Articles published by Medium contributors illustrate every facet of “The Human Condition.” Their experiences help others with the daily struggles of life in its unending variations. The articles are lighting in a bottle.
A number of my family and friends experienced difficulties where I was able to help them using Medium. Each time our relationship was better after the interaction.
Depression
I was struggling with how to help a friend through a personal crisis. She has not been herself in months. Her normal confidence was shredded. She told me she was slapped down and unable to get up. Her behavior was classic depression.
I went on Medium and searched for other people that have faced situations like hers. I found a few articles. Some postings do not end well but all of them were examples of others struggling with depression. As I was finishing my first search, it occurred to me what I was doing. I was using Medium as a resource for something other than publishing and writing.
Thinking back over the last seven months, I remember using Medium multiple times to assist me with tough issues.
Bad Business Deals
One of my cousins previously entered a bad business deal. He felt he had made a series of bad decisions and should have seen it coming. Now, it’s time to try again. He is defensive about his new business.
There are several articles about choosing a business partner and how to recover when you have chosen badly. There are also articles about bad (and good) business breakups. I handed him my business card with a few of the articles on the back as recommendations. This approach caused no problems between us. I wasn’t offering advice; I was offering resources; on my business card, like the businesswoman I am.
Weight Gain
One of my college buddies is overweight. She is obese. She weighs over four hundred pounds. Her weight was a shock to her as she knew she gained weight but did not understand how much she had gained.
I wanted to offer my opinion about her situation but as a person who lost one hundred- and eight-pounds years ago, I did not know how to approach her without endangering our friendship.
Instead, I directed her to Medium where she found information on weight loss. She also found many personal studies of others struggling with their weight. She told me that many of the stories inspired her to “ get up off her duff and do something about it.” I will join her at the gym next week to help her pick a trainer. Hell, I might even work out with her.
Leadership
A young man I mentored while I was in corporate called me. He took over a team. It was time for performance reviews. After writing and agonizing over the reviews, he called me.
He knew he had written ‘softball reviews” for his team. Everyone was outstanding. He had taken the bonus pot and divided it evenly among the team although it was obvious some team members were not carrying their weight.
He received no training on how to handle performance reviews. I directed him to two resources: Harvard Business Review and Medium.
When he called me back, it was classic. He had no idea, so many new managers struggled with reviews. He was not alone.
There are more than a few articles on Medium that detail the techniques of providing valuable performance reviews. He thanked me and told me I was a goddess. (I am.)
Personal Vulnerability
The honest discussion and the personal vulnerability that is written about daily by Medium writers is helping me deal with the inconsistencies of life while dealing with my fellow humans.
Everyone discusses how great the Medium platform is for writers. The readers love the large variety of topics and discussions.
But how many recognize that because of the large, diverse writer pool that Medium is a reference guide to the various way’s humans respond to a crisis.
Medium stories provide thought-provoking insight into problems. A different or confirming opinion written by someone who does not know about your issue can be enlightening. Each article is about the writer and their lives, opening the door to exclude emotion from the decision making.
Anything that can help anyone make better decisions about the tough issues in life is invaluable.
I can be reached at https://www.tonicrowewriter.com
