How has Steem impacted my life? {Musings & Vegetables}

Happy weekend my friends! Of course I am on cloud nine as usual on a Saturday after visiting the farmers market and loading up once again for the week ahead. I thought with my veggie-powered momentum I would jump in on the extended initiative from Hive account@theycallmedan to share a bit how blogging on the Steem blockchain has impacted my life. As always of late, the awesome Hive account@steempress allows me to post right from my home site to my Steem blog, making it even easier to reach the wonderful friends I have in a few different arenas of my life. Might as well throw in some gratuitous vegetable photos as I tell my story. 😉

First off, blogging has given me a platform to shout from the rooftops how amazing my local farmers are in growing nutrient-rich, delicious, and absolutely stunning food. Through the last two and a half years of posting I have developed an even closer relationship with my farmers that I might not have if I didn't get so excited to jump on and share their goods. This Romanesco broccoli is something I probably wouldn't have touched a few years ago because I was too intimidated to work with it, but now I search out the most interesting produce to find new ways to cook it and share with you all! I must really give a big thanks to Hive account@lenasveganliving and her #fruitsandveggiesmonday initiative as that's where I really "cut my teeth" and learned how to become a better photographer and recipe developer.

As I have worked on my presentation skills, it has continued to give me an even deeper appreciation for the food that is on my plate and where it comes from. Of course as a personal trainer and nutrition coach I try to stay up to date on my knowledge in the field, but having a place to share with like-minded people keeps that passion alive even more than just reading the latest research and books and moving to the next one without really reflecting on what I've learned. Between finding my first vegan community on Steem that I've developed life long friendships in, engaging with the other awesome runners all over the world, and finally embracing the fact that the foods that I prepare and share are in fact Hive account@naturalmedicine I have grown a lot through the experiences I've had these last few years.

My experiences have been as varied as the many fractals of my current vegetable muse. Though I feel most at home sharing about food and fitness, the friendships I have made have pushed me to take on small leadership roles that I might not otherwise have felt confident enough to take on. While I started off as a weekly entrant to Lena's contest, I've since done a bout hosting through the Hive account@vegansofsteemit page and continue on as a fervent supporter and sponsor. I am also proud to be a part of the amazing Hive account@yourtop3 team with a few other Steemians that I can't even begin to express how talented they are. We have had a blast growing our little family to create a truly fantastic monthly contest that only continues to improve and thrive!

I feel stronger and more confident in many ways that extends beyond the screen. I'm about to host the fourth edition of my seasonal plant-based nutrition series at the studio where I work here in Atlanta. I have had such great feedback so far, and it inspires me to try to continue to step outside of my introverted comfort zone to find new opportunities to spread the inspiration to cook wholesome, plant-focused meals for any lifestyle. Finding my voice through my posts has definitely helped me find my style and rhythm in the opportunities I've had to present in person. I think I've always felt like the health and wellness field is so saturated that I would just be drowned out, but I have come to realize that my passion and knowledge are valuable. As one of my dear clients has told me on numerous occasions, I'm only cheating people out of the opportunity to learn by not sharing my decade-long reservoir of research and experience.

Definitely not going to juggle these beauties--they're worth more Steem than I'll make on this post to chance dropping them. 😜

I'm still very much learning how to juggle my time online and offline, as I do really enjoy interacting with my Steem pals! I have had to draw some boundaries and give up a few things I have held dear, but the universe has things in store that I never dreamed. As with other times in life, I've (re)learned that sometimes by letting go of some things you allow the space for other new things to enter. Growing and learning isn't always easy and pain-free, but it is almost always worth it in the end!

I'm looking forward to continuing the journey, meeting even more new people from all over the world, and sharing plenty more gratuitous photos of fruits and vegetables. Or whatever else strikes my fancy. Because I've also learned that I can share whatever I'm passionate about at the moment. Sure I have my niche, but we all have varied interests and passions so I'll continue to write about menstrual cups or anything else I'm excited about at the moment! Which reminds me of one of the other ways I've been impacted by Steem--share what excites you and forget about always having to perform for an audience. Chances are your audience appreciates a peek behind the curtain, anyway....