Curated Collection and Daily Updates
Look What Aiden Found Today — Episode #34
Favorite stories I read plus community-nominated pieces tailored for avid readers of ILLUMINATION Publications on Medium

Dear Writers and Readers, today I found great pieces for your enjoyment. Due to the massive publishing Q of ILLUMINATION, I couldn’t even write a story myself, but I will do one when our volunteer editors get back from their well-deserved vacation. We are sorry for the publishing delays.
As mentioned before, December 2023 was an excellent month for me. In addition, a story near and dear to my heart got a boost. Many thanks for the comments on this story: Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media’s Grip on My Life. I recently self-curated my monthly stories for my loyal readers and as a sample for fellow writers.
Dr Mehmet Yildiz interviewed our popular writer Tim Denning. You may enjoy what Tim said in this interesting interview. He is a source of inspiration for fellow writers and thousands of readers.
Last year, I wrote a story about Tim as part of an AI project. I believe you will love what AI thinks about Tim.
If you are an avid reader like me or Mike and can afford to consider upgrading your subscription by taking the plunge like many early adopters whom I introduced you to in this story,
ILLUMINATION editors interviewed Dr Yildiz on how Friends of Medium can share links on out tailored social media platforms. I tried them, and sharing these stories took only 10 minutes. I hope they bring many new readers to Medium. We all need to attract more readers to make this platform more vibrant and sustainable.
You may also check out the recent collection of Mike Broadly, DHSc, an avid reader and a proud FoM contributing to the earnings of our writers.
ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled our BOOSTED stories in a collection and presented them to our readers today. We will also share this collection on Substack for our many subscribers to bring more and more readers to this great platform. Let’s all collaborate and make Medium better together by being FoM or engaging meaningfully in the stories of others. These boosted stories can delight our readers and inspire our writers.
Our editors and curators also explained how we promote non-boosted stories, which are more than 99%, so I take a significant role in this process to create visibility for such stories.
Please also check our strategic approach for 2024, which is aligned with Medium’s direction articulated by Dr Mehmet Yildiz, our chief editor.
He also mentioned that only 5% of his stories performed well in 2023 and other 95% hardly got any views.
Dr Yildiz also added many new writers during his holidays. I will add their profiles to the end so you may welcome them and connect with them.
I slot detailed publication-related news toward the end of the collection so we don’t overwhelm our loyal readers. However, writers can hop to the tail end to catch up on our activities. It’s a win-win situation!
Daily List for Sharing — Volume 34
I volunteered to create a list of this collection. So you can easily share this collection on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Reddit, or Quora. You can find all our sharing platforms from this story link by Dr Yildiz.
Let’s all engage in this list and at least tweet it so that more readers can find these stories. It is the purpose of these curated lists. We appreciate your wonderful support for these writers who pour their hearts and souls into these stories to delight you. Here are the nominated stories from avid readers today.
Chosen Stories from ILLUMINATION Writers Today
As we mentioned before, “these stories are a combination of what I enjoyed and those which nominated by volunteering editors (also writers and readers) on this platform, so the stories in this collection reflect their collective tastes. As a publication, ILLUMINATION keeps a neutral position for all published stories, and it is impossible to feature over one million published stories. But we will do our best to amplify as many great stories as possible almost daily from now on based on the availability of our volunteers.”
Here are our wonderful and nominated stories today! I believe you will find something that will satisfy your reading needs.
As a Scientist / Former Prediabetic, I Optimistically Believe Type II Diabetes Is Preventable and reversible Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Do These Things in 2024 to Become Relentlessly Unstoppable Tim Denning
Should You Find a New Source of Faith in 2024? Gail Valker McNulty 🕊️🌱
Overcoming Decision Fatigue. The Secret to a Focused and Successful Mind Scarlett Gendrey, PhD
Insider Insights: 10 Guidelines for Excelling as a Patient From an ER Doctor Joan Naidorf
The Year Arrives with a Cancer Diagnosis in the Family Bebe Nicholson
LSD’s Renaissance in Mental Health Treatment Matthew Bamberg
The Power of Self-Talk Rekindles My Creativity Josh Balerite Acol
If Time Is MONEY — Many Medium Writers Won’t Make Any! Annelise Lords
Caring What Others Think, And How To Break Free Above The Middle
I Trained My Dog to Code, and What He Built Shocked Silicon Valley Adelaide
What were the results of your last BITE test? Ahmadou DIALLO ✪
3 Ways to Use Empathy For Building Your Online Presence Boysie Gordon
16 Best Winter Honeymoon Destinations in USA 2024 Bruno Ewayu
Happiness Comes From the Inside, Not From the Outside — Do This and Multiply It 10x! Cafe Spiritualista
Why I’m Actively Trying To Follow More Writers On Medium Charles Davie
Achieve Your Dreams: A Fantastic Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Goals Cosmin Firta
Dan Koe says you don’t need a niche! Is that so? Deni Sahaya
👽 5 Short Sci-fi Stories For Snack-Sized Reading Deon Ashleigh
Why You Cannot Find Your Perfect Prince? The One Rule You Need To Level Up Your Dating Game. Enigma
Life Is Not Linear, It’s Circular. And Change Is The Only Constant Fabrizia Scapinello
Bangladeshi Literature in English: A Tenacious Thrice-Born Tradition. Fehmina H
Should You Find a New Source of Faith in 2024? Gail Valker McNulty 🕊️🌱
This Science-Based Focus Routine Helps Me Do In 2 Hours What I Used To Do In 2 Full Days Jari Roomer
How To Explain The Mysteries Of The Elongated Skulls Found All Over The World. Jo Ann Harris, Writer of Daily Musings
10 Signs You’re An Extroverted Introvert With Anxiety Issues Kashi Writes
How to Turn Murphy’s Law into Your Advantage Kingsley Asuamah
Do You Tango? Distinguishing the Dance of Leadership MAGDALENA PONURSKA
Falling Off a Bike Is a Spiritual Experience Marlane Ainsworth
“Thoughts and Prayers”: We Don’t Know Anything About Empathy! Martha Manning, Ph.D.
