Are you disillusioned by it all, struggling to come to terms with your position in life, at Steemit? Do you really understand your place? For now perhaps, you move around the ground, dig through the dirt, question whether this life is worth it, whether the content you produce and the time it takes to develop it is worth the returns. No, it isn't worth it at all.
Considering there are 250,000 posts here a day, how many of them actually hold value, does yours? Does your content add value to the community at all or is it, 'just some information'? I am not picking on your content, or mine but, this is the problem as for the most part, we are writing and posting either what we enjoy or what we think others will for upvotes. There is personal intrinsic value when we create something for ourselves and that shouldn't be diminished by what the financial return is on it. If it is, do you really value your content itself, or do you do it for the money?
If you are doing it for the money, do you pour your heart and soul into it, do you really connect with it, do you feel before you press 'POST' that it was worth it regardless of the response, even if no upvotes come? If you don't even care about it, why would anyone else? I do find personal value in my work. Does this mean I am not happy with my returns or disappointed if very little arrives? Does it mean I am content with Spam responses even if the value of the post is high. No, it does not.
But, I do my best, every post, every word, and every mistake is mine. Every thought I put in, every attempt to improve the position of myself and others on or off the platform is done with honesty and carries that personalised intrinsic value. The content is mine, I want a return but, I do not ever expect a return. I do not expect that people will comment well, I do not expect they will upvote me and, I do not expect anyone to care about what I write. I hope though.
I hope that at least some of my content is deemed valuable enough to take the minute or two to comment upon and fingers crossed, not just because I reward comments, although I don't mind rewarding regardless as long as it is thoughtful. I hope that something I write about the platform can somehow nudge action to improve it, inspire someone to rethink a little, improve themselves a little also.
I was telling a friend yesterday about my Steemit journey and how much it has affected my life, how much I enjoy this. I used to be a gamer but, this is hands down the best game I have ever played as it is not just improving myself in some narrow, dictated band, I am free to explore all there is on offer and in doing, get a better understanding of who I am. I don't go out to PWN, I go out to build and help others who are willing.
There are many reasons to be here, many ways to navigate experience, improve oneself, help others but, if you only look at the pending payout and you fail to realise that anything you get is a bonus on top of the value you got from developing it, you are missing the value of the platform. I also hope for the material returns on what I write for two reasons, I am tired of a life of struggle for my family, I want to help others improve themselves. I can struggle now for a better future if it has the chance to provide me the base for satisfying improvement potentials in the future.
We all struggle at times, we all get conflicted in many ways by competing desires but, it is this constant overcoming of ourselves that will give this entire platform and world a chance to transform into something better. Do I expect you to join my pathway. Not at all. This is mine, you need to find yours.
If however you are beating your head against a wall and not getting to where you want to be, are you expecting the wall to move? You might want to consider a new path or invest in a sledgehammer. Either way, effort is involved.
Taraz
[ a Steemit original ]