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Good Afternoon. Here is a great thought for the day:

It was a perfect day for surfing off the coast of Maui. A 13 year old surfing protégé had just finished riding a twenty foot wave and was lying face down on her surf board. Preparing to paddle out to catch another wave, her thoughts of becoming a professional surfer shifted in an instant. Without warning, she felt a tug on her left arm and in a split second she realized that she'd been attacked by a shark. As she struggled to gain her composure she realized something even more horrifying — the fourteen foot tiger shark had bitten clean through her board, taking her left arm in a single bite. At that moment in time, survival and not surfing became a priority.

Bethany Hamilton learned to surf at the age of 4. When she was 8, she entered her first contest and won both of the events that she competed in. At the age of 10, she placed 1st in the "11-under girls", 1st in the "15-under girls," and 2nd in the "12-under girls" division at the Volcom Puffer Fish contest. She was determined to become a professional surfer and was certainly on track to make it happen. Then, in one violently swift moment on that fall day in 2003, it seemed her dreams would be shattered.

However, Bethany was born with the heart of a lion and the competitive spirit of a thoroughbred. She was determined to return to the water to surf. Leaning on support from her friends, family, and her faith in God, Bethany recovered rapidly and within ten weeks from the attack was surfing again. Convinced she could overcome her physical challenge, she worked hard to learn to surf around her disability. But she also had to overcome the psychological fear of another attack. Bethany would face her fears by singing and praying when she was out on the water.

Incredible as it seems, less than a year from her attack, Bethany returned to competition taking 5th place at the National Surfing Championships and 1st place at the first event for the Hawaii National Scholastic Surfing Association. She was recognized by ESPN in 2004 and received an ESPY award for Best Comeback Athlete of the year.

Her unique ability to confront her fears, embrace them, and then continue moving forward in the direction of her goals is the perfect definition of courage.

Have a wonderful day.

"Each morning is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When the sun rises tomorrow this day will be gone forever, in its place will be something you have left — may it be something good. Follow your heart, it knows what to do."

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