Don’t feel discouraged on Steemit!

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Hello, my Steemit friends!

I saw a comment this morning that I felt needed some “tender loving care”. I started writing a reply and soon it seemed that I was going to run out of typing space.

I decided to “can” the reply and write a post! This is how important this topic is to me.

Okay, you might want to know what discouragement has to do with the quality of posts. Believe me when I tell you… a lot!

Although I had Biology as a subject in school it was not my favorite subject. Today I am going back to school and I am going to “dissect”, not a frog but the reply to my post.

In my journey with steemit so far, I have come across good and talented content writers, but with who can I compare your creativity? Maybe in future, I will find that answer.

Creativity

For me, creativity is one of the most beautiful words in the English language.
The word creativity is all about ideas, communication, and entertainment.

My brother studied journalism and was a journalist for a local newspaper and later also national television. Over the years he had his own company running marketing and advertising campaigns for big corporates. For instance, his company was presenting Adidas in South Africa.

These days he is the editor of a prestigious Asian magazine and if I say “prestigious”, I mean it. The brands advertising in their magazine are the likes of Rolex, Rolls-Royce, etc.
To be precise, it is an upmarket lifestyle magazine.

With his visit earlier in the year he wanted to know what I am writing. I was too shy, maybe a bit embarrassed, to show him my posts. There are no ways I can compete with their articles.

My hubby forward him a link to one of my posts. He came to my office where I was busy with some Steemit work and he said the following;
"You write from the heart in a "language" that is understood by the people".

That my Steemit friends is what you must do, write from your heart. It doesn’t go about creativity it goes about your heart.

We cannot all write about flashy cars but we can all write about what is inside us. If you write because you enjoy writing and in a language, everybody can relate to, creativity will come!

Considering what I am now facing on this platform, I feel like giving up, but I have come too far, and I believe it is now too late for me to give up.

Giving up

The author is not alone in his feelings. There are literally thousands of us here on Steemit who have felt at times that we are ready to give up. Yes, your honor, I am guilty.

The most important point the author makes is that he has come too far to give up!

For those who don’t know, I joined Steemit in September 2016, six years ago. I gave up within the first month. Can you imagine where I would have been if I hadn’t given up?
I won’t be working hard to get that 3rd dolphin status. By now I would have been swimming in the major league.

🖒To fail is normal!
🖒It could be worse!
🖒It can only get better!
🖒Success is an awesome feeling!
🖒Believe in yourself!
🖒Don't give up!

I feel discourage because for the last two weeks that I have been participating in the engagement challenge, the chief curators never visited any of my post. Yet, I normally get good grade. Well.... Maybe I am not lucky enough, but I still believe that things will get better for me.

Discouragement

A couple of posts back I wrote about “writer’s block”. One of the main factors that can influence an author or blogger’s post is discouragement.

Discouragement for me on Steemit comes from;

• Feeling that your post is not good enough
• Being a perfectionist
• Seeing what others are accomplishing
• Not getting votes
• Far and few comments on your posts
• Moderators and curators not being fair with their reviews and votes
• Reviews on your post that is dampening your spirit

I couldn’t understand why I received a review that my markdown style wasn’t good enough. No way, it can’t be. I put headings, I resized my images, I placed my images bottom, top, left and right. I used columns, and I used different font sizes. I then went and look at the other entries. My discouragement continued. Nope, the markdown styles of the other entries were not better than mine.

I started writing a lengthy reply and then I stopped. I fell into the trap! We are all human, we are individuals with different agendas, and at the end of the day, we have to feel content with what we have accomplished and how we have done it. I wiped the comment and it felt good!

There is only one person that counts on Steemit and if you say SC01 I am going to throw you with a pan! It is YOU!

Only YOU can improve the quality of your posts and overcome a feeling of discouragement.

Tips:

• Never compare yourself to others. Not in your posts and not in your votes. It will break you. I know, I've been there. I have learned to just do my thing.
• Find your tune. That one thing that is working for you and so often it is a “ttiinnyy” thing.
• Figure it out. Find what hinders you from writing good content and work around it. In my case, it is often finding the time.
• Don’t push too hard! Don’t go and search for SC01. If your posts are good enough he will find you and so will the other curators. In other words, don’t irritate the curators as you will only harm yourself.
• If you feel luck is not on your side, change. Go for red instead of black.
• Push through your feelings and don’t give up!

Last chapter of my post.

Take one Steemian, one that you can see who is battling with posting quality content, and start helping that person to become successful. Pretty soon you will start feeling good about what you are writing and achieving in Steemit and rewards will come!

Playing it forward is the best medicine on Steemit.

#letscomment

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