There are two roads in front of you -
One is to continue the comfortable and stable life at present. Maybe what you do is not what you like, but so what? At least you can ensure that the family has no worries about food and clothing;
Another one is to escape from the comfort zone and do what you want to do. Of course, the road ahead is dangerous. You may have been exploring in the dark, and you may have developed one day.
Most people choose the former. Who makes us have old people and young people? A stable income is more important than anything else.
A small number of people chose the latter, choosing a dangerous life path without a stable income and may be in danger.
Guo ShujuanMonica is one of the latter.
Guo Shujuan, China's first women's longboard surfing champion. Once upon a time, she was a real estate white-collar worker who wore high heels and carried famous brand bags to discuss business with customers; now, she is a surfer, and just one surfboard every day is enough, such as high heels, even shoes are thrown aside.
Guo Shujuan entered the media's vision because she became a member of the Chinese national surfing team and was expected to represent China in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Therefore, she was able to stand on the TED podium to share her inspirational stories. The story that the media is keen to forward is that Guo Shujuan was an ordinary girl in a small county in Yangshuo. She then came to Hainan to work as a real estate white-collar worker, then resigned as a professional surfer, and then... With surfing entering the Olympic Games event in August last year, she was able to join the national team as China's first women's longboard surfing champion.
Guo Shujuan is called the surfing goddess by netizens. All pictures in this article are provided by REnextop
The foreseeable future. This 30-year-old girl with Liu Wen’s Chapter Ziyi’s combination face and wheat-colored healthy body is expected to become China’s next sports star.
escaped from the comfort zone. After a long 7-year journey, Guo Shujuan finally found another scenery in her life. "I dare not imagine that she stayed in Yangshuo and found a so-called peaceful job, and then got married and had children. It is not that such a life is not good, but that I prefer challenges compared to comfort, otherwise I would not find fun."
From resigning from full-time surfing at the beginning to becoming China's first women's longboard surfing champion, Guo Shujuan has been going through 7 years. How can she support herself?
"Just surfing." Guo Shujuan didn't think it was difficult to do part-time jobs, teach classes, and surfing. It's very hard, but anyone has never had a difficult time, right? And it's these so-called difficult times that make me successful now. Looking back, I will find that it's not very difficult." She added that she was lucky to sign the extreme sports platform REnextop more than a year ago. "If it weren't for their support, it wouldn't have made me grow in the past two years. The biggest change after signing the contract is that I can focus more on improving my sports skills and participate in a large number of competitions. I have training without worrying about other things, and it becomes easier and more professional. I really thank them for giving me too much help."
This girl who loves "waves" said that surfing is a kind of exercise that can be close to nature, and nature is ever-changing, so there are different experiences every day. People will never encounter a wave that is exactly the same in their life, so you will cherish every moment in the present, open your senses and experience it carefully and enjoy it. "This feeling is wonderful, you will be addicted."
What should I do if I can't rush the wave one day? Guo Shujuan's answer is that her biggest dream is to open a surfing school. "I can't rush. I'll probably wait until I'm 80 years old before I think about this problem. Haha!"
So, dear, escape from the comfort zone, do you dare? From the following Guo Shujuan’s speech at TEDx Hejiangting, you may find the courage and answer:
The first time I stood on such a big stage, I am Monica.
I would like to ask everyone, can you raise your hands if you have experienced surfing? It seems that everyone is not very familiar with surfing. It doesn't matter, next, I want to take you guys to surf.
Of course, what I want to talk about is not the waves in the sea, but also the waves in life. Because our lives are like waves, with ups and downs, wind and rain.
I remember when I was in high school, I often went to Internet cafes all night because of watching movies. I like to watch movies around the world because there are many things in the movies that I can learn, which will make my worldview bigger. One day, a movie called "Blue Passion" attracted me deeply. Although the movie was called "Blue Passion", there was actually not much passion. In the movie, she has no money to pay the rent, she has to work two jobs, take care of her disobedient sister, and challenge her fear of the big waves. But because she loves surfing, she has been persisting. At that time, I was wondering how charming surfing is, which will make her walk bravely.
In 2008, I finished surfing in Hong Kong. After returning to Yangshuo, I still missed the surfing time in Hong Kong. At that time, I suddenly thought of the movie I was in high school - Blue Passion, Surfing was like blue opium, calling me all the time.
At this moment, I heard that Hainan could surf, so I made the biggest decision in my life - I quit my job in Yangshuo, packed my luggage, ignored my parents' opposition, bought a one-way air ticket, flew to Sanya , and became a real estate white-collar worker.
Because you want to live, right?
But I told myself it doesn’t matter, actually I’m closer to the sea, right?
Of course, my days in Sanya are completely different from those in Yangshuo. In Sanya, I can see blue sky and white clouds every day. Especially when I get off work, I still have an hour and a half to surf. I especially like the waves of sunrise because I am alone in the sea, and I can see the sun slowly rising from the sea, and the sea water and the sky are changing impermanently.
At that time, I felt that the world had stopped and left me in that best moment.
Because of surfing, I have contacted many friends. There is a very special person, and his name is also very special. His name is Iron Pile . He is a boy who becomes confident and charming when talking about surfing, and soon we become very good friends. One day he told me that he was not like this. He was born in Inner Mongolia and came to Hainan because of his life. He worked as a worker on the beach to take photos of tourists riding horses. Because he felt that his education was not high enough, he could not talk to others confidently until he encountered surfing, and all this changed. He found himself and confidence in the sea. Now he can not only talk to people freely, but even communicate in English is no longer a problem.
Guo Shujuan in life.
Guo Shujuan drove out to "walk".
