Happy Birthday Illumination
Hip Hip Hoorayyyyy
As I sit here at my desk I cannot believe that a full year has passed since the launch of Illumination. In that time this publication has grown at a phenomenal rate in all areas. Let's take a brief overview of what has been achieved.
Illumination now has four sister publications;
Illumination Illumination Curated Illumination Mirror Synergy Technology Hits
The essential figures
Illumination publications have...
87,000 readers 8,800 writers 70 editors
Of course, all of this growth has taken a great deal of hard work on the part of Dr Mehmet Yildiz and his dedicated team of editors. That being said, a lot of credit must also go to all of those writers who on a daily basis beaver away producing the most wonderful articles, short stories and poetry, covering an enormous variety of topics, and subjects.
For me personally, Illumination means so, so much on various levels. In the past year I have grown amazingly as a writer and author thanks to Illumination. What I have achieved is truly astounding. Apart from developing my very own style of writing and brand of personality, my journey has been punctuated by quite a few milestones and along the way. I have become a top writer and author for no less than seven publications and an editor for five. I have also managed to write and publish eleven books of short stories and poetry. In addition, I have managed to learn how to build a website and have six up and running. However, this is not quite the full story.
Around about the same time that Illumination was launched and the Covid 19 pandemic took a hold of the planet, I fell seriously ill. And I not only lost my previous good health, but due to the pandemic I also lost my job, my career, and I was forced, for health reasons, to move to another continent. So I basically lost everything that ever meant anything to me. I have never, ever felt more at death's door than when that all started. Truth be told, although I didn't fully realise it at the time, physically I really was at death's door and knocking on it very loud and clear, no doubt subconsciously hoping the Devil himself wasn't listening, or at the very least I would be in heaven before Satan even realised I was dead.
Extensive tests in a private hospital in Japan revealed that I had contracted GCA (Giant Cell Arthritis) PMR (Polymyalgia Rheumatica) and Sleep Apnea. I was also shocked to the core to discover that I had had a silent heart attack and a stroke. Due to the Sleep Apnea, one night in particular I stopped breathing no less than 48 times in one hour! That is almost as good as dead in my book. I am happy to report that all is now under control due to the excellent diagnosis and medications I was treated with by the Japanese health experts. I am not yet 100 percent well, but 95 percent is not too shabby. And the big bonus is that I am down to the bear minimum of medications and feeling great. I am not cured, but as good as.
Now this is where Illumination really helped me far more than they could ever have imagined. With all that I was going through there was one thing that kept me calm and sane. Illumination.
When the going got tough I simply buried myself in Illumination and wrote and edited it all out of my system. It was the perfect channel for expunging all of my negativity, my loss of hope, my loss of a sense of purpose. In short, I found myself and rediscovered everything that really mattered to me during those difficult days via Illumination. It was the best medicine ever for a battered and bruised old hack like me.
When I say Illumination, I do not simply refer to a digital writers platform. I am in fact talking of a wonderful community of people, readers, writers, editors, all of whom have been a pillar of support in my darkest hours. So many of you all have reached out to me with such kindness I thought we had all lost forever. Lots of people who have been through what I have turn to family and friends, Illumination is my family and friends. At times of illness some folk read magazines and newspapers, watch tv and listen to the radio. Not me. I chose to write and edit for Illumination. No exaggeration, It has been one of the best investments I have ever made.
One of the most rewarding parts is that as an editor, I get the fantastic opportunity to pay forward what I have unconditionally received from others by freely and unconditionally offering my help and support to those who gave me theirs.
Looking back a little, it dawned on me that if what has been achieved by myself and Illumination was with our backs against the wall, just imagine what we can do moving forward! I firmly believe, I know, that Illumination has an amazing future ahead of it and is on course to grow and pass yet more incredible milestones. And I also feel that everybody on board, everybody who is a part of this community of fine people, is going to discover a great many things to rejoice. On that fine note, I wish Illumination a very happy first birthday and I am sure that so say all of us.Hip hip hoorayyyy.
