Christian artist and singer G.E.M. once shared in her recent speech about how powerful belief was.
When delivering the speech "You Will Face What You Believe" on Star Talk in middle December 2019, she said, "For me, belief is very powerful, because I have experienced it."
The Christian celebrity has been learning classical piano since she was a child, but she often found it very dull to practice by reading scores. She preferred to improvise and often played nice small movements.
“Because in my mind, composers are some distant and sacred people. Anyway, I never thought that I could compose music one day", she says. "Until I was in junior high school, I saw some seniors making their own songs in the school song competition and winning the championship. That was so impressive to me. Since that day I believed that I could compose too. I started to write lyrics and music that night. My first composition was soon born, which is also the song that led me to become a singer."
So far, G.E.M. has composed more than 100 songs.
She has also shared that she had been bullied, criticized and lampooned. She was often lost and did not know how to deal with it.
"There was a time when everyone in social media said I was fat, and even my closest companion told me that I don't deserve to wear designer apparel. The small fine lines of the dress on the model look thick when I wear them."
Gradually, she believed that she was fat and became determined to lose weight.
"At that time, I exercised every day and didn't eat snacks at all. I ate boiled broccoli, scrambled eggs with tomatoes but without oil, salt or sugar, for each meal. At one time, I even ate 16 tomatoes a day. Although I looked healthy, my mood was very bad. I felt that my life was as boring as my taste buds. Whenever I gained one or two kilograms, I would not eat and drink at all for the next three days. Normally, the weight was lost by the fourth day, but I couldn't stand it anymore and felt that I had to overindulge. I couldn't stop eating even when I was very full, because I knew I would eat broccoli the next day. I had been in this vicious cycle for a long time."
Until later, she saw a sentence: "When we were little kids, we had the most innocent and strongest confidence in the world. We were not afraid to open our hearts and had no pressure. However, in the process of growing up, others' perspectives and comments erode us until we lost the last precious confidence."
G.E.M. began to find a way out. Finally, she walked out of the vicious cycle and "found the confidence back, which was crushed".
"Next time if someone says I am not beautiful or skinny enough, I know that is a lie which I should not believe. I would confidently say this is me. I don't think I am short of fat, no matter how people judge me. I don't overeat anymore. I listen to my body and eat when I am hungry and stop when I am full. I don't feel guilty after eating a big meal, but I usually don't overindulge too much."
Since then, G.E.M. maintained this mentality, so that she no longer lived with low self-esteem and depression. When she became very happy from the bottom of her heart, she naturally lost weight.
"I have made a very precious discovery over the years. Sometimes, who you believe you are may be more important than who you really are."
She said, "I always believed that I was a singer-songwriter. I worked hard to make music, which was also the only thing I did because I thought that I knew nothing but music."
"After I left the company, in addition to writing lyrics, composing, and singing, I began to be responsible for many things like music production, arranging, mixing, and even planning. I really didn't believe that I could do it a year ago. But driven by the environment, I had to believe in myself and tried to do it. I found that in addition to being a singer-songwriter, I can also be a creative director, a good producer, a good planner, or a good team leader."
G.E.M. also said that a middle-aged woman who was going through divorce appreciated her song "The Foam". The woman cycles the song and sheds tears when driving. She found out that there is someone who understands her sorrow. This song healed her wounds and brought her out of sadness.
She added, "I know the value of my existence. This woman gave me the answer: Lives affect each other. I also believe that it is not just me, it is also the mission of everyone. I believe that everyone's uniqueness is not only in their fingerprints, but also the impact they can bring."
"It may be as simple as a phone call or a hug during your busy work, which can affect your family and friends. Are greatness and success the only things that can make an impact? No. I wrote 'The Foam' when I was vulnerable, hurt, and broken. So, maybe every tear you shed also affects the people around you."
"It is impossible for one person or several people to change the world. If we want this world to become a better place with more love and hope, every one of us has to work hard together every day. I believe this world really needs you, especially you who believes in yourself."
- Translated by Yuehan Jiang
