I Never Expire

Lake Kawaguchiko Mt Fuji-39

 Have you ever felt pressured by society to achieve certain goals or milestones in life to avoid feeling like you’re falling behind or not successful in life? SK-II has been working hard to empower women to break free from age-related pressures that they often feel from society. Just launched this week is SK-II’s powerful new short film and campaign, ‘The Expiry Date’, to inspire women to choose for themselves what they really want in life and what really matters to them, not what society expects from them. Do watch the film embedded above as I’m sure all of you will relate to the issues presented in it to some degree. In particular, for those who come from an Asian background, age-related pressures have always been a part of society norms. According to a new study by SK-II, in Asia only 2 out of 10 women feel comfortable with the idea of getting older. For me, my family comes from Shanghai, China – one of the cities highlighted in the film. Although my immediate family now lives in Australia and have lived here for more than 25 years, it is still unquestionably traditional in its culture, especially when it comes to life choices like studying hard, getting into uni, finding a stable, life-long single career, getting married and having children. It’s traditionally a set path with any detours from it seen as foolish and irresponsible. Whilst this ‘ideal’ formula to life might potentially suit some people, it’s definitely not a one-size fits all approach in today’s day and age. For me, it was never something I could see myself finding happiness in. I want life to be adventurous, intuitive, meaningful and fun. I want to pursue my own meaning of a fulfilling life, chasing dreams and causes I believe in, no matter how difficult it may be. The unstableness can be frightening, but the passion and thirst for what you do always gets you through. And then there is the pressure around getting married and settling down, most of which is expected of you before you turn 30 or even younger. I know this is especially a prominent issue in China where there are existences of marriage markets where parents advertise their children hoping they don’t become ‘leftovers’. But really, one shouldn’t get married for the sake of getting married before some artificial deadline is up or because they feel time is running out. What really matters is what you want for your life and future and if you do want a relationship, then finding the right person to do life with. I hope the new SK-II campaign inspires you too to chase your dreams and live life your way, without letting anyone or anything - especially your age - get in the way. #INeverExpire #ChangeDestiny #SKII #InPartnershipWithSKII