You make great points Chris, it's hard to keep a healthy mindset when day-to-day payouts can be so unreliable. One post earns $50, the next earns $3 - and they both seem as good as each other to me!
It's like you said - before I had ANY posts earning $50, I felt great to earn $3. But expectations quickly rise to meet current earnings. Weird mental phenomenon.
I think maybe focusing on generosity, upvoting others, and trying to have a giving mindset is a good way to stay balanced.
RE: Learning to Manage Expectations - Not ALL Posts are Winners