I am not an angel.
No one is.
I am very well acquainted with my own shortcomings, flaws and problems. I want to talk very honestly about the reasons I will be giving away two tickets to Steemfest, and paying for their hotel, airfare and food.
Steemit has given me everything I have today.
I learned how to trade cryptocurrencies, learned how the blockchain works and why Satoshi Nakamoto invented Bitcoin. I studied everything I could get my hands on when I first found Steemit by accident in June 2016. Without a rational thought, or any economic stability, I instantly gave up my regular job (I worked as a writer for the website, Interesting Engineering, plus I was a ghostwriter for a CEO of a software company.) I wrote for my living, but I was not compensated very well. I was earning about $2,000 per month as a science/tech writer.
The reason I gave up everything once I joined Steemit is because I had no choice.
Overnight, I became 100% obsessed with Steem. I was not able to focus on anything else. I hardly slept those first few weeks when I got into Steemit. It was an addiction worse than heroine, alcohol, sex and cigarettes combined. But for once in my life, my addiction was giving me something in return. This had never happened before.
The reason I am giving away 2 tickets to Steemfest is because I will not be going. I want to go, but for personal reasons, I can't. I'm a hyper-sensitive person and the thought of flying again is a bit terrifying. So, I had a chance to think about my situation, and I couldn't help but feel depressed about telling @roelandp that I would again not be attending Steemfest2. I wanted somehow to make a difference, and it was in that moment of feeling depressed and agitated about this, I realized I could afford to send not one person, but two people in my place to Steemfest2.
It was around this time that I saw @aggroed's post about him helping to fund a minnow to go to Steemfest2. I knew I had to do this also, because Steem made it all possible. I could resist my recent tendency to hoard and grow Steem, and I could send two deserving people a trip that they would otherwise not be able to afford. I could find humble, decent people who care about others, and I could pay for them to go.
I didn't get to where I am by accident.
But I was lucky, and a lot of whales voted for me day, after day. Some days I experienced guilt about this because on one hand, I was a Steemit addict, and was posting every day, so I didn't have much of a conscious choice....but I felt that other new authors were being overlooked. I saw a huge need to get more readers and critical thinkers who like to curate on here. Thank you to all the whales who voted for me. I feel indebted to you all, and I hope you can see that I have come a long way in understanding the concept of a decentralized autonomous organization and why Steemit was even created in the first place.
I also worked my tail off.
I was always trying new concepts, business ideas and generally, I tried to fill in the gap that no one had thought about. Experimentation has always been my main game. And research. I'm still an information addict, actually, more so now that I have time to read. (Thank you)
I studied Bytemaster's Blog and whenever I feel empty and run down from what's happening in Steemit, I go back here and read something new. I am very grateful that @dan wrote these essays. They are mind-blowing.
I'm still analyzing my own selfish tendencies.
The root cause of my selfish money pursuits is fear. I am afraid that somehow I will become irrelevant, old-hat in here. I'm scared that somehow greed will take over Steemit, and make our investments wither and die. I am deathly afraid of becoming poverty-stricken again. It is this fear that drives me both to create and to hoard.
But I am aware that too much fear ends up producing bad results, less money and more problems. Letting this fear go was one of the reasons I decided to go against my hoarding tendency, and give away thousands of Steem. I am looking forward to releasing the Steem to others.
Before I found Steemit, I had about $2,000 in savings and a lot of debt. I am a single parent, and I also take care of my parents to some degree. I was definitely not in a good financial situation last year. I am in the best financial situation I've ever been in my adult life right now.
I can afford to send two people to Steemfest2, so that is what I'm doing.
Steem Work Makes The Dream Work
(@ned coined this phrase on Twitter)
Cheers,
Stellabelle
I wanted everyone to know what projects I have either been supporting, creating or am in the process of forming.
I supported:
Project Venezuela @provenezuela
@steemgigs
I created:
a local Bitcoin School in my city (next class is August 12) We actually spend more time talking about Steem than anything else.
My Steemfest2 Giveaway (all expenses paid for 2 people to go to Steemfest2)
And one project that @ackza and I working together on is @electricworld. We want to give every Steemian who doesn't have a reliable source of power for their smartphone/computer a power battery pack. We're in the beginning stages of organizing this and an account and steemit channel, called #electricworld has been created for this purpose.
And all of this is what makes you a beautiful talented woman with a motive ! Your story was really inspiring because this is how I started off as well. 2,000 in my account , preganant and lots of debt . Ever since I have joined Steemit as my last hope , I have been very much addicted to it , hearing stories like yours shows me that I should never give up and keep striving for the best . If we work hard everyday, one day our hard work will pay off , I know it . We learn from one another as well. You deserve much more, and it will come to you ! @stellabelle
It is scary to see how this platform is going but I feel like if we do not let it happen within ourselves , we will be a leading example for others.
everyone must just be brave and study.
