NOTHING IS GUARANTEED, BUT YOU HAVE POTENTIAL
The purpose of this post is simple. It's a pep talk. Maybe it's for you, maybe it's for me. Anyway, I just wanted to help you "get your head right" as you head into this new year. Also, this is a #steemit related post, in case you were wondering.
OVERCOME DISCOURAGEMENT
The very first thing that I'll shout at you time and time again is to overcome discouragement. Many, many people have become disappointed here on steemit and quit. Unfortunately, there are even many wallets with hundreds or thousands of dollars just sitting vacant, since the owners moved on and forgot about steemit, at least for now. It's sad, but true, and it could happen to you. In frustrating times, I have often been asked if I ever felt like quitting. Every time that I have been asked this, I have shared honestly and openly. Has
@papa-pepper ever thought about quitting steemit? YES. Really? Absolutely. Actually, I used to seriously think about quitting every two or three days.
Sure, we can see that I'm glad I never did quit, but discouragement can tempt any of us. It is also worth mentioning, that MONEY is NOT always what discourages people. Sure, you may spend a long time on a post and get a few views and a few cents while others post a meme and make bank, which can be discouraging, but other discouragement can come too. There has been more than once when I was tempted to quit and leave just because of interactions with others. We are a global community with a lot of different worldviews, faiths, beliefs, opinions, and ideas. Thankfully a lot of the interaction here on steemit has been amazing, but such is not always the case. A few times I've received comments and replies that I'd rather not deal with. These were also discouraging times for me. Again, thank fully I never did quit.
To wrap up this section, I'll share this simple truth. If you quit there is NO CHANCE that you will succeed.
YOU CAN ONLY CONTROL A VERY LITTLE BIT
Remember this above all. You are not even close to being in control of most things. First of all, grasp this concept and understand. Here are a few things that you cannot control.
You cannot control if whales vote for your posts. You can't even control if minnows do. You can't control if anyone sees your post. You can't control who chooses to follow you. You can't control if anyone flags your post. You can't control the value of any crypto including BTC, SBD and STEEM.
Understanding this should help you as you move forward. There are a lot of variables that you cannot control. Now that you understand that, let's talk about what you can control. You can control yourself, and what you do. I've seen a lot of people do a horrible job at this, and they reaped what they sowed. Some have completely destroyed their accounts and sabotaged themselves, effectually committing STEEMICIDE. Their usernames and account are forever tainted because of their previous actions. You can control your actions. You can control what posts you comment on, and what you say in your comments. You can control how you reply to the comments on your posts. You can control what posts you upvote. You can control what you post on, and how you make your posts.
Hopefully, you are beginning to understand a little bit about "your jurisdiction." Basically, you should be under your own control, and choosing wisely what you do, or don't do.
IT'S A BLOCKCHAIN
Please remember that whatever you post here is "forever" recorded in the blockchain. I'd recommend some of the following. If you think about these things ahead of time, it may help you later.
Don't incriminate yourself. This is one of those things that some think should go without saying, but it seems like it still needs to be said. If you are up to illegal things, maybe it's best not to post them on the internet, much less on the blockchain. If you don't want something coming back to haunt you, maybe it would be best not to make it public knowledge. That's just my suggestion; you know best. Watch your interactions. Everyone can get offended, discouraged, or have a bad day. Still, it may be best not to act like a complete jerk-face. Any comment you make will be forever documented. Any angry rant post that you make will also be. I've seen too many choose to act foolishly or even idiotically on the blockchain not to at least mention it here.
PROGRESS
I'll end with this potentially more encouraging bit. You need to measure your own progress to succeed. If you learn anything valid, apply it. If you earn anything for your posts and comments, it'll be more than you started with. If you make a friend, that may be priceless.
Here, we have incredible potential and the opportunity is amazing. Any improvement that you make is progress, so remember that. You may never get rich, but you're most likely at least getting paid. You may never have the most followers but you are most likely making friends. Also, you're still here, which means that you haven't quit... that means that there is still hope for you. Steem on.
Until next time…
Don’t waste your time online, invest it with steemit.com
GIF provided by @orelmely
Excellent article and excellent point about everything we do here being recorded on the blockchain. I don't think we've (I say we as a populace, not early adopters) quite understood the magnitude of what the blockchain is going to mean one day but for a bit of perspective we are going to hit a point in history where we will have an easier time explaining the full faith and credit of a bitcoin before we can explain the full faith and credit of a fiat currency.
