The world of Tzu Chi (Vol.111)

42 2019 • 06 Is our lot in life predestined? Are we bound to the path that destiny has laid out for us? Having lived half her life, Kang Koi Chin now realizes that her fate is entirely in her hands. She vows to take responsibility for her fate and to chart her own course in life. By Tan Kim Hion Translated by Woon Xiao Rui Photograph by Leong Chian Yee Writing My Own Life Story S ince young, Kang Koi Chin’s life has been nothing short of turbulent. But hitting rock-bottommade her realize that the powers above had opened a door for her, through which she found her silver lining. “A life riddled with adversities sensitized me to the true meaning of suffering and pain. I used to complain a lot, but now, my perspective towards the first half of my life has changed. I realized how blessed I am to still have the chance to turn my life around,” she said with a smile, as she recalled her past calmly. As fate would have it Koi Chin came from a poor family in Taiping, Perak. When she was 10 years old, her mother became mentally eople