And I will say one more thing , we have to take risk to make it to any place we desire , yes there is falls in the way, but those falls give us a brighter ending and I plan to learn from you and the other whales along my way. Thank you for that !
Huh, nice to see more nice people here.
Hope it will help my determination to go on in what i do.
In last two days i read two articles with people saying that they quit smoking and wanted to share here with the others in so many words.
Also lots of good comments there.
Like what you wrote here and wish all the best to you.
Hope steemit could bring me to life again somehow... i wished to have here such meetings, but not knowing people who using that and the ones i told about that have no time even to enter to see what's about.
Life is full of surprises and you, here are a good one. Till now, love the community i saw.
We share and spread knowledge amongst one another and what's better than that? We help each other by guiding one another to our goals and showing others that hey, I reached my goals . With positivity , anything is possible
Hope that i will can keep around in the list people like you and manage to see their posts.
All my life i did that and it is the best thing.
Best wishes.
It's nice to see such growth in you. I didn't even realize this was your post until I started reading it. We are wired to help each other as tribal animals, but we have to take care of ourselves first. I've only received a fraction of what you have here, had to take some time off, but it has been one of the most valuable things to happen in my life in the past year. That's thanks to your help.
Getting regular whale votes is certainly helpful, I wouldn't complain lol, but you would not have gotten them had you not worked. You earned what you have because of action, diligence, and work. Now you are helping others you own way, like the whales helped you.
It takes will power to do this, you have been an inspiration even when i tried to reach you and ask some deep question and you are not reachable, i knew you are unto something more meaningful.
It is a privilege to whoever win these two tickets, and i hope they look back someday and pay it forward as well.....
It's your friendly and loyal follower @oluwoleolaide for @steem-lagos
You were lucky to find out about Steemit in June 2016! I understand your fear. I feel the same way, but I agree that too much fear ends up producing bad results.
Great post @stellabelle, like you and others said I was in the addicted phase of steemit up until the recent HF, up until then I was writing very in depth health and science articles. I even had a few big supporters on here but then when they didn't get what they wanted out of me they stopped up voting me. It's ok because I got to see who really liked me for me and what intensions others had for me. Now I keep everything short and sweet and I have two very big responsibilities in my life at the moment- my son and you know the other with my hubby. I still mod on discord and help when I can. You have been here since the start so I don't know if you have seen this cycle we are in after this latest HF? Keep up the great work and you deserve everything you worked your @ss off for. Relax and enjoy! You are doing great and have always done well in my eyes and thousands of others on here. TTYL night :0)*
Can I pm you on steemit chat?
you love me i love you, you hate me i hate you, you vote me i vote u, you follow me i follow you
Steemit's lucky to have you :)
Steemit is definitely an addiction. A good addiction. When I joined here, I couldn't sleep as well because it was something new and really awesome. I saw the potential of Steemit and it was very very exciting ! And every day feels like somethig new and even more exciting. The community is amazing, you can never find anything similar in terms of community.
I do have the same fear... That greed might overtake steemit and ruin it. But let's hope for the best and let's take action to keep this place super yunk forever !
yes, we need to take actions, and show how abundance and giving wins! We see this unique thing happen in steemit, but nowhere else! This should be enough to change the entire world!
I don't believe for a moment that you're a complete pessimist, I've never once seen you at our weekly meetings. ;-)
i have weeks of pessimism. I am deeply cynical and have been very full of doubt. This is because I had not studied enough.
I'm cynical because of the people I see and meet in everyday life.
I'm hopeful because of the people I see and hear every day here.
Not all of them, some of them just reinforce the cynicism, but Steemit seems to be a gathering place for a lot of good people.
I"m exploring the #Nigeria tag here in steemit because I am finding new perspectives, which are based in gratitude. I don't see a lot of Americans who feel grateful, and so I get to go to a different place here on Steemit to find it.....
Most Muricans don't appreciate what they have so they don't feel like they need to be grateful. In fact too many feel like even more is owed to them.
There's going to be a rude awakening for a lot of people.
I cannot travel, so I don't know the details of your contest. I wanted to thank you for your gifts to the community. Blessings will follow you.
@stellabelle I know that fear of not having any money. Far too well I'm afraid. I was terrified to quit my job recently because of that same reason, but it had to be done for my health. I wish I could help my parents, repay them for everything they have ever done for me, but I can't. I can't help them. I first have to take care of myself and then maybe.
