Editors Pick of Readers Choice — Top 7 Most-Loved Stories: Meaningful Engagement Matters

The 7 stories people loved the most and why

For this new rendition of the editor’s choice theme, I include stories that the people (readers) loved the most.

The stories are selected based upon their impact on readers, as expressed through readers’ meaningful engagement. These are stories that had the most fans and facilitated meaningful community engagement, not just clicks and claps. The content of engagement counts the most.

Many writers grow tired of the clicky culture we find in mainstream media.

We do not stand alone as the developers of our greatest online platforms also want to build online communities where we engage meaningfully.

Lately, there have been many discussions about the value of meaningful engagement, around the online tables — while Social media platforms have been encouraging its use for years.

There is a place for everything in this world and many writers create different kinds of content for different reasons.

Although other types of content provide value, words — particularly well-chosen written communication — facilitate the most beautiful and meaningful engagement.

Meaningful engagement transcends agreement — disagreeing civilly lays the foundation upon which free speech and growth thrive.

What is the difference between engagement and meaningful engagement?

This is engagement… “Amen”

This is meaningful engagement…

By all means, I am not complaining about the “Amens”, as all engagement is engagement. And, someone must have enjoyed my work if they took their time to type about it — even if only one word.

But there is something to be said about the value of meaningful engagement.

I know that I wrote a good story when people read it and engage with it.

I know that I wrote a really good story when people read it and find value in my ideas, as expressed through their comments.

I know I have written a great story when my story causes someone else to take action in their own lives — whether that be writing themselves, doing further research, advocating for others, applying it to their own life or so on.

I know I have written the best story when I see from the engagement that I provoked thought and those thoughts improve upon and/or complement (not compliment) my own.

Join me in exploring the successes of some of our most beloved writers and their stories. These are the stories with the most meaningful engagement from you — from the community.

Without further ado, I present your most loved stories of the week.

1. And by a landslide, My dad was a killer and it’s America’s fault by Yia Vue

This is, by far, the most loved recent story on ILLUMINATION. You can see my responses from when I read it for the first time, when it was just picking up steam — 9 days ago.

I am blown away by this piece. I have been intrigued, I have learned about things I had no idea of and I have cried reading your story. I have even studied the light coming in my window.

And, I have a lot to think about and a lot more to be grateful for now. Thank you for using your choice to raise your voice and tell your father's story, and the story of so many. 💔

Wow, Bravo and do not stop creating works of art like this. I look forward to reading more of your work! 🙂 

If I had to choose one story to which the comments epitomize meaningful engagement, this would be it. Of course, it is the most loved.

2. Why Focusing On The Present Will Help Alleviate Your Pandemic Depression by Lanu Pitan

Lanu is a beloved writer and editor of many pubs, including ILLUMINATION. She writes on a variety of topics that can be found everywhere from the earth beneath our feet to the highest of heavens.

I was not surprised when, after curating the top 12 most loved articles for sorting, I found one of hers to be the second top performer, only behind the magnificent work of art that we found in number 1.

This story may have slid into second place, thanks to Yia, but it is beyond parallel in its own way. It is a complete and utter demonstration of vulnerability that the writer has no reservations about. If words were people and modesty were their clothes, Lanu’s words would be completely naked in this story.

The vulnerability in this heartfelt piece is also expressed around a topic that’s collectively heavy in current times — making it loved by many who found solace in the writer’s words. This story also held real-life applications that people could take away and apply to their daily lives.

The deliberate act of living in the present and being consciously aware is great for our mental well-being. This involves regulating what we pay attention to in our thoughts.

Notice everything that is going on around you and relish them. For instance when eating, take time to savour the taste, delight in chewing and be grateful for a delicious plate and appetite.

3. My Son and I Climbed Japan’s Mount Fuji Together by Terry Mansfield

I was also pleasantly un-surprised that one of our most popular and beloved writers, Terry Mansfield, made the cut.

Terry likes to coin phrases and re-coin words that have long been forgotten. He has recently added a new spark to the word ‘reciprocity’ and the talk of how it creates success has since been trending across the writer world.

Terry writes about an unprecedentedly diverse number of topics and is loved by many. He often takes us to the lighter side of life and reminds us to laugh and appreciate the small things, but he also helps us to climb the highest of mountains as well — like Mount Fuji.

I don’t have any plans to climb Mt. Fuji again. The Japanese like to say that, “a wise person will climb Mt. Fuji once in their lifetime, but only a fool would climb it twice.”

If you ever get the chance to visit Japan and explore its many wonders, I heartily recommend you add a climb of Mt. Fuji to your list of things to do.

It is easy to see why our readers love Terry and this uplifting story.

4. 5 Reasons Why Norwegians Are So Happy by Srini

This feature brings Srini to my radar, for the first time. In his bio, he describes himself as “Naval Architect ⛵️ Rational Optimist. The Underdog you’d love to root for.”

Everyone loves the underdog, though — right?

In this well-loved and culturally enlightening story, Srini combines science, history and real-life experience to create a dynamic piece that is not only interesting, inspirational and engaging, but pragmatic and applicable.

Despite having extreme cold weather and dramatic darkness in their never-ending winter, nothing seems to bring them down. Their consistency in the rankings is nothing short of remarkable.