Just when I felt that all this was going smoothly, I broke up in 2010 and gave up the job of a real estate white-collar worker. This incident was like an outbreak point, and all the little doubts around me were surging like waves.
"How can girls be so tanned?"
"Can you have enough food while surfing?"
"Dangerous!"
family and friends worry that made me full of doubts about such a life. At that time, I just wanted to go back to my parents and be a good girl, and continue to live a comfortable life without worrying about the source of income.
I still remember very clearly that night, I packed all my luggage, sat on the sofa, held a bottle of beer, and looked at the empty cabin, and suddenly I could clearly see what my future was like, from 9 to 5, and maybe after get off work, I could drink with my friends and talk about my surfing life by the beach.
Maybe I followed my parents' arrangements and found a boy and married myself. When I think of such a future, I suddenly became scared. I was afraid that I would make such a decision. Suddenly, a multiple-choice question for life flashed in my mind.
Guo Shujuan was pondering by the sea.
A. Return to Yangshuo’s comfort zone and spend your life in a plain way.
B. Adjust your state and continue to challenge a different future.
Guess which one I chose?
Before I left, Iron pile said something to me. He said Monica, I persevered because I believe in myself. I know that if you believe in yourself, you will definitely do something greater, and there will always be milk and bread. Maybe I really drank too much that night, maybe I was unwilling to spend my whole life so dull, and I decided to stay and accept the challenge.
Because I was exposed to surfing early, in 2011, I was lucky to be the only two female surfers in China and were invited by WSL (World Surfing League) to participate in the World Women's Surfing Championship. That was my first competition, and the field of the competition was a left-hand wave that I would never rush. At this time, I would like to give you some information. When we were surfing, the strong foot would stand behind the board. My right foot was strong, so my right foot would be at the back to facilitate the direction of the board. And the competition venues are all left-handed waves, right? My forehand is my right hand wave, so I can easily make some steering movements. The wave I turn against is my left hand wave, which will be very difficult. How can I try my best to turn around? At that time, I wouldn't even rush to the left hand, so I really don't know why I agreed.
But I have agreed, so I have been practicing all the time, and you don’t know how much time I spent. After the
competition, you can guess which place I got. First place, but last. But I didn't feel embarrassed because I was playing with the world champions.
When they knew I wouldn't be squirting my left hand 5 months ago, they were all shocked. They also kept encouraging me to stick with it because I was doing something meaningful and I got their recognition.
In the following days, I kept training and participating in competitions. In 2013, I won my first championship, although there were only four girls participating that time. When I stand on the stage, (applause) Thank you! When I stood on the awards stage, I knew that all my efforts were not in vain. I believe that those who have worked hard will understand how I felt at that time!
In 2016, I participated in a competition in Japan. There was something very interesting. A boy about ten years old, bowed deeply to the sea before going to the sea. I don’t know if this is Japanese etiquette or his awe of the sea, but his actions deeply shocked me.
You may not know that many people pay more attention to the marine environment because of surfing, because we humans are very small. Under the huge waves, they can swallow you every second. When facing nature, we must always learn to respect and be humble. Learning respect and awe does not mean that we have become weaker, but my heart has become stronger.
Guo Shujuan enjoys the sea.
Respect nature and the sea, which has taught me how to find the courage to believe in myself among the many strong people, especially when surfing, because I am a girl, I often have to compete with more than a dozen boys for the waves. Everyone knows that if I rely solely on strength, I may not be able to compete, right? But do you know which trick I use? I told them with my eyes that I would try my best to catch the waves I like, and no one can grab them. In this way, I became a water female demon.
This female devil accepted a very big challenge this year: in order to make me able to represent China in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, I put down my strengths, my specialty strengths, and I changed my weaknesses.
Next, I will tell you why shortcomings are so difficult. Because the short board is only half the length of the long board, the short board is only about 1.7 meters, and the long board will have 3 meters; because the long board is long and has great buoyancy, it can easily grasp the wave when it has just formed and is strong, and can make elegant dance moves on the tip of the wave; because the short board is short and has little buoyancy, it needs more strength to go to water skiing and grasp it when the wave is strongest. If you want to make these crazy moves and difficult moves, you need more strength, more explosive power, and faster reaction ability to complete them.
so that everyone knows why I say it is a challenge!
At that time, many people asked me every day: Are you afraid of you for being challenged like this? What if you lose? I will say that if I lose, I lose. It is better than doing nothing. I won’t regret losing, but I will regret it if I don’t do it.
When you understand this truth, are you enjoying it in the process and gaining it? If so, isn’t that enough?
Next, I want to show you the world of surfing...
Guo Shujuan's surfing shot.
The process of watching waves is a very beautiful process.
Because you can't be anxious, you can only wait for what it gives you, and then let you learn to calm down. I am the only one in the water, the surfboard and the waves. You will never encounter the same wave in your life, so you must cherish it.
No matter how big the wave is, don’t be afraid, if you are afraid, it will bully you and defeat you. Then the small wave, very clean wave, you can enjoy it.
Surfing, I think it is a very soulful sport. It is closely related to my life. In fact, it is also because of surfing. Stepping into a very strange environment, which allows me to learn to be independent slowly... (Applause)
7 years ago, I was an ordinary real estate white-collar worker. Now I am a member of the national surfing team. My family has slowly begun to support me after seeing my changes. Even my father was dragged into the water by me. Are you very well-behaved...
Everyone wants to change, but few people can do it, because changing requires love, courage, and need to find what you love the most in your heart. If you find it, no matter what it is, you have to feel its calling to you, it will be a very wonderful process.
Next, please close your eyes and listen... (sound of waves)
This is my inner call, this is my wave calling me, so, what about yours?
Thank you!
