In the past, I was someone who disliked interacting with others and participating in social activities. One reason was that since childhood, whenever I joined new groups, I had bad experiences—either being excluded, failing to make friends, or making friends only to have them speak negatively about me behind my back and sow discord. For me, becoming familiar with a group of strangers was stressful and uncomfortable. This is why, even after three years in society, I kept my circle of friends confined to my own space with no intention to expand, until October 2018, when everything completely changed.
At that time, I saw an XChange event on social media. I really wanted to attend and hoped to have a group of people around me to grow and share ideas together, but I had no way to make it happen. That fear and worry lingered in my heart, impossible to shake. However, perhaps the drive to change was too strong. I took the initiative to privately message XChange founder Xu Quan asking for an interview, wanting to understand this then-unfamiliar community in my own familiar way.
I still remember the first time I met with XChange partners. Their organized, punctual, and concise list-style communication without unnecessary chatter left a deep impression on me. They completed that day's meeting agenda in 30 minutes with clear next steps—something I had never experienced before. Right then, I decided that no matter what, I wanted to change alongside this group of people. That itself was a form of growth.
Later, by participating in the community, connecting through online meetings, and gradually taking on project responsibilities, I was able to understand a community in the most direct way. In the process, I realized how wonderful it is to have mutual trust and respect each other's expertise. Because of trust, you can truly express your creativity; because of trust, you have the opportunity to let your imagination run wild and realize things in this community that you couldn't do in your job or workplace.
Through this process, with so many tangible results, you gradually build confidence. You believe that even without a big company title or brand name, you can create more possibilities through shared beliefs. An even greater gain is that a group of people with the same vision has unstoppable power. You gain the confidence to stand up for a community and affirm that everything everyone is doing is meant to change the world and make it different, which is why you move forward together.
This is the greatest change and growth I experienced after joining XChange. From lacking confidence in myself to believing in myself, and further believing that communities can create more possibilities, then returning to believing that I can do things different from others and even help others grow—transitioning from self-interest to altruism, accompanying and changing each other. At a more advanced level, I help others and become a platform connecting people. So starting last year, I established the "Cross-disciplinary Book Club," allowing participants to connect through sharing books and deep conversations. Once I started doing this, my mindset shifted from being a project executor to a manager. My perspective changed from focusing only on myself to hoping the entire group moves together in the right direction. However, this "right" looks different to everyone, so in the process, you must use time to filter who stays; constantly communicate and share, so that everyone's pace and rhythm become closer, enabling each person's abilities to shine better and move forward together faster.
