Clever and Interesting Title Goes Here!
This morning I experienced a brief moment of hope as I received a notification that one of the fairly valuable items I have listed on eBay had sold.
I breathed a small sigh of relief, realizing that we'd be able to pay some bills and a decent supermarket run on Wednesday.
Young merganser ducks
The Rising and the Falling
Twenty minutes later, the wind just went right out of my sails as I got a follow-up message from eBay — from their fraud prevention department — to let me know that they had made an "administrative cancellation" of the sale because evidently the buyer's eBay account had been hacked and the transaction was fraudulent, have a nice day.
It's that same feeling I used to get when I'd worked on some online document for a while, and right before I am about to "save" my work, the power goes out. Or the Internet connection drops.
A peaceful spot on the river
Events are all fresh enough in your mind that you can effectively recreate them, but by the simple act of failure, your motivation has basically gone down the toilet, potentially for the rest of the day.
In the course of many years of "self-study" I've come to know myself well enough that I am not "one of those people" who just bounces back up and continues undaunted when I encounter some major setback. I have to brood and process the event for a while, before I can either continue or decide to just "abandon ship."
Summer sails...
Fear of Making Decisions?
I've occasionally had to answer to people who claim that I am fearful of making decisions.
I don't really see myself that way. What I am — perhaps — is very cautious in the face of a lot of uncertainty. And I believe people get to be that way as a consequence of their personal histories. If you find yourself repeatedly "choosing the wrong one" between two possibilities, in time you reach a point where you require more and more information before committing firmly to one path or another.
As a current example — for those who keep track of such things — I'm among the relatively few who are currently powering down/powering up on neither Steem nor Hive.
I don't have enough information to make what I feel is an informed decision in a very uncertain and risky circumstance. And in fairness to that circumstance, I am creating unique content for both sides of the coin, rather than resorting to copying.
That's not a criticism of anyone choosing to do so... merely my own strategy based on my own interpretation of what constitutes "right action" under the circumstances.
Sometimes the BEST Choice is No-Choice
We live in a world that tends to be very oriented towards making choices and going THIS way or THAT way.
Maybe it's just me, but in the course of the 40-odd years of adult life I have experienced, it feels less and less like compromises and partial solutions are part of the decision making process, anymore.
The old notion of "an honorable draw" seems to have been supplanted by the idea that we MUST have "winners" and "losers."
Sometimes that goes so far as to feeling like it has become more important to people whether they won or lost than whether or not a just and reasonable outcome was the final result.
Fiery skies at night...
That makes me sad, somehow... although I am willing to consider the possibility that I simply haven't kept up with the times.
For now, I'm just going to sit still, for a while...
Thanks for reading, and stay healthy!
How about YOU? Do unexpected circumstances take the wind out of your sails... or do you just get back up and keep going, right away? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- be part of the conversation!
(As usual, all text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is original content, created expressly for this platform.)
Created at 20200427 18:47 PDT
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If by 'unique content' you mean create 'exclusive & different' content for each one of the blockchains, don't worry much about that my friend. There is no need to do that in order to conserve intact your ethical and moral principles before you and everyone else. :)
In my case, for example, I am indeed posting every piece of content I'm creating so far in both blockchains simultaneously.
Just weigh this procedure in the following way:
As a research scientist, I am well aware of the difference of the audience on 'both sides of the coin' as for their specific idiosyncrasy and also by the 'stingy quality' of their index finger and their pockets/wallets.
Therefore before my eyes, this 'procedure' (as a valid social & ethical experiment), is the only way to test and evaluate the "quality" of the audience and their 'cultural' performance simultaneously, side by side and in real time to establish quickly some valuable comparisons and useful conclusions. };)
I totally understand your point, my friend!
In this case, it's a habit that goes LONG before these blockchain communities, back to the early days of social blogging (20 years ago) where I maintained multiple blogs. Keeping always different content as part of building a following was a simple strategy to encourage 'true" followers to move across venues... because they'd find something different, everywhere they looked.
Of course, back then there were no fingers disbursing from wallets... only page views that translated into advertising revenue.
It may be that it's not the best strategy here... but old habits die hard, and all that....
Yeah the times are changing. Oh wait! ...they already changed!! :)
Sorry to hear about your E-Bay sale. I have also experienced this elation and deflation when I get a buyer, but then they start asking for a reduction in the price because now they have to pay the new sales tax we have here in the States, if I give in in, they then ask for another discount and pretty soon, they change their mind. I sometimes hate that tax because of the emotional YoYo it causes, but it is what it is....
I have to accept it as another small problem in building a home business. The goal is worth it, so I soldier on...
Ah yes, I have grown all too familiar with the "tax-and-discount" scam.
It's worse with international buyers (particularly from parts of the world with "Haggling Cultures") who'll have something sent to — for example — China and then fabricate some "not as described" reason to want to return the item, KNOWING that eBay rules require sellers to pay for a "not as described" return... then it is followed by a message that says "I can keep it, but just not at that price," along with a request of maybe a $150 discount that "just happens to be" the amount I'd have to pay for a return shipment.
I've had to BLOCK selling to large sections of SE Asia and the FSR area for that reason... which sucks, because there's a lot a money available in those areas... oh well, it's a scammy world.
Confucius he say: "Man who sits on fence must wear teflon underpants..."
This is just an aside, but I have to find peace in realizing a decision I make doesnt have to be "right" or "wrong". Many times decisions or plans simply dont work out regardless of the decision. I try to do my best, but I have found mental solace in believing many things just dont work out and often through no fault of our own.
And that's a sound and healthy approach, I think.
Over the years, I've become more and more comfortable with the state of simply not knowing. And being happy with my choices, independently of whether or not they are right. Or best.
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Thank you for the support @bdcommunity, I appreciate it! And I appreciate your openness in curating content outside your own geographic area.