10 life lessons to learn from Belinda Lee

With a career spanning over two decades, Belinda Lee has captured the hearts of many Singaporeans with her work as a host and actress. Her most notable works are infotainment shows such as Find Me a Singaporean and Renovaid where she wasn’t afraid to get herself dirty to uncover stories of people around the world, especially those who are in less fortunate circumstances.

Beyond her professional life, Belinda spreads positivity on social media, and is a champion for social and humanitarian causes, further fuelling her likeability. In celebration of her 44th birthday on July 8, here are 10 lessons we can learn from Belinda on love and life.

1. Don't give up on love

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If you didn’t know, Belinda got hitched on October 27, 2019, to American architect David Moore. Prior to her marriage, Belinda was engaged for six years before the relationship concluded in 2011. Faced with such a predicament, Belinda revealed in a 2019 interview with Jade Seah that she was disheartened to find love and even swore off marriage and dating.

Still staying hopeful, however, Belinda eventually met David at church camp. They got married a year later. On the relationship with David, Belinda said that “all the waiting for my soulmate was worth it. It is never too late to discover love.”

2. Love sees no boundaries

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Being with someone over a decade older than you can lead to people talking and making unnecessary comments on the relationship – and Belinda has bore the brunt of such judgments. This was revealed in a 2021 interview with Phyllis Quek, who coincidentally also a married Caucasian man with the same name and is over a decade older than her.

Both stressed that the age and nationality differences were never factors that affected their relationships, and that chemistry was paramount. Belinda added that David was “one of the biggest blessings in her life”. In a separate interview, David credited Belinda as the one who helped him heal from his late wife’s passing.

3. Live life on your own terms

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In this day and age, unfortunately, there are still pressures for women to get married and have kids. Judgments are often cast on those who don’t conform. Belinda isn’t excused from such pressures and judgments too.

On the issue of having children now that she’s married, Belinda’s answer is simple: “If a baby comes along, you know, I’m very open to the idea of anything, so it’s fine as well for us. There are also lots of other children out there in the world who need love and care, and we are also open to the idea of caring for other children.”

4. You don't have to overshare your relationship

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It sometimes seems as though everyone is posting everything about their lives on social media and you may feel pressured to do the same. Being a public personality, the same pressure felt by Belinda could be many times stronger.

The couple, however, has chosen to keep their relationship low-profile, adding that “we felt that we could really have a very wonderful and healthy, honest relationship, just like everyone else, without having the public speculate about it.”

5. Give back whenever you can

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Fronting shows such as Find Me A Singaporean and Renovaid, Belinda has cultivated an on-screen reputation as being a humanitarian. Did you know that off-screen, Belinda was named a Goodwill Ambassador of World Vision Singapore? On this nod, Belinda stated that the nod reflected her wish “to give back and to speak out for the voiceless”.

Her compassion extends beyond humans too. Her late dog Man Man was adopted from a pet shelter where Belinda later nursed her back to health.

Man Man, unfortunately, succumbed to cancer weeks before Belinda’s wedding. She was slated to be the ring bearer and the wedding venue was even chosen as it was pet-friendly.

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6. Radiate positivity as much as you can

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Belinda published a book titled Larger Than Life: Celebrating The Human Spirit that delved into the touching stories and inspiring people she has met while filming Find Me A Singaporean.

She later shared in 2015 to The New Paper that one of the reasons for publishing the book was that “there are enough negative reports in this world now. I think people need to hear positive, uplifting stories that will restore their faith in humanity.”

In fact, scroll through Belinda’s Instagram and you’ll find her sharing uplifting messages, quotes and captions to her followers. This post, for example, is accompanied with the caption: “Sending you positive thoughts and vibes to kickstart start your week right! Stay happy, peaceful, healthy and kind always!?”

7. Find meaning in what you do

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Prior to joining Mediacorp in 2002, Belinda was the first MTV Asia VJ from Singapore. During that stint where she rubbed shoulders and interviewed major stars such as Andy Lau and Aaron Kwok, Belinda professed that “I could interview the biggest star and come home feeling empty because I felt like that wasn’t enough. I didn’t find any meaning in it.”

She later realised that the party girl lifestyle that she was leading, while seemingly glamorous on the outside, was not giving her meaning and purpose in life, and left her in a constant search of discovering who she is. This brings us to the next point…

8. Step out of your comfort zone

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Later, Belinda joined Mediacorp and was with them till her departure in 2016. In the introduction of Larger Than Life, Belinda shared that while her career with Mediacorp was initially “exciting and new”, she felt “sad and a little empty” as she wasn’t fulfilling her deeper purpose.

She added in the interview with Phyllis Quek that she reached a point in her life where she gained self-awareness on what worked and made her happy, and what did not. As such, she decided to leave, despite some protests, to “find a happier self” while gaining control of what projects she could work on. Belinda concluded that she is very happy with the decision to leave her comfort zone.

In short, Belinda stresses the importance of finding happiness and meaning in what you do, even if it means leaving your comfort zone to seek it out.

9. Appreciate what you have

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Living in Singapore, we tend to travel to places with similar conditions for comfort and familiarity, with cities such as Tokyo and Taipei being popular choices. Belinda, on the other hand, has travelled the world, going into areas such as slums and rural villages where she met with people of different backgrounds living in a wide range of conditions.

In a 2017 interview with The New Paper where she recounted various cherished travel memories, Belinda imparted this nugget of wisdom: “Be open-minded and stop complaining, because once you step out of Singapore, everywhere will smell, look and feel differently.” Belinda encourages people to “go off the beaten track”, to enjoy what the world has to offer, free of judgments, and have fun.

10. Your self-worth is not dependent on your job title

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In a competitive, meritocratic society like Singapore, we can easily be caught up in comparing and competing for careers, income and status levels with our peers. Belinda, however, believes the contrary that your job title shouldn’t matter.

She shared that her travels “taught me that whether you are a cleaner, a teacher or a caretaker, it’s not about how much you earn, it’s about how much value there is in your job.”

ALSO READ: Jade Seah: At 38, I've never felt as happy and content as I do now

This article was first published in Her World Online.