(Minghui.org) Looking at Cindy Su, it’s hard to believe that she’s not a college student—instead, she’s been a successful businesswoman for over 20 years in Taiwan, North Africa, and other regions.
By the time she was in her 20s, Cindy was highly accomplished, fashionable, and enjoyed a high salary. Now nearly 50, she still looks young. Yet behind her success lies a troubled childhood and bitter disappointment.
Fortunately, all these are behind her and now Cindy says she has had a new beginning and she is happy.
Bullied During Childhood
Cindy was born in Miaoli County, Taiwan, and when she was a child she was bullied. “That traumatic experience left a deep scar on my mind,” she recalled. “I could not understand why others hurt me so much. I no longer trusted people—I even wondered why I was alive.”
She began having recurring nightmares when she was in the second grade. “I dreamed I was being hurt,” Cindy said. She often woke up screaming.
But Cindy did not want her family to worry about her, so she never told them what she was going through. Instead, she tried her best to act like a “normal person” in front of others and hid her anxiety. “It was like I was two people: one was the normal me, and the other had been hurt.”
Early Success and Emptiness
Cindy later attended university, received a degree in international trade, and went to the UK to continue her studies after she graduated from college. She then went to Tunisia in North Africa to work in trade and she also briefly worked in Shenzhen, China.
Her exceptional capabilities were highly valued. While newcomers typically start as business assistants, Cindy was immediately assigned to business tasks when she’d just joined the company and quickly rose to the position of manager.
Cindy worked in international trade, where she was highly regarded. (Minghui.org)
In her 20s at the time, Cindy already had a high-paying job. “It was as if money was coming in with every breath I took,” she recalled. Young and unsure of how to handle wealth, she began to indulge in the material aspects of life.
“I started buying things, buying sets of clothes that cost tens of thousands of yuan one after another. I could spend more than 50,000 TWD (or US $1,600) in an hour. But the happiness I felt after each transaction only lasted about five minutes,” Cindy recalled. “Then I would go and buy another set and spend another 10,000 or 20,000 TWD.”
She was envied by her friends and family: High salary, title, boyfriend, parties, travel—she had it all. However, her life did not bring her true happiness.
Cindy often felt uneasy. Sometimes when she traveled to different countries for work, she might wake up in a hotel and suddenly freeze, wondering, “Which city am I in?” When she drank alcohol, she occasionally suddenly lost her senses and asked herself, “Who am I?”
She realized that although she seemed to have accomplished everything, she still didn’t know the true meaning of life: “I could handle all the things that needed to be done, and people praised me at work. But I did not know what my purpose in this life was.”
Hard to Find a “Pure Land”
At a young age, Cindy had already witnessed the dark side of the business world. Because of her rapid promotion, she became the target of jealousy and infighting. “I just did my job well, but sometimes colleagues became ruthless. It’s all about fighting for fame and fortune,” she continued. She experienced high-level infighting, embezzlement by cafeteria purchasing staff, and other affronts that left her exhausted.
Eventually, Cindy felt as though her hands were stained with blood and the stench of money, and no amount of washing could wash it away. Cindy realized that the world of fame and fortune was too complicated, and knew that she should leave. So, after confirming that she was financially secure, she resigned from her job.
After quitting her job in trade, Cindy turned to studying jewelry design and she began to shine in competitions. But little did she know that the design world also had its own power struggles.
Cindy discovered that the competitions already had a predetermined list of winners. In two separate competitions, the judges privately told her that she was originally supposed to win first place, but the final result was changed due to internal manipulation.
Cindy was very disappointed, as it seemed she couldn’t find a peaceful haven in the world: “I just wanted to escape these complicated things, to do something that had nothing to do with money. But then I realized that you can’t escape the struggle for fame and fortune in this world.” She began to feel disillusioned.
A Video Changed Her Life
While looking at content online, Cindy found a professor’s video. At the end of the video, the professor sat cross-legged in the lotus position. Cindy was stunned. She told her husband, “That’s the Buddha’s hand gesture!”
She learned that the professor practiced Falun Dafa, so Cindy immediately reached out to a nearby practice site and attended a nine-day workshop to learn the practice.
It took her nearly a month to read Zhuan Falun (the main teachings of Falun Dafa). She had never read a book so slowly before, and she fell asleep every time she read a section. “After reading it several times, however, I found that every sentence in the book seems to speak directly to the deepest part of life—this is truth that others could not explain,” she said.
More importantly, her resentment and hatred that had remained unresolved for many years gradually melted away. “It seemed to be eliminated layer by layer when I read Zhuan Falun. The moment I truly understood the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, I couldn’t help but burst into tears,” Cindy said.
She realized that her hardships and grievances all had deeper underlying reasons. “After I began reading Zhuan Falun, all the hatred that had built up for years disappeared, and I began a new chapter in my life,” she said.
Cindy does the Falun Dafa exercises. (Minghui.org)
An Open Mind
A childhood trauma made Cindy wary of people. “People might be nice to you on the surface, but they harm you behind your back,” she said. So she always kept her personal and professional life separate, and was unwilling to form deep friendships. But after she began practicing Falun Dafa, she realized, “Everyone is created by the divine and deserves to be cherished.”
She gradually came to understand that some people’s bad behavior might stem from their upbringing. “People might deceive others, but they can change. We can’t deny the value of their lives. Perhaps they will learn from their mistakes,” she explained.
This realization made her willing to truly trust others and treat people sincerely. “Now I know that everyone is connected to me by a karmic relationship,” she said. She found that as a result, she now has friends that are sincere.
Putting Aside Family Property Dispute
The issue of family inheritance in modern society has always tested human nature. Many families have developed rifts over the distribution of property, even leading to sibling rivalry and close relatives going to court.
Cindy had also been at odds with her father for years over the distribution of family assets. Her father decided to distribute the assets to his other siblings, which she could not accept.
But after practicing Falun Dafa, Cindy had a different mindset, “I realized from Dafa that what is yours is yours, and what is not yours, you can’t get even if you fight for it.”
She began to understand the hardships her elders faced and stopped being so attached to gains and losses. “After letting go, I actually felt free,” she said.
Cindy also realized that in the past she had only been superficially filial towards her parents, but not truly devoted or obedient. For example, when her father talked about political or social issues, she often argued with him. Now, she listens, follows his wishes, and lets him express his feelings. Her father is also thankful and said, “Falun Dafa is truly wonderful and has taught my daughter so well.”
A Beacon in Life
Today, Cindy remains active in the international business and jewelry design fields. She is also a good wife and daughter. She says she’s finally found true peace of mind.
“Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance is like the North Star in the dark night,” she explained. “Even when it’s dark, you know which way to go.”
She also realized that people are like gemstones. Through constant polishing, they can be shaped and refined, becoming pure and bright. “This is actually what make a person,” she said.
Once longing to find a pure land away from the struggles of fame and fortune in the real world, Cindy went from international trade to jewelry design, but could never find her true home. As a Falun Dafa practitioner, she now understands that the true paradise is not outside oneself. As long as one follows Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, there is a paradise within one’s heart.
Copyright © 1999-2026 Minghui.org. All rights reserved.
