Today is a milestone for me on Steemit so I'd like to share with you the positive impact it's had on my life so far.

This week I reached 500 followers and 500SP all from posting content on Steemit. But this post isn't about how many followers I've gained or how much SP I've earned it's about what I have learned, how I have changed, and the friends I have made along the way.
 

My story starts back in February of this year after a friend of mine ran over my foot whilst carelessly driving a fork lift truck around his yard. This unfortunate accident broke my foot and put me out of action for 6 weeks. Having spent the previous autumn and winter reading the DNC emails on Wikileaks I was kind of glad at having 6 weeks off work because it meant I had more time to read and research Wikileaks. Especially because during that same week they were eluding through cryptic tweets that a large publication of leaked CIA documents called Vault 7 was imminent.

 
 
So with winter still in full swing, a broken foot and a head full of research I decided to look for a blogging platform where I could regurgitate and share my findings. A short Google (actually DuckDuckgo) of blogging sites later lead me to Steemit.

The first thing that drew me to Steemit was the fact that everything you write is stored indefinitely on a blockchain. I didn't know much about what a blockchain was at the time but I did know it was decentralized and permanent. The cryptocurrency side of Steemit however I had no clue about until a few weeks ago. After reading about Steemit in a little more detail I came to the conclusion that this is what a social media platform should function like so I took the necessary steps to sign up.

Since signing up in February I have been very impressed with Steemit. Not just by the technology and it's progressive, forward thinking platform, but by the people that inhabit it. Everyone here's really helpful and kind and there's a lot of love among the various communities.

One thing I didn't expect when signing up though was how much it would change me as a person. I started writing and posting here because for me it felt a lot more meaningful knowing it was being stored on a blockchain and not a central server somewhere ready to be deleted at the drop of a hat if a company or person didn't agree with what you write. Other social media platforms I've engaged in have always made me feel like I'm feeding a corporate monster with daily content which they then use as free advertising space.

SO HOW HAS IT CHANGED MY LIFE?

It has changed me in many ways and for the better. For a start I knew very little about cryptocurrencies. The most I knew about Bitcoin was that it was a public anonymous transaction ledger and that it would have been good to invest in a few years ago. As for knowing how to convert, trade and use them that was still alien to me. Below I've tried to outline some of the ways it has changed me for the better.

• Geopolitical Knowledge

The type of stuff I write about can sometimes be quite politically in depth and can take a long time to research. This process has really helped to solidify, consolidate, and retain the knowledge and information I learned whilst researching the various subjects I write about. Some people would say I've become a lot more interesting..... or boring depending on who you ask.

• My Whole Outlook On Life Has Changed

Learning about political corruption and geopolitics has given me a greater understanding of the world and how it works. This in turn has changed how I perceive the world around me and has had an effect on the decisions I make. I now have better decision making abilities as I feel the more knowledge you have the more you're able to make better and more concise decisions in life.

• My Whole Life Outside Of Work Has Changed

I no longer watch TV or read newspapers in or out of work. My free time is now spent constructively reading and writing about world issues that I feel are important to me such as internet privacy, corrption and freedom of speech. I admit my physical social circle has decreased slightly since signing up to Steemit because of all the government corruption and things I talk about all the time to them but most of them are interested and a few have even signed up to Steemit. The people I've met and the friends I've made during my time on Steemit far out way the few friends I've fallen out of contact with in the physical world recently anyway.

• I Have Deleted Facebook And Other Social Media Accounts

After being on Steemit for a month or so I realized I could no longer bring myself to post anything of any great importance to Facebook or other social media platforms any more so I decided to delete them. 4 months down the line I have now deleted all my social media platforms apart from a Gab.ai and a Twitter account. And I'll tell you what....it feels good.

• Steem and Cryptocurrency

I've earned a small amount of Steem since February but most of what I have been rewarded has gone straight back into buying Steem Power. This is because I believe in the platform and am happy to invest in it. The Steem I have converted to Bitcoin has only really been to test the waters and to work out how to use a crypto wallet and use the crypto-market site Poloniex. Looking to the future I think any rewards I get that I don't put back into Steem Power I shall put towards buying myself a new laptop. This one I'm typing on has been well used since signing up to Steemit.

• Cryptocurrency Trading

Since exchanging my first bit of Steem for Bitcoin about a month ago I have been really interested in cryptocurrencies and was amazed by the amount there are and by the different applications they each have. My biggest learning curve in cryptos has been Poloniex after signing up last month and doing my first few trades. I'm currently up $6.

• Basic Coding Skills

I use a lot of markdown in my posts this has now evolved into very basic coding skills which I am now slowly developing further by teaching myself how to build a simple database that would allow me to visualize large data sets.

 
 

• Improved Health

Over the 4 months I've been on Steemit I have dramatically cut down on drinking and smoking. I was never a heavy drinker or smoker but it's nice to have cut down to almost quitting levels as I can really feel the benefits when cycling to work etc. I won't be going back.

 

TIPS FOR NEW USERS

I am far from an expert on Steemit but these are a few helpful tips I've found useful during my time on Steemit so far.

• Post quality and original content.
• Interact with and share other users posts and try to leave informative and related comments where applicable.
• Don't post reward watch and don't expect to get rich off it.
• Look at the post rewards as an appreciation for the time and effort you've put into your post. People sometimes upvote a post just because of the quality of the content rather than the content itself.
• Steemit itself it a pretty complicated platform to get your head around at first but the more you interact with it the more it reveals its secrets. Once those layers of complexity start to peel away your interactions start to feel more rewarding and the more you begin to appreciate it.
• Make friends. Sign up to the Steemit and Discord chats.

Well I hope this post is an encouragement to new and old Steemians alike to keep posting and to keep enjoying it. This is my journey on Steemit so far. It's been an incredible one and one I never thought would have had such a positive impact on my life.

THANK YOU STEEMIT

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FORTIFIED

Steemit | Gab