"Your life should revolve around the company," a few years ago, my department manager called me in for a talk and told me this sternly, word for word.
I admit, that fresh graduate me was deeply hurt.
He forbade me from pursuing what I wanted to do during off-work hours, and based merely on a few whispers from colleagues, he doubted that I was handling my own matters during work time.
I didn't have the courage to defend my position. I simply asked him to trust that I worked seriously, swallowed my grievance, and spent four months turning around his impression of me. By the week I submitted my resignation, he wanted to keep me—and I firmly refused.
Because what I couldn't understand was why he didn't first understand my character and work attitude. Instead, he blindly believed the lies of a few senior employees and used that to judge my every move.
Years have passed, and those words that trampled me, those bitter remarks and traditional thinking that hurt me, have all become the experiences and nourishment of my life. They shaped my resilience and laid the foundation for who I am today.
From that point on, I seriously took up my pen to write my story. Three years have passed, and the momentum has far exceeded my imagination.
Never underestimate yourself—this is my deepest realization from the past year. Let me put it this way: since I seriously started my website and began writing articles, roughly 11 months have passed. I've accumulated 180 articles, which equals about 15 articles per month, or one article every two days, each starting at 1,500 words.
This has brought me 3 columnist positions, invitations to in-person lectures, invitations from publishers, and a book planned for release by year-end (please keep me accountable).
"Seeing seniors like you who are so proactive and thoughtful really encourages me too," this was the encouragement a junior colleague gave me in the workplace. I don't claim my articles are exceptionally well-written, but I'm fortunate to have brought readers and friends influence and the power to think.
A netizen asked me how I did it. In a short time, I categorized three key elements, which I'll share with you here.
First, be your own spokesperson
When you are smallest, you must take the initiative to fight for yourself—if you truly want people to know. My most basic approach is to share my own articles across various active, relevant communities, spark discussions, and attract new audiences.
Finding relevant communities is also crucial because these people have similar tastes, and if you can provide the knowledge they crave, you'll win their hearts.
Second, storytelling and personalization
I believe my strongest skill is "transforming life's trivialities into matters of significance." I don't preach long-winded truths. Instead, I draw readers into my life, making them part of my journey.
I love quoting a phrase or my thoughts at the time as the focal point of an article, such as "No one needs to take responsibility for your knowledge" or "Work is only a matter of fit and adaptation." These are things anyone can say, but how you give these words a background, a context—that differs based on each person's life experience.
So when my article output starts to decrease, it means my life has become too mundane (cries).
Third, continuous output
Don't fear no one seeing it, don't write for writing's sake, don't worry about how many followers you have. Be yourself, and you'll be the best version of you.
Actually, what worries me most is that most people are fickle and blindly follow trends. They see others succeeding and think they can do the same, or they underestimate themselves. Even though they could do well by simply persisting, they lose their authentic spirit and insight because they care too much about what others think.
However, content and brand have never been things with quick shortcuts. You must be down-to-earth, set goals step by step, string your life together, and finally accumulate strength until your energy explodes. Patience, waiting, becoming excellence, standing at the forefront—welcome the moment that belongs to you.
