Would you like to read this blog post and see how I feel having just been promoted from Minnow to Dolphin in Steemit because you might be happier just being Plankton?
Today I am writing my first post after being off for 10 days in Steemit because I was overwhelmed with work and also lost some of my motivation to post daily. We are the first of August and I though this might be a good opportunity to restart again with this new "Dolphin" rank.
I'm Now a Dolphin, so What?
When you start on Steemit you are plankton and it is not the best thing to be when you look at the definition in the dictionary.
Definition of plankton, noun
Zoology – (uncountable) : any small or microscopic organism that drifts through a body of water and serves as a source of food for many sea creatures — whales that feed on plankton.
This basically means that on Steemit like in the sea you can be eaten by all the other fish, including dolphins and whales.
Then, after gaining some more Steem Power, you become a minnow.
Let's see what the dictionary says.
Definitions of minnow, noun
Zoology – a small freshwater and saltwater fish that is commonly used as fishing bait for larger fish
This is better than being plankton because at least there are a great percentage of Steemit users or plankton that can't eat you anymore.
You can still be used as bait for larger fish and it's amazing how it relates to Steemit.
So, it's here where I have been the past year, going from Minnow III, Minnow II, and then Minnow I, for quite a long time.
If you are wondering how this badge is showing on Steemit, I am using the app SteemPlus.
You may want to read this post: A Better Way to Browse Steemit!
Today, I became a "Dolphin III."
Let's see what the dictionary says.
Definitions of dolphin, noun
Zoology - also oceanic dolphin: a carnivorous marine mammal of the family Delphinidae, known for being highly intelligent
Well, this made my day.
It is re-assuring to see that I am now an intelligent animal and there is no mention of being eaten by any other fish in the ocean.
If that is true, I might be pretty safe from being eaten alive by a whale on Steemit.
But, how did I become a dolphin?
Don't be mistaken, it's not because I am a highly intelligent author on Steemit, but because I have reached 4,935 Steem Power.
From that 4,935 Steem Power, I have bought 2,157 Steem Power and I have earned 2,778 Steem Power.
I put this number so I can get some motivation back again to continue writing on Steemit.
As you can see below, I have written 287 posts on Steemit and if I do a bit of calculation, I have earned 9.67 Steem Power per post in average.
Steem is worth $1.25 today so 9.67 x 1.25 is $12.
So, my earning is $12 per post today, which is very low considering the time I spend on each article. It definitely pays better to take writing assignments.
The question is, will Steem go back to say $4?
If that is the case, I would have earned $38 per post, which makes it more acceptable.
Anyway, there is no merit for being a dolphin because you just can by the Steem Power and voila!
I have achieved a reputation of 65.63 today and I have 2,660 followers, which I'd like to say a big thank you.
Without my followers I would have probably quit a long time ago.
So, now, what do I feel being a dolphin on Steemit?
Not so different than being a minnow or plankton, in fact.
Because I was much more motivated when being a minnow than I am now.
I am still glad for the achievement and can see that as a new start.
Thank you 
I have only written 14 or 15 posts this July, which is one of my lowest month since I started.
Seeing that 
Because let's be clear, Steemit is just like the ocean, except that even dolphins and whales can be eaten by other whales here, regardless if the content they write is good or bad. In fact, most whales that eat other whales, dolphins and plankton, don't even contribute writing posts.
Steemit should add another category, "Sharks."
So, as I was saying, I considered just quitting, and in the mean time I have not made Steemit my priority this last month. I thought about un-delegating the Steem Power from the communities because not writing anymore doesn't give me anything, and just delegating to bots so I can passively earn Steem without contributing.
I am now a dolphin, so what?
I am still on the fence.
A part of me says, "You should continue writing because you still enjoy it," and another part says, "Why bother when the maximum upvote you got by a single person in a year might have been $2 or $3?"
Should I stay or should I go?
Let me know in the comments below.
Would you upvote this post and follow me for more because this will encourage me to write more posts like this one?
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Steemit tools | Steemit strategies | Steem economics | Steem on WordPress | Blogging on Steemit | Steemit posts I curated | Cryptocurrency | Cryptocurrency trading | Mac computer tutorials | WordPress & online marketing | Self-development & motivation | Travel in Thailand | Travel in Japan | Travel in France | Life in Thailand | Fitness challenge | Fruit-veggie juices & smoothies | Education | My answers on Quora | Fundition tutorials & projects | Miscellaneous writing
You may prefer to go to my Steemit Posts Directory.
The most important votes you can make on Steem are for Witnesses. The top 20 witnesses can influence the addition or removal of features in future Steem hard forks. Read my post: What is a Steem Witness, How to Vote and Why?
Michel Gerard