A close female friend once told me: “Xi Ren, you’re a perfectionist. If, one day, you become ugly, you would kill yourself.”
At the time, I thought: “Why would she say that? That’s so harsh.”
It’s true that growing up, I’d often been complimented as a beautiful girl. People often praised my beautiful eyes, my long, thick hair and so on.
I’d feel happy hearing such things, but at the same time, I’d always been raised to believe that a person’s worth isn’t determined by their appearance – the same way it’s not determined by their status or wealth, but by how they make a difference or make an impact on others’ lives.
I didn’t dwell much on her comment in the moment.
Then, many years later, I found myself facing a life-changing experience that pushed me to prove my philosophy on how beauty isn’t everything.
A PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVASTATION
In 2015, I was under immense stress. I was struggling with serious health issues involving my family that affected both my parents.
Weighed down by these and other burdens, including a toxic work environment, I often slept as little as three hours a night.
