陕西省定边县第四中学高中英语 Unit 1 Breaking records 背景材料 文章 Words of wisdom from the person with most Guiness Records 素材 新人教版选修 9With over 65 valid records from a total of 150 entries to the Guiness World Records (the publication has recently changed its guidelines and many records were deemed as unhealthy and rendered obsolete), Ashrita Furman is the the most record-able person in this prestiged publication. Furman must be a fascinating person indeed, and I was so impressed with the explanation he provides within his official website to support his personal drive for breaking records that I decided to reprint his words here. Truly, an example of self-transcendence and determination (or resilience and insanity, depends how you look at it, I guess)!“As a kid I had a huge fascination with the exotic places and people listed in the Guinness Book of Records, but being a non-athlete, I never imagined ever actually getting a world record myself. Years later, as a teenager, I became interested in Eastern spirituality and began studying meditation with Sri Chinmoy. Suddenly, I was filled with an inner joy and a seemingly inexhaustible energy. Sri Chinmoy also taught me about his philosophy of self-transcendence, that when you have access to the divine power we all have within us, nothing is impossible. Under my teacher’s guidance, I eventually learned how to incorporate my newfound energy into my spiritual life while pursuing athletic goals, and I realized that it was time to fulfill my childhood dream of becoming a Guinness recordholder. In 1979 I set my first record by doing 27,000 jumping jacks, and it was such a thrill that I immediately began training for the next record and I haven’t stopped since! I have also been fortunate enough to travel with the group that often accompanies Sri Chinmoy on his international concert tours of music dedicated to world harmony, and I’ve had the opportunity to set records at some of the most magnificent wonders of the world.”
