Bethany Hamilton was just an ordinary girl with a passion for surfing. One day, when she was 13 years old, she went out into the ocean with a group of friends. While paddled out through the water, a tiger shark attacked her and severed her arm. She was rushed to the hospital, where she lost more than half of the blood in her body. Bethany had dreams of becoming a professional surfer, but found that they were destroyed. She had to start all over. But, she persevered through the feelings of pain, loss and frustration. Through her strength and determination, Bethany was able to teach herself how to surf with one arm.
In the blink of an eye, we may find ourselves faced with seemingly overwhelming odds. But, we have to remember that these obstacles can be beaten. When faced with a great obstacle, it may help to keep the following in mind:
1. Don’t be afraid to fail.
In an article I read recently in the Huffington Post, I realized how prevalent failure is in everyday life. In this article, I read that Thomas Edison failed 1,000 times before creating the light bulb, Oprah gave birth to a child at 14, Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime, Stephen King’s first novel was rejected 30 times, and Jim Carrey was homeless. Failure is how we grow.
2. Never give up.
When you are pushed down, pull yourself back up, brush the dirt off your pants and keep on going.
3. Hold on to your dreams.
If you hold onto your dreams, not only will you be able to keep moving forward, but you will be able to visualize your future.
If you need a little extra inspiration, here's a few more examples of people that overcame some pretty incredible odds:
