Act I : The Script

If there’s a standard script for happiness, I was in that movie for 26 years. I was born an only child into a “good family.” I went to good schools, got good grades, and graduated with a degree in Communication and Journalism from one of the top universities in China. By the age of 24, I was flying business class for work, and spent more nights in five-star hotels than in my own apartment. On paper, everything was rosy! I would’ve gone far, if I’d kept at it.

But I gave it all up. At 26, I realized the script had failed me.

Instead of feeling fulfilled, I was losing sleep over deadlines and KPIs. I traveled so much for work that when my parents wanted to see me, they had to drop by my hotel room. Seeing friends or dating became nearly impossible — we all lived the same high-pressure lifestyle. One colleague told me she only saw her boyfriend when they coincided at the gym.

On the surface, my life appeared to be rewarding and glamorous, yet it was hollow and cold on the inside. I spent sleepless nights on long-haul flights wondering what I was chasing. I knew I wasn’t happy, and I questioned whether I ever would be. I could see a promotion on the horizon, but when I looked at my managers, they seemed stretched thin, and just as tired as I was. What was the point of working so hard to “go places”, if I didn’t like where I was going?

Act II : The Reboot

So I decided to reboot my life. I quit my job and moved to a country where I knew no one and spoke not a word of the language.

In my dream movie, this should have been the part where I was rewarded for taking positive action, but it didn’t work out that way. I loved Barcelona, but quickly realized the difficulties of starting a new life in Spain: visas, accommodation, building a new support network, not to mention that for the first time in my life, I didn’t have a stable income, oh, and I spoke Spanish like a grade-three student! I felt lost — this was my fresh start, but to do what? How to put down roots, in a land that is so different from where I came from? Had I made a mistake?

Act III : The Re-write

I began to contemplate the purpose of my life, to examine the space between my cultural heritage and the community I had chosen. I asked myself what I really wanted and needed — and I received help and support from therapy. Over time, I saw a way through the confusion and blockage, and I found a new path — alleviating suffering, and helping others (and myself) write their own script for happiness.

I like what I do now.

And I’m really good at it.