Bethany Hamilton quotes: wisdom from the one-armed wonder.
“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.”
“Whatever your situation might be, set your mind to whatever you want to do and put a good attitude in it, and I believe that you can succeed.”
“It is all about the message. Believe in your dreams.”
“Compassion can drive us to do amazing things and give us perspective.”
“We all go through rough times. We have those obstacles that seem too large to overcome. We have to decide what matters most to us—our passions.”
“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.”
“You fall off the horse and you get back on.”
“You don’t need easy, you just need possible.”
“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.”
“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.”
“The more you say something, the more you are going to believe it. Whereas if you are saying negative stuff, you’re going to believe that more. So, finding the areas that you maybe are not quite as strong in and recognizing okay, how can I grow in this area and just become stronger.”
“Keep on with believing that you can and go back to the drawing board if it’s not coming together.”
“Courage doesn’t mean you don’t get afraid. Courage means you don’t let fear stop you.”
“There’s no such thing as a handicap. It’s all in your head.”
“I know life can be hard, but I’ve learned that we can rise above even the biggest challenges and fears—no matter where you’ve come from or what you’re facing.”
“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.”
“I think sometimes people can be too ultra-focused, that they need some balance in life.”
“I think that it’s being patient and working through situations one step at a time.”
“You have to be creative so it’s like an art form in a way.”
“Being creative on the waves is challenging, but we each create art in our own way.”
“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.”
“Our country is pretty out of control when it comes to making unhealthy choices and we rarely think about all the artificial sweeteners, trans fats, bad salts, overload of sugar and all processed foods we put it into our bodies on a daily basis. I think that the best way to combat our national health crisis is proper education.”
“You are not going to get anywhere just sitting on your butt and moping around.”
“I think as women, our bodies are built differently. So I think it’s finding ways to empower what you have to the best of your ability.”
“I think we all have different bodies so finding our weak places and our strengths and celebrating the strong points and working hard at the weak points.”
“Courage, sacrifice, determination, commitment, toughness, heart, talent, guts. That’s what little girls are made of; the heck with sugar and spice.”
“Look, lots of bad stuff happens to people. That’s life. And here’s my advice: don’t put all your hope and faith into something that could suddenly and easily disappear. And honestly, that’s almost anything. The only thing that will never go away, that will never fail you, is your faith in God.”
“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 this thought every second of my life: why me? Not negatively, like, ‘Why did this terrible thing happen to me?’ But more like, ‘Why did God choose me and what does He have in mind for me?'”
“I can’t change it—that was God’s plan for my life and I’m going to go with it.”
“God did have something bigger planned for me. What we all needed to do was trust… and believe. I see that God is able to use my story to help others. Once a girl came up and told me that she had had cancer. When she learned my story it made her realize that she didn’t need to give up.”
“That’s really what ultimately matters: the emotions and feelings that you experienced and people around whom you experienced them.”
“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.”
“Your looks do not define who you are.”
“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.”
“I’m actually not star-struck. I like to give people their own space and admire them from a distance.”
“I don’t care to be famous. But at the same time, you look at all the role models these little girls have, and they don’t have anyone to look up to. I mean, it’s weird, but if I just hid out and didn’t let myself be known, who would they look up to instead, you know?”
“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.”
“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.”
“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.”
“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 am so stoked on my life. I have been through a lot and have learned a lot. I feel very blessed with everything that I’m able to do—especially being able to surf. I try to keep it simple and just be the best person I can be, and if it makes a difference in other people’s lives, that’s great!”
“It’s been amazing to touch people’s lives.”
“Knowing I can make a difference helps me push myself harder.”
“I guess I just like to challenge myself and push myself harder to do things that I don’t think I can, to do things that other people do not think I can. It pushes me. I push my own personal limits.”
“I don’t need easy. I just need possible. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes my way.”
“You make your own adventure in life. And I truly believe that if you open your eyes to your surroundings, there’s lots of neat stuff to be found practically anywhere on earth.”
“Strive to find things to be thankful for, and just look for the good in who you are!”
Related: Carrie Underwood quotes.
