I'm sometimes asked "how and why I learned so much about Steemit?"

My best answer is because of my personal interest and the drive to help the interests of others.

You see, most if not ALL of us came here on some level, even if a really really small one...for the money. And that's OK!! It's true! The aspect of money, no matter how tiny, is what makes this place so freaking exciting. For most of us, we get to know the community and enjoy interacting in tons of different ways. While still there, the issue of money reduces at least slightly.

So why am I blabbering on about all this? What does this have to do with answering the original question?

I told you all this because when I first started, I had that first post payout 'pop' and I became so excited! I was pumped up...addicted to this feeling! Something I wrote, had this kind of response. I'd never been paid for something like that before. So, like most of you...after that first 'nice payout' post, things went waaaaaay down. Say $100 post followed by a $2. While many people around me got upset at this...I became curious.

Personal Interest

So, I began trying to understand so many little things so I could figure out how it worked. I read the white paper (something you really should do..just skip the MATHY parts, unless you really like math), searched posts on things like voting or curation, and ASKED QUESTIONS in comments or steemit.chat. I honestly WANTED to know more.

Why? Because I could see the potential of what this *Could be. Our goal is to grab attention...ideally by using our creativity whether it be writing, art, photography, philosophy, fiction, drones/quadcopters, traveling. But these AREN'T tags...they're pieces of our lives! The are the things we do in our FREE time...outside of work or responsibilities. These are the moments we're doing what we WANT!!

WANT versus NEED

Outside pressures often define our needs, a job to cover bills and living expenses, following through with obligations, etc. For the most part, it's not terribly hard to know what you NEED to do. The rules to live, essentially tell us rather explicitly.

But trying to figure out what you WANT??! That's a harder question to answer. It's not nearly as predictable as say, paying a monthly bill. And THIS is what is fostered here. THIS is the question that progresses us over time! While I love being able to be in this state, what excited me even more was the prospect of doing this with OTHER PEOPLE doing it too.

Synergy

I like to believe that life is NOT a zero sum game. There ARE often ways to find a win/win scenario allowing the whole to be greater than the sum of the parts. (i.e. 1 + 1 = 3) So I started not only trying to answer my questions, but those of others I saw in chat, a comment, a post, etc. I would search around looking for other posts that could answer it. Then, it was just sharing that information with the one I found asking.

There were limits to what I had though of to learn! Helping others answered their questions...pushed me into the true deep end of things to figure out. So many different situations, personal backgrounds, experiences, etc that ask so many different questions!

Now, I really like figuring out complex systems like Steemit. It may instead be frustrating to some of you. In all reality this is a really good thing. It means that at least one of you is instead going to go do something I SUCK at! Lol. But I find both questions and inspiration from YOUR paintings, poetry, fiction, photos, experiences! It's a giant feedback loop of people helping EACH OTHER do what they WANT to do.

So, if there is one takeaway from this...

Use this place to find what you WANT to do. After a while, try to ALSO find how you can help somebody else achieve the same! This may be in the form of a supportive comment, a conversation, a reply, a vote, a tip, a resteem, a random act of kindness, or whatever else could be of use. YOU grow when THEY GROW!

I learned WAY more about Steemit helping others than I did for my own gain. The same is true for you...helping others on here helps yourself!

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