Substack: “Get the Hell Out of Your Comfort Zone and Away from Mediocre People”
According to Tim Denning, your environment shapes your mindset. You choose it.
Writers/Readers on Medium can read this story for free via our friend link
I only found true happiness when I moved out of my comfort zone. I became more creative and productive when working in my “stretch zone,” which I will discuss in this story. “The Risk” zone helped me to become a professional but “the danger zone” was about to ruin my life.
While browsing Notes on my Substack in my Sunday afternoon today, I stumbled upon an insightful message from Tim Denning, one of the top writers on both Medium and Substack. His massive following speaks to the quality and impact of his work.
As a fellow Aussie, I consistently read his stories on ILLUMINATION-Curated, follow his tweets on X, enjoy his LinkedIn posts, and subscribe to his mailing list and Substack. Tim’s generosity in providing free content is invaluable, particularly for budding writers like myself. I even wrote a story about Tim when dabbling with AI to help the establishment of the Lampshade of Illumination last year.
The Story of Tim Denning, a Writer Who Inspired a Generation of Writers
Your environment shapes your mindset. You choose it.
Today, one of his messages on Substack Notes stood out and inspired me to write this short story. Tim’s message, “Get out of your comfort zone and away from mediocre people. Your environment shapes your mindset. You choose it,” is a potential game-changer. I want to explain what this message meant to me.
Firstly, Tim’s message reminded me of a wonderful story by my mentor, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, titled “Here’s How You Can Enjoy Your Life More in Better Zones.” I’ll briefly summarize this exceptional story, which was organically boosted last year and enjoyed by thousands of readers after discussing my takeaway from Tim’s message on Substack Notes.
Tim’s tweet on Notes reminded me of the profound impact of our environment on our personal growth and happiness. I perceived that stepping out of our comfort zones and surrounding ourselves with ambitious, positive people can lead to a more fulfilling life. By choosing better environments and companies, we can shape our mindsets and unlock our potential.
Tim’s message resonates deeply with this philosophy. It highlights the significance of actively choosing environments that challenge and inspire us rather than settling for mediocrity.
By making conscious decisions about the people we surround ourselves with, we can cultivate a mindset that drives us toward success and personal growth.
As a bonus, while immersing myself in Tim’s insightful thread, I stumbled upon a wonderful illustration that resonated deeply with me. This compelling visual was posted by “The Keystone Channel” on Substack. In just one image, it conveyed a powerful message that words alone often struggle to capture.
Surprising Message from “The Keystone Channel”
“The Keystone Channel” has a knack for creating visuals that encapsulate complex ideas with elegance and clarity. This particular illustration was no exception, and it perfectly complemented Tim’s thought-provoking message. As a media professional, I understand the power of visuals in enhancing storytelling and making concepts more relatable and impactful.
I highly recommend thinking about this publicly available illustration and even putting a copy of it on your bedroom window or study desk as I do. It’s a perfect example of how art and content can intersect to provide deeper understanding and inspiration. I hope you find it as enriching as I did.
Summary of Enjoying Life in Better Zones: Insights by r Mehmet Yildiz
Here’s How You Can Enjoy Your Life More in Better Zones.
Dr. Yildiz’s article offers a powerful mental framework for achieving happiness, health, and success. He emphasizes that living a joyful and serene life is possible despite life’s challenges. This approach doesn’t require significant time or money, making it accessible to anyone willing to put in the effort.
Dr. Yildiz introduces four zones: comfort, stretch, risk, and danger, each with distinct characteristics and implications:
Comfort Zone: This is where we feel safe and secure, operating within familiar routines. While it provides short-term ease, long-term complacency in this zone can hinder growth and lead to unfulfilled potential.
Stretch Zone: Just outside the comfort zone, this is where growth begins. Here, we take on challenges that push our limits, learning, creativity, and resilience. This zone is marked by healthy stress, or eustress, which drives personal and professional development.
Risk Zone: This zone involves taking on challenges beyond our current capabilities. Although intimidating, it is crucial for significant growth and success. Dr. Yildiz highlights the importance of calculated risks, which can lead to remarkable achievements and innovative solutions.
Danger Zone: Unlike the risk zone, the danger zone involves taking on challenges that far exceed our abilities, leading to potential harm. Dr. Yildiz advises against operating in this zone, as it can have severe negative consequences.
Dr. Yildiz highlights risk management as a vital skill for navigating personal and professional life. By identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks, we can protect ourselves and our ventures from adverse outcomes. This process is essential for making informed decisions and fostering resilience.
He notes that transformational leaders thrive by embracing uncertainty and operating in the risk zone. These leaders drive innovation and growth by taking calculated risks, demonstrating that success lies beyond the comfort zone.
Interestingly, my editor colleague Mike Broadly, DHSc turned the story of Dr Yildiz to a poem and I loved it. I believe you will enjoy this masterpiece, too.
Blissful and Jubilant Steps in Life’s 4 Zones
Conclusions and Takeaways
Tim Denning’s message on Substack powerfully reminds us that our choices profoundly shape our lives. We create environments that nurture growth and happiness by consciously stepping out of our comfort zones and surrounding ourselves with ambitious and positive individuals. This insight, echoed by Dr. Mehmet Yildiz’s framework, offers a valuable guide for personal and professional fulfillment.
Dr. Yildiz’s four-zone model — comfort, stretch, risk, and danger — provides a practical approach to navigating life’s challenges. It encourages us to embrace the stretch and risk zones, where growth and significant achievements occur while avoiding the pitfalls of the danger zone. This mindset of calculated risk-taking and continuous learning is essential for unlocking our full potential.
