Editor’s Choice — Top 10: Differentiate Yourself From the Ordinary Now

Read the top 10 writers who accepted the challenge today

When we are growing up, we want to be accepted — we want to be like everybody else. But then one day we are hit by this thing — called money. It really differentiates between the people it chooses to spend time with.

To get more money, you learn to accept the challenge of doing something different — or better. How can you differentiate yourself? How can you stand out from the crowd?

Think different.

Apple’s advertisement campaign struck a chord that others could not. Thirty years later, Apple is the biggest company in the world. You know the rest.

Every small step matters.

Helen Keller said, “I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble.” Robert Louis Stevenson had a similar message, “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

Be yourself.

Since nobody else can be you, it’s a simple recipe to be original. You are a brand. Live your life the way you wish to live. Everybody will love to follow you. For example, Lucas and Marcus Dobre-Mofid, or The Dobbies, are two brothers with a YouTube following of 22.8 million. All they do is tell others what they do, how they feel, how they have fun — in their videos. Their lives are a story. They are original just by being themselves.

Focus.

When you are doing one thing, do it slowly and deliberately. Feel what you are writing. Feel the meanings of the sentences. Feel their intensity. Serious focus is a differentiating factor. In one interview, the host asked Jeff Bezos to share a single factor responsible for his success. He said, “I think it’s my ability to focus.”

Have fun.

If you are not having fun doing what you are doing, you are going to quit — sooner or later. To succeed, you have to face a lot of challenges; if you are not enjoying the journey to overcome the obstacles, you start feeling the negative kind of stress. But if you like facing your challenges, you experience a good type of stress, it’s called eustress. This kind of stress makes you energetic and enthusiastic.

Let’s read the top 10 writers today who enjoyed facing the challenge today:

10. How To Better Your Life By Quieting The Noise

Anthony M. Davis is a certified therapist and a stress coach. He is an author and a photographer. His style is elegant, direct, and engaging. Follow him and check his other work as well.

We live in a supercharged world. It seems we are on a treadmill of challenge each moment and can easily be in a reaction mode. Rather than slow down, take time and choose healthy responses.

We somehow lost the ability to think and formulate when the world around us expects us to keep moving like a mindless robot.

A false expectation by others is that we lost the right to say no when we feel overloaded. Live in that realm too long, and we become like an old engine lacking oil and water; we get worn down and burned out.

9. How to Stop Fearing Change

Dianne Sullivan is a scientist turned writer. She loves to write about personal growth. Her style is simple, direct, and informative. She is a superb writer and you should read her marvelous stories.

Change is inevitable. It’s the one thing in life that we can depend on. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that unexpected events can come of out nowhere. And turn the whole world upside down.

I never imagined that I would be working from home for a whole year, possibly forever. I’m fortunate to have a job that I can continue doing remotely. So many others aren’t.

Change that tests us doesn’t have to be as global and dramatic as a pandemic. Most of us go through changes every day in our own private world. We might have close family and friends to support us. But often we face change alone.

8. Hindsight is the Best Teacher Ever

Liz Porter is a corporate girl gone solopreneur. She wants to inspire and entertain her readers. Her style is charming, educating, and delightful. Don’t forget to read his other stories as well.

He popped the tab on his Coke can with one hand and gave me a little smirk as he took his first sip.

I didn’t know Logan well; he was just another co-worker sharing the lunchroom. A few seats away from mine, he munched away on his roast beef sandwich without a word.

There was a TV on the far wall, just noise to me, but he seemed to be following it and chuckled along with the audience.

My lunch, long since abandoned, was pushed aside as I sat alone mindlessly flipping through a Cosmopolitan.

7. The Secret Suffering of C.S. Lewis

A.M. Cal is an award-winning producer and a master of arts in film. Her style is learned and deep. She is a superb writer. If you missed reading this masterpiece, here is your chance to undo that.

In his book, The Problem of Pain, C.S. Lewis summarizes the paradox of good and evil. He argues that pain, suffering, and hell are not sufficient reasons to reject the belief in an all powerful, benevolent creator. The partial theodicy gives readers insight concerning the differing perspective of God and his creation, stating, “if God were good, he would make his creatures perfectly happy, and if he were almighty he would be able to do what he wished. But the creatures are not happy. Therefore God lacks either goodness, or power, or both (p. 88).” It should be considered that Lewis does not claim to have a solution to this problem as humans cannot reach a full understanding of why God allows evil. A difficult childhood, Lewis was no stranger to grief and suffering throughout his life.