No matter with what you are struggling, please, take care of yourself. Hugs.
you must first take care of yourself, it is true, before coming to try and rescue others! I got this mistake many times in life.
Ohh yes ^ all of this. Ty
I’m not a pessimist I’m a realist! I enjoyed drinking the first half of the glass, and I will enjoy drinking the other half as well! I often wonder what traits the top steemain share between each other. I wonder how many of them would describe themselves as an “all or nothing” kind of person. There is no middle ground. You give it your best or you don’t at all. Is that what a true addiction is when drilled down to the basics?
It’s always good to self-reflect from time to time. Just be careful to not overdo it to the point it’s causing you more harm than good. You are a wonderful and interesting person @stellabelle. The way you see and interact with the world that you choose to share with us on Steemit brings tears to my eyes. How you’re not working for people as fun as Vat19 on YouTube or the likes selling people products is beyond my understanding!
I am thrilled you have found your home here on Steemit. Your projects like bitcoins school, your efforts to give a way for steemfest 2, and now you’re giving battery packs to those in need! You’re not the kind of person to do these things hoping for a bigger profit out of it. You do these things because you are just that kind of person. I think that’s why so many people enjoy reading what you have to say. Trust you with their followers, and upvotes. Thank you for being an awesome person.
i like Vat19 and all novelty companies! I try to create my own absurd products.....I'm an idea machine....and I don't like bosses!
hehe, I just finished watching their new one they put out today. Wow, I Didn't see them making one like that. Always something interesting from those people! I do love the commercials they make for those gummy products so much.
This post received a 3.6% upvote from @randowhale thanks to @brendanwenzel! For more information, click here!
Your post deserved more of a vote than I can currently provide, so here you go! Have a great evening @stellabelle!
And I fully understand what you are talking about with the fear. I'm always in fear of losing it all. Everything I've built just going away tomorrow due to no fault of my own.
And it's absolutely important to always give and share the abundance. You have to be a river of resources that allows abundance to flow through you. You can NOT be a dam of resources or everything stagnates and dies. Be the river!!
hey, I appreciate that! Thanks!
So incredible @stellabelle, we are as in the same way..(I'm in the addicted phase you'll see only 10 days in here) and thinking with two more friends that introduce me here in going there. (@fivefiveeleven and @dontstopmenow) and suddenly I found your words.
Is you fear for planes the only one reason to not going t othe Steemit Fest 2... I been thinking that a Cruiser from Ft. Lauderdale to Portugal takes between 6 and 15 days. You can do even beautiful posts from there... Don't stay like the old-hat in there, like you said. Depends on you to don't be that hat, because believe me, on November 1 you'll feel like that.
Anyway there's a lot of time, and if you want, you can!
At least you have the chance girl! Come on! I invite:
Ao bacalhau e a Feijoada Mulher
I guess I don't understand how anyone could not become addicted to Steem. There's nothing like it. About the trip: well, even though I traveled alone a lot in my twenties, I dislike it now. There are many reasons.......
Oh I thought you will tell me that that addiction disappers with time..! But about the Fest thing, we are in South America. We can go to Usa, pick up you in there and Go with others Steemians. Im sure that even more Steemians dislike flying indeed... Come on, your Yunk engine is starting to sound! Lol
ha ha! Nice idea, but it takes me many months to get to know new people.
Mmmmm maybe. Anyway..still months to the Steemfest! By the way.... I have an idea to support me and two more steemian that want to go and we will do some crazy things to get the money for the trip... any advice is welcome!
This was a great read, @stellabelle. Beautifully written and straight from the heart. I'm still relatively new to Steemit, but I have seen nothing but great content and generousity from you. Your coin incentive alone has brought many of my good friends to the platform. The fact that you took the initiative to share your time, attention, and part of your earnings with others speaks volumes. Thank you for everything you bring to the platform. It certainly doesn't go unnoticed!
Wow, I don't for a minute see you as a complete pessimist. Not if you can give up your job in order to devote time to steemit.
Obviously it paid off, and fortunately you can provide for your family, so that's brilliant.
But don't let fear hold you back, if you aren't careful it can take control.
I know exactly what you mean when you say it's addictive...it really is. The first thing I reach for when I wake up is my phone so I can check steemit and maybe post my first blog etc. I check throughout the day whilst posting and curating. Last thing at night I check..and if I hear the message tone I just have to reach and look if I need to reply.
There are quite a few cryptoheads that would love to receive your tickets and I must say that it is great that you are giving them the opportunity.
This is a fantastic experimental platform with a winning formula. I just hope that it will remain so for the long haul and only go on to improve and not stagnate because of newbies only willing to be followed, comment on and resteem other content without creating their own.