How to Find Your Own Definition of Success and Fulfillment PixelTree
AI Love: A New Way to Connect or a Threat to Our Humanity? Pranath Fernando | AI Consultant
Does the Wealthy Person’s Joke Always Amuse? It Depends… Professor António Francisco
37% Rule — Rule of exclusive power in decision-making Quantum Thinker
Never Let Anything Occupy You From Working For The Hereafter — For Indeed The Time Is Short: S.a.n.a.h
All These Videos of Law Enforcement Overdosing From Fentanyl Exposure Are All Fake. Shame on Us
3 Business Lessons I Learnt from My Father’s Mistakes Sumanpreet Kaur
Unlocking the Multifaceted Benefits of Progressing Your Career Tser Dennis
How to Understand Your Audience in Public Speaking Ugur Akinci
A Taste of a Childhood Pastry: Duckanoo a Childhood Velvetstar64
The 4 Simple Signs That Something Is Dangerously Addictive (And Why P*rn is The Most Dangerous… Victor Correra
Thank you for reading these beautiful stories.
Quick Updates for Highlights of Our Pubs
ILLUMINATION-Curators introduced some recently boosted stories. I believe you will find some great stories in that collection. Collection of Boosted Stories from ILLUMINATION Publications — V2
By upgrading his main profile, Dr Yildiz inspired our readers to become Medium Friends. I hope many readers join this inspiring journey. Celebrating My Reading Anniversary with My Upgraded Subscription to New Medium Friendship
Boost Education:
I’ve launched a new series to help writers hit the literary stratosphere. Dr. Yildiz got the grand opening gig because I’ve got the scoop on his stellar stories. Now that I’m peeking behind the scenes as an editor and boost nominator, I’m trying to put as many writers in the spotlight as possible. Your thoughts on the story would be cosmic — let’s team up and make these tales shine like stars! I will do it for every boosted writer as soon as I get a chance. Here is Episode 2 introducing boosted stories of Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D. Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #2 and Lessons Learned from Boosted Stories — Episode #1. You can learn more about Matt’s background from this interview. An Interview with Matt Williams-Spooner, Ph.D.
Recently, I added several new writers. I look forward to seeing their stories in these collections soon. You can meet them from the attached post. I also added their profiles at the end of this post so you can follow them easily if you want to. I will add more writers later today. There are many applicants. Announcement of New Writers for ILLUMINATION #28 and #27
For new readers and writers, I have also joined the ranks as a Friend of Medium (FoM). From now on, stories I read from other writers will earn them four times the previous ones. Details are in the attached story. I Took the Plunge and Became a Friend of Medium (FoM) Yesterday.
Dr Yildiz also wrote about it to invite our readers to become Medium Friends and support our writers. The more FoMs the merrier. Importance and Value of Medium Friendship for Writers and Readers
But scammers spammed his beautiful story and tried to deceive our readers. Here’s his sad and important story: every writer and reader needs to understand and act cautiously. They act too realistically! Scam and Spam Accounts on Medium Are As Bad As Hate Speech and Defamation for Writers
They did the same thing to me. For those who missed the excitement, two days ago, I was happy the scary scam account that emulated my profile and tried to deceive my readers was removed. Those who missed the drama can read it from this link. Breaking News: My Clone Kicked the Bucket, and I’m Gleefully Celebrating It🎉
How to Identify Them? These fraudulent accounts typically lack followers and haven’t authored any stories themselves. They are non-members with no star or heart icons in their profile names. Urgent Notice: Beware of Fake Accounts Impersonating Influential Writers
If you are into gaming, I also wrote about winners of 2023 for popular games. I will introduce some of those games in my forthcoming stories for game lovers. The Winners of The Game Awards 2023 Have Been Announced
Talking of gaming, if you plan to craft stories about these remarkable games, consider submitting them to my publication, ILLUMINATION-Gaming. I’m here to elevate your narratives, ensuring they stand out and increasing their chances of a boost. I wrote about my goals and how I can help our writers in a story titled ILLUMINATION Gaming Is Part of the Boost Program Now.
