We may be a third of our way through 2023, but it's a time as good as any to share new discoveries about ourselves. Just ask actress Hong Ling.
The 28-year-old took to Instagram on April 23 to share how she has "set [herself] free" over the past year or so.
Noting that she was "so proud" of herself, Hong Ling wrote about two major ways that she has changed.
Firstly, she wrote: "I finally know what I like and what I want in life."
She explained that she previously thought life was "about making money, saving up and buying a house", but that she realised that she loves acting and taking care of animals and plants.
"Doing the things that I love really makes me very happy every day and [makes me] appreciate life," she added.
Hong Ling echoed the sentiment in an interview with AsiaOne in February, where she told us that she has her retirement planned out — she wants to "work hard for these 10 to 20 years" and then lead a simple life overseas.
"When I was younger, I had a lot of 'wants' in life. I wanted a car, so I worked and bought one," she said then. "Then I wanted a house, so I worked for it and got the house — but I wasn't satisfied, and wanted an even bigger house.
"So it's a never-ending chase and it was very taxing on me."
Accompanying her long Instagram caption, Hong Ling shared photos from her recent trip to South Korea, where she and her fiance, actor Nick Teo, held their pre-wedding shoot.
The second thing that Hong Ling learnt over the last year was to give up on "unhealthy lifestyles" because she loved herself "more than what people say about me".
She wrote: "I no longer go on an extreme diet for a bikini scene, no longer diet for aesthetic reasons. I want to eat healthy to live longer!
Although she admitted that she still feels insecure sometimes about her "extra fats", she added: "I want to keep reminding myself it's completely normal for humans to have fats!"
"Life is so simple but we insist on making it complicated," she concluded with a goofy emoji.
The honest Instagram post garnered positive responses from Hong Ling's audience and some of her showbiz friends, including Desmond Tan, Zhang Zetong, Jesseca Liu and Priscelia Chan.
"Let's experience life together!" wrote Nick, 33.
The couple got engaged on Hong Ling's birthday, Aug 16, last year after seven years of dating.