Li Yinuo recalls how facing her fears fueled her achievements, Wang Ru reports.

Li Yinuo recalls the time, back in 2000, when she won a scholarship and went abroad to pursue her doctorate at the University of California in Los Angeles, the United States. The straight-A student, who had just graduated from Tsinghua University, one of China's top seats of higher learning, and achieved good grades in her GRE verbal test, was upset to find she could not understand what people around her were talking about.

"I saw them open their mouths, but they spoke so fast that I could only understand several words. When they spoke longer, I would lose track of what they were talking about," says Li, who then spent about another half a year relearning English, gradually working her way out of her awkward situation.

"People meet challenges at every turning point of their lives. While they may seem to be insignificant to some, for those facing them, they can be big obstacles at that moment," says Li.

She describes the story in her new book, Where Are the Strengths From, which was recently published by Beijing-based CITIC Press Group. It has achieved 8.4 points out of 10 on China's popular review site Douban.

Li is one of life's "over achievers".She graduated from excellent universities, became a partner for management consultancy McKinsey in just six years, worked as director of the China office of the Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation and established Etu Education.

But, in this book, with an honesty that reveals a hitherto unseen side of herself, she lays bare the fears she has felt at many stages of her life since leaving school, including her fear of speaking to foreigners, to express ideas, to become a leader and a mother, among many others.

"My past stories are not about miracles, but fears. Every one seemed to be reasonable at the time, and they all made me feel like I was unable to find a way out. Finally, I had to face up to those obstacles, conquer the fears and move forward. I believe many people have similar feelings to mine," says Li.

Li's sincerity in speaking about her fears seems to have resonated with readers. According to Douban user Amenthes, "The book unveils what is behind the mask of successful people and tells me they are ordinary people who also need to endure the hard times. The book is easy to read. It can strike a chord with you and make you courageous and calm."

Li says: "We often pay attention to the external merits of people, including their educational background, their money and the honors they earn. But I believe people's mentality, especially how they deal with the fear and unrest at the bottom of their hearts, is more important than those external merits."

For example, in the book, she describes her experience of applying for a higher position when she was working at McKinsey. It required that she win support from others by promoting herself, which she was uncomfortable doing at first.

Instinctively, she believed that a talented person will always be recognized, and that one only needs to work hard and "wait to be crowned".Actively telling others how good you are seemed to be embarrassing. But, after careful consideration, and communicating with others, she realized it was a necessary step in her career, and so she gathered the courage to try.

She spent about half a year writing the book, and also drew illustrations for it. According to Li, she has posted some of the stories on her WeChat public account, but it is the first time she has put down her thoughts to clarify some important questions about life.

"People can have very different experiences, and they are often accidental. But the conflicts we ultimately face are similar. I hope through reading the book, people can find more clues about how to harness their energy and explore more possibilities in life," says Li.

Contact the writer at wangru1@chinadaily.com.cn