To inform new writers, our special publication, ILLUMINATION-Curated, now is a boost nominating pub You may learn about How ILLUMINATION Publications Support the BOOST Program.
I’ve bundled up all my lists into one tidy little story. It is a treasure trove of fantastic reads waiting for you. Please consider sharing the love on your socials and dive into these gems! You won’t regret it.
Shareable List Links for Curated Collections on ILLUMINATION
Dr Mehmet Yildiz introduced a writing duo known as Pernoste & Dahl. You will love this introduction as he reveals the mystery behind these interesting writers who writes inspiring and engaing content on Medium.
Meet Pernoste and Dahl: A Writing Duo of a Neuroscientist and an Artist
ILLUMINATION editors introduced a great writer, Somil Gupta. I hope you check his profile and explore his delicious stories.
Our team of volunteers is working through the influx of stories, aiming to review and publish each piece while welcoming new writers into our fold. It’s a labor of love that demands time and effort. Please remember that we support 25K+ writers, as mentioned in our Monthly Updates.
If you missed this recent interview featuring Luay Rahil, here is a link for you. His stories can nicely surprise you. An Interview with Luay Rahil, MBA
For those who missed my Vocal saga, here is the link. I hope new writers don’t make the same mistake I made for 18 months. Here’s How I Miserably Failed Vocal Media But Have No Regrets
ILLUMINATION-Curators compiled boosted stories in December, so you might find some fascinating stories from this collection. I also chose to publish this collection on ILLUMINATION-Curated as our readers enjoy curated collections. Here is their treasure trove: Collection of Boosted Stories from ILLUMINATION-Curated
ILLUMINATION-Curators wrote about that exceptional story. I hope you will get a chance to read it and pay attention to your privacy. An Exceptional Story on Privacy Every Reader May Find Helpful
Our chief editor Dr Mehmet Yildiz, upgraded our publication accounts ILLUMINATION and ILLUMINATION-Curators, as well as his tech account Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech), making them Friends of Medium. Reading from these accounts will allow writers to earn four times more. While curating stories, we read many stories from these accounts, so it will be great for writers. Details are in his story by Dr Mehmet Yildiz (Tech): Why I Became a Friend of Medium
Our senior editor Mike Broadly, DHSc joined the curation team and created new collections from his favorite stories that you may adore. He has amazing taste as an avid reader and has already created seven collections in such a short time. I loved his new collection earlier today.
Mike’s Favorite Stories on ILLUMINATION Publications — #17 Mike Broadly, DHSc
Please find his collections with the associated lists and share them on your socials so we can bring more readers to Medium. Here are links to Mike’s collections: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6, #7, #8, #9, #10, #11, #12, #13, #14, #15, #16
Our supportive editor, famous nutritionist, Elin Melaas, created her second collection earlier. Elin also created the Invisible Series. Elin’s Chosen ILLUMINATION Stories — #2
And our lovely editor Surekha Chandrasekhar also created a collection of her delicious pub ILLUMINATION’s Nutrition which is also our virtual kitchen. 20 Curated Stories From Illumination’s Nutrition -2023
ILLUMINATION editors introduced some great writers. You may check out their profiles and explore their fabulous stories.
Meet Seda Anbarcı, Meet Dr Emmanuel Ogamdi, Meet Jozsef Kovacs, Meet Davor Katusic. Meet Thomas Allen Moon, Meet Sneha Nagre, Meet Zondra Dos Anjos, Meet Ani Vals Meet Ammara Hassan. Meet Sridhar Pai Tonse — Leadgen Coach- Tech Startups Chosen Stories from Omni Essence, Editorial Profile of InYah
Our editors enjoy stories and nominate them for these curated collections. You may check editor profiles in this collection.
I love reading writer biographies and curating them. If you write any bio story please let me know so I can add them to my collection. Meet ILLUMINATION Writers from Their Personally Penned Biographies
Dr Mehmet Yildiz reviewed an interesting book of Dr Emmanuel Ogamdi. If you are a book author, you may contact Dr Yildiz as he really does great reviews. He even wrote the foreword of my gaming book. Here is his great review today. “Nobody Will Tell You This”
As mentioned a few weeks ago, I created a Discord server for our writers to collaborate and share their story links, so you are all welcome to join. We already have great fun there. It is not as big as our Slack, but it will be one day, as Discord is a lot of fun.
Now, let’s welcome the new writers who joined us recently. Please explore their stories and they resonate with you may connect with them. This is a great opportunity for writers and readers to meet.
You may also check previously joined writers in the last two weeks from the attached onboarding packs. You never know who to meet.
Here is our onboarding pack covering everything you need to know.
New writers, when you need help please don’t hesitate to contact me on Slack workspace or Discord server. I introduce these services below.
I also enjoy introducing writers on YouTube. So if you are interested you may contact me on Slack or Discord.