The possibilities here are endless, at the beginning I knew nothing much about cryptocurrency except that it exists...little by little the guys here on steemit are educating me. Long live steemit. 😀
@stellabelle, I love it when I can hear fellow Steemit's hearts. Sometimes the glitz and the glamour overshadows the the real stories behind our favorite Steemit celebrities.
I appreciate you sharing that your beginnings were humble, and that you dreams were attainable.
Hmm... it is one of the long post that i like to read over and over again.
It gives a good feeling and a nice perspective of life, knowing that there still are good people somewhere.
I hit the bottom of my power to go on with almost all things in my life, don't really know how can i continue or what to do.
I am a graphic designer and sport photographer, but lost the power to do from pleasure because what happens. Eh.
When first heard about steem, i said to give it a try. Of course i heard about it after entering in the Bitcoin world in june and lost 2-3 weeks to understand the surface of what's happening there.
At some point, reached to steemit.com... hehe, i surely do not use any kind of social media today (i did at their time, mirc, hi5, yahoo mess etc, and it was hell of a fun), except the one for my photography, being necessary for parents and kids too see and feel proud with them.
When entered here, i felt something new. Not seeing that overwhelming commercials, multiple settings and million windows with notifications or other spamming things..., i said, let's try it.
And it is something new, refreshing with nice people, spammers i haven't seen till now :-) hope will not and some good vibe.
Until now, the only problem i think i have, is that i write my thoughts and not reaching in time to be seen and then remain hidden. I will continue posting, of course, it is the first stage that we have here i think :-).
I am also not a writer... i mostly like to do, not to talk, but talk makes good from time to time.
heh... nice words, nice thoughts and nice smile, i can see it somewhere there when you wrote that lines
cheers
beautiful post! Touched me!
A lot of people I know have "irrationally" jumped ship with their regular job (and it turned out fine for all of them), but somehow I can't bring myself to do it... I know if I did, I'd have so much time to study and read, but....... :(((
the only reason I did it was because in the beginning, I was averaging around $500 per day. I really would not advise doing this right now because the rewards are actually shrinking, not expanding...I would blog as a second gig, not a first one.
Yeah, you arrived here at the perfect time.
Very real narrative... I find this very motivational.
Congratulations on your steemit success !
To the 2 lucky chaps you will be sponsoring to steemfest. Cheerios!
You really are great, I think that is a great gift from you, two lucky people will be able to go to Lisbon, I wish everyone who participates good luck, I of course can't go, if I could I guess I wouldn't be wishing anyone good luck because @stellabelle deep down everyone is selfish.
Wonderful!!! I admire your openness here. I'm so happy that you are doing so well by doing something that lights up your whole body when you talk about it!! Thank you for all you do to give back to individuals and the community through Steem or through sharing your great wealth of knowledge!!! It's really awesome!!! Letting go of fear can be so hard. I read something by John Taylor Gotto today about steps to move forward into a more fearless life....I think you are doing it. Bravo! I'm honestly not sure how to move forward on letting go of my worst fears... But I'm going to put more thought into moving out of the scary spaces of my mind. Thanks @Stellabelle!!!
Your story is very motivational. Thanks for sharing. These days I'm also facing a very difficult situation. I am in need of some serious help. I've been thinking whether to create a post about my situation or not. But I think I am too proud to ask for help. Maybe no one would care. I don't know what to do. What I am trying to say is your stories help me keep going and not give up.
There are almost 7 billion people on this planet and sometimes I think that we have 7 billions stories on which Hollywood writers and directors can make movies. Your story is really inspiring and motivates people like me not to give up in any stage of your life. However, in my opinion, we should always be thankful with what we have. I have actually started a series named untold stories of unsuccessful persons on Steemit where I highlight those people who have also worked hard in their lives but due to their circumstances, couldn't become successful. When I see their lives, living in slums, feeding their family with unhealthy diet and begging to earn some bucks, I cry and thank to the Almighty for blessing me with so many things.
Keep growing and stay blessed!
You have so much heart! I love how transparent you are about why you cannot go but at the same time you have found a way to help others attend. It is so beautiful Queen, that you care about helping others on Steemit because you understand the feelings of new Steemians.
Blessings to you always @stellabelle ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
Incredibly generous of you. 🙏🏽
We can have several thoughts in our mind but what really matters are the actions we perform, everyone has got their yin and yang.
It's easier to make a purpose & get what you want than to deal with your feelings & be at peace.
Both ways are meant to attain the same thing; happiness. Two different ways and one is judged upon and labelled as crazy. The other one is heroic.
