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First of all, I would like to thank @mosunomotunde and @infovore for this initiative to bring back Nigerian writers to the steem blockchain. Even though I wasn't really an active user for the beginning due to the numerous, rigourous school work I was beclouded with at the time, 2017/2018 on the blockchain was one of the best periods of my life. I did write a few posts that earned me some cryptocurrencies I could sell for cash, I met some cool steemians on here who have now become close acquaintances, and I found a skill I'd have never thought I have; Writing.

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The Bear Market.

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To be really honest, we were taken unawares. As painful as the thought of leaving the blockchain for a while was, I understood it was something I had to do. I was near-depressed as I put in the hours to make articles that weren't appreciated or even noticed. It was heartbreaking to watch the stakes you've spent months trying to accumulate depreciate in value every week. As newbies to the entire crypto-space at the time, I probably didn't understand then. However, looking back now, I would say the bear market did teach me some things afterall. It was a necessary evil.

What the Bears taught me?

So much. And it's hard to remember all of the lessons just as much as it is hard to write a post after several months of hibernation. However, to keep this post short and concise, I shall try to summarize it in the following points.

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Hello, Opportunities.

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By the time the bears hit, steemit had already exposed me to the idea of content incentivization without the intervention of a third party organization. This is a very disruptive idea that cannot be erased from my memory. So, while I was away, I took the time to read up on the concept of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT or Blockchain), and I found a sea of opportunities available beyond just social media blogging. Within months of studies, I got to learn how to trade cryptocurrencies on exchanges and I made little profits from my investments over time. Sure, I also made some losses as well, but it's all worked out to teach me a lot about patience, focus and time management. I also discovered several other crypto-related communities that I fit in quite perfectly.

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The Relevance of Human Connectedness.

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Being in a competitive and highly interactive blockchain social network could keep you glued to the computer for hours upon end. Especially since this one could pay the bills. While it was all enjoyable, I was a bit scared of the person I was becoming. Disconnected from real life family and friends and every other offline activity I used to participate in before the blockchain. I skipped a few classes at school, I missed sport practices and I lost contact with some friends. What did you expect from someone who was new and overwhelmed by the idea of content incentivization without boundaries. I was sure this was it and didn't need anyone to tell me otherwise. How wrong was I?

Then the bear market changed all of that. It thought me the single lesson of "Not putting my eggs in one basket." It was depressing to not find the motivation to write as much as I used to anymore. It was depressing to watch communities slowly die off and friends leave. With time, I realized I was lonely, I hadn't called my friends for months, I hadn't been regular at classes, I lost some relationships and my steem account kept depreciating in value. Nothing worked.

The bear market helped me slowly claw my way back up to being present in the moment, making and keeping friends and above all, the realization of the importance of family and social life beyond the blockchain.

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Times and Seasons.

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There's time for everything.

The bear market also taught me what I perhaps consider the most important lesson in life yet; That there are times and seasons for everything, and most things in life evolve through cycles, just like how flowers bloom around March-May in the northern hemisphere and around September-November in the southern hemisphere.

For most newbies in the crypto-space at the time, we didn't know how the market responded to times and seasons. I must have thought the price of BTC and every other cryptocurrency would continue to soar. I didn't expect the bear market and it took me by surprise. Slowly, but surely. What I learnt from this is that life won't always be rosy. One had to live for the present while preparing for the rainy days, because, like cycles, changes always occur. Armed with this lesson, I don't think I can ever be mistaken or confronted by unforeseen challenges in life that I have not at the least, prepared for, and I am appreciative for being around the crypto-space at such a time as this.

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Wouldn't say I've seen it all though. One year in a bear might be too short to assume I am a sage. But I think that one year in a bear market might be too long to not learn anything at all. One thing I am sure of is this: I am back and better!

_{Yours, Canby.*}