A summary of valuable perspectives gained from people whose paths crossed with mine via serendipitous encounters — New writer inquiries and applications for Illumination Integration Publications are through the registration portal. Please review the onboarding pack before submitting your stories. I look forward to supporting your stories on Medium. Welcome to my personal story collection. I believe you will find some valuable insights from the stories linked…

The joy of reading with Andy‘s guidance in a unique book club in the 1980s — In the opening chapter of this series, I shared insights into the joys that fuel writers’ passion, presenting a narrative around a pivotal 1980s writers' conference — an account warmly embraced by fellow wordsmiths. Now, in this next installment, I invite you to join me in exploring the profound joys…

Nothing for a writer can beat the value of this from a psychological point of view, according to Bev. — Bev, a lifelong lover of the written word, crossed paths with me at a writers’ conference in the 1980s. There she stood, inspiring attendees. The banner of her presentation was “What Makes a Writer Most Joyful About Writing.” Before her session at lunch break, as conversations bubbled among attendees, a…

My story of an unlikely connection bridging continents through a common cause — On this beautiful yet problematic planet, where geographical boundaries seem insurmountable, serendipity sometimes unites souls from far-flung corners. Such was the serendipitous encounter that led me to cross paths with Thomas Allen Moon retired attorney, and his daughter, Anna M. Clark a strategist and book author. Hailing from the sun-kissed…

How I increased my understanding when studying and used these techniques as a lifelong learner, researcher, and educator — Subscribers' responses to my recent story about separating truth from myth nicely surprised me. Most readers found the story valuable, practical, and timely. They asked for more content related to this topic, which warmed my heart. However, amidst the applause, a simple yet profound question emerged:

I distill and simplify my 10-hour advanced research lecture notes for Ph.D. students into this 10-minute story to illuminate and inspire you for this critical life skill. — Misinformation nearly led me astray and almost jeopardized my health when I was younger, despite my careful approach to life. As a scientist, a sensible biohacker, a dedicated learner, and an information consumer discerning fact from fiction has become my North Star.

Here is how to access personal knowledge and wisdom by tapping into the subconscious mind methodically and smoothly. — Regardless of my theoretical studies and observations, taking the first physical step to write was akin to a child’s tentative attempts at walking. It was a pivotal moment that set everything into motion. I couldn’t find much empirical evidence so far, but I intuitively learned that deep inside each of…

Understand and fix the mind’s quirks with a methodical approach based on my decades of research and experience in the field — I noticed my cognitive biases when I scratched my head, wondering why I made a decision that seemed perfectly sensible at the time, only to regret it later. We all fall prey to these sneaky culprits known as cognitive biases. Cognitive biases are like silent puppeteers, pulling our mental strings…

Here’s how to fix them for a healthier and happier life. — When studying cognition methodically, I noticed a robust relationship between our thoughts and emotions, as the cognitive (neocortex) and emotional parts of the brain (the limbic system) are connected. Therefore, I focused on balancing my life's intellectual and emotional aspects. Plus, the body and mind team up in this whole…