Life has never been a straight road for me. From the very beginning, from the day I was born, I carried challenges that shaped me differently. Over the years, I have experienced loss — of family, of marriage, of a child, of leaders who left me with storms to carry, I have also experienced sexual harassment when I was just a child, and a hard core bullying that almost take away my soul out of my body. In the other side, I have faced health battles — from mental illness and physical recurring illness to the present journey with my body — and yet, through it all, I healed, and I keep rising.

If there’s thing my story proves, it’s this: I do not break and I do not run from battles. I face it.

Every scar is a testimony. Every setback is a lesson. Every challenge is a chance to rise stronger. My path has taken me into boardrooms with immense pressure, into courtrooms with high stakes, and into hospitals where I had to rebuild my strength. And still, I stand.

But standing strong is not enough. I want to be remembered for balance — for being powerful, yet soft. For resilience that does not harden, but still allows space for tenderness. For leading with integrity, laughing even in chaos, and caring deeply for another human being and animals.

I also want to be remembered as someone who gave a meaningful and beneficial life to others, as many as I can — that my presence in this world brought something valuable, something that most will never forget. In fact, it is already embedded in my name,” Lia Arti Setiawati “, “Arti ” in Indonesian language means “meaningful” and “Setia” means “Loyal”.

I have learned that every second of life is precious. We never know when we will return home. And when my time comes, I do not want to be remembered for titles or money, but for my mentality — legendary, unshaken, unafraid. For my resilience — to endure what others thought would destroy me. For my strength — carrying both scars and softness at once. And most of all, for my love — because without love, strength is empty.

So let this be my creed:
When people speak of me after I am gone, let them say —
“She lived fully. She stood tall. She never gave up. She was fire and water, steel and flower. Powerful, yet gentle. Unbreakable, yet full of love. Her presence left a mark that could never be forgotten.”

That is the story I leave behind.
That is the legacy I choose.

What’s yours? :)

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This story is a part of my personal journey. Please do not copy or reproduce any part of it without permission. Sharing is welcome with proper credit and a link to this blog