This post is SO overdue! I am normally the first to jump at opportunities like this 
!!!WARNING!!!
I would also like to forewarn all of you that this is going to be one loooooong ass post! so feel free to press eject now! ;) I am going to share it ALL with you - FULL POST DISCLOSURE... in one spot. Old and new! If I have not scared you away yet, then grab a seat... maybe some popcorn, and DEFINITELY some wine! ;)
A walk down my Steem Memory lane...
I realise that there are some true "old hats" that have been on Steem, since "pa fell off a donkey" - and oodles of respect to every single one of those individuals. Had I listened to my brother "back in the day", the first time he told me about this platform - I would be able to wave that flag too, but my business at the time took priority. Although, it did not take me too long for my curiosity to get the better of me and I say with a smile on my face that I am ever happy it did!
When I discovered Steem, I honestly had no bloody CLUE what ANY of this was about! So my Steem journey has been one which has held MUCH learning and discovery - all of which has been shared along my way. Yes, I was incredibly passionate about my self-built business of 11 years (my second business) - but being a mom and handling the stress levels that I was, was literally killing me from the inside out.
1. The very FIRST thing that Steem gave me was COURAGE. The courage to take a step into the unknown and leave behind the things that were stunting my spirit. I wanted the change in my life SO BADLY! I can remember the night I wrote this post...
GOODBYE Hamster Wheel - HELLO STEEMIT!
Seventeen years! have been stuck on this bloody hamster wheel which is going nowhere slowly! - I am tired! My SOUL is tired!!!! My energy is depleted and I want to do something more meaningful with my hours!
Image Credit: https://www.askideas.com
Brother to Jayne: Have you looked at Steemit yet Jayne - its the right platform for you to write and your writing is really good.
Jayne to Brother: yes, yes, I will check it out - it is on my "to do" list, I promise (gets sidetracked).
Image Credit: https://pics.me.m
So, on one particular day, you know - when the I was running particularly FAST on the hamster wheel, only to get thrown off, realising that I was precisely where I started, I stopped!!! - and check out Steemit I did!
Image Credit: http://app.seniorcorrespondent.com
and just like that..."tadaa" - here I am!!!
Image Credit: https://cdn.meme.am
Precisely one month ago today, I joined this FABULOUS COMMUNITY! - and I say fabulous, because, I have met and engaged with people, I have never met, read their posts, heard their hearts, souls, frustrations and joys - and they too have read mine. Each engaging in the other. I walked into this space (despite being fluent on every other social media platform) like a total noob!!!! I did not know my arse from my face! lol - and guess what... the people around me actually HELPED me, instead of "mocking me" or "belittling me"
Image Credit: https://i.ytimg.com
I think that is pretty darn amazing!!!! (if you have ever been on FB or twitter to any great extent - you will understand why I am saying that)
No wait.. sorry... what is Facebook again?! lol (ok ok, it still has its uses, lets keep it nice) hehe :)
I learn a little more every day on this journey, compliments of my Steemit gurus....
I wrote that post two years ago! Damn how the time has flown! And with that post, I planted a seed... which changed my life! I found the courage to walk away from EVERYTHING I had poured my blood, sweat and tears into and basically rendered myself unemployed but happy haha!!!!
1. Steem has afforded me the opportunity of pursuing my passions. I have long since expressed that I want to find a way to help people find the inspiration needed to pursue their passions, to overcome their hurdles, and to simply believe in themselves. When I realised that this was what I TRULY wanted to do, I had absolutely NO idea how to go about it! I am not a psychologist, I have no degree in anything like this, but simply because I had trusted the first instinct of leaving all my baggage behind - the doors began to open.
I was initially invited to be a founder of one of the oldest discord communities on Steem, but I declined, because I listen to my gut. I then went on to start building my own community which was then known as the 
I have written MANYYYYY articles regarding my passion for this place and space... Each with their own purpose and no one less important than the next. Last year, I decided to compile the specifically "Steem" related posts into one post. Not just for those that wanted feedback or insight, but also for myself. It was a GREAT way to track just how much my dedication for this community has grown!
