Welcome to #ILLUMINATION
Let’s Play a Game of Connect the Dots
What if we can connect them moving forward, instead of looking at them backward.
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” ~ Steve Jobs
The above quote comes from a convocation address that Steve Jobs delivered at Stanford University in 2005. If you haven’t heard the speech, it’s on YouTube. Search for it, and it will be well worth your few minutes.
Our progress at Illumination
Dr. Mehmet Yildiz talks about serendipity and synchronicity in his vision. He wants to grow #ILLUMINATION to become one of the top publications on Medium. We know that it is not just a publication; it is a community disguised as a publication.
He has challenged us all to participate in its formation and growth, and the community has responded favorably. You can see the results in the stats. We already have close to 2,000 followers in just three weeks. I believe we will be at 5,000 by the end of the month.
His ideas have awakened the spirit of innovation in me and a lot of us. A few days ago, I curated some of my favorite stories from Illumination to support the writers who brightened my day, and I was humbled that he chose to highlight it in his daily communication.
Finding the dots to connect
Yesterday, I read something that was in the daily feed on my Medium app, a piece by Reece Robertson about making money online, and what nobody is telling you about the subject. It was a remarkable story, and when I went to clap for it, I was shocked that it already had 9k claps. I wondered how old it was. Feb 26th is the publication date, so a little over a month old, but still. It had 1,670 fans.
I decided to scroll through the fans list, people who had clapped for the same article that I had just read; obviously, we had at least one thing in common. Kyle Bowe caught my eyes. His blurb reads, “I write self-help that doesn’t suck.”
Confident or cocky? I wanted to know.
He has about 20 stories on his profile page in over a year. I liked a couple of them. This one is definitely clickbaity, but I had read enough on his profile to click on it.
It’s a good read, and he says that instead of trying new things, we should… Well, I’ll let you find out for yourself.
Going down the rabbit hole
This morning, my daily feed introduced me to “The Most Creative Way To Get A Job In Today’s Economy” by Nicolas Cole.
He talks about why the resume is dead, and why you should focus on selling yourself instead of only your kills. Published just four days ago, it already has more than a hundred fans. I clicked on Dilip Pitchika; it was the first name I saw.
His latest story about magic is refreshing, and I bookmarked it for another list where I shall highlight it. I post on Top 3 about twice a week. Going deeper, I found a story with an intriguing title.
It’s a tale of developing an app, and how collaborating with potential users guides toward a better result. Collaboration is a guiding principle of #ILLUMINATION and responsible for its rapid growth.
That story had a fan who claims to be “Medium’s resident cheerleader.” We all need cheerleaders. Goooo Team!
I found his introduction as I dug deeper into his profile.
“My proudest accomplishment? Also, my biggest failure.”
OMG! It blew me away. You’ve got to read it.
I am now extending my invitation to the five writers whom I mention this story to join our community of writers on #ILLUMINATION. It is all about giving and receiving. Here, we support each other to grow and prosper. Please join us in making this world a better place.
Okay, now a challenge for my fellow Illuminators. While it may be true that we can only connect the dots looking backward, and it may be because we’re not fully aware of the dots’ presence. I propose that we intentionally connect the dots without worrying about how they will impact us in the future. Just know, as I do, that a seed planted today will bear fruits sooner or later, and leave it at that.
As always, thank you for reading and responding.
More about me:
An interview by Dr. M Yildiz for ILLUMINATION
Rasheed Hooda is a published author and a regular contributor to ILLUMINATION, a writers’ community on Medium where writers support each other.
He is a self-proclaimed weirdo who lives a Freedom Lifestyle and writes about related topics — Travel (a top writer), Personal Growth, Freedom, and entrepreneurship. (Get the Newsletter)
“You can let others tell you what it means to be successful, or you can decide it for yourself.”
