When there is only one option on the table and you say that is what you want most, others don't believe it and you don't believe it either.
When there are two options on the table and you’re allowed to choose the one you prefer, others will believe if you say you prefer one of them, and so do yourself.
We can never have all the options in the world, but we can fill our table with as many options as possible in order to see a bigger world.
- Quote from Unnamed Netizen
The “Bigger World” Is Not Here But Faraway
Born in the countryside and accustomed to rural life, Kexin still has a personality that’s innocent like a child, although she is in her early twenties. Like other rural kids, she enjoys the fragrance of the soil, and likes to catch fish and pick mushrooms whenever she has time.
With a carefree rural life and a well-known rural environment, Kexin used to feel that her whole world was the small village surrounded by mountains and rivers.
But when relatives came to visit her family on festivals, Kexin would also doubt her own world.
That’s because the relatives would tell Kexin about the bizarre and prosperous scenes they saw in the city, the great sense of achievement and considerable income they had after busy hours and hard work, and the stories full of reversals they encountered in interpersonal relationships. These represented a world that Kexin never knew before, and filled the curious girl with infinite longing.
Of course, some relatives would also say things like, "You are such a big girl, but you are still staying at home. Young people in our village have all gone to the city. You should go out and polish yourself", "How can there be a hopeless and unmotivated little girl like you"...
Strong curiosity about the outside world plus a young person's unwillingness to admit defeat made Kexin determined to venture into the city.
See a Bigger World
The fast rhythm of the city was in stark contrast to the slow pace of the countryside, but Kexin was quite excited about it. For her, new things happened every day, different people were met every day, and new things were learned every day… Kexin felt that she had seen a bigger world.
But this bigger world was cruel, too, especially for a rural child like Kexin who came to work in a big city alone.
She sold clothes and worked in customer service. These jobs earned her a salary of RMB 2,000 per month, but the apartment rent alone cost her RMB 800, and it was common that her payment would be delayed. When calling home, Kexin always said that she was leading a good life and enjoying good food every day, so that there was no need for the family to worry about her. But in fact, she was stuffing herself with instant noodles for each meal.
At that time, Kexin was under a lot of pressure, but she knew that as long as she persevered, she could have her own place in this "bigger world".
A Bigger World of Unknowns
By accident, Kexin came to know the livestreaming industry and the new “streamer” profession. At first, she was a little hesitant, because after all, she had never been in this industry before, so she didn't know how to livestream, and was afraid that she could not do the job well. But eventually, she decided to give it a try, because her situation just couldn’t get any worse.
Kexin first chose to be a part-time streamer after getting off work every day. Even if she was in a hurry, she would do some makeup before livestreaming, hoping that she could appear in front of fans in the best state.
With her increasing proficiency in livestreaming, Kexin decided to devote herself to the trade and become a full-time streamer. After ending her livestreaming session every day, she would think about what to stream for her next session, hoping that every user watching her show could be infected by her outgoing and cheerful personality, while she could bring them relaxation and enjoyment.
As a full-time streamer, the freedom, stable and sufficient income and broader career prospect have enabled Kexin to no longer be so exhausted by repetitive work that she loses the strength to carry on.
At the same time, Kexin is still constantly improving herself, using her spare time outside livestreaming to study and hoping that she can be admitted to a satisfactory university in the future. "Although livestreaming and learning sometimes conflict with each other, I think I still have to persevere and make myself better. Today's me is always better than yesterday's me, and I can see a bigger world. All these make me very satisfied."
If you want to be a better self, you need to see a bigger world, meet more wonderful people, and gain a wider range of knowledge. For most people, the "bigger world" is not here and now, but somewhere faraway – it stands for change, hope, rich experiences, and endless possibilities.