The Steemit Hero's Journey: Remembering why we're here, and where we're headed.

There comes a point in every adventure...

...where even the most legendary of heroes becomes lost, grows weary, and perhaps even forgets why they set out in the first place. It can be a time of disorientation and self-doubt.

_{Image by Peter H from Pixabay}

If you have been here since the beginning, or if you have only just arrived, a hearty thank you, and a warm welcome!

It's been a long and uncertain road these past three and a half years as together we have been crossing a somewhat formless abyss of potential and uncertainty while seeking to bring about a rewarding, participatory, and collaborative model of social media; and although we have enjoyed our moments of triumph, our potential has remained largely dormant and unrealized.

The journey our community has taken through the uncharted waters of blockchain, and social media, is ultimately a path leading us back to the curiosity and possibilities which brought us here to begin with. Now, thanks to the resilience and persistence of our community, the Steem blockchain and Steemit.com are emerging from the abyss and we stand at the cusp of great things.

_{Image by Dariusz Sankowski from Pixabay}

The journey our community has taken through the uncharted waters of blockchain and social media is ultimately a path leading us back to the curiosity and possibilities which brought us here to begin with.

In light of the renewed energy which is circulating through our community in the wake of #newsteem and #steemfest, it is time to revisit our vision and see how we have grown and evolved since we first set out. It is time to reignite the fire in our eyes and the hunger in our bellies so that as additional tools and structures emerge to buoy our efforts, we may be a united force of creative and collaborative abundance in the world.

We are at the forefront of a global movement that is challenging the dominant extractive economic model which has corralled humanity into the ever-narrowing corridor of a less than zero-sum game.

The Steem blockchain is the first of its kind, the first social blockchain in the history of the world, and no one ever said it would be easy to completely flip conventional economics upside down. There is no field manual for an insurrectionary instrument of this nature, and indeed, the developers who have pioneered its evolution have had to contend with a staggering array of novel challenges for which there is no analog in traditional computer science.

Blockchain is a whole new kind of beast, and a blockchain with the power and promise of Steem can be an incredible force, but we must champion its development, now more than ever we must breathe life into its emergent forms through our words and efforts on behalf of a world we know in our hearts is worth building.

_{Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay}

We are at the forefront of a global movement that is challenging the dominant extractive economic model which has corralled humanity into the ever-narrowing corridor of a less than zero-sum game.

Like the heroes who have come before, facing weariness and uncertainty, we must invoke within ourselves our capacity for wonder, for curiosity; we must remember why we are here and what we are striving for. We have come so far, and yet we are just about to take our first steps into a powerful new world.

I see an energized community, inspired development, and new features on the horizon which can at long last, unleash a dormant potential we have all been yearning for.

I see communities creating a new model of self-governance in concert with the worker proposal system, which will allow communities worldwide to begin growing and directing resources where they are most needed.

I see the potential for new media initiatives, censorship-resistant news outlets, and the ability to host events that reward community participation, all these things and so much more.

_{Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay}

Like the heroes who have come before, facing weariness and uncertainty, we must invoke within ourselves our capacity for wonder, for curiosity; we must remember why we are here and what we are striving for. We have come so far, and yet we are just about to take our first steps into a powerful new world.

So, what do you think Steemit can do when we truly tap into its capacity to organize and reward the endeavors of a creative and talented worldwide network of early adopters?

What happens when we turn down the noise and amplify the signal?

Where might we go when communities coalesce around common goals and begin amassing the resources needed to trigger ever-widening cascades of benefits for their members?

We’ve spent some long while toiling in the fog, so tell me, now that the sun is beginning to break through, what would you like to see in the light of day?

Yours Truly,
@lovejoy