Just a thought on two different routes to happiness Yus I personally think a mixture of both is the best option.
A state of no anxiety and removal of worry is the ultimate happiness. (Or is required to achieve ultimate happiness)
I've learnt so much and grown not only in knowledge, mantra but also with a different perspective of life, our economic systems and the beauty of blockchain.
I hope I can follow in your footsteps @stellabelle as I try to work my tail off so I'm able to have a roof over my head haha. Rent is obscenely expensive in London and without steemit I don't know where I'd be. (Probably with my parents losing my autonomy and feeling humiliated). I'm also not only here for my own self-interested benefits so one day I can help others like you. Changing and revolutionising people's life.
Incidently I wrote a post about if you need sorrow and despair to be happy and conclusively from reading your post I think you do.
From the hardships of my life I think I have a stronger passion, zeal and love with steem which I wouldn't have without some rough times throughout my life. I guess we should be optimistic and self-sacrificing to be truly happy in this world.
Thank you for your amazing work @stellabelle :)
Simply amazing stuff from you again @stellabelle. I'm so happy I followed you in my early days... without quite knowing what I was doing :) Yet, I'm learning everyday and your early support has pushed my motivational levels to the max (it was pretty maxed from the get go already, perhaps also bordering obsession. The content ideas just keep propagating in my mind. I can't switch it off). Anyway, you're a true shining light to the community and I will continue to support your work through thick and thin. Completely loving Steemit, completely loving blogging, completely loving the community!!! You ,and so many others I've met so far, are rocking my world!!! Thank you, brown noser... JUST KIDDING!!! I can not have been more REAL!!! Cheers!!!
I am really happy to know that there are still people with good hearts like yours, some other people make a lot of money out of nothing and they never think of giving back to the community. Bless your good soul @stellabelle. Resteemed
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You have tremendeously revolutionised the whole steemian community with your formidable mindset; adorable you are :)
A happy accident is what we all need. I always say to people that we only need to be lucky for 2 minutes and our life can change so much from that point. Steemit is one of the happy accidents for many of us.
Hi @stellabelle, I am @bahagia-arbi from Aceh, Indonesia. Thanks for your excellent writing.
Regard
@stellabelle This post got me feeling all emotional right now but I can relate with not having money, its like sucking the life out of someone. As for your achievements here on steemit, I know you deserved it because no one would have done what you are doing any better.
have this silent desire to meet you one day and give you a big hug and tell you that everything you hold so dear on steemit won't turn soar rather your work will pave way for poverty eradication. optimism is key.
no one is perfect, i like your honesty. Always a blessing to read your posts.
You deserve the place where you are today
glad to be a part of steemit hope someday will be able to overcome my shortcomings.
Thanks for the posts
What a great headline! :)
Well done you for being conscious of your fears and tendencies and actively working on overcoming them. That makes you a very good (and creative) human being!
Creativity doesn't only exist is the artistic sense - we have a chance to create ourselves every day into the person we want to be.
Most people are unaware of their fears, habits, attitudes and so they simply react to them (and hurt others in the process) instead of using them to create something better.
I also learn about Steem from your Facebook, it's easy for people to have addiction but most addiction costs money, Steemit is different indeed.
being optimistic protects the body....
just as we can ruin our health by overcoming our problems, we can strengthen it by looking for happy emotions. But to generate its benefits, positive thinking requires a global work on oneself.
I love your honesty and of course appreciate your solid helpful content... I am upvoting and resteeming this, even though it's 2 days old. I am also sharing it to my 800 Facebook friends, as I am attempting to introduce blockchain technology to my Facebook friends, although it does feel like I am smacking my head against a brick wall lol - I've never seen people glaze over so fast and change the subject quickly or just straight up walk away... Anyway I am so glad for your success and even though I don't know you personally, I am proud of you! Great job, yes "Steemwork makes the Dream work" I am just a minnow trying to get my account a bit of traction, I can feel my account building momentum, and I will also be working my tail off to bring useful and interesting/helpful content to the Steem Community. Again congrats on your success, I am definately following you. Keep it up... take care and stay positive and generous.. Peace @cryptoted
Good article! :D Upvoted!
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https://steemit.com/@mdshadathhossain
Your story certainly is an amazing story! I think I am where you were at the beginning of your journey! I really don't know much about cryptocurrencies, but I have found steemit blogs to be very useful in teaching me. I don't live and breathe steemit but I do have to come on here several times a day. I don't have a great deal of confidence in my writing ability so I'm probably holding back somewhat too as I'm worried my thoughts are irrelevant to the masses! But you have inspired me to take a leap of faith! Thank you for this post