True that! Thanks @floridadad!
I am very encouraged by the positive interactions here on Steemit! Yes there are times where I too have felt like quitting. Just like I've felt like quitting my YouTube channel over the years. Your statement about "If you quit there is NO CHANCE that you will succeed." is SO TRUE. I've learned over the years to just be persistent. Tenacity reaps rewards. Just keep swimming! LOL. Thank you @papa-pepper for being a source of encouragement to this Steemit community and beyond!
Thank you for being my friend! Be blessed Brother!
A nice message for the New Year.
I took a 6 week break from posting recently I kept up curation and comments as I had become a bit jaded and some interactions had discouraged me. It was the best thing I ever did as it gave me the opportunity to step back and focus on what I wanted to achieve.
I'd never leave Steemit, it's a wonderful place, taking a little break reminded me of that and when freinds encouraged me to start writing again I felt renewed vigour. I'll never forget the encouragement and kindness from others while I was on hiatus, it goes to show what an unbelievable community we have here.
Thanks for your insights dude.
You are welcome!
Hey, man. I would like to thank you. Success takes time, and progress can be done every day with a single step, the important is no quit.
I'm new here, I start following you because one of your post were of the firsts I read looking for guidance and advise
@papa-pepper, keep being great!
Thanks! I'll give you an upvote to bump you up off of that 25 reputation.
I really appreciate it, man! I Hope I can be of any help soon. What you do here, it's pretty awesome.
Very good post on overcoming negativity that all of us face, at one time or another, whether on Steemit or elsewhere. I am so glad I joined Steemit, and I wouldn't have if it weren't for @bluerthangreen, who was encouraged to join by you. Thank you!
When I first started, one part of me thought my posts would be hauling in the big bucks right away. That didn't happen. But the other part of me, the realistic part knows it takes consistency and time. So I stuck it out and it's paid off.
This year, I want to make Steemit even more a part of my art business. Who knows? Maybe artists could start selling their physical paintings here and pay in steem. How cool would that be?
Have a blessed and prosperous 2018!
I'm glad to see you here, and it's nice to see you periodically getting a solid payout. Your art is so incredible! You are blessed my friend!
Great post for today...my first day.
I came a peeking on your profile due to the good words of @freedompoint and @freedomtowrite. I look forward to reading more and getting to know you.
Welcome! Yes, the Yeti told me about you on the phone earlier.
So much of this is true but can I just encourage everyone that investing yourself on steemit is great, even through the ups and downs, the quitting and the being on fire. I've seen a level of encouragement and friendship on steemit that is pretty great. However, investing in the lives of others on a personal basis is WAY better. I've loved the relationships that I've built on steemit, but I have to watch myself sometimes that I don't spend so much of my life in my online world that I overlook how many opportunities surround me where I can be the hands and feet of Christ. Thanks for the encouragement @papa-pepper. 2018 will be a balancing act for sure!
Ah yes, STEEM and SBD have a price, but what you speak of is priceless. Very excellent comment!
Thanks for the pep talk!! I needed that for sure. I love Steemit and I am grateful for it and how it has led me into the Crypto World. I agree, I see Peace here in Steemit, we should all come together, be grateful and move on. The Year of Steemit. I enjoy your posts and your contests are always awesome! Happy New Year to you & your family...and all Steemians!
Thanks for that @clove71! I hope that this year will be full of blessings for you!
Well said. You have a good head on your shoulders Mr Papa. We all need encouragement from time to time. We usually get back more than we give in life. Nothing is free.
We all do need encouragement, and I'm not the least of those! Thanks @manorvillemike!
Overcoming Discouragement is one of the hurdles here in this platform, which affects most of the newcomers. Thank the Lord i have invited some of my friends and office mates to join Steemit. As i stated on one of my posts, quality and quantity can go a long way, but consistency and communication is the crucial points here in Steemit. They may see random nonsense posts with ludicrous amounts of upvotes, and in turn churning out an awesome length and good quality post gave them nil. So i advised them not to be disheartened but just still keep on making content.
All in all, i do not hold their fate. But i will always encourage anyone to press on and just keep on creating content, as long as they are enjoying what they are doing. :)
More power to you @papa-pepper and have a wonderful 2018! God bless you bro! ^u^
Very, very well said! God bless you too!