you get when you're surfing. All around it's beautiful and fun.

I think passion is something that's more powerful than even love. It's something that you're not willing to let go of, and you'll work really hard to make sure that stays a part of your life.

We all go through rough times. We have those obstacles that seem too large to overcome or that current that you never seem to swim out of. We have to decide what matters most to us - our passions.

I just try to be myself and not conform to something I'm not and just continue doing what I do. I just try not to think about the fact that I'm an inspiration for people.

I enjoy hanging out with friends, going on hikes and playing tennis. I also enjoy Bible study and making dinners. I have a pretty mellow life away from the water.

When I was about five, I gave my heart to Jesus Christ, and since then it's just been a stronghold in my life. Really, through the shark attack and all the hard times that my family and I went through, it gave us unity and perseverance to push through all this crazy stuff that we never knew was going to happen.

My strength came from my relationship with Christ and from the love and encouragement of my family and friends.

Both of my parents are surfers, of course, so they understood where my passion for surfing was at and I guess they saw the talent that I had.

I don't want easy, just possible.

[The biggest lesson I've got is] Learning to have patience with people, just take it one step at a time in everything that you're doing and just invest time in the people that you're with ... have patience with them, even if they're not necessarily the easiest person to work with.

I'm actually not star-struck... I like to give people their own space and admire them from a distance.

I don't need easy, I just need possible.

There's no such thing as a handicap - it's all in your head

It's sad to hear that 1 in 3 girls have an eating disorder, because they're trying to be something that they think they need to be, when it's such a lie that they believe. Meanwhile all over the world there's people that are starving or dying of something crazy that we forget, and we think we're the only ones in this world.

I'm a surfer at heart. Both my parents moved to Hawaii in the 1970s, where they met and became Christians. Then they taught me and my two brothers how to love the Lord - and how to surf!

I guess I just like to challenge myself and push myself harder to do things that I dont think I can, to do things that other people do not think I can. It pushes me. I push my own personal limits.

Being creative on the waves is challenging, but we each create art in our own way.

You fall off the horse and you get back on.

It's hard for me to describe the joy I felt after I stood up and rode wave in for the first time after the attack. I was incredibly thankful and happy inside. The tiny bit of doubt that would sometimes tell me you'll never surf again was gone in one wave.

Surfing for me is more than my lifestyle; it's my passion, my love and it's a part of me.

I could never have embraced this many people with two arms.

It's been amazing to touch people's lives.

It's easy to look at the things of this world to solve our challenges and obstacles in life, but when we submit our lives to Christ, His grace, mercy, peace and love will bring true fulfillment to our lives.

God created the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the waves for our enjoyment. Surfing is just my way of worshipping Him.

The end...is just the beginning

My belief is where I get my strength. When I'm struggling with something, I can go to him for help and I'm excited to share that.

I wouldn't change what happened to me because then I wouldn't have this chance, in front of all of you, to embrace more people than I ever could have with two arms.

We all need that extra friend outside of our immediate family to talk about that extra stuff you wouldn't normally talk to your parents about.

Love is bigger then a tsunami, stronger then any fear.