Shark attack survivor and pro surfer Bethany Hamilton chooses to see the positive, even when it’s hard.
“Your thoughts become your reality,” she shared in an Instagram post. “If you choose the negative, then you will see and focus on the negative.”
But if you choose to see the positive, then you will focus on that. When you focus on the negative, you’ll only add difficulty to your life, she explained.
“I share this because it’s been a struggle for me the last few years. And I knew I needed a shift,” the mom of four explained.
Hamilton said that it’s important to have encouraging people around, too, such as elders, family and most importantly Jesus.
“Jesus is always calling us back to the life He has designed for us,” she shared, referencing 2 Chronicles 7:14 and John 16:33.
She concluded, “Life has its challenges. Darkness can creep in. Don’t allow the dark to win. With Jesus all things are possible! You can overcome!”
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In another post, Hamilton shared that the great thing about pain and hardships is that there is often joy once you’ve made it through them.
“No, we are never going to be perfect but we can experience joy amidst the many seasons life may bring,” she wrote.
Earlier this year, she spoke about overcoming losing her arm at age 13 in a shark attack and learning to surf again at Colgate University.
“I never thought it was going to happen. But seeing how I was able to adapt…it’s so much more than me,” Hamilton said. “Most people would see this as such a horrible thing, but I see all the meaning that God has brought out of it, and it’s just incredible how we can turn things that we don’t understand into good.”
Hamilton had lost 60% of her blood during the incident and almost died. After the accident, she chose to focus on the fact that her life was a miracle, not a tragedy.
“Instead of focusing on what’s not going right, you’re focusing on how good and beautiful things are right in your life,” Hamilton said. “You’re looking for the good.”
She shared how being grateful and positive changes brain health for the better.
“God calls me to be grateful in all circumstances. Not just when life is going good and easy — and I’ll be the first to admit that’s very challenging,” she shared.
In the midst of trials, gratitude and positivity should be our focus. It may be hard, but as Christians, it is what we are called to do.
Read Next: Bethany Hamilton Explains How A Positive Mindset Changed Her Life
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