You might wonder what is in Norway, which is not in Disneyland. Clearly, they have to be doing something right.

I have been living in Norway for a while now to claim that these reports are by no means a joke. I have learned so many things in Norway that influence my life notably.

I am indeed happy now.

Everyone wants to be happy and it is clear why people love this story. It allows them to share in the happiness of its author, learn the principles that have changed his life for the better and make use of his experience.

5. He Hired Me Because Of My “Sexy Facebook Picture” by Kara Summers

I was happy to find this story by Kara Summers among the most loved because it is about something I have dealt with my whole life — American Sexism in the workplace.

Would I have taken the job had I known why I was hired?

I have asked myself this question many times. What if I had been more clued up about people like Ross back when I interviewed? What if I had spotted for certain that he was attracted to me from the moment we met? Would I have still taken the job?

This may come as a surprise, but it can be challenging to get the world to listen to the stories of the women who speak out about sexual violence in the workplace.

Often, it appears as if no-one cares and they would rather ignore the elephant in the room — go protest for women’s rights, then go back to work and turn a blind eye to the sexual exploitation that happens every day across our country.

Most people care when it’s not an inconvenience or a lot of work. They care as long as they don’t have to sacrifice or make themselves vulnerable.

Kara is not afraid to be vulnerable in her eye-opening piece. Furthermore, she is brutally honest and takes a unique perspective. Through her prolific work, she got the attention of our readers and not only did they listen to her story, they loved it.

So why was this story so loved, compared to others, of the same topic and style?

Of course, people love vulnerability and brutal honesty. But like the icing on the cake, Kara closed her story as a victor and not a victim. That, my friends, is what people loved even more.

6. “What Should I Do With My Life?” by David Gerken

I recognized the name and face of David, so I know I have taken note of his work in the past. Upon visiting his page, I could clearly see why.

David writes about the deep and philosophical topics of self and spirituality.

Now, if you have never written on these topics, you know that writing in them is no easy task. Not only are these topics more demanding of a writer’s time and energy — they are many times the most thankless.

Most writers have noticed that our best and most thoughtful work reaches fewer people and gains less traction than our ‘fluff pieces’. This is especially true when it comes to abstract concepts, spirituality and philosophy.

The world seems to say…

“If you are not an adorned long-dead guy from times long-past — who are you to have authority on matters philosophical and spiritual?”

But, the only thing that grants authority to a writer regarding matters philosophical and spiritual is the world. See the catch-22 that this type of writer must live?

David, however, has honed his craft — for his reader — in such a way that he has mastered the art of bringing cloudy concepts to the ground, where everyday people can digest and even enjoy them.

For many people, “What should I do with my life?” is the most perplexing question they face. This is especially so in America where the culture demands certainty, purpose and ambition from its membership.

The fundamental problem is that the place most of us go to supply the answer to this monumental question is the egoic, conditioned self. And the ego has no clue what your true path is.

This story may have been number 6 of the most loved, but based on the subject matter, it is unmatched in its own right.

David takes concepts, that Eckhart Tolle and Don Miguel Ruiz explained in multiple books, and manages to lay them out in a 9-minute read — where the writer meets people where they are, instead of demanding that his readers come to him.

7. Revisiting Edvard Munch’s The Scream by Alexander Bird

Alex is a Brazilian with diverse interests — he writes about philosophy, film, mathematics, and even creates science fiction. He works closely with one of our editors who works earnestly with willing EFL writers.

Here, he combined his study of google trend analytics with a subject he studied in school to create this intriguing and wistful, yet educational, piece of work. The writer explores the meaning behind Munch’s most famous painting, The Scream.

Based upon the information I have presented, I posit that the message on the top left corner of The Scream was part of this self-portrait, and/or The Scream metaphorically portrays Munch’s feelings. Perhaps self-aware of everything he was feeling and thinking at that time, and in such a deep journey, he probably felt he was a stranger to, or estranged from, himself sometimes. I think that is why he wrote that message.

As the new-age saying goes, Alex’s story is ‘a mood’. It makes you feel something that is unique and unlike the rest.

The combination of knowledge and authority with art and emotion in this brilliant story leaves no question as to why it was not only chosen for further distribution but is gaining even more traction through the love of its readers.

Stories chosen for the first edition of ‘Most-Loved Stories’ were published between 2/16 and 2/22 of 2021

Thank you for taking this journey with me, through a sea of hundreds of stories, to find the ones you loved the most and shine a light on them.

For writers, improving our editorial standards is infinitely important, as is style, formatting, comprehensibility and readability. The importance of these pales in comparison, however, to the importance of people wanting to read our work in the first place.

High editorial standards do little for the piece that doesn’t reach people.

Without discounting the importance of quality work and high editorial standards, we have made space to explore the work of our writers based solely on what people loved the most —without including any editorial judgments around the so-called caliber of writing.

We have reviewed a wide range of stories with varying styles, varying editorial values and various uses of the English language. But, they all have one thing in common — they were the most loved by you, our readers.

I have enjoyed what we found this week, immensely. As we can see, the wide array of most-loved stories is diverse and colorful — just like we are.

May this list enlighten our readers by providing a list of lovely reads and humble our writers by reminding us why we are here — our primary aim, which is less about getting 100 percent on Grammarly and more about reaching people in a meaningful way.

Written by Holly Kellums

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