The Story of “Mei Li” - Human Map Project
Mei Li is a forty-year-old Chinese math teacher who has taught in an international school for over seventeen years. She was born as the only child in her family and grew up in a traditional Chinese culture. She likes math and loves trying new things, such as cooking, reading, and traveling. In her life, she faced many challenges, such as early family divorce when she was a child, pushing herself with her mom academically to survive in a rigorous educational system, and never-ending pressure to succeed in her society.
Despite all her challenges, Mei Li was able to stay positive in her life thanks to her grateful attitude toward the relationships and opportunities that she came across. She believes that her being able to work in an international school despite her poor English, meeting wise colleagues to reach for help, and having a wonderful mom to always accompany her throughout the challenges were great blessings to her. Rather than being frustrated by situations or thinking endlessly negatively, she actively decides to maneuver her psychological journey, believing "You feel how you think".
Moreover, she firmly believes in the meaning of life thanks to her strong foundation in Christianity. Ever since she accepted Christianity's selfless love and grace, she could drop her greed and obsession with financial success in her life and focus on what she thinks are more real and important things, such as relationships, interests, and happiness in her life. Thus, even when she is caught up with the pressures and fears sometimes, in the end, she does not criticize her self-esteem and knows how to make meaningful progress and interactions to get herself out of such challenges.
From Mei Li's life, we can learn that a positive attitude and a firm belief in meaning are crucial for maintaining healthy mental well-being. By having a grateful attitude toward what she is given and knowing what to cherish and what to let go of, she actively controls the pace of her life and avoids dwelling on unnecessary emotions that hinder her happiness.