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. But many years later, I found myself facing a life-changing experience which pushed me to prove my philosophy that beauty isn’t everything.
A PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVASTATION
In 2015, I was under immense stress. I was struggling with serious health issues in 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.
