Steemit Ultimate Challenge 8 Weeks - Week #6: How Steemit Changed My Life

Fellow eSteemed!!

This is my entry to the steemit ultimate challenge and thanks to @dobartim for this opportunity, where I can appreciate the community on the good works it has done in my life.

Steemit is a wonderful community where you meet every race in harmony, everywhere you turn to, you are welcome with open hands.
My journey on steemit has not been easy but so far it's been good and a lot tremendous things changes has taken place in life. Also, I want to appreciate the initiator @ned for this great platform that has changed a lot lives. @ned might have created this platform for the gains and creating a difference but little did he know he was changing thousands of lives and bringing the world together.

My Journey On Steemit and How it Has Changed My Life

For those who didn't get the chance to read my introductory post let me introduce myself once again. My name is Stephen aka Hornblende(you can see that on my profile), an undergraduate studying geology in the University of Benin, Nigeria.

I first heard about steemit on August, 2017 when a close friend @valchiz told about it. At that time I was looking for a way to earn extra cash, so I contacted him because we had run some ponzi schemes together. When I asked him which way I can earn extra cash he said Steemit so I asked how it works, then he said its a platform where you can blog and earn. I registered an account but couldn't follow up because I wasn't guided.

In September, he posted about it again on his facebook timeline, this time with a whatsapp link of a community @africaunchained. I was glad this time I was going to meet fellow steemians there. On the group we were all newbies except for the founder of the group and project @destinysaid, @valchiz, @edumurphy. On the group we were tutored on the rudiments of surviving on steemit and various etiquette to inculcate while we blog. The tutorial were very encouraging and I had to search for my mail to get the verification email then my account was set up.

Days later i dropped my introductory post which earn me $13 and I was inspired. I started dropping posts everyday, some days were good while some were bad. Writing a well researched and detailed article without earning a dime on the post was frustrating but I kept the fire on..
Like the mantra always used in our group (@africaunchained)

Come for the pay, stay for the community.

They say Perserverance is the key to success. I was ready to stay for the community no matter how bad it was. Most of us who were tutored together could not keep up and they left while some resorted into plagiarism. I knew it was going to get better.

How Steemit Changed My Life

Steemit has helped me in making new friends, the likes of @learnandteach01, @valchiz, @charm, @marvel1206, @destinysaid, @etemi, @gracehills, @rexsanguis, @stevenson7 some whom I've met personally and a whole lot of others. Before steemit my online presence and engagements was limited to facebook and some different forums. But getting on steemit has brought out the interactive a part of me and so far I've met a lot of trusted and wonderful people. Also, with the help of @destinysaid we were able to create a steemit community in my campus. We've had two meet ups so far and they are geared at spreading the goodnews of Steemit to the whole campus, inconjuction with the Steemit Campus Invasion. The campus invasion aims at bringing students into the blockchain community and helping the gain financial freedom and reliance on the government for jobs while they give back to the society.

photos from the two meet up held in my campus with @destinysaid.

I and fellow students have come together to make sure this mission is a success. Plans have been made by me and my fellow team members to get t-shirts and fliers which will help in publicising the goodnews of steemit. Right now we are on a low key due to semester exams that's fast approaching and we hope to get back to work in no distance time. However, I have been spreading the word about steemit to who ever cares to listen and a lot of positive responds have been recorded. Steemit has made me a talker. 😁 😁

With steemit my interaction with people has improve, before steemit I use to do my things on a subtle note without having to draw attention, but with steemit I couldn't hold it to myself, I had to let it out. I've made real friends on steemit than I have made offline or within my community or location, they are true friends because everyone is ready to help you in the little way they can.

Financially, Steemit has changed my financial status significantly. Marked changes have been made in my life. Last year we engaged in a lot of ponzi schemes and lost a significant amount of cash, however, with steemit I didn't have to invest before I get paid. All that was need to succeed was dedication and Perserverance. Also, some weeks back I got my first laptop with earnings from steemit to enable me steem efficiently. Here's a photograph of the laptop.

Educationally, I wasn't much of a writer when I started but I needed to brush my writing skills in other to write captiavting and nice articles. I began to explore was in which I could improve my writing skills and so far it's been wonderful. Also, I've learnt a great detail from series of articles I've read on steemit ranging from crypto news, science related topics and various tutorials on how to make stuffs. These are articles I won't find on any other sites but they have been made available by steemians, especially the science related topics written by @samminator, @greenrun, @suesa and a whole lot of others from the steemstem and stemng family.

Finally, this is an advice to all those who are new to the platform. One day you can also share your success story, truth be told it won't be easy from the start, you have to put in a lot of work, write captivating and unique articles, make friends, join communities and engage in one or two projects, it will help you gain grounds ad succeed in here. Most people were not orientated before coming into the community, they think it's a get rich quick scheme and they tend to get frustrated along the way, your mindset about steemit shouldn't be about the quick money but rather you should work towards getting a better future. Never give up because it only gets better and lastly, be yourself!!

With over 6 months on the platform I can tell you it has been one hell of a journey and I'm enjoying bit of it and thanks to God I'm still thriving.

I will drop my pen here..

Proudly a member of @africaunchained.

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Thanks For Reading and Once again thanks to @dobartim for this opportunity, we are happy for your initiative towards building Steemitschool, this will go a long way in educating the less privileges. We are always by your side to support in whatever way we can. To read the original post for this contest click this link

https://steemit.com/steemitultimatechallenge/@dobartim/steemit-ultimate-challenge-8-weeks-prize-fund-2000-sbd-week-7-registration-is-in-progress