Chapter 1: A Warm Welcome to Our Readers

Greetings, dear readers and fellow writers! 🙌

I hope this message reaches you in good spirits. Thank you for exploring my curated selection of intriguing stories and community-nominated pieces from ILLUMINATION Publications on Medium. 🙏

As part of our ongoing efforts, I've launched my Substack site, featuring newsletters from various talented contributors. I encourage you to check out these newsletters for a chance to discover new voices and ideas.

If you're a new writer on Substack and find yourself overwhelmed by Medium, I highly recommend reading Dr. Yildiz's enlightening article, Why Your Substack Isn't Taking Off & How Medium Might Be Holding You Back Unintentionally. In this insightful piece, Dr. Yildiz interviews Tim Denning, who shares his strategies for thriving on Substack—an eye-opening discussion you won't want to miss.

In today’s update, I’ve gathered an array of remarkable stories for your reading pleasure. I hope you engage with and share these narratives:

• Leptin Therapy Historically Failed to Manage Obesity, Yet Research Into GLP1-RAs Brings New Hope - Dr. Mehmet Yildiz
• Breast Cancer: Why Every Woman (& Man) Should Read This Empowering Story - Mike Broadly, DHSc
• Revealing the Truth About "Slow Metabolism" and Weight Loss - Michael Esco, PhD
• Busting Reefer Madness - Rebecca Romanelli
• What Car Shows Mean to Me and How They Enriched My Life - Aiden (Illumination Gaming)
• It's Not Tipping Culture That's Out of Control, It's Corporate Greed - Angelica Mendez
• Whom The Lord Has Joined Together - Michael Holford
• The Saying "Less Is More" Is Not a Platitude — It Has Truth - Miriam Rachel
• The Man On The Moon - Alex Brad
• How To Take A Bus To Louisiana: The Lasting Legacy of Integration Through The Eyes Of A Child - Myla Morningstar
• I Missed Medium Draft Day - Nicole Dake
• Showdown with a Devil Dog - Noel Holston

Chapter 2: Addressing Community Challenges

Unfortunately, we recently faced some setbacks. Facebook suspended our chief editor's account after he shared Dr. Broadly’s story, which seems unreasonable. Many in our community, including writers and readers, are understandably upset. Dr. Yildiz is contemplating whether to appeal this decision.

Our Facebook pages, which served as a hub for our community, have also disappeared, leaving many disappointed. The vague AI-generated response about community guidelines feels unjust, especially since no issues were raised before this incident.

We are committed to providing writers with the best support possible, and we have updated our submission guidelines to align with Medium's new distribution rules post-August 2023. It is crucial for new writers to adhere to these guidelines, as previously published stories won't be accepted, given they do not benefit our community.

Let’s continue to support each other through these challenges. Together, we will navigate this landscape and keep the spirit of ILLUMINATION alive.

Thank you for reading and sharing these captivating stories. Your participation is what makes our community thrive!

Chapter 3: Join the Conversation

If you’re interested in joining our Slack or Discord channels, please reach out. These platforms are invaluable for connecting with fellow writers and sharing insights.

I’m grateful for your continued support as we embark on this exciting journey together. Let’s keep the lines of communication open and inspire one another!