I Trained for China’s Biggest Exam. But I Was Fighting the Wrong Enemy. The Emotional Monster Was Harder to Beat Than Any Exam

EP02: Monster No.2 — Redefining My Life Between the Track and the Wilderness

🎤 This is a topic I’ve wanted to talk about for years — but only recently have I truly felt it and struggled with it: the tension between the path my parents dreamed for me and the life I want for myself. 🎉 I shared a short speech about it at Toastmasters, but I left with so many thoughts unsaid. So in this episode, I’m diving deeper into that struggle — navigating family expectations, questioning my own choices, and exploring what it really means to build a life that’s truly mine. 🌲I’d love to hear your thoughts — so feel free to leave me a comment or message. Are you on a track that doesn’t feel like yours? Are you wandering through the Wilderness, searching for your own path? Or have you already found the track that truly belongs to you?🏃‍♀️ Want to read the full text version? 👉 View Here [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1CUVh2IPUeOESdqE3yrCpRMAMm6-uKFD_eDiGiawhAus/edit?tab=t.0]

I Trained for China’s Biggest Exam. But I Was Fighting the Wrong Enemy. The Emotional Monster Was Harder to Beat Than Any Exam

💬 For easier listening, I’ve added a transcript link below. Feel free to read along as you listen! 👉 View transcript [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1O_myTiGw__LFdmmuJPN5tV_rpUmwhJxT8IMMrT7CjL8/edit?usp=sharing] What if your biggest enemy in school wasn’t the exam — but the voice in your head saying, “You’re not enough”? In this powerful debut episode, Selina takes you inside China’s Gaokao — one of the world’s most intense college entrance exams, where teens train like Olympic athletes for a shot at a better future. But while preparing for the test, she found herself battling something even harder: the emotional monster of shame, self-doubt, and silence. From ranking at the bottom of her class to crying alone on the balcony, Selina’s story isn’t about acing the system — it’s about surviving it. And in the process, she discovered something much more important than perfect scores. If you’ve ever felt trapped by negative emotions, convinced that you’re failing at everything — this story is for you.