GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — David Good, a Byron Center man, never thought he’d be able to do a TV interview.
“I did not like people at all. I was bullied severely. I thought all people were horrible," said Good told 13 ON YOUR SIDE on Tuesday.
A decade ago, he couldn’t even place an order at a coffee shop.
“I would get the shakes so bad," he explained.
Now, though, he was able to tell us how he got here. Good says he can't remember a time when he didn't struggle socially.
“When I was a kid, I didn't know I was autistic," he explained.
This spiraled into social anxiety and depression due to isolating himself. Although, Good can pinpoint the exact moment something changed for him.
“I've been able to turn my life around 180 degrees and change from a person who wasn't comfortable with people into someone that can give a speech in front of hundreds of people," he said.
He says coming out of a depressive episode back in 2011, he noticed he had nothing left to lose.
“What do you have left, when you get everything taken away?" he questioned, "You have your honor, and you have your ability to be a good friend.”
After keeping himself isolated for nearly 10 years, he hopped onto a website called Meetup, where you can find events in your area.
During the event, Good wasn't comfortable.
“I shook the whole time, barely said a word to anybody," he said.
However, discomfort and all, it helped him realize the power of people.
“What's going to make you happier is having positive and supportive relationships and meaning and purpose in life," he said.
After his epiphany and a lot of growth, Good now runs 41 social groups across the world for shy people just like him.
“My title people call me is kind of the international friend now," he said.
He has groups taking off in India, Amsterdam and across the nation.
Here in Grand Rapids, he runs a group called ‘West Michigan Geeks.’ They gather a crowd of a dozen to 30 people every Friday night.
“I found a new mission in life, serving others, and making the world a better place," he said.
He does full days of work and planning on his groups for free, simply because he thinks the mission is worthwhile.
Good even found love through his group — his girlfriend, Mizuho. She runs a similar gathering in Ann Arbor.
“Kind of like a dream woman almost," he described.
He feels thankful for the hurdles that brought him to today.
“I gotta be around accomplish bigger and better things," he said.
It's given him a new purpose — to always find the good in the world.
“I can sleep at night, knowing that I'm getting up every day being able to make the world a better place and help others," Good said.
You can join West Michigan Geeks by visiting their site here, or by stopping by Cafe Boba in Kentwood Fridays at 7 p.m. Good says all are welcome, and it's a judgement free zone.
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