My STEEMIT Stepping Stones...
I decided to do a little bit of a
Steemit Timeline exercise this evening,
and track back to ALL my posts
SPECIFICALLY related to steemit...
WOW!
What an awesome little "mini trip" down memory lane it was!
It is a real EYE OPENER really,
to assess how far you have come in a specific space of time.
For those of you starting out on the platform,
I thought I would share these facets of my journey with you,
to assist you along your own path...
and for those of you that are well established here,
well good for a giggle at the very least I am sure :)
(PS - ALL these articles have LONG since passed their curation)
juuuuuust in case you thought I was trying to
get upvotes on them... NO,
I am offering all of these posts to share what I have
learnt and experienced...
So on that note.... here they are -
MY STEEMIT STEPPING STONES
......
My Steemit Journey #1
First of all, let me say – that I know little to nothing about Steemit (not in the grand scheme of things anyway), I have absolutely nothing worth talking about in my wallet and I am definitely not a whale, in fact I don’t think I could even refer to myself as a dolphin… I am probably a little closer to plankton at this point… haha! But that is ok, because I am not writing this to boast about my wallet or to press my expertise on to anyone. I am starting this post thread because I would like to not only share my journey but I would also like to document it.....
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What I (think) I have learnt about Steemit so far
Hey gorgeous peeps! - I joined Steemit about three weeks ago and it has been a very interesting and educational journey so far. I am by no stretch a “know it all”, but I would like to believe I have learnt at least a little bit since I have been around, so I thought I would share it with all of you – especially those that are even bigger noobs than I. haha!
I hope you find it useful....
Image is purchased Stock Photography
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Keeping it REAL on STEEMIT!!!
One of the things I love most about Steemit is the community and the genuine support that you are offered from those around you, it truly is quite phenomenal - but on the flip side of that coin…
I am honestly just SO sick of “upvote” and “follow me” pests and bullies...
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So, What does STEEMIT mean to YOU?
I cannot speak for anybody other than myself when it comes to the levels of seriousness shown with regards to becoming a valuable part of the Steemit community, but the way I see it – if that ISN’T your primary objective here, then you REALLY ARE wasting your time – and everybody else’s for that matter…
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IGNORE the NEGATIVE NANCY'S on STEEMIT!
Everybody is entitled to their opinion and when it comes to social media and the “sharing of opinion and perspective” there are two sides to the coin. There is what you share to the community and then there is the response that the community gives you. When you share opinion or experience by way of your posts – you are reaching and engaging with a lot of people simultaneously. It is highly unlikely that everybody is going to agree with what you have said – including occasions when the information is actually factual...
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STEEMIT is NOT a GET RICH QUICK scheme!
Quite some time back, I created a Facebook group for bloggers to share their blog links - and the other day I decided to run a poll to find out how many of them were on Steemit, how many of them had no idea what it was and how many would like to know more. Plenty had never heard of it, many went off to explore it and some joined – but most simply begged the question “how much do they pay” and went silent after realising that they weren’t going to become overnight millionaires...
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Dear TROLLS...
Yesterday I wrote about how Steemit is not a “get rich quick scheme” and how important content originality is, for your reputation and growth here on the platform. The reason I wrote what I did was because I think many people needed to hear it. People have various reasons for joining Steemit and the reality of the matter is that some people ARE here out of absolute necessity or even desperation. In those instances, building a good reputation within the community is even more important than in other instances where it is done purely for the fun of the engagement or the passion for blogging. So I think it is imperative that fundamental “do’s and don’ts are well covered. However, that reason aside, none of us want this space to become a dumping ground for rubbish either...
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MY STEEMIT ADDICTION
What is the definition of an addict? Well narcotics aside,
Google has this to say…
An enthusiastic devotee of a specified thing or activity.
Well, in that case, I have come to the conclusion that I am officially a Steemit addict. True story! I joined Steemit on the 16th of June 2017 and not a single day has passed since then, that I have not been active on this platform...