Moreover, visuals, like the one shared by “The Keystone Channel,” enhance our understanding and motivation, demonstrating the power of art in storytelling. By integrating these principles and surrounding ourselves with the right influences, we can transform our lives meaningfully.
Ultimately, the wisdom shared by Tim Denning and Dr. Yildiz is a call to action: choose environments that inspire, challenge, and elevate you. By doing so, we can cultivate a mindset that drives us toward success, happiness, and a fulfilling life.
As a reader, writer, publication owner, volunteer editor/curator, and former boost nominator, I enjoy interactions on Medium. Previously, I tried Vocal Media but failed miserably.
Now I enjoy Substack immensely as meeting influential writers like Tim Denning, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Dr. ADAM TABRIZ, Mike Broadly, DHSc, Lawson Wallace, Brooklyn Muse (editor), Sylvain Zyssman, Tom Kane, Le Voir N. Lewis, Doris Walker, Raveen or Sonaakshi Sinha Jamwal inspires me. I also read an insightful post by Gill McCulloch who joined Substack.
You can enjoy their introductions on the Substack on ILLUMINATION from the following list. If you are a writer on Substack, please introduce your newsletter and share the short links to your posts. Our chief editor has a mission for every writer to have a newsletter.
Invitation: ILLUMINATION Curators on Substack Publication on Medium
My Technology Excellence and Leadership Site on Substack
A New Beginning: Join Me on My Writing Journey on Substack
Finally Joined Substack: A New Chapter in Supporting My Readers
Transitioning to a Focus on Newsletter Growth
Dear Medium, I Have Avoided Substack Long Enough
My Journey from Medium to Substack
Here’s The Ultimate Reason Why Substack Is Far More Rewarding Than Medium
Every Writer Needs a Newsletter
Why we created a new Substack publication on Medium and how we will support writers through extended collaborationmedium.com
How to Start Substack Instantly & Own Your Content/Audience Effectively
Expanding Horizons for Writers by Leveraging the Power of Both Medium and Substack with a Diversification Strategymedium.com
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ILLUMINATION Library for Freelance Writers | Substack
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Content Strategy, Development, & Marketing Insights | Dr Mehmet Yildiz
Health Science Research By Dr Mike Broadly | Substack
Technology, Gaming, Movies, and Social Media | Aiden MC | Substack
Here is some information about our new organization on Substack.
How I Architected a Charity Organization & Why I Will Run It Like a Business
Outline of my draft plan for creators, freelancers, and entrepreneurs empowered by the Substack networkmedium.com
Thank you for reading my story.
I wrote 50+ stories about TV shows and movies. You can find them from the attached list. I hope you enjoy some of my media stories. Thank you for sharing this list for many readers to find them as they no longer get any organic views on this platform.
List: Stories About Film and TV Shows | Curated by Aiden (Owner of Illumination Gaming) | Medium
I wrote around 700 gaming stories. My favourite game is Minecraft. You can check out Minecraft related stories from my collection linked in the list below.
I am grateful that some of my old stories close to my heart were also boosted. However, in the last 3 months, none of them, even the exceptional ones, were chosen, so I don’t understand what happened and why curators stopped choosing some of the good ones. That is no issue to me. I share the links here as samples for aspiring writers and interested readers.
My Sample Boosted Stories.
Gaming, Fun, and Humor: The Lifelines That Rescued Me From Social Media’s Grip on My Life
What Car Shows Mean to Me and How They Enriched My Life
Finding Comfort in Blocks: How Minecraft Eased My First Time Loneliness and Intense Grief at 17
AI Can Now Create Photorealistic Videos From Just a Text Prompt
New writers might check the attached list including many insightful and practical stories written by my mentor Dr Mehmet Yildiz to improve their craft.
Writing, Content Development & Marketing Strategy Guides
New writers, when you need help please don’t hesitate to contact me on Slack workspace or Discord server. I introduce these services below.
Here is some info about Slack and Discords
An Introduction to ILLUMINATION Slack Workspace
ILLUMINATION Discord: Video Introduction to Beginners
Communicate and Collaborate with Writers on the Illumination Discord Server
I also enjoy introducing writers on YouTube. So if you are interested you may contact me on Slack or Discord.
Meet Top Writers of Medium on YouTube
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Publishing and Conduct Guidelines for the Lampshade of ILLUMINATION
ILLUMINATION’s Nutrition- Nutrition: Curated Stories — Volume 1.
About Me
I write articles in my field covering gaming, film-making, social media, and design. I am also a YouTuber. Thank you for subscribing to my account to get notifications when I post on Medium. I created a new website to share my content for free and promote stories of writers contributing to my publications on Medium. I also have a Substack newsletter. Let’s connect on Twitter and LinkedIn.
I own two publications on Medium. One for video gamers and another for YouTubers and Podcasters. I also support Illumination Integrated Publications as a volunteer editor and participate in collaborative activities in the Slack Workspace.
Writer applications for my publications can be sent via this weblink. Please add your Medium ID. You may consider being a Vocal+ member to monetize your content. I also enjoy email marketing using Cliqly, which is my affiliate link.
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Okay, Aiden. I admit that I came here because YOU of all people subscribed to my yet-to-be publication, Life's a Game.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for that, but why? What inspired you to tick that button? I'm sitting here like a deer in headlights.
Then, I find in this post more than I can possibly absorb in one reading. SAVED! Maybe I'll create a habit of revisiting saves.