I always tell myself that nothing ever is worth holding onto if it hurt you, because the longer you hold onto anger and resentment, the longer you feed it and keep it alive.
— Katie Piper
What is kindness? For me, it is about treating people how you would want to be treated – but, with so many of us living out our lives on social media, it can be harder and harder to show compassion to those around us.
It’s so easy to butt into a conversation and offer your own thoughts or opinions, but try not to interrupt. Instead, focus on what the other person is saying, think twice and be the person that listens. It’s so much more valuable than constantly talking.
As well as being my doctor, Mohammad Jawad is so kind and caring and we have a father/daughter relationship. When I left hospital he found out about a revolutionary rehab centre in the south of France and spent his August bank holiday taking me there in 2008 to see it - such a happy time.
I’ve got a shadow on the lung as a result of being in intensive care, so I find running quite hard. I breathe mainly through my mouth because my nose is damaged, so I keep swallowing flies.
But like everyone else I’ve come to the sad realisation food banks are an all-too-common feature on the streets of Britain.
I enjoy social media, but I don’t take it as gospel. Yes, it can make me feel insecure if I see my peers doing more than me. You have to remind yourself it’s a marketing tool, a facade, but that’s easier when you are older.
I will continue to need operations and therapy for life. For acid attack survivors, the aftermath is a life sentence.
Since the attack I have undergone over 250 operations to improve my physical functioning.
Of course, I’d like to fall in love and get married one day - my brother has just got engaged and I’m thrilled for him - but I’m not obsessing about meeting someone.
I’ve come to the conclusion that we’re all responsible for our own happiness and the happiness in your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. I’m a big believer in positive thinking.
But if I go for a run somewhere, I feel the benefits of the endorphin release.
I did weightlifting and bodyweight-focused exercises such as chin-ups, pull-ups and press-ups with my personal trainer.
I don’t think many people stare at people in wheelchairs because we see it regularly. I suppose if you see more in the media it will take away the curiosity.
There’s nothing worse than saying the past is in the past, then dragging it into your kid’s life.
Once my sister was older, she and I would do lots of hobbies together. We took dance lessons and put on shows at home; tap dancing on the granite fireplace, which must have mortified my dad.
I feel like I’ve lived two or three completely different lives. At 33, I’m quite reflective and have the perspective you get in your old age when you have been through the losses of life.
Try to remember that every action you take in life will have a consequence and a reaction for other people, and that it’s the same on social.
When you’re on you’re way into work, hit up the WhatsApp, find out what people want, and bring in a real coffee for everyone. Trust me when I say they will all really appreciate it.
It can be embarrassing paying someone a compliment, but, in the modern world, these don’t even have to be done out loud. When you’re scrolling in the morning on Instagram, don’t just like someone’s photo, but make a point of going into the comments section and write down one nice thing that you see or feel about that picture.
My dad and sister are vegetarian and I was brought up as one, but I ate a bit of fish and meat. After the attack my oesophagus melted and I had to have plastic stents put into my throat to rebuild it, so I couldn’t swallow and I was fed via a high-calorie drip through my stomach.
I have been the beneficiary of donations in the form of human tissue and of a cornea which gave me sight when otherwise I would have none.
The trial of Olympic athlete Oscar Pistorius has kept me fascinated and shocked in equal measure. But like many women, I was relieved this week when he was found guilty of culpable homicide after killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.
Have people like Kim Kardashian really fought their way to the top on their own? Or is that just the brand they want us to see. I don’t buy it. I think we flourish by working together.
In March 2008, when I was 24 years old, a man I had been dating arranged for an accomplice to throw sulphuric acid in my face.
I’m so lucky that I’ve always been able to laugh about things, even at my very lowest times.
I am who I am and I don’t pretend not to be single or burned. And men might not fancy me because I’m too short or too thin.
I was a torch carrier in the 2012 Paralympics and every time I thought 'I can't do this' I would look at the blade runners and the athletes and wheelchairs think, okay, I can run.
I had such a nurturing team of midwives looking after me with my first little girl, and their support gave me so much confidence as a mother.
You are always bigger than the problem, the problem can never be bigger than you.
I don’t want people to feel sorry for me or pity me - I want people to know that what got me through was human spirit and everyone has that in them.
My younger self wouldn’t recognise me at all. She would think I was quite serious, organised and practical, but I’ve had to be to run the foundation.
None of my ambitions were serious as a girl. One week I wanted to be a lawyer, the next a binman.
I never watch anything live, I record all my programmes and have a real binge on a Friday night and watch them all.
Another good rule for social media, I find, is to never type and post. Instead, be sure to type, pause, think, and then post.
Always, always, always pass a good book along on to somebody else.
My feminist icon is Michelle Obama. To me she represents the definition of a strong and intelligent woman who has used her platform for so much good.
There were times after the accident when I felt very lonely - burns survivors can feel terrible isolation. I wanted to create something that connects us all together, so that was the idea behind the Katie Piper Foundation.
It shouldn’t be down to charities to be the sole help for those who fall through the cracks.
I know how hard it is to be bullied about a part of yourself that you can’t change, or just because of who you are. It can turn you into an angry and bitter person.
The world is more competitive and social media drives this. It’s woman against woman when it comes to appearance, possessions and friendship circles.
I meet many inspiring individuals who have worked hard to rebuild their lives after an attack; however, it can be hard to stay motivated when the justice system does not always reflect the severity of these crimes.
If I’m not blessed with children of my own then I’d like to adopt one day - possibly a child from Pakistan.
I would encourage anyone to keep a pad of post-it notes by their bed and write down small, achievable goals and celebrate those successes and that will give you confidence to create bigger ones and achieve them.
If I’m feeling down or depressed, working up a sweat will make me feel like I can really do this - that, in fact, I can do anything. It’s like a therapy for me.
I was living alone, so I’d get quite lonely and running became a way to combat my loneliness and de-stress.
There are so many things that can happen to us in life where you think, 'I can’t cope. I can’t deal with it,' but you probably can.
I see it as someone who’s been burned doesn’t have to be put in this box where they can’t be glamorous - I try and live that vision all the time and push those stereotypes away. That’s all you can do.
My life is written about as though I’ve had this idyllic ending. But a marriage is something you have to work at.
I have an older brother and younger sister and for the first few years I was quite a tomboy. We lived in a small village in Hampshire and my brother and I would climb trees and make dens.
