Chapter 1: A Grateful Heart

Hello everyone!

I realize I’m a bit delayed in sharing my goals for this month, but I didn't want to discard this piece solely due to timing. I am genuinely thankful to each person who has taken the time to read my articles and offer their support, even though I haven't been as regular as I intended.

As my inaugural month on Medium wraps up, I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to all my followers and readers. Your unwavering support means the world to me. About a year ago, I discovered the idea of writing on Medium while researching mental health, but it took me some time to act on that idea.

Initially, I felt nervous since this was my first experience writing on a public platform while juggling multiple responsibilities. However, I take pride in stepping outside my comfort zone and embracing a new challenge that isn’t common among medical students.

One of the hurdles I encountered early on was the unavailability of the Medium Partner Program in my country. I was uncertain about how I could earn from my writing. To my delight, I received an email just a week after publishing my first article that the Medium Partner Program had expanded to 77 additional countries. That news filled me with excitement!

The first couple of weeks went smoothly, but as exam stress began to mount, I struggled to publish and engage with my fellow writers as much as I wanted. Then, one day while studying, a notification popped up saying—“Ral Joseph has commented on your story.”

This comment became a pivotal moment in my journey.

“This comment made me realize that I had connected with genuine, honest, and kind individuals here.”

Thanks to Ral Joseph and others like her, I remain motivated to keep writing and strive for consistency. I’m thrilled to share that I have reached 100 followers and received over 1000 claps on two of my articles—an accomplishment I cherish deeply.

I sincerely appreciate each of you for taking the time to read my pieces and for your claps, comments, and follows. Your engagement fuels my perseverance through various challenges. I promise to continue working diligently to publish more content and engage with all of you, reading your articles and leaving comments so we can stay connected!

I hope this message finds you safe and healthy. Thank you for this incredible support and for welcoming me into this community. I would love to hear your thoughts or suggestions on topics I should explore next, or if there’s anything else you’d like to share!

Wishing you a wonderful September! May you achieve all your goals, but remember to savor each moment and enjoy the journey. While you can earn back money, these moments are irreplaceable.

A special thank you to all of you:

Barbara J. Martin, Ben Stone, Otba Elvie Ogbebor, Sarah Emily, Christina Sponias, Jasbeer Singh, Sam David Parker, Niz, Diana's Diary, Marcus Musick, Joonas Väre, Smriti Kumari, Khorge Boro, Ignatious C A, Gary A J Martin, Sara Flower, Malik Waqas, Himadri Bhowmick, Subhadip Mahata, Susie K, and Guinea pig slave.

And to anyone else I may have overlooked.

Chapter 2: Acknowledging Support

In this heartfelt video titled "THANK YOU to all my followers—new and not-so-new!", I express my gratitude and share my journey in the writing community.

This video, "How To Say Thank You to Your New Followers on Facebook," offers tips on expressing appreciation to your online community.