6. What To Do When Rationalization Doesn’t Help Anymore?

Domagoj Patrick Vidovic is a writer who is willing to question what we take as given. He is a fabulous writer. You must check his other work. You’ll fall in love with his work.

When facing our inner demons, we often come up with many logical explanations of why we shouldn’t feel that enormous stream of negativity.

Before even knowing about the specific demons, we were totally unaware that something is dragging us down. We accepted our character as something fixed; we defended that negativity. We just couldn’t handle it.

The demons weren’t a part of you. They owned you.

5. What First Responders Want You To Know About Covid-19 (I Think)

Emily Kingsley is an excellent writer. She is humble and honest. You’ll love her story. Don’t miss this one.

I’m not a first responder, but I’m married to one. In a way, that makes me a first responder to a first responder. While he responds to your emergencies, I’m the one who is waiting at home to help him celebrate the good calls, process the bad calls, and keep everything in perspective so he can go to work again the next day.

My husband is the type of paramedic that you really hope shows up when your dad has a heart attack or your toddler wakes up covered in hives.

4. 5 Simple Changes That Will Boost Your Productivity When Working From Home

Rose Bak is a freelance writer, author, and a yoga teacher. You must have read her previous work. I have selected her work more than once. Follow her. Read her work. Wait for her next piece.

I used to be pretty organized, back in the distant past of 2020 when I worked in an office.

I had a good system for tracking deadlines, I was generally able to find things I needed with my filing system and I had small periods of downtime between meeting where I could do fun things like go to the bathroom or eat lunch.

For me, being organized and keeping a routine was the key to maintaining productivity and getting a lot done every week.

3. Conference Call Less, Smile More

Adam Prescott is a new writer — a software engineer and a manager — but his writing skills are extraordinary. His style is informal, funny, and informative. Do check his other work.

It’s 2020. The offices are closed, and you’re working from home. It’s 8:59 am, and in 1 minute, your next day of conference calls begins. And you just don’t want to do it. <expletive>.

It’s okay. We’ve all been there, so much so that the idea of “no meeting days/weeks” is gaining in popularity. If you can get your team and boss to buy-in, that’s probably the best way to give everyone a much-needed break. That’s not always an option, though, and even if it is, it’s something that needs to be scheduled and coordinated with the team. What if you need relief today?

2. Change is Working For Me

Garry Lee is an ex-CEO and he is always thinking of helping others. He is an exceptional writer. His style is simple, direct, and engaging. Check how what worked for him, may work for you as well.

When I left my executive role earlier in the year, my goal was to have a more flexible and fulfilling work life. In the intervening 6 months, I have started a new company, consulted for some really lovely organisations, started as a Non-Executive Director, taken on freelance writing and even started an e-commerce store — this is what I learned and why I love it!

How I Grind

At number one, it’s Sylvia Emokpae. She is inspired by life and writes with love. Her style is honest, humble, and engaging. I hope you’d read her story from start to end — without skipping and skimming.

I’m a hypocrite.

I tell people every day to focus on positivity and to believe in themselves. I tell people to love themselves and treat themselves kindly. I speak as if I know what I’m talking about. And the truth is, I really do understand the theory of happiness at its core. I understand the theories behind self-improvement and building your own trade. I’m in the thick of it and logically speaking, I know exactly what I need to do to become successful, and how to feel good now.

But I still put myself down every day.

Final Thoughts

If your story was selected as one of the Top 10, please share another one of your stories in the comments with a brief introduction and a short review that can convince a reader to read your piece. (Please write the review in the third person and start it with your name.)

I must have missed something today. I cannot read every story on Illumination and Illumination-Curated. Dr Mehmet Yildiz, the Chief Editor and Founder of Illumination and Illumination-Curated, read, highlighted, and applauded every good story when he started his publications. He still reads almost all of the good ones. I try — and fail daily — to read all of the masterpieces.

So, help me. Help me to find and rank the best work of the writers of Illumination and Illumination-Curated.

Happy reading.

To improve your chances of success as a writer, read these highly recommended curation guidelines:

You can read my curated stories here.