For almost two and a half decades, I have been training people in various things from technical software usage (current job) to management skills and personnel development (current business), sales skills and communication and where the path started, a crew trainer at McDonald's. For the last almost 17 years (less these days), I have been a business English language trainer in Finland.

My biggest take away from all of the training is,

I have never taught anyone anything.

And I am a better trainer for it.

One of the most ridiculous things is when people blame their teacher for not learning a skill at school, the "I am bad at math because my teacher was bad" people. It is not the case at all, however what it might be is that the teacher didn't deliver in the way that a student might like to have training delivered. A kid is a kid and the worst thing is when adults carry this belief into their supposedly mature lives. Victims of circumstance.

When it comes to learning, no one can learn for another person. No one one else can eat better and exercise to change my body other than me. Sure, we can follow advice and even learn by example, but if you haven't been paying attention, often we don't.

How many people were advised to buy Bitcoin early on and didn't, how many watched the adviser benefit and then still didn't follow suit? It was never the right time, always too uncertain, the price too high, whether it was a thousand dollars, or one dollar.

And this is the thing that everyone needs to understand about learning, there is always risk. The reason is that to learn is a movement and as such, takes energy and is surrounded by uncertainty. It is to take the path untraveled, quite literally.

This is why no one really likes to learn.

Because it requires, change.

From one position to another. What people do like are the results of learning, the new skill and understanding that can open up opportunity that provides additional benefits, whether material, psychological, emotional or spiritual - if you believe in that kind of thing. The desire to learn is a selfish act as it is about as personal as it gets.

You don't have to agree, as after all, you might have learned a different lesson than I.

While some people learn ways to improve their lives, other people choose to learn other lessons with many subscribing to the do as I please mentality, without seeing that the default position of that is - to stay the same. We assume that "I am right" even though I am not getting the results I am seeking by doing what I am doing and therefore, it is someone else's fault, not my own.

I can't play the piano because ...

I didn't learn.

Speaking of the spiritual...

The biggest thing that made me question the bible as the word of god was the language used. If Jesus was to be talking to the wretched, the poor, the prostitutes and workers - he would have talked simply. The bible is written by scholars with a very large sense of entitlement to use poetic licence.

But, that is another case - or is it?

When it comes to Steem, my advice for anyone creating content (and I feel relatively qualified in this area) is, keep it simple if looking for general support. The reason is that for the most part, people do not have the time or patience to decipher what a person is trying to say and in a world of digital attention deficit disorder...

It is not about the length of text as much as the delivery of it and unless one is interested or already invested in getting to the end, too flowery, too mach chopping and changing, too many links and alternate pathways and too many abstruse words - the attention just can't give a fuck and moves on. What many consider thought-provoking in their own mind, is not even worth the effort to finish reading in the mind of another.

Did you click on the link for abstruse?

Now - I have written a lot and still haven't gotten anywhere, so I will finish it off swiftly and plainly and as more often than not, tie it into life on Steem.

If you are looking to earn on Steem and you are unable or willing to buy STEEM, stake it up and earn enough through curation alone, you need support. Support in general is provided consistently by those who find the content engaging and interesting enough to support or if not their taste, see the value of that content for the greater ecosystem by being interesting and engaging for others on the platform.

This is an attention economy for the content creator and in order to earn STEEM (that is the currency here, not fiat) consistently, you need to be able to draw attention to be able to draw Steem from the pool, to have it directed in your direction.

There are many ways in doing this that allows for a relatively large range of skillsets to vie for attention, but unless lucky, most content creators are going to have to consider what they offer, evaluate whether it has value and probably change to some degree to fit the tastes of the audience. I will let you in on a little secret...

Complaining about lack of support will generally get you less support.

This is especially true when people who some have been supporting the best they can feel that the person is taking advantage or ungrateful for what they have received. Remember that one of the key lessons suggested to be content in life is; learn to be grateful.

Now, you don't have to take any lesson from this post or any other that I have written, you might be in the perfect position in your life and completely content with your content. No one is forcing you to change, no one is forcing you to write about Steem or forward a poem, a gaming post, a shill of another platform, a political piece, a piano recital or a picture of your gonads pressed up against a piece of glass - what you deliver is yours.

But...

If you want to earn from the attention of others - you might want to consider what you offer, how you offer it, where you offer it and of course, the relationships you build, maintain or the bridges you burn.

No one forces you to learn from a lesson, from an example or from an experience. No one makes you change your behavior, no one compels you to read, write, vote, stay or leave. It is all up to you.

This is an opt-in platform.

What you learn is yours. Own it.

You might be smart, you could have an IQ of 160, three degrees in science and patents on 50 products - but if you do not understand that your experience is your own and therefore take responsibility for it and the way you approach the world - do you still consider yourself intelligent?

You do you.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]