It’s very easy to get discouraged when you first start out on Steem, the trending tab is full of people you don’t know, the hot tab does not make too much sense, and “what in the hell is the promotion tab?” is the dominant question in your mind for the better part of a week. It does get better though, and for some reason that no one can really explain, a month on Steemit feels like a year of life experiences, or at least it seems to be the case for most people I’ve spoken to.
But, allow me to move on to the topic of my blog entry, the super epic and deadly.. tan tan taaaann...
“7 cents of fury”....
here is my upvote!!!!
What in the hell am I talking about?
As little minnows we tend to get caught up in the fact that we are little fishes in a murky pond, we tend to dwell a little too much in the fact that our upvote is only a few pathetic cents. And I'm here to tell you why you should drop those thoughts now.... like, right now....
7 cents, 2 cents.. 3... So What???
The truth of the matter is that if we believe that our contribution to the platform, and to our own communities is constrained by the cents of our upvotes, we might be missing the big picture all together. I for one don’t see myself as an insignificant minnow and refuse to accept that my small upvote is all I have to offer, I simply reject it with passion!!!!
What am I talking about, you say?
My point might be oversimplified by a blunt statement I’ve said a few times before:
“You are not your wallet, and if you are, then you must be truly poor”
I can’t remember the first time I said this, but It was long before I knew anything about cryptos. You see in my life I’ve been in and out of different economic and social circles, for reasons that may or may not have anything to do with luck or lack there of. I’ve been friends with people who could buy up a small island and make it a country, and have shared a beer with a homeless man. And through those experiences I’ve learned the true concept of value, and how most of the time it can be disconnected from money.
Do not know who the original author of this quote is, if someone does, please let me know:
“There was once a man who was so poor, but so miserably poor, that all he had was money”
The first time I heard it, a light bulb turn on in my head. And not because I reject money, or have any negative feelings towards the accumulation of wealth, quite the opposite. I simply recognize money as a tool, a powerful tool that potentializes who we are, but does not define us, money is not good or bad intrinsically, it just is.
Even more to my point...
Forget about the 2 cents, the 3 cents, or the 10. Don’t worry about your voting power being low, about your resteeming getting out of hand or anything that silly. Worry about collecting wealth, the real kind, the only one that is worth a damn…. Relationships.
When you go into a post that you like, when you find an author you can genuine follow with interest, and look forward to their next publication. You are finding value, you are collecting worth, you are learning to not be poor every single day.
That is the true payoff…. f&^&*!@ those 3 cents!!!!
Do I sound too angry?
It might appear as if I am, but I promise you I’m writing these words with a smile, because I don’t want you to lose focus, I don’t want you to stare at a trophy and not look down at the road you are walking on.
Listen… I may be wrong, I may be some unicorn hunter and I can admit that In many aspects of my life, I’ve been just that a unicorner(new word, write it down). But, for a second, just for a second imagine that there was no money to be made on Steem, none…. Would you still be here? Would you still have fun? Would this still be worth it?
Ask yourself those questions, search deep inside, because depending on the answer you will know if you are on the right track.
Ok, now we can put the pizza in the oven
The best part of liberating yourself from keeping track of your VP(voting power), of clicking ahead of whales to get some curation money, that exhausting hustle and begin to focus on developing relationships....
some symptoms might develop:
- your 2 cents will be come 3, then 4 then 10, then you will smile like an idiot all day.
- you will have so much fun, everyday you won't imagine a day without your Steemian buds.
- you will learn so many things about technologies, economy and cryptos you will feel empowered walking around walmart.
- you will be in the position to help others.
- you will wake up every morning with a sense of purpose.
- you will join a badass community of badassery.
And the best part is that you don't have to worry about popping pills to fix any of them.... Basically if symptoms persist, continue to do what you are doing.
I for one have been accumulatng SP without even worrying about it at all, and to quote the original steemweaver "how cool is that?"
Much love