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The LITTLE BLACK BOOK of STEEMIT
Four months and a few days have passed since I joined the Steemit community and man oh man what a journey it has been so far! When I stepped onto this platform for the first time, I really had no idea what I was doing – other than my general “social media knowledge” which turned out to be fairly useless as Steemit operates VERY differently to other social platforms.
As with any “life adventure” there are always positives and negatives… dos and don’ts…
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My little STEEMIT Rant!
I can honestly say that when I joined this community, I would NEVER have guessed just how MUCH it would consume me. No, I was clueless for the most part… My eldest brother who is a big crypto fan, knows that I love to write and had spent almost a year trying to convince me to register here and that is the reason I am here! When I eventually did join, it was “all very exciting” as you can no doubt relate… Little did I know, that despite being a complete social media enthusiast on every other platform aside from Steemit, I was about to hit a whole new level of junkie...
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The POWER of a POSITIVE PLATFORM
There are a few words which come to mind when I think about Steemit. Specifically: Community, Support, Growth, Knowledge, Friendship, Positivity, Experience and most importantly – Passion!
When I initially stepped foot onto the Steemit platform, I really had no idea what I was walking into. For as far back as I can remember (well almost lol), I have been studying and observing other social media platforms (by myself, for myself). I engaged in ALL of them, ALL of the time - I was probably THE most annoying person to follow on Facebook or twitter, if I actually think about it lol, because not only did I post frequently for my personal pleasure, but I also made frequent use the platforms for business promotional purposes...
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STEEMIT BLOG IMPROVEMENT TIPS
On the 16th December, I will have been a member of Steemit for exactly six months. Now this is a complete babe in the woods in the grand scheme of things and I do not by any stretch consider myself a know it all – but I most certainly have learnt a fair amount during this time and continue to learn more each and every day, so today – I wanted to share a little bit of what I have learnt specifically with my community of Steemit Bloggers on Discord, but also with everyone else reading this.
I told you this was going to be a long post... lol - and I could actually go on all night... but no doubt I have bored you all enough already!
There is no END to my gratitude for the people of this platform and the platform itself! I pour my heart and soul into it every single day and practically every waking hour! - whether others see that or not. I have made it my mission from the beginning to embrace people of like mind that share the same levels of passion I do, and we have an amazing makeup of individuals now that give their all to one another. My journey has been life changing and nothing less.
I threw EVERYTHING away for Steem! And yes, I am mostly broke these days LOL - but you know what... I would not change it for the WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't feel like a hamster on a wheel anymore, I don't wake up having panic attacks (writing this is making me cry), I am not short and hurried with my son anymore, I actually have time to enjoy the beautiful little boy that he is. I have time to LIVE - and breathe! I meet new people every single day that add value to my life. I have an ARMY of people close to me, that would literally give the shirt off their back for me if it was needed!
Funny how as you get older, you realise the "true priority" of things. The VALUE of what ACTUALLY matters! This is one of the reasons that (despite the bottoming out price) Steem has hung on!!!! - The PEOPLE of Steem have held that grip! I hope, that ALL of YOU, THEM, US - NEVER lose that passion! We have SO much strength in community ALONE!
Lastly - not least... Steem has, despite crappy prices - paid for many of my bills over the last two years. Be it school fees, groceries, or a fun day out for my son - it has contributed to it all! And for that I am eternally grateful!
There is NOTHING like Steem! - NOTHING!!!!! It is literally the best of ALL worlds! - Even with the glitches. (Life without glitches does not exist!)
I cannot actually imagine my life without Steem and my Steem peeps!
LOVE YOU ALL LONG TIME!!!!!
I do not know who has or has not done this challenge yet, so going to tag more than three peeps....
❤❤❤
Until next time...
Much Love from Cape Town, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
FOUNDER OF THE POWERHOUSE CREATIVES
A community of individuals who are dedicated to producing quality content
which adds value to the Steemit platform and beyond.
AUTO POST FROM INSTAGRAM TO STEEM
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