![juststeem2.png](https://cdn.steemitimages.com/DQmebR8PFP4ubt5rRoNvxJRuT7pkHtRQC4HcHkmMGq2r6Dk/juststeem2.png)

Finding Water In The Desert.

I have heard STEEM been called many things since my arrival in July 2016. Many of my former co-workers, family members and friends called it a ponzi scheme, a lottery and most of them, who are now long gone, felt that STEEM was extremely unfair. Mostly due to the insane rewards we could see back in 2016. A long time ago, I gave STEEM a chance, despite my lack of knowledge. I had no blockchain or crypto-knowledge at all. I gave STEEM a chance because I was looking for something different. I had already removed my Facebook account and I was tired of all the bullshit. I am not some anarchist living in a basement somewhere trying to give the middle finger to the government. I am literally just an average "Bob". I am the average user. The same type of user we see on other social medias 24/7. I actually don't really care about owning my content or not. I am used to platforms like Facebook and Twitter, like the majority of the people, so what I was looking for the most when I joined, was a way to earn something **extra**. - That's right, I said it. My sole reason to join STEEM was in an attempt to earn something extra... And I did. I had crazy success when I first joined, and without knowing better, I cashed out as much as I possibly could. I earned a months salary with 3 articles. I was working as a full time freelancer at the time. I was my own boss and I set my own hours. I worked my ass off, but I did something I enjoyed. On top of that, I was extremely active in a bunch of various internet marketing forums. I shared my knowledge, gave away ideas, tips and tricks for free. When I suddenly stumbled upon STEEM and realized how **easy** it was to cash out **hundreds of dollars** per week, I was sold. It felt like I had finally hit the jackpot, and **instead** of *"keeping everything to myself"*, I quickly started to promote STEEM in various ways. I brought in hordes of people, but most of them quit within days. None of them had the amount of luck I had, so they felt deceived. I failed in my attempt to be a splendid advocate for STEEM... I failed despite the insane rewards we could see. Thousands of dollars for an introduction post with a lousy photo. $30K for a make-up tutorial. Hundreds of dollars for a short comment. - I failed. --- Shortly after, or at the same time more or less, I realized that STEEM was far from easy. The hundreds of dollars in rewards I had previously gotten vanished. I struggled to keep myself motivated and I started to build relationships instead. Just like I did in my freelancer career. I made friends. I started to talk with people off STEEM, and ultimately became rather close friends with more than a handful of awesome people. With time, I learned more and even though I am far from an expert today, I understand things better. I continued to struggle. I continued to produce content and "build my profile" despite the value of STEEM and despite the rewards I earned. I kept doing things because it felt like I had **a chance**. - STEEM gave me a wonderful opportunity. I will never forget all the uplifting comments, the wonderful chats and discussions I've had or the incredible people I have met because of STEEM. I will never forget the insane luck I had in the early days, and I will always be grateful for the impact you've had in my life. I might not be as active as I once where, but I am still here, because STEEM will always be my second home. Even though it might be broken.

The Users Are The True Power.