To Make Money Is A What, Not A Why
There has to be a reason why you're here. Maybe it is to provide a better present and future for your family. That's a why. What is making money. How is earning STEEM and also how you intend to do that.
So, if you're only reason for being here is to earn something, you need to know what your why is before you go any further. Otherwise, you won't last long because earning is tough sledding.
Image source—Pixabay
Help Others
That's what many people find most attractive about the platform. The opportunity to help others. I've seen it happen, and have even participated to some degree in it once or twice. I was by no means the leader, but it felt good to be a part of it, just like it does in the real world. People everywhere have many needs, and members of the STEEM community are no exception.
There is a plethora of different organizations, initiatives, groups, communities, etc. that are devoted to getting red fish to minnows, and minnows to dolphins (sorry dolphins, not so many to get to orca yet). You would do good to seek those folks out, determine which jives with your own personal principles and tastes, and do what you can to help, because they're trying to help you, and others like you.
Belief In A Better World
As jaded as Steemit can seemingly get at times (in some quarters it's rather relentless), there's more to STEEM than scraping up some rewards from the bottom of the reward pool through posting, commenting and curating while the rest goes to circle voters and bidbot owners.
STEEM is meant to be so much more than that. But it can't get there if we're myopically preoccupied with our own slivered version of the big picture. STEEM is not first and foremost a Social Media Platform. It's a global digital economy being bootstrapped by each one of us working the social media aspect, as well as investors and the eventual businesses and industries that are also supposed to be a part of STEEM. We're not talking about Social Media 3.0. We're talking New World Economy (whichever version of that we might be on).
We're talking about a model that moves away from scarcity to abundance. A model based on attention and gifting rather than gatekeepers and kingmakers. A model where all can earn and make a living regardless of their circumstances as long as they're willing to put in the time, effort and continually improve.
We're Not There Yet
Nope. Not by a longshot. We're still fighting amongst ourselves over what constitutes quality content, including if it's even worth pursuing anymore. We're still fixated on what certain parties are doing instead of whether or not we have anything meaningful to contribute ourselves. Whether or not we have a why that is as compelling to the rest of the world as it is to us.
What About Fun?
To have fun could be your why, and if it is, you might want to have a backup why, too. Fun only gets you so far in most cases.
I'm not trying to suck the life out of STEEM, but I am saying there needs to be a purpose to your spending what time you do. And you have to believe strongly enough in it to keep going. We've seen more people leave than stay by a discouragingly large margin. I don't know why—I imagine it was for many different reasons. I know why I would suddenly give up. I'm sure you have your reasons, too. But none of that will keep us here, motivated, and fulfilling our why.
You Might Not Really Have A Why
Then what? Can't make up something you don't really feel. There's nothing wrong with walking away. I'm just saying, to keep on keeping on requires more than what's and hows. It requires a why. If you have one, great. If you want one, find it. If you can't, well, the STEEM account you created will still be there if or when you ever come back. Find something more meaningful to do. Find your why. If STEEM can become a